A CHANGE OF STYLE PART 1   by NINA ADAMS   In this the first of four parts we meet Alex Adams as he begins his High School journey with the help of his friend Roxanne. His journey takes him places few boys have the opportunity to experience. His gradual acceptance of his changes helps enrich his life, but forces him to make some complex choices.

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IN THE BEGINNING

One of the few strong memories I have from my father was he telling me that I was very special. “Son, explore the world and never settle for just okay. Use your heart as a guide and you can be anything you want to be."

Shortly after that and just about a week short of my 11th birthday, he passed away. I loved my father, even though he had not been a real big part of my life. He worked so hard building his advertising business that I think he missed out on living and enjoying time with my mother and myself. I think his last wishes for me were a statement of his personal regrets. I was very young, but I vowed to always be myself and experience all that life had to offer.

I vowed not to lose sight of the world around me and became a very free spirited kid. I also enjoy developing my creative side and became enamored with the arts. I enjoyed painting, music, literature, and almost anything theatrical in nature. My father's words guided me much more than his actions.

School came pretty easy to me even if I did not fit in perfectly. I had skipped first grade so I was always one of the youngest kids in my classes. During my high school years I was not part of the popular click, but I did have some good friends and some social life.

I was not a great athlete, but I enjoyed running. As a freshman and sophomore I was on the school’s cross-country team. I found running to a good sport for me, because I was thin with relatively long legs. I was only about 5'7" and 135 pounds, but my long thin legs probably belonged on someone a couple of inches taller than me. I chose not to go out for the team my junior year, because it took so much time away from my other interests.

I live alone with my mother in the northern suburb of Chicago called Glencoe. Glencoe is a very small town that is right next to the Chicago Botanical Gardens. It is a pretty affluent community, but not overly conservative. My mother worked part-time at the Gardens, but mostly because she enjoyed it. My father had left a substantial nest egg, plus life insurance proceeds and a majority ownership in his agency. My mom would never have to work again, but as she was barely 40 she needed to keep herself busy. She was still a very attractive woman, but she did not feel the need to quickly find a new soul mate. I always thought she probably wanted to wait until I was off to college or until sometime after I had left the house.

My mother and I were very close. She pretty much single-handedly raised me so we knew just about everything about each other. She could read me like a book, so I kept few secrets from her. She was the only one other than some of my teachers that still called me Alex. Most of my friends just call me Lex.

It was during my junior year at school that I began making my mark in the fine arts. I took theater and chorus as my school electives and even had a small part in the spring production of the Beauty and the Beast. I was really just beginning to develop my interests and personal style. When I found something I liked, it usually became a passion.

When I saw ‘Billy Elliot’ at the Ford Center in Chicago I just knew I wanted to be in theater. Making it in theater became an important personal goal. It was almost an obsession. I even got my mother to flip for some voice in dance lessons to hone my theatrical skills.

I prided myself on not being a clone of every other kid at school. I made friends pretty easy, but I tended to dress and act in a somewhat nonconforming way. My naturally brown hair had been dyed black. My clothes tended to be for lack of a better term, kind of edgy. I wore a lot of strange or attention getting T-shirts and I wore intentionally torn jeans. I even wore a hemp bracelet that a cousin of mine had brought back for me from Jamaica. I did not stick too far out, but I did not look like every other kid at school.

Over the summer following my junior year I was lucky enough to get a job at the movie theater in Northbrook court. I think my knowledge of theater impressed the manager. It was only about 20 hours a week, but it provided me with some spending money. It was because of this job that I was lucky enough to get to know Roxanne. Roxanne and I went to school together, but hardly knew each other. I always had a crush on her from afar, but I had hardly spoken to her at all through our three years of school. She was part of the in crowd and I was not. She was a cheerleader and I was not a big-time athlete. I never really felt I was in her league.

Fate was on my side as we now both worked together at the movie theater. It was a lot of fun getting to know her and to my surprise she wasn't stuck up at all. She was actually pretty down to earth, and not what I really expected. We shared a lot of interests, including a love for theater. As the summer wore on we became very good friends. About midway through the summer, I got up the nerve to actually ask her out. I was more than a little nervous, because to be honest, I didn’t think she would accept. I am certain I caught her by surprise, but she accepted my offer to meet up after work for a Starbuck’s mocha. As beautiful as she was, I think I liked her more because she seemed so nice. Maybe she accepted because I was not one of the macho jocks that usually hounded her. With each passing day we seemed to get closer and closer and before the summer was over we were spending a lot of time together outside of work.

I think it was our third rendezvous when she asked me if I wanted to kiss her. I got a little flustered and said I was working up to it. She smiled and looked at me with that little bit of twinkle in her eyes. A few seconds later, I walked over to her and gave her a quick peck on the lips. She was not very impressed, and told me I would have to work on that. At least the ice had been broken, and I figured the next time I would do better. It was a little strange having the girl make the first move. She was so totally beautiful, but I had been content just spending time with her.

We talked a lot about what we planned to do our senior year and after high school. She loved music and dance, which was a big part of why she became a cheerleader. She wasn't positive about what she wanted to major in at college, but she wanted to combine her interests in music and possibly teaching. She had such a great personality that I was certain she would make a great teacher.

I expressed my interest in the arts and my desires to eventually find my way into theater. I was not certain it would be a career move, but I knew in my heart it was something I wanted to pursue. I told her about my voice and dance lessons and how I wanted to work on my acting skills during my senior year. I had not gotten involved in the theater department my first two years of high school and only had a bit part in the school production my junior year. It was very unrealistic to expect a big part in the senior year production, but I was hoping for something that I could showcase some of my new skills. Roxy told me she would do anything she could to help me.

I was grateful to have Roxy as both a friend and potential girlfriend. One thing she suggested to me was to change my hairstyle. She thought I had great hair, but was not crazy about me dying it black. She thought I should leave it a more natural color, but maybe give it just a little bit more style. Nothing radical, but maybe a little more contemporary look was her suggestion. She thought that if I wanted my hair to be more interesting, it would be better just to let it grow a little longer, than to dye it an unnatural color.

I reluctantly agreed with Roxanne and later told my mother of her suggestion. She was very happy that I no longer wanted to dye my hair black and told me I would look much better with a more natural color. However, she was not real keen on me letting my hair grow. My hair was already getting a little long and I was in need of a trimming. She made me a deal that she said was non-negotiable. If I wanted to let my hair grow I would have to go to her stylist every three or four weeks, and have her keep my hair in an orderly fashion. She would dye it back to its natural color and give my hair a little shape. She was adamant that I would have to start caring for it much better if I wanted it to stay long. I would also have to let Lulu cut my hair however she thought it would look best. If I was going to let my hair grow, it was not going to look like a mop. She said that Lulu had a great sense of style and was very popular with the more fashion conscious set.

I was not big on having to go to a salon few weeks to get my hair trimmed, but I was in no position to argue. She made an appointment for me a couple of days later. I told Roxanne about the agreement I had made with my mother and she thought it was fair. She said she also went to Lulu’s Solon, but was not lucky enough to have Lulu actually be the one to cut her hair. Lulu charged more than most of the other stylists and she was impressed that I was actually going to get my haircut by Lulu. That made me feel, somewhat better.

It was about a week before school was set to resume when I walked into Lulu’s Solon for my first appointment. When I met Lulu for the first time I was expecting to meet a much older woman, but she was probably only in her mid-to late 30s. She was very attractive and I could tell from her own clothing and personal looks, she had a great flair for style. If I was going to start reflecting a more interesting look, Lulu was probably the right stylist to help me achieve that.

She told me that she already knew about my agreement with my mother and seemed to know quite a bit about me. She told me that she had been cutting my mother's hair for about three years and had many opportunities to talk about me. That made me feel a little bit strange, but she had a disarming way about her. She ran her fingers through my hair and said after it got a little bit longer there would be a lot of great things she could do with it. She explained that I had really nice thick hair, however it had been damaged by the cheap dyes that I had been using on it. For the first appointment, all she was going to do was bring it back to its natural color and trim the edges slightly. She gave me a bunch of hair care products to help me restore and improve the quality of my hair. Either at my next appointment or the one after that she would try and give it a little bit more style.

When I left the salon that afternoon my hair was anything but stylish. It was back to its basic brown with a pretty non-descript shape to it. I understood her plan, but would be starting my senior year with boring hair. Roxanne was happy to see my hair back to its natural color, so I was not too upset with the changes.

I always loved Roxanne’s deep brown hair. Her hair was always so attractive and trailed about 2 inches past her shoulders. It had a very natural wave to it and looked great in almost any style she chose to wear it. My hair was too short to do very much with and her hair you could do almost anything with. It was kind of odd, but I was kind of jealous that Roxanne could change her look anytime she liked. Girls always have so many more style options than guys.

My mother had convinced me that entering my senior year of high school I also needed to upgrade my clothing choices. The torn jean look was okay on occasion, but she said I was starting to look like a cliché. It would be okay if I chose to wear some other edgy styles, but I needed to change it up a little bit. Unlike most of my friends, I did not have any brothers or sisters to help me pick out clothing. I had to rely on my own tastes, my mothers, or possibly Roxanne’s.

When Roxanne and I were finished with our afternoon shift she went with me to some of the more hip places in the mall. It was kind of fun going shopping with her. I had never really cared for clothing shopping, but it was fun going into the different places with Roxanne. We were shopping mostly for me, but every so often she would try on something as well. There were even a couple of tops that we both tried on. Many of the more stylish T-shirts and tops were gender-neutral. I ended up buying quite a bit of clothes and even a pair of oiled leather Dansko clogs. The clogs were so comfortable and Roxanne convinced me that they were very fashionable.

When I showed my purchases to my mother she was generally pleased. She said she might pick up a few things to fill out the wardrobe. She was really tired of me wearing the same old clothes over and over.

I had really enjoyed the summer, but was looking forward to getting back to school. I really wanted to work on my drama skills and look ahead to post-high school plans. I was also kind of excited to be entering my senior year of school with a new best friend; one that was so popular. We had grown very friendly over the summer and had even kissed on a few occasions. We had never taken it any further than that and I do not think it would be fair to say that we were going steady. Our relationship was more than just friends, but it wouldn’t be fair to say we were an Item. I was hopeful that the relationship would continue to evolve over the school year.

School got off to a pretty good start. I was especially excited to begin my drama and chorus electives. I really wanted to show off some of what I learned from my tutors. Ms. Joyce the drama teacher was quick to pick up on my enthusiasm in class. Near the end of our third week of class she mentioned to me before class that I seemed much more perky. I was not sure what she meant by that, but I took it as a compliment.
My relationship with Roxanne was still very friendly, but we had not seen as much of each other since the semester had begun. We would get together after school on some days and study, but we really weren't doing that much on a social basis. She had already begun her cheerleading practice after school and I was still taking a few of my voice and dance lessons after school. I was nearly done with those sessions and hoped that I would have more time for Roxanne and other school activities very soon.

It was time for me to go back for another hair trimming. I complained to my mother but since I was letting my hair grow I did not understand why I needed to go back so soon. She told me that Lulu would help keep it orderly and healthy. She told me not to worry since Lulu would probably not cut very much off.

Lulu was very pleased to see me after school on Friday. She told me that my hair was already looking much healthier. She asked me what I had in mind as I let my hair grow a little. I told her that I really did not know, but I wanted it to look stylish. I told her all about my desire to be in drama and that many actors and actresses had very stylish hair. I wasn't sure what kind of style I wanted, but I was willing to push the envelope, if it made me look good. I told her that I was hoping she might have some good ideas and I would be willing to let her do her thing.

"If you are willing to let your hair grow I think there will be a lot of things we can do as the school year progresses. We can try different styles and different looks. A majority of the hair that I cut is for women, but many of the styles look even better on guys. Great hair is great hair and I think we can have some fun with this as the school year moves along."

"I am not here for a girls hairdo, I am just looking for some more style."

"You need to relax. That is not what I am saying. Think about Johnny Depp. His hair is extremely stylish, but not in the typical mannish form. If you want to be creative you need to open your mind. Some of the very best cuts are actually androgynous. They look great on guys and gals and can be real attention getters. If you are just looking for a buzz cut or someone to just lop off your split ends, I can recommend someone else."

"I am sorry, I didn't mean to snap. I am just a little nervous having my hair cut here, but I trust you. I think we are on the same page. Letting my hair grow was originally my girlfriend Roxanne's idea."

"Is that the same Roxanne who gets her hair cut here?"

"Yes. We have been hanging out since the summer."

"She is a very pretty girl and has lovely hair."

"Thank you."

"I would guess her hair is about 3-4 inches longer than yours. As you've probably noticed, she can wear her hair in many different styles. I am not suggesting that you would want to wear your hair in all those styles, but the longer your hair gets the more options you will have. At the rate your hair seems to be growing, it would probably get to be about that length by Christmas."

"I really haven't thought about how long I wanted it to get. I really just wanted it to be more interesting."

"Today I think I can give you a little bit more style by just re-balancing your hair a little. I am going to leave the hair long in the front and on one side a little bit longer, but trim it a little bit more in the back area. I think you will like this look and as it grows out we will have a lot of new options. I think the shape will go well with your nice facial features."

She proceeded to wash my hair and to begin trimming it. She actually cut off more hair than I thought she was going to, but she said it was necessary to achieve the proper effect. I asked her if I could watch her cut my hair in the mirror, but she said she preferred that I see the new style all at once. When she was through with the cut she actually did a little trimming on my eyebrows. She said they were very much like my hair and in need of a little reshaping. She told me not to worry as she was only going to slightly change where they peaked. She then said, "I wish I had natural eyelashes like yours." That comment caught me off guard and threw me for a small loop.

Finally I had an opportunity to see my new look. I was a little shocked by my reflection. I had never seen that style on any guy or even girl for that matter. It was very unique and certainly not manly. I could not tell where she had trimmed my eyebrows, but they did look different. I told her I thought the style was a little effeminate, but she said that it was very androgynous and I would quickly get used to it. It was not what I was expecting, but I was looking for something a little bit different.

When I left the salon, I felt a little conspicuous. I took the most direct route home, because I was not sure if I wanted to run into any of my friends. I knew they would eventually see my new style, but I wanted to get some reassurance from either my mother or Roxanne before I did much socializing.

When I entered the house I shot straight up to my room. I opened my closet and started staring at myself in the mirror on the back of the door. I kept turning my head to get a view from different angles. I was not expecting a style that looked anything like this, but I was beginning to think the unique look was kind of cool. I thought it might slightly accentuate some of my more delicate facial features, but it really was stylish.

While I was preening in front of the mirror my mother walked in.

"I thought I heard you. I just bought you a few... Honey let me see you."

She had stopped in midsentence when she saw my face. She didn't look upset, but she seemed a little startled by my hair. She had me spin around a couple of times while she evaluated the cut.

"You look very different. Did you ask Lulu to cut your hair that way or was it her idea?"

"She did it all on her own. Why do you ask that? "

"I am not sure, but it is not what I was expecting."

"I was quite surprised myself, but I think I like it. Mom, what do you think?"

"You just look so much different. I think the cut is pretty and it obviously frames your face well."

"Don't you really mean handsome?"

"Well I guess so, but it is also very pretty in how it blends in with your eyes and bone structure. Your hair never has looked so interesting, but I never expected a style like that on my boy. How do you feel about it?"

"As I said, I'm getting used to it. It is a lot different than anyone else’s at school, but that is sort of what I was looking for. At first, I thought it was a little fem, but the more I stare at it the more I like it."

I am not totally sold on it Alex, but if you really like it then we will give it a chance. Remember you have to take care of it."

"I will… do you think Roxanne will like it?"

After a short pause, mother said, "Why don't you call her and find out."

With that I went up to my room and called her cell. She seemed happy to hear from me and I told her I got a new rad cut. She sounded excited by my description and anxious to see it. She said her family was going to be having dinner together, but we could probably meet after dinner at the Starbucks for a late latte’ or something. We decided to rendezvous around 8 PM.

I was still a little nervous to show off my new do, but I was also pretty excited to be seeing Roxanne on a Friday night. Most of our recent time together had been school related and on weeknights. I wanted to look my best for her and started looking through my closet for something to wear. It was the first time I looked at the clothes my mother had just brought to my room, when she first saw my new style. She had bought me some sweaters, slacks, and some long sleeve crewneck T-shirts in different colors.

I selected my new black jeans that I had picked out with Roxanne and I wore one of the new sweaters my mom had bought me. It was a very soft V-neck in light blue. It felt so different than my other tops so I looked at the label to see what it was made out of. The label said it was made of imported cashmere. I thought I looked pretty good and went down to have dinner with my mother. When I entered the kitchen she gave me another once over and asked me why I had changed clothes.

I told her I was meeting up with Roxanne later and wanted to look nice for her. I told her I really like the soft feel of the new sweater and asked her why she never got me cashmere before.

"Alex, cashmere is much more expensive and you had never really concerned your self with style before. This new you, is a lot different than the young man I am used to having around the house. Even your interest in clothing seems to have changed."

I was so anxious to see Roxanne that I got to Starbucks about 10 minutes early. I did not want to have my espresso drink without her so I just started out with a big cup of water. I managed to get the loveseat couch next to the fireplace; it was the most romantic seat in the coffeehouse even without the fire being lit.

While I waited for Roxanne I read an old People magazine that was left on the end table. I enjoyed seeing all of the famous movie stars in the magazine and sort of fantasized that I might be in there some day.

I was flipping through the pages when Roxanne snuck up from behind. When she came around to the front she gave out a very small squeal of delight in seeing me.

“Oh my God you look amazing. That style is so much better than the way you used to wear your hair. I love it, you look so cute.”

Cute was not the word I was looking for, but I was happy she liked it. She gave me a quick kiss on the lips, but it was more like a friend would than with true passion.

“Lulu is so phenomenal. I would never have come up with a style like that. It looks so perfect on your face. She is so open-minded and creative. I have a hard time seeing the old you in this image. I like the old you, but you wanted a more dramatic look and she brought it out. I’ll bet most of my girlfriends will love it too.”

I was happy for her enthusiasm and a little more comfortable that I looked okay. After the initial exchanges we settled into more traditional yapping. She told me about her cheerleading squad and how she was just named co-captain. She told me that school was going fine, but then upset me by saying that she wasn’t seeing anybody these days.

When she mentioned that she was not seeing anyone I sort of slumped. I know we were not a couple, but I sort of thought we were at least seeing each other. She was talking to me like one of her friends and not like a date.

“Well you are with me at least!”

“That’s true and I really do like you.”

That was the end of the conversation on dating and I felt a little disappointed. I certainly did not want to give up our relationship and I know that most of my guy friends would love to be out sipping a latte’ on Friday evening with Roxanne.

We hung out for about an hour and a half just talking about school and some of our classmates. I got the inside info on who was dating who and other juicy gossip. After my initial disappointment with our discussion I relaxed and really enjoyed shooting the breeze with her. Near the end of the evening she had a twinkle in her eye and said she had a suggestion but wasn’t sure if I would be up for it. After peaking my interest, she said she would save it for another time.

I was now too curious to let that pass and said; “Now you have to tell me. What’s your idea?”

“All right, you know how much I love your new style?”

“Yeah”

“Well you know I think it would look so great if you had an earring in your exposed ear. A lot of guys at school have one and it would look spectacular with your new cut.”

“I am not sure about that. I’m not sure it would look good on me and besides my mother…”

“I understand… it was a bad idea.”

“No, no it’s not that, I just never considered that before. Do you really think I would look good with one?”

“I think it would go great with your hair and even enhance your new stylish look. Some of the coolest guys have pierced ears.”

“How come you never suggested I get my ear pierced before? When I had black hair I was also trying to look cool.”

“Truthfully I really didn’t like your black hair that much. Your new style is so much better and I think a stud in your ear would look very cool. It looks great without it, but I know I would like it more with a small gold stud.”

“Roxanne, you know I trust you and you know I really like you a lot, so if you think so maybe I should.”

“Tomorrow is Saturday, we could go to the mall in the afternoon and have them pierce it at Claire’s. It doesn’t cost very much and they have some nice but inexpensive studs.”

“That sounds okay to me, but I think I better run it by my mother. I don’t have to tell her everything, but it’s just her and me and I don’t want to upset her.”

“That’s fine, I told my mother before I got my ears pierced also. Why don’t you run it by her, and if it is okay with her let’s plan on going to the mall after lunch. Maybe we can even meet up with some of my girlfriends. I would love to show you off.”

“I am sure she will say it’s fine, so let’s plan on meeting at Claire’s around 1:30 in the afternoon.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I am sure it if I tell her it’s what I want, it won’t be a problem.”

I walked Roxanne home and up to her door. I wanted to give her a big kiss, but before I had a chance, she gave me a long hug. It was not what I was hoping for, but I would be seeing her again tomorrow.

When I got home my mother was in the family room reading a book. She asked me about my evening and I told her it was good. She also asked how Roxanne liked my new haircut.

“She told me it looked amazing and that she loved it. She thought Lulu had done a phenomenal job and that I looked so much cuter than before.”

“She did, that’s interesting.”

“One thing she did suggest though, was that I get a stud in my left ear. She thought it would compliment my new hair and give me even more style. If it is okay with you, I plan to meet her at the mall tomorrow to get a stud. I told her I would run it by you first, but I am nearly 17 so l was hoping you wouldn’t have an issue with it.”

“I am not really keen on you getting piercings or tattoos. Unusual hairstyles are one thing, but getting a piercing is more serious. If you don’t like a hairstyle you can just cut it off or let it grow. If you pierce an ear it could get infected and could be pretty uncomfortable for you, in more ways than one.”

“I am not worried about a little pain and it won’t get infected if I take care of it.”

“When you get your ears pierced you have to wear your studs for at least the first couple of weeks. That means even if you don’t like the way you look, you will have no choice but to continue to wear the studs. If you don’t wear them, you easily could get a bad infection.”

“I am only talking about one ear and I don’t know why I wouldn’t want to wear it.”

“You already have a very unusual haircut for a boy and might not like the way the earring looks with it.”

“I am sure I will like it and I am willing to take that risk.”

“I am really uncomfortable with this. I am not going to tell you no, but I do have a suggestion.”

“Mom, I want you behind me on this, so what is your idea?”

“Well Honey, since your hair is so much longer on the right side, why don’t you get your ear pierced on that side. You will still be getting a piercing, but it will be less noticeable. After a while, if you like it, then maybe you could do the other one.”

“Mom that sort of defeats the purpose. If it is covered by hair, why even do it in the first place. Most guys get their left ear pierced, if they are only getting one pierced.”

“I still would rather you have your right ear pierced than your left. After the initial novelty of having a pierced ear wears off, you may want to have a somewhat less noticeable alternative.”

“If I don’t get my left ear pierced, I do not think I’m going to do it. I already told Roxanne that I was sure you would be okay with it and that I would meet her tomorrow at the mall. I really want to do it, but if you say no, I will listen.”

“I can’t believe I am saying this, but I have an alternative that may sound to you a little off the wall. Instead of going to get your left ear pierced, I think you ought to have them both pierced. That way, after the first couple of weeks passes you can choose to wear any nice studs you might have in your less noticeable ear. If that is okay with you, I will pay for the piercing and get you the higher quality 14 carats studs. With the good quality studs there is less chance of infection and they will probably also look better. Besides, no one will notice your stud in your right ear with your current hairstyle.”

“You really want me to get them both pierced. That seems like a bit much. It also may seem a little strange to Roxanne.”

“I think I am compromising pretty well. I would rather you not get either pierced, but if are going forward with it, I would prefer you do both. You do what you want, but if you are really asking me, this is what I think.”

“I will give it some thought and maybe discuss it with Roxanne at the mall tomorrow. I think I am going to go to bed now. Good night.”

“Good night Alex, I am really glad you came to me before you had it done. It makes me feel very happy that you and I can talk like this. Goodnight.”

I was very tired when I hit the sack, but it still took me a long time to fall asleep. So much had happened since school let out and my mind was still racing.

I woke up in the middle of some crazy dreams. I also noticed that when I woke I was very aroused. I could not remember the dreams clearly, but I remember seeing Roxanne and some of her girlfriends in the dream and I also remember having really long hair. I tried to remember more of the dreams, but I couldn’t.

Saturday morning I had a good breakfast with my mother and spent the rest of the time getting homework done. It made the time go by and I like getting it out of the way.

I played with my hair a lot before I left for the mall. I wanted my new style to look exactly as it did when I saw Roxanne the previous evening. The weather was still good so I wore some climber style shorts and a maroon T-shirt. The climber shorts were just past my knees and I thought they looked sporty. I also wore my new clogs, because Roxanne and I picked them out together. It took me a short while to get comfortable walking in the clogs, as they had a higher heel than I was used to. They were comfortable, but they changed my posture a little.

Just like the evening before I was first to arrive at our planned destination. This time I was exactly on time, but Roxanne was not there yet. I spent a few minutes walking around in Claire's by myself. I was asked by one of the clerks if I needed any help and I said I was just looking for the moment. I could not believe how many different styles of earrings they stocked. The clerk asked me again if I needed any help picking some out.

"I'm okay, I am just waiting for a girlfriend."

"Are they for her or you?"

"Well I am not sure, but probably for me."

"Have you seen any styles you really like? We just got in some great new sterling silver hoops. They would look great with your hairstyle."

"I was thinking more on the lines of basic cold studs. I have never had pierced ears before."

"That's okay, it is really easy and you hardly feel anything. Studs are a good way to start off, but if you buy a second pair the cheaper ones are half off. After the holes heal you might like the hoops or something a little funkier than the studs."

"I don't think so, but I am going to wait for my friend."

Almost on cue Roxanne came in with her friend Jessica. Jessica was also a cheerleader and almost as beautiful as Roxanne. Roxanne introduced me to Jessica who looked straight at me and smiled.

"He is so darling. Roxanne you are absolutely right, that style looks so cute on him. I wish I had hair like that. Lex that really is a great style. I wish more guys would be adventurous with their fashion choices. Maybe you will start a new trend."

"So Lex what have you decided? Are you getting a stud?" Asked Roxanne.

Just then the clerk came back. "So you must be her friend."

All three girls just looked right at me.

"I'm not a girl!" I exclaimed in an exasperated voice

The clerk looked truly embarrassed. "I am so sorry, we were discussing different styles of earrings and you have such beautiful hair. I am really sorry."

"So Lex which PAIRS did you like?" Roxanne interjected.

I was a little silent after the turn of events. The clerk said we were discussing studs and the sterling hoops.

"I never said anything about the hoops!"

"Why don't you discuss what you like with your friends and call me over when you are ready to get them pierced."

"Let me understand, yesterday you didn't want to get a stud and today you want to get both ears pierced. These changes in you seem to be on some sort of fast track."

"It was my mom's idea to do both. She wanted me to do only the right ear, but said it would be okay if I did both. It's kind of complicated, but she said it would be better in her mind if I did both."

Jessica said, “Your mom is right. With your beautiful new styling it would be silly to only have one earring. Having both done gives you so many more options, plus you have more styles to choose from."

I was getting a little overwhelmed by the discussion. All I wanted was a stud which Roxanne thought would look good with my new style. Now I was getting confused for a girl and being told it would be silly not to have them both done. I was nearly ready to bolt from the store.

Roxanne came to my aid and put her arm around my side. "Lex I know this is probably difficult for you but I still think a stud would look great. If you want them both done, I don't see anything wrong with that. Let's look around and pick out something nice."

I felt much better when she held me. We looked around until I found some very nice gold studs. We brought them to the clerk and told her we were ready.

"What about the half off second pair? The sterling hoops are a steal at that price."

"I really don't need any hoops."

Roxanne looked at me "I think you have had enough of a makeover for now. However those hoops are really nice. How about I buy them and hold onto them. If you ever want to be extra adventurous you can borrow them from me or you can have them."

"Well if you want them, then I guess that is okay."

A few minutes later I walked out of Claire's with pierced ears. They stung a little, but probably not as much as the whole shopping experience. My mouth was dry from all of my heavy panting and nervousness.

"I need to get a cold drink. I am parched and my lips are bone dry."

“Relax Lex, you look great. Jessica and I will treat you to an iced drink at the Starbucks counter. Then we can all hang out for a while and do some window shopping.”

“Do I really look okay? This whole experience has just been a bit much for me.”

Jessica was first to comment, “they look precious and so natural on your ears. I think it brings out your new style even more. I really love them.”

“I am not sure I would use the same description as Jessica, but I do think they enhance your new styling. At first I thought a stud might look kind of radical, but seeing them now, I think they look appropriate with your new cut. I think you will probably get a lot of new attention from the girls at school. I hope you can handle that.”

“Do you think they look manly enough on me? I don’t want to create the wrong kind of image.”

“I wouldn’t worry about being so macho. The cool thing about your new style and look is how it crosses all borders and is so nonconforming. It looks kind of androgynous, which some might call a gender bender look.”

“I know what that term means. Lulu also used that word in describing some of her hairstyles.”

“Lulu was right. Your look is attention getting because it is unique and pushes the style envelope. You were looking for something more dramatic and now you have it. You wanted something outside the macho mainstream and now you have it. Maybe down the road you can create some new even more style forward look. I think for now it looks very cute and you should just chill out.”

“Let’s get that drink my lips are chapped.”

Jessica pulled out a lip balm. “I’ve got some lip balm that should help you…. Come here. Now pucker your lips.”

She guided some fruity tasting balm on my lips.

“That should feel and taste better. It’s quality shimmer I bought at Ulta.”

“What’s shimmer?”

“It is nearly clear lip balm with UV protection. It adds a little glimmer to the lips and almost no color.”

“Color! I don’t want lipstick.”

“Chill! It is not lipstick. Here look in my compact mirror. All it really does is provide Chapstick with some gloss. Look…”

I could see the shimmer and what appeared to be a little sparkle in my lips. It wasn’t that different, but I would rather not have had any gloss.

We sat at one of the few tables next to the mall Starbucks. We relax for a few minutes sipping our drinks. The conversation was a lot like the one I had experience with Roxanne the night before. It revolved around school, gossip, but added a little extra about clothes and boys. The last part left me a little uncomfortable. They were discussing some guys that they clearly had some interest in. They didn’t stay on that subject long whenever they remembered I was sitting next to them.

Jessica commented on my choice of fashion, “with your new sense of style we ought to help you pick out some new fall clothing.”

“Thank you, but I have just bought a lot of new stuff and really don’t need anything more.”

“Well if you are going to want to start hanging out more with us girls, you have to realize you can never have enough clothes.”

We all chuckled a little at that last comment.

“I like your clogs. I have a similar pair. My pair is red, but they also come in lots of different colors and some fun variations.”

“That’s nice. They are pretty expensive and I don’t need another pair yet.”

“I’m just checking and besides, Roxanne said you have a birthday coming up in just over a week.”

“Roxanne!”

“I think your birthday was yesterday when your new image emerged,” quipped Jessica in an attempt to be funny.

“Enough already, stop teasing me. Roxanne why did you tell Jessica about my birthday? I wasn’t planning to do anything.”

“That’s why. I thought it might be fun to get together with a few of my friends next weekend and have a small celebration. Nothing crazy, just you and a bunch of hot girls. Do you think you could handle that?”

“Well of course, but you don’t need to do that.”

“That’s what friends are for. It will be something new for you. You will find out what it’s like to be at an all girl party. It should be a really special experience.”

“Well I’ll be there.”

“You know what I mean. It will be fun and you might get some silly gifts. Today I think we will just do some walking around the mall and maybe we will get some birthday ideas for you. At a minimum, you can help pick out some things you like for Jesse and myself.

“That sounds all right, but you really don’t need to get me anything.”

For the next 2+ hours we were in and out of practically every store in the mall that sold clothes. I felt very weird at first going into some of the stores. I would never have ventured into any of the stores without a girl at my side. I would have had no reason to. They browsed through the racks of clothes and even had me look through some of the clothes with them. They insisted that I pick out some of the styles I thought would look good on them. After a while I began to feel somewhat less awkward about being there.

In a few of the boutiques I had sales girls come over to me just like at Claire’s. No one gave me any trouble, but they all wanted to see if they could help me find something. One of the girls came over to me at Bebe’s and said I was looking at the wrong rack.

“I’m just browsing with my friends.”

“That’s perfectly okay, but none of you are as big as a size 12. Your friends are probably fours and you are probably no more than an eight. Those racks are right behind you.”

I did not even know what she was saying, but I think she thought I might be looking for myself, which made me very defensive.

“I’m with them and just killing time, thanks anyway.”

“That’s fine, if you change your mind I would be glad to help you.”

“Lex, see anything you like?” Roxanne inquired.

“Everything is very pretty, but I don’t know anything about girl stuff. It’s not as simple as guy clothing. I don’t even know what I’m looking at.”

Jessica cut in; “think of it as an adventure. It’s all-new to you and we can be your guides. After spending time with us you will become a pro at this.”

“I don’t think I need to be a pro at this.”

“You never know. It could come in handy with your girlfriends.”

“That’s true. By the way, the sales girls called me an eight, what does that mean? “

Both girls giggled a little.

Roxanne walked over to me and showed me a label. “Sizing in here is different than at a place like sports authority. It’s not small medium large in here. Sizing is more like 2-4-6-8 etc… The clerk probably was just pointing out that if you saw something you like for someone about your size it would probably be a size 8. Some stores use other types of sizing and I will explain all of those to you as you need to know.”

“So she was telling me I’m an eight in girls sizes!”

“I was not listening to her, but I guess so. If you did see something you like, it would have to have an eight on it.”

“Not likely, there’s nothing for me in here.”

“For someone as fashion forward as yourself, you sound very close minded right now. Pants are pants, T-shirts are T-shirts, I don’t expect you to pick out a cocktail dress, but you never know what you might find on the racks. That is why it is fun to shop.”

“Yeah, but everything is so girlish. I doubt I will find anything I could consider. I think I will focus on stuff for you.”

“Suit yourself, but keep an open mind. That’s one of the things I really like about you. In front of you are capris that are on sale. Look at that tan pair. Those are not much different than the short you are wearing right now. I am not saying you need or should want those capris, but I bet they would look pretty good on you.”

“I get your point. I will keep an open mind, but as I said I really don’t need much.”

The rest of our time shopping went better, I found myself looking at the racks for gender-neutral items. Initially I was looking at clothes for the girls, now they had me casually flipping through clothes that I might consider for myself. By the last store we went into, a boutique called Cusip, I instinctively walk straight to the size 8 discount rack. I pulled out a few T-shirts, held them up, and then quickly put them back. There was no way I was going to say I liked something for myself even if I might have.

We had hit virtually every shop at the mall and it was time to leave. Jessica had driven to the mall and volunteered to give me and Roxanne rides home. On our way out we ran into two more of their friends, Amy and Lauren.

The girls ran up to them to greet them. They exchange the ritualistic hugs and started chatting at 100 mph. When I made my way up to them they looked at me and said, “You must be Lexi.”

“Lex, not Lexi, why should I be surprised you know my name.”

We got introduced and they gave me a hug as well.

“Anybody find anything that was must have?” Asked Amy.

“Mostly window shopping with Lex. Kind of showing Lex what it’s like to do a Saturday afternoon at the mall,” said Roxanne.

They all sort of smiled at her comment.

“But Lex did get his ears pierced. Show them Lex.”

I turned so they could see my left ear and put my hand to my ear as if they needed a guide as to where to look.

Jessica looked at me and said, “lift up your hair so they can see them both.”

I was not happy with her insistence, but complied begrudgingly.

“They do look lovely,” was the first thing I heard, which came from Lauren.

“Getting both done is so much better than one.” Added Amy.

I had enjoyed spending time with two very beautiful and popular girls, but was ready to go home. “I think it’s time to go. I got some things I need to do at home.”

“We wish we had met up with you earlier. I would have enjoyed spending time with you Lex,” mentioned Lauren.

“Maybe another time Lauren, it was nice meeting you both.”

Jessica shuttled us home and dropped me off first. I thanked her for the ride and spending the afternoon with me.

“It was my pleasure. I think we are going to be good friends. It was fun shopping together. We didn’t buy much, but maybe next time you’ll find something for yourself.”

“Thanks again,” I said as I closed the car door.

I walked into our empty homes and grabbed a Diet Coke from the fridge. It was the first time I had time to sit back and really think about the whole turn of events.

I was enjoying spending social time with Roxanne and her friends, but it was a pretty unusual and an almost surreal experience. She was treating me like a best buddy, but definitely not like a boyfriend. Her friends were also very social, but not in any sort of flirtatious way. I had some new friends, but very different than I ever had before. I liked being with them, but it was a very new experience to me.

I did not want to admit it, but having the small peek into their world was enjoyable. It was a little embarrassing at times, but still how else would I have had the opportunity to be with so many cute girls. I didn’t think I would tell any of my guy friends about the activities, but maybe they could see me at school with my new acquaintances.

I made a quick stop in the bathroom and while I was washing up I started looking at myself in the mirror again. I still had some of the gloss on my lips and I was mesmerized by how my ears look different with the studs. As I shook my head right to left I realized that some of the gender confusion was not far-fetched. From my neck up, I could easily be mistaken by someone not looking at me very closely. I liked the image, but with the earrings my look was definitely androgynous. It was the first time I was a little nervous about going back to school on Monday.

Just after 5:30 my mother returned home with some carryout food from our favorite Italian restaurant called Hole in the Wall. She had a pasta dish and a big salad for us to split. When she saw me she let out a soft “oh my.”

“What mom?”

“You did it.”

“Did what?”

“You got your ears pierced.”

“I said I was going to.”

“I know, but I thought you might not when I asked you to do both instead of just one.”

“You said it was all right… and I did them both like you asked.”

“I guess I am glad you listened to me, but I somehow thought that when I suggested that you do both or none, that you would do none.”

“Mom! That is not how I took it. You said it was okay so I did it.”

“You are right, but I was hoping I might change your mind. With the new haircut and all, I thought you might reconsider.”

“I thought about it, but decided I wanted the total look.”

“You certainly got that. I hardly recognize you with your hair and earrings you could be mistaken for a… Alex, what’s on your lips?”

“Roxanne’s friend Jessica, put some lip balm on my chapped lips it helps a lot.”

“Your lips are glimmering and they appear redder.”

“It’s all she had and it’s basically clear.”

“If you say so. Your new look is going to take some time for me to get adjusted to. Are there any other changes I should know about?”

“Like what, Mom?”

“Nothing, it’s just that you seem to have quickly adjusted to some very big changes.”

“I’ve made some new friends and they all seem to think this new me is better than the old one. At least for now, I am enjoying it.”

“Okay Alex, let’s have some dinner. We will deal with this new you as it comes.”

“ It’s still me. Please don’t worry.”

Saturday night I just stayed in and watched a movie. There really wasn't much on, so I watched the original high school musical for the second time. I seemed to enjoy it more this time as my appreciation for dance and singing was on the rise. The story was pretty sappy, but I really enjoyed the production. I even got up a couple of times and tried to follow along with the dancing.

Later in the evening I did some surfing on my computer. My first stop was Roxanne's Facebook page. She had posted that she spent the afternoon with friends, including one special friend. The last post made me get excited. I was not a Facebook friend of Jessica, but I went to her page anyway. It was marked private, so I could not tell if she had said anything about the afternoon. I decided to add her as a friend. So I clicked the button and asked to be friends. I sent her a brief note thanking her again for a fun afternoon.

My own page was nothing special. I had about 25 friends with Roxanne currently my only girlfriend. I decided to update my picture with my new look. That way some of my friends would not be so surprised when they saw me at school on Monday. I took some photos with the Photo Booth feature on my MacBook. When I felt I had a good one, I posted it to my Facebook page. I also made it my profile shot. I updated my recent activity board to say that I had an amazing afternoon with extra special company. I really wanted to mention Roxanne's name, but thought better of it.

The next morning I slept in. After breakfast I logged back into Facebook only to find I had multiple messages and friend requests. Jessica accepted me and there were 10 other girls from school requesting my friendship. I was in heaven. Most of the girls were in Roxanne's friend list, but I did not even know a few of them. I wasted no time adding them to my friends.

I also received some messages from some of my guy friends. None of them were nasty, but they were mostly good-natured teasing. Included were comments like, "When did you take up modeling? Did you get run over by a beauty salon? Who put you up to this?" They were not ringing endorsements, but I wouldn't expect any guy friends to tell me I looked really good.

One of my closest friends, Sam, asked if he could come by in the afternoon to see me firsthand. I texted him on my phone and told him to come by after lunch.

The new change of style had certainly created an avalanche of activity on my Facebook page and apparently in my social circle. I was enjoying the notoriety.

Sam came by after lunch and my mother sent him up to my room, because I did not hear her calling me. When he saw me he looked at me with a forced stunned look, "so it's for real!"

"Of course, I got it cut Friday."

"And the earring, where did that come from?"

“I was out with Roxanne yesterday and she thought it would be cool with my new style."

"You were with Roxanne! What for?"

"Since we worked together this summer we have been hanging out together. She's amazing."

"I can't believe you hang with Roxanne. She's a babe. But that cut is so weird."

"I think it is stylish and very edgy. I already got over 10 Facebook friend requests from girls at school. How's that for weird."

"That's cool, but I still think you look kind of swishy."

"It's called androgynous. Think Johnny Depp."

"Well if you make a lot of new girlfriends don't forget me."

I did not tell him about my afternoon at the mall only that I hung out with Roxanne. We chatted for a while about guy stuff like sports, but for whatever reason it was not as much fun as chatting with Roxanne and Jessica. We played a few video games and he left in the late afternoon.

After he departed I check my Facebook page again and had some more hits. Four more girls had added me, and even three popular guys that I was not that close with had requested to be added. One of them had commented that I had more cute girlfriends than him, so he figured I must be okay. Another male friend asked for an add, and only said, I must be pretty brave. I approve them all and now had over 40 friends. Life was looking up.

I was more at ease about going back to school Monday, but still a little apprehensive. Around 9:00 pm, I got a call from Roxanne. My heart skipped a beat when I realized it was Roxy. She asked if I would like a ride to school in the morning with her and Lauren. I was thrilled by her invitation and calmly said, "It would be very nice."

She had never before offered me a ride to school, and it would certainly be good for my revamped image. It had been a great weekend and I was strangely looking forward to Monday. I dressed down on Monday morning to tone down my new style. I wore some Blue jeans and one of the dark green new T-shirts my mother had picked up for me. I figured my hair and ears would be enough attention getting for one day. I was so right.

The ride to school was short and there was not much time for conversation. Roxanne knew that many of her friends had been to my Facebook page. She was pleased that I posted my new profile shot. She reiterated that I look very cute and told me to relax and just go with the flow. She said some blockheads might give me a hard time about my new style, but that my friends were with me all the way. She said she would hang with me in the halls whenever possible and a few of her friends planned to do the same.

“I realize that I encouraged you to make some of these style changes. I can see that you are happy with the changes, but I want to be certain that it does not cause you any problems or discomfort. I think you'll find most girls supportive, but some insecure guys may be hard to be around today. Think of your day as theater with each part a different act. Let's meet up after school so you can update me on your day."

My nervous excitement was not misplaced. The day was full of ups and downs. I received lots of encouragement and complements from girls in my classes. I received a few too many comments like, “I look very pretty.” Fortunately, most of them were given in complementary ways. I think some of the students thought I changed my style as a social statement. I guess in an indirect way I had, but it was really just about taking on a more dramatic or artsy look.

I received very few positive comments from guys, but then I never expected any. Two kids that I knew were gay, made a point of telling me I looked fabulous. A lot of guys gave me an uncomfortable stare, but only one Neanderthal called me a faggot. This kid was such an idiot, that I took it as a compliment that he insulted me. The hardest part was seeing my closest male friends. I had already spent time with Sam, but Chris and Jake were kind of distant to me. I cornered Chris later and he said nothing was wrong, however, I could tell he was a little confused by his friends make over. All in all the day went well and I enjoy the company of all of the girls.

After school I met up with Roxanne and she gave me a big hug right in front of the school's main entrance. It felt real good, because it was so visible to my classmates and because of how I felt about her.

Roxanne asked me about my day and was very pleased that it was mostly good. She then invited me to a gathering of her friends in honor of my birthday. She did not know how many of her friends would be there, but it would be a girl's Saturday +1. Some of the girls would be sleeping over, but I was invited just for the evening festivities. She told me to come by at eight o'clock. I was on cloud nine and there was no doubt I would be attending the get-together.

I headed home to tell my mother about my day and the party on Saturday. She seemed relieved that school went smoothly. She was keenly interested how my classmates reacted to my newfound style. I think she expected more critical sentiment.

"Mom, today people are just freer to express themselves. It's not like we live in some backward little town, you practically have to be different if you want to make your mark. Most of the students didn't even blink an eye."

"That's good honey, I was worried that you might have been uncomfortable."

"I was fine, in fact, Roxanne invited me to a get together with friends at her house Saturday. She wants to celebrate my birthday, which is a couple of days later.”

"Roxanne seems to have taken quite an interest in you, since you styled your hair. She seems like a nice girl, but be careful so you don't get hurt or disappointed."

I won’t mom, I do hope the relationship becomes more, but she is introducing me to a lot of people and I'm having fun."

"Just be careful."

The rest of the week I settled in to my regular routine with the exception of chatting a lot with new friends. Some of the girls did some probing of my interests. "What's your favorite color?" Or "do I wear pajamas to bed?" There were lots of weird questions.

My relationship with my guy friends seemed to improve after a brief cool period. I think they realized that a lot of girls were now giving me the time of day. I still got an occasional strange looks from the guys, but the negative comments became less and less.

I was anxious for Saturday to arrive. I was clueless about the party’s activities. All I knew was that Roxanne would do her best to make me feel happy and a lot of her friends were already being friendly to me.

 

*          *          *
 
End of Part 1
 
 
To Be Continued...

A CHANGE OF STYLE -- PART 2

by NINA ADAMS

In the 2nd of four parts we follow Alex as he slides further down a path across the androgynous lines, with the help of Roxanne and her friends. His friendship takes him places that few boys have the opportunity to experience. His gradual acceptance of his changes helps enrich his life, but forces him to make some complex choices.

MY BIRTHDAY PARTY
My mom let me take the car to Roxanne’s house so I would have the flexibility to come home whenever I wanted to. She insisted I come home before midnight. I wore the cashmere sweater again with some light green slacks that Roxanne and I picked out at Guess. I wanted to wear my Dansko shoes again, but I didn’t think they matched. Instead, I wore an older pair of slip-ons that I wore over the summer.

When I knocked at Roxanne’s door no one answered. I looked around and there was only one light on in the kitchen. I went around to the side door next to the kitchen and knocked again. After pounding on the door a few times, Roxanne’s older sister Lori answered.

“Can I help you?”

“Roxanne invited me over. She said to come by at 8:00. Is she home?”

“She may be down in the basement. Let’s go check.”

She walked me down the stairs to a dimly lit room. At the bottom of the stairs I was startled by a “SURPRISE!”

Roxanne had set me up for the surprise with her sister. I knew she was having friends over with my birthday as an excuse, but they played the game to add to my fun. It was a non-surprise, surprise party.

I smiled and thanked everyone. There were 10 girls in attendance. I had never been the focus of such beautiful attention. It was too amazing to imagine.

The first hour or so we just talked and got to know each other. I knew some of the girls from school and had spoken with some of them for the first time during the week. Almost all of them had made some sort of nice comment about my improved styling. One girl told me my hair was so beautiful that I just had to let it grow. She said it would be even more beautiful if I let it grow a few more inches. I was appreciative of her thoughts, but not sure I would let it get that long.

The conversation shifted to fashion and beauty. They started talking about the new fall styles and what they had recently picked up. I had gone shopping with Roxanne and Jessica, but felt a bit like an outsider by the conversation. They even discuss the newest makeup products that they had recently seen.

At about 10 o’clock the lights went dim again and a white sheet cake was brought in with 18 candles. One candle for each of my years and one for the birth of my new image. I knew much of this was the result of my bold styling changes, but the girls really wanted to emphasize that I had entered a new world.

Roxanne was the first to give me a birthday kiss. I received a series of additional kisses immediately after hers. After everyone was finished congratulating me, Roxanne announced to me that they all got me a present with a special theme.

Roxanne made a small speech explaining my desires to be in theater and the arts. She explained how my new look was the result of looking for greater style and a more dramatic appearance. By the time she was done everyone knew of my regular Lulu appointment and Lulu’s discussion of androgynous hairstyling.

That led to her explaining the theme for my gifts. Everyone had gotten me something that was either gender-neutral or something to enhance my androgynous look. Based upon the theme, I was certain I would not be getting any computer games. I did not know what to expect, but would probably be getting things I did not already own.

Jessica was first to give me a gift. It was from her and a friend, Allison. It was another pair of Dansko shoes. Unlike my current pair, these were maroon and in patent leather. They were almost identical in styling to mine, but obviously more colorful and attention-getting. I gave both girls a peck on the cheek and said thanks.

From Lauren I received a new pair of jeans. These were as she described them, skinny jeans. They had zippers on the top front pockets and also on the bottom of the pants. She said that besides being more fashionable, zippers help make them easier to pull on.

A girl named Jenny gave me a pair of hunter green capris. She said the dark color was very popular with guys who wore Capri style shorts. These capris were very similar to the ones Jessica had pointed out to me.

I received a couple of pastel colored T-shirts from a girl named Nicole. The neckline had a more oval opening than most of my T-shirts and the sleeves were only three quarter length. The tops were very soft and she said they would go great with my new jeans.

Melissa a girl I had never met until the party, bought me a silver chain bracelet. She said that she saw that I always liked to wear my hemp bracelet and this would look nice on my other wrist.

Tricia gave me a gift card to get a manicure and pedicure at Spa Nails City in Highland Park. She said I would really enjoy getting pampered and having well groomed nails is always sexy. “More and more guys get them done now, it is as gender-neutral as any gift could be.”

One of Roxanne’s cheerleader teammates gave me a gift that made me a little fidgety. She gave me five sets of cotton underwear. They were boy style briefs from Gap and matching T-tops. The only problem is that they were from the girl’s section. The bottoms, which were technically panties, had no fly in and a much narrower waistband. The top was similar to my tank tops but also had narrower shoulder straps and cut differently. They were all white and not overly feminine, but I found them a little confusing. No one would see these, yet they clearly were meant for me to feel less manly. I had been somewhat reluctantly moving along this path to a more androgynous style, but now they were encouraging me to feel more gender-neutral in private. This gift was the most surprising one I had received.

Two of the cheerleaders, Jana and Nina, together gave me an ultra soft red cashmere sweater. It had a round neckline with sleeves that were puffier than on my cashmere sweater. Near the wrists, they had a wide tighter area that served as a cuff. It was from the Misses section at Lord and Taylor. I loved the feel, but red was not my first choice of colors.

It was Roxanne’s turn next. She got me a yoga outfit. She was inviting me to join her yoga group that worked out together. She told me it would help keep me toned up and it was a fun group. The outfit was from Lulumon Athletica and was made specifically for yoga. She told me it was exactly like hers and very comfortable. It was formfitting and very stretchy. Unlike some of my older running pants I noticed the bottoms only went down to mid calf. “That’s the style” she insisted. She also gave me a piece of underwear she called a thong. She said with the tight fitting outfit this would give me a better fit. She said that the thong would also make a lot of my other clothes look nicer. I tried to give her a kiss on the lips, but she turned her cheek just before I made contact. I felt shortchanged, but she had been doing so much for me, so I tried not to be that upset.

Another cheerleader, Rita, gave me a crazy gift. I opened her nicely wrapped box from Macy’s and found a new set of pajamas. That would not be so odd if they had not been girls PJs. They were basic blue, like my regular pajamas, but they were made of satin. I looked at her and said, “thank you, but I can’t wear these.”

“Once you try them you will love them. They will make you feel so amazing in bed.”

Roxanne cut in, “You should try them at least once before you decide.”

I shrugged my shoulders so I wouldn’t have to answer with words I might regret.

The gifts were getting more and more across the gender line. I liked the attention, but was feeling like they were pushing me past a point I was comfortable with. I received a few other miscellaneous gifts, including a package of three flavors of the lip shimmer Jessica had previously applied on me. Each had a slightly different tint. The set also came with a gift card from Ulta Cosmetics.

My hall of gifts was quite substantial. I had not received so many gifts in a very long time. Some of them would be difficult to show to my mother, due to how far they had stretched the birthday theme. When I was done receiving my gifts, I thanked everyone. The girls insisted that I try on some of the gifts.

In a few minutes I was parading around the room in my new jeans, a yellow T-shirt, and my new Dansko shoes. My new bracelet was snapped into place. The girls all clapped with enthusiasm. Jessica walked over to me and said “Pucker up again, your lips are dry.”

Like a lamb I pushed out my lips and she spread her tube on my lips. I was not aware until later that evening that the current lip treatment was pinker than her previous shimmer. I remained in my new clothes until I got home a little after 11 PM. I was honored by the extreme attention I had received, but felt pretty un-manly by the direction of it all.

I had let it happen, but I knew I should have resisted the rapid-fire attempt to de-emasculate me. I figured the girls really liked me and eventually hanging out with them could lead to more meaningful relationships.

I had kissed a few girls over the years and had a couple of quasi-steady girlfriends prior to Roxanne, but had never gone further than first base. Not all of my friends had done the big deed, but I was feeling some anxiety that I had not. Hanging out with a bunch of hot girls seemed my best opportunity to get lucky. I hoped in my heart that Roxanne and I would become closer, but if that was not to be, I was open to being with someone else who made me feel special. I guess some good-natured humiliation would be worth the end result.

My mother was still up and greeted me in the kitchen. I was grabbing bottle water, when she effectively cornered me. I wanted to retreat to my bedroom, but did not make it. She looked me over and didn’t miss any of the details.

“Aren’t you pretty? Looks like you enjoyed your girl time.”

“Mom it was not what you think. The girls were all really sweet and I had fun. They gave me some pretty goofy gifts and all of them were very friendly. I met some new friends and we didn’t do anything that you wouldn’t have approved of.”

“I assume your ensemble’ that you have on was one of the goofy gifts you are referring to.”

“Well yeah, but I received a few others.”

“Can I see?”

“How about later, I’m kind of tired.”

“Come on now, let me see. You can go to bed in a few minutes.”

“Okay then, but don’t take them too seriously.”

I opened my two bags and pulled out the series of gifts. Mom was astonished by some of them. She didn’t seem very pleased by them either.

“Honey, there are some very expensive gifts in here. These are not gag gifts. A lot of thought went into these and the girls obviously are pushing you even further along the fashion frontier than just your androgynous hairstyling. Some of these items pushed the concept to a whole new level. Do you understand that?”

“It’s just the girls having fun with me. I know some of this is a bit weird, but I really like spending time with them. If I get too uncomfortable I will put an end to the silliness.”

“Are you planning to keep these things?”

“It would not be nice to return them unless I had a very good reason. I’ll just stick them in the back of my closet.”

“No you won’t. Those were expensive gifts, if you’re going to keep them you will wear them at least a little. If you want to return them, then that’s fine, but if you keep them, then you will wear them. Is that clear?”

“Crystal mom, Crystal. Let me think about that overnight and let you know tomorrow. Okay?”

“That’s fine. If we are going to return them I can run them back tomorrow afternoon. See you in the morning.”

I went to bed think the about what my mother had said. If I chose to keep these gifts I would have to wear them. When I received them, I figured I could just get away with wearing them with Roxanne or not at all. Now my mom was changing the rules. Maybe my mother was telling me that, because she liked the gifts and wanted me to wear them. I wanted to keep them, but if I did, I would certainly be putting them to use.

I woke up feeling very refreshed and again it in an aroused state. I couldn’t remember my dreams, but I felt good when I rolled out of bed.

I made myself a bowl of cereal and some tea. I read the entertainment section of my Mom’s Sunday Tribune, which was my favorite part of the paper. When I was almost done my mother came in and joined me. She grabbed some coffee and asked how I slept.

“Pretty good, I feel well rested.”

“That’s good. So am I’m returning the gifts or do you want to keep them?”

“Gee mom, I am just getting to know most of these girls. If I return them I might hurt some feelings.”

“You remember what I said last night?”

“I do. I could get away with a couple of wares of each.”

“You know what I said and meant. If you keep them they are yours to wear. Just like everything else in your closet. Not just to say you wore them once, but rather as part of your wardrobe.”

“That’s pretty harsh.”

“So I will return them. Please bring them down with the gift receipts.”

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t wear them. I am not a coward and I don’t want to lose these friends before I even get to know them.”

“Decide!”

“I think I am going to keep them.”

My mom looked almost shocked by my decision. At first, I thought her ultimatum may have been to encourage me to try the new fashions, but based upon her look, I knew she was surprised by my decision.

She finished her coffee without saying a word. A few minutes later she looked at me and said, “well, if you are going to keep them let’s put them to use. Please go upstairs and put on your new underwear the capris and one of the new tops. Don’t forget the bracelet and lips shimmer.

She was clearly trying to make a point. She wanted to see the full effect and have me feel it as well. I went upstairs and complied. When I came down she looked at me and said this is much better, but you are not wearing the thong. Go back upstairs and put it on. Push your private parts between your legs then slip up the thong. The capris will have a cleaner line then.

It was a little uncomfortable as I came down the stairs. My stride was shorter to help with the discomfort.

“Now you look much better. Tonight before bed I want you to shave your legs. You have very little hair there anyway, but with capris and some of your other pretty clothes, they will look nicer.”

She was clearly upset with my insistence on keeping everything. This was her way of making a point. I did not want to back down.

“Now Alex, grab a light coat we are going shopping.”

“What! I’m not leaving the house like this!”

“Well you certainly are. Now grab a coat.”

“I was scared to leave my safe home dressed in nothing but girls things.”

“Where are we going?”

“If you’re going to wear some of these things then you should pick up some accessories. Bring your Ulta gift card with you.”

Our first stop was Kohl’s.

“Honey you will get to like this store. They have just about everything and with reasonable prices. We went to the Misses section and picked out a couple of belts. We grabbed two sets of tights in black and silver. Next we went to the shoe section and she had me try on some girl’s loafers and a pair of Mary Jane’s. Mary Jane’s looked all-girl and I was adamant that I did not want them. Mom put them in the basket anyway. Next we walked me over to see some of the newest arrivals at the front section near the register. She held up a very long sweater from the Vera Wang display. She then looked at me and said, “With your long legs this would look gorgeous.”

It went swiftly into the basket. She spotted a pair of black full-length slacks made of some sort of satiny material. They were not shiny, but almost parachute like in apperance. “This would look lovely with your new red sweater. I am not sure the size so I need you to try them on.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“No not in the least. You brought on this whole thing yourself, so now get in there and let me see this on you.”

I walked into the empty changing room. It didn’t even occur to me until later that no one said a word when I went into the girls changing area.

“Those are perfect. Now we need one more thing since those do not have pockets.”

We ended up looking at leather purses.

“Which one do you like? There are so many nice ones.”

“I don’t want any of them.”

“You pick or I will for you.”

I grabbed a small plain looking black one, so as to avoid a more feminine looking alternative.

“Not my first choice, but it goes with your new slacks and will probably work with many of your other clothes.”

We were about to leave, but made a detour to the massive lingerie section. “There is so much here that we could buy. I really ought to get you everything, but I think we can hold back a little for now. I think you can wear everything we bought, if we buy too much I think it would cause too many problems at school.”

She then saw some hip and but pads and smiled as she put them in the cart. “Some of the items will look and fit better with these.”

Finally we were done with the store and went to check out. The cashier was very friendly and asked my mom if she and her daughter had found everything we needed. My mom just said, “Yes we did, thank you.”

I was ready to go home and cry, when we pulled into a parking spot in front of Ulta.

“You are going to need some skin care products and maybe something to get the peach fuzz off your legs and arms.”

She picked out a ladies electric razor and some skin oils. We got exfoliates for my skin and expensive face creams. She then called a consultant over and asked if any of the introductory cosmetics sets were better than any of the others.

“Well ma’am, the Revlon kit has virtually everything and the quality is extremely good. If it is for your daughter over there, then I would go with that set. It will be perfect for her skin tone. By the way I just love her hair.”

When we were checking out I kept staring at the makeup set.

“There is no possible way I’m going to start wearing makeup. I think you have lost it. You are taking this silliness way too far.”

“You took it too far Alex, I am only helping you do it right. I don’t expect you to wear makeup to school, but I think it’s time I taught you a thing or two about what girls really have to go through to look nice. This thing of yours is about having a gender-neutral look. So I’m going to teach you some things about the gender you do not know much about.”

“Are we done?”

“For now, but no promises.”

When we got home I went up to my room and spent the rest of the afternoon up there alone. I really did not want to face my mother. I did not understand what came over her and I was not pleased with it. We always were so very close and talked everything through. This time however, she was treating me in a way that seemed unfair and uncalled for.

She called me down for dinner at around six. I took my time joining her at the kitchen table. I still was wearing my new clothes, as I did not want to further upset her. She had made some of my favorite pasta marinara, which was the last thing I expected her to do.

She started the conversation by offering a partial apology.

“Alex, I am sorry for losing my composure with you this afternoon. I should never have dragged you around and treated you as if you were a child. I was upset at the recent turn of events and not sure how best to deal with it.”

“Mom, you don’t have to fret. I’m still your Alex.”

“I know. You have not broken any house rules, or given me a reason to be this mad at you. I am just trying to figure out what you are really up to and what you really want. These physical changes and your recent interest in being part of that group of girls is something we both have to deal with.”

“They are just friends.”

“Yes, but they are not treating you like they would treat most boys. They are treating you almost like one of the girls.”

“Mom, they just befriended me because they like my fashion statement. They think they are helping me and hence my dramatic new look.”

“They are helping you, but maybe not exactly like you planned.”

“It’s all good natured. I’m sure I can handle it.”

I bought you some new things today because I plan to teach you a few lessons. I hope that by showing you a few things, rather than the girls doing it, you may get a clear image of how this is impacting you. You are also less likely to get hurt if I show you how easily your new look could be misinterpreted.”

“What have you in mind?”

“Nothing crazy, I am going to show you a few minor tricks that would make you even more girlish. My point is, to show you how little you need for your androgynous look to look non-androgynous on the other side of the fence. Comprende’?”

“I see, but I won’t let that happen.”

“I’m sorry Alex, but to some extent you already have. If you are going to hang with the girls you need to see how it is affecting you. I suspect you will see the light soon enough.

I think I did enough to you for one day so we can start our lessons later in the week. However, I do want you to wear your new Pajamas to bed tonight. You also have to dress in some of your new clothes for school tomorrow.”

“Just let me know what I need to do. I’m going to finish my homework and get ahead on some of this week’s reading.”

Just before bed, I put on my new pajamas. I nearly had an orgasm the moment they touched my penis. I could not believe the sensation my body felt as the top and bottom pressed on my body. I was scared by how good I felt in them. I looked at myself in the mirror, if not for the pole in my crotch, I looked astonishingly feminine. It was not an androgynous image.

I slipped into bed and tried to fall asleep. The sensation made that very difficult so it took me much longer than usual to fall asleep. When I woke at 6 AM, I realized that I had experienced a complete orgasm in my sleep. I had never done that before. I vaguely remembered dreaming about having been with Roxanne and her friends and shopping for dresses. I couldn’t remember the details, but there was a dress I had seen at Kohl’s on a manikin that I was showing the girls. I took off my new pajamas and put them in the laundry.

I wore my new bracelet and one of the T-shirts with a three-quarter length sleeves, along with a pair of my regular blue jeans. The bracelet was very visible with the shorter length of the T-shirt sleeves. I was not ready to enter school wearing more girl stuff than that. My mother gave me a small smile at breakfast and told me I looked sweet.

At school Roxanne seemed very pleased that I had accepted the gifts and was making use of them. She invited me over Tuesday to do some yoga. She told me to wear my new outfit and not to forget the thong. I told her I would see her then.

Back at home that evening my mother told me to see her about an hour before I planned to go to bed. When I did she brought me into the bathroom and took out my new electric razor.

“You really do not have very much hair on your body. I think you got that trait from me. You hardly ever even need to shave your face. I want you to use this and shave your legs arms and any other stray hairs you can find. Make sure you get under your arms as well. This will help improve your appearance in some of your new fashions. Take a quick shower when you are done and rub some moisturizers into your skin. I’ll see you in the morning.”

When I finished I went back into my bedroom and saw my new pajamas folded nicely and alone on top of my bed. I slipped them on over my silky smooth body. They felt even more incredible on my hairless body.

Each day at school that week I wore something the girls had given me. I even wore the new zipped bottom jeans and the cashmere sweater, but not together. Back at home my mother was showing me the finer details of acting feminine. Each day she had a new lesson for me. Tuesday was a lesson on posture. Wednesday she showed me the difference in how boys and girls walked. Thursday was voice lessons. Each time I complained that I didn’t need to know these things she reminded me that I was a theater major and all of this would come in useful someday.

Tuesday at Roxanne’s house I joined her and three friends for some yoga stretching and exercising. It was much more difficult than I expected. Roxanne took me into the bathroom to adjust my thong. With the tight fitting yoga outfit I looked very flat in front.

“See how much better that looks. You are now smooth in front and the tights look so much better.”

The effect removed the one masculine feature that separated me from the girls. All the girls complimented me on how well my new workout clothes fit. I got used to it after about 15 minutes.

I asked Roxanne to a movie Friday but she told me someone had already asked her out. I was heartbroken and decided I would stay home. I mentioned to my mother my disappointment and she said she was not completely surprised. She said that Roxanne seemed to be a very nice girl, but her interest in me seemed mostly as a friend and not as a boyfriend. I told her I was a boy friend, but she rebutted by saying not in the traditional sense. We left it at that.

She took the opportunity of my evening at home to continue her special form of education.

“Tonight honey, I want to show you some makeup skills. You will probably need to learn some of these if you plan to stick with your theater interests.”

“I really don’t have a need for that yet. Maybe when the spring play comes along.”

“Alex, it is more than that. Just like the other things I showed you earlier in the week it is important for you to understand how small changes to your appearance can send messages that you may not have intended. I’m going to go upstairs and put on some makeup so you can see how much different I look, then I do right now. I will call you up in about 15 minutes.”

That did not seem too intimidating so I said, “that sounds great, I look forward to it.”

When I came up to her room a short while later she looked absolutely ravishing. She had not done herself up like that in a very long time and I had sort of forgotten how truly beautiful my mother was.

“Wow, you look stunning. Don’t take this wrong but you look so beautiful right now.”

“It’s the art of cosmetics and as you can see if you know what you are doing, you can really bring out the best in someone.”

“Well you certainly know what you are doing.”

“I want to show you what we bought for you in your makeup kit at Ulta. It really is very complete. I have a few things you can also use when you practice with these.”

“Practice?”

“Yes. I don’t expect you to wear eyeliner or ruby red lipstick to school, but I want you to learn some of the important fundamentals. You can only get good at it with practice.”

She proceeded to show me everything in the kit and explained what they were for. She told me that I should be very good at this since I loved to paint. She was probably right about my skills with a brush. After spending a half hour or so going through a verbal explanation of all the products, she declared its time to play a little. She grabbed a couple of barrettes and pushed my hair aside above both my ears.

“In another week you’ll be going back to Lulu’s. Your hair is getting pretty long. Do you still want to let it grow or is this long enough?”

“I had no special length in mind, but Lulu thinks if I let it grow until Christmas she had some cool ideas. I was going to just let Lulu do her thing. I like her sense of style and trust her.”

“Teenagers do not need a lot of makeup. Your skin is smooth and you have very little to cover up. Over the next few minutes I tried to take everything in, but it was to some extent a blur. She put some powder on my face and along my cheek line. She rubbed in cream around my eyes and covered it with some powder. Next was a black pencil that outlined my eyes. She used the same pencil on my brows.

After a while I could see my mother was actually enjoying the process. She did not have a daughter and I think this was fun for her. She took out a brush and worked in some mascara to my eyes. It was around that point she started to get a concerned look on her face. She took out some bright colored powders and with a small brush started working them in over my eyes. Her last area she focused on was my lips. She outlined them with a pencil and painted on some pinkish red lipstick. She asked me to wipe my teeth with my tongue.

She stared at me for a full minute and I could tell she was getting a little emotional. She took out my barrettes and fluffed my hair until she was satisfied.

“Alex before I show you how you look, I want you to be prepared. I did this to show you how little it would take for someone to mistake your androgynous style for a girl’s style. The look you are going to seek cannot be mistaken. You look like a very lovely woman. There is nothing boyish to this look. It is a lot like I looked at your age. I think I may have done too good a job.”

I swung around to look at myself in the mirror. I nearly fainted. I look so amazingly beautiful that I stared transfixed at my reflection. I was expecting something odd looking and instead looked like a girl as pretty as any of my new friends. I started getting turned on by my image, which made me both aroused and scared. I loved how I looked, but I was afraid because it was really me. My mother put her arm around my shoulder and said, “I think I took you somewhere neither of us expected this to go. Are you okay?”

“I am not sure. I never wanted to look like a girl or least I didn’t think I did, but this is mind blowing.”

“You have that right. I had been against this extreme gender-bending thing you had gotten yourself into, but now I am not sure what to think. I like how you look, but I know that I shouldn’t. I should never have taken you this far.”

“It’s okay mom. I’m still your boy. This is just for fun and between us. I like how I look and now I understand how easily one can change their looks.”

“Alex can I ask you to do something for me.”

“Of course mom, what?”

“I would like to take a picture in case I don’t get another opportunity.”

“That’s fine.”

“I’d like you to put on the tights, and the long sweater I bought for you. Slip on the Mary Jane shoes.”

When I returned she looked at me and said “You look fabulous!”

I walked over to her and she replaced my earrings with dangly ones. I could feel them swing as I walked.

“You look perfect.”

She snapped off about 30 or more photos before she put the camera down.

I really would love to show you off to my sister, but think I’ve done enough to you already. You really do not look like an Alex right now, more like an Alexia or an Alexandra.”

“Some of the girls call me Lexi on occasion.”

“Lexi, that sounds very cute and appropriate for the moment.”

“If you want you can call me that tonight.”

“Lexi, are you sure you’re alright with all of this? I’m certainly having a little trouble with all of this. You look adorable and I really shouldn’t be happy about that, but I am.”

“Right now I am good. It’s kind of neat to know that I make a knockout chick and I saw how you looked at me. I am happy that brought you some joy.”

“I got a little carried away. I really wanted to show you how to put on the makeup, but I enjoyed doing it myself. I want you to spend some time the next few nights practicing a little of we have done here tonight. I will spend a few minutes with you each time to help you.”

“Okay mom, next time I’ll try doing some of this myself.”

I hung out with her until bed looking and acting like her daughter. It was a nice time and something new to both of us. She kept giving me pointers and correcting my unconscious male mannerisms. After a while, I started getting the hang of it. Later she showed me how to remove the makeup. She also had me apply some fresh moisturizer.

“Makeup can be harsh. You need to take care of your skin.”

I slept as I had all week in my new pajamas. My dreams were more vivid this night and in all of them I remember being a young lady. It was somewhat disconcerting. I know I liked how I felt and it made my mother happy, but I didn’t really think I wanted to be a girl. Maybe for some future dress-up fun, but not for real.

Saturday morning I dressed as normally as possible, nothing girly other than some of the underwear I had gotten for my birthday. I think subconsciously I did not want my mother to think she screwed me up.

She made me a nice breakfast and treated me like the last evening had never happened. Things were basically back to normal, for at least now. After breakfast I walked into town to spend some time at the library doing schoolwork. I ran into Lauren and Jessica and we shared some chitchat. I almost let on about the previous evening but caught myself. They asked me if I was going to the school dance in two weeks. I said I didn’t know yet.

The school dance they were referring to was the annual turnabout Halloween dance. The girls asked the boys and it was a school themed costume party. You could go to the dance alone, but you always hoped that a girl would ask you first. I did not know if I was going, because I had not been asked yet. I was praying Roxanne would invite me, but based upon our recent conversations I was not holding my breath.

It was nice seeing them at the library and sharing some conversation. I wanted to ask them whom they were going with, but thought better of it in case either might want to ask me. When I got home I felt good that I got most of my work done and had some social time. I just had some math left. It was my least favorite subject.

Roxanne sent me a text message after I got home. She wanted to know if I wanted to come over Sunday afternoon around four to study together. I sent back a quick response and told her I would love to. “Is it just us or are others coming?”

“Just us, is that okay?”

“Definitely, just asking, I will see you then, Lex.”

I was thrilled that she wanted to see just me. Maybe she was going to ask me to the dance after all. I did most of my math Sunday morning so I wouldn’t have to do that much when I went over to her house.

I was torn about what to wear. Should I wear more masculine stuff or more of the clothes the girls had given me. I remembered how I felt Friday night when my mother completely did me up in girls clothes and makeup and was now a little nervous about dressing too close to the androgynous edge.

I finally decided I would dress like I thought Roxanne would want me to do. She had obviously helped the other girls pick out things for me, so I figured for just her I would wear as much of the new things as possible. I wore the capris, a red T-shirt with oval neckline, the bracelet, the new underwear, and my new pair of Dansko shoes. I even put on one of the new belts that my mother had picked out. It was a thin black leather belt with a lot of decorative detail work.

When I looked at myself in the mirror, I got some of the same strange fascination I had felt Friday. I was dressed a little less girl like than that evening, but only a little less. When I saw how the complete package looked I decided I was going to change out of the capris. Before I had a chance, my mother yelled for me. She needed to go and was going to give me a ride. I went down the stairs and asked her for a couple more minutes. She looked at me and said, “Let’s go Lexi, you’re just going to Roxanne’s.”

I jumped in the car and she drove me the seven blocks to her house. I jumped out with my messenger bag full of books. I knocked on her door. It took a minute or so before her mom greeted me at the door. She looked closely at me and said, “You must be Alex.”

“Yes Mrs. Nash, I am here to study with Roxanne.”

She is upstairs in her room, but I am not sure she wants company right now. She is alone in her room and very upset.”

“What’s wrong?”

“A friend thing.”

“Can I go up and see her?”

“It’s all right with me, but she might not want you to stay.”

I went up to her room and found her looking like she had just been crying. When she saw me, she came over to me and hugged me and started crying again. I held her for a couple of minutes as she continued to cry. I just kept saying everything is going to be fine.

When she finally calmed down enough to talk, I asked her what was wrong. The answer I got back was not one I really wanted to hear. She had called Josh Michaels and asked him to the dance. He told her that he was already going. As it turned out, Josh was the boy that Roxanne had gone out with a few times lately.

“His ex-girlfriend Claire had asked him and he accepted. I was sure we were going to go together. Claire used to be a friend, but I’m not talking to that Bitch anymore.”

“He’s not worth it. There a lot of other fish in the sea.”

“I know you’re right, but right now I have a hard time thinking about anybody but Josh.”

“I understand how you feel, but don’t let him ruin your day. Why don’t you get your mind off him by doing some homework? Let’s not talk about boys.”

“Good idea, no boy talk, unless you want to talk about them.”

“Very funny.”
We worked on school things for about an hour before we took a break. She got us a couple of diet Cokes and we started shooting the breeze. She asked me if anyone had asked me to the dance yet.

“Do you know anyone who’s planning on doing so?”

“A couple of my friends said they might, but I’m not sure about anyone definite. If no one does, we can hang out together, because I’m not going now.”

“Come on Roxy. You are one of the most popular girls in school. You have to go, any guy would be crazy not to go with you.”

“I know it’s a fun night, but I’m not asking someone just to ask someone.”

“Well if you feel that way then we can just hang out that Saturday.”

“You know Lex maybe we should go together. You’re one of my best friends and fun to be around. We could hang out together like we planned, but at the dance.”

“Roxanne, I really like you, but are you asking me because you want to or is it because you don’t want to ask anyone else?”

“ Lex, I like being around you. It’ll be fun and a lot of your new girlfriends will be there. We will get to do some dancing.”

“I would love to go dancing with you, but what about costumes. Most people are doing something schools themed; zombie teachers, sports stars, bloodthirsty janitors. It doesn’t have to be school themed but it is the school dance and I think it’s more fun that way.”

I suggested going as a blood-soaked doubles tennis team. She had equally bad ideas when she looked at me.

“I’ve got it! It’ll be hilarious.”

“What, what!”

“I’m going as a school quarterback complete with shoulder pads and uniform. You are going to be my cheerleader girlfriend.”

Yeah right! I’m not going to school as a cheerleader, I’ll be laughed out of school.”

“Just wait here for a second.”

She ran into her sister’s room and came back with a very vampy black wig with a mass of curls. It was obviously fake looking. She came in and slipped it on my head without even asking. It was so campy, it was kind of funny. It certainly did not look real.

“You can wear my uniform and it’ll be a gas. With us dressed that way we will be a perfect couple and it’ll be a riot. You can come over here and we will get ready together.”

“Roxy, I’m still not sure about going in a skirt.”

“If you are not comfortable we won’t stay long. Besides no one will possibly recognize you in that outfit and the silly wig”

“You’re probably right about that.”

“Will you do it? The dance and costume or do you just want to stay home?”

“Against my better judgment I’ll do it.”

She really perked up after that. It was as if she cheered up all at once.

“Lex, I never said anything, when you came in, because I was so upset, but I really love your new look. It’s a shame the rest of the girls are not here. Is that a new belt? I don’t remember that.”

“My mom and I got it last weekend. Do you like it?”

“It’s great with what you are wearing. You really are coming out of your shell and getting more daring. You should wear that to school tomorrow so Jessica and the girls can see how perfect you look.”

“No way. I wore these just for you. I’m not ready to be laughed at by anyone.”

“You really do look cute.”

When I got home my mother asked me how my evening went and if Roxanne asked me to the dance. I explained the turn of events and my commitment for the dance.

“You told her you would dress as a cheerleader for the dance. Two nights ago, you dressed up as a girl for the very first time and now you are going to become a cheerleader. What have I created?”

“You’re not serious mom. This is for fun and I’m going to look like a silly cheerleader with her silly looking quarterback boyfriend.”

“It’s just…. Never mind. Did you know I was a cheerleader in high school?”

“No.”

“Like mother, like son.”

“I’m going to get ready at Roxanne’s, can you pick us up after the dance?”

“Sure, that way the quarterback can’t take advantage of you.”

“Very funny.”

When I got to school the girls all knew I was going with Roxanne to the dance. I even told some of my male buddies. I left out the part about being a cheerleader. I told them my costume was going to be a surprise.

It was still over a week away but I started thinking about the dance. The more I thought about my costume, the more I kept thinking about how I looked this past Friday with a little makeup on. I was concerned that dressing like a cheerleader might not look that outrageous with very little effort.

I reverted to more traditional fashion choices at school, as I did not want to take any chances sending mixed signals prior to dressing as a cheerleader. The week went quickly and my Friday Lulu appointment was upon me. My hair had grown nicely since my last cut. My last cut was the one that seemed to have changed my look so dramatically and led to all the attention from Roxanne and her friends. With the added length, the style looked much less dramatic than when it was fresh. The shape was getting a little more unwieldy with its newfound fullness.

I stepped into Lulu’s styling station at 4:30 PM and she gave me a long look over. She asked me how I had been and how I liked the last style. I gave her a quick summary of the wave of events I had experienced, including the new friends and even the silly birthday party. She listened attentively, as she washed my hair. She asked me if I still wanted a dramatic look. I told her she had not steered me wrong so far.

“Well your hair is getting longer and soon we will have many more options. At your next cut I think I can do some things that will allow you to change your look as your mood changes. It will have daily styling options. To get your hair to that point I am not going to cut your hair into any real special look this week. All I am going to do is balance off the sides a bit and trim the very tips of your hair. I really don’t want to lose any length. For a somewhat more dramatic look you can brush the hair across your forehead and face and it still will be longer in the front. Compared to your next styling, this might seem pretty basic.”

“That’s fine, my life has had a lot of drama these past three weeks and will have enough drama this coming week. A couple of weeks of relative normal times will be welcome.”

“That’s good then. What’s coming up that so dramatic that you’re worried about?”

“It’s a little dumb, but I’m going to the school Halloween costume dance next week dressed as a cheerleader. Roxanne has a very campy wig and she got me to where her uniform to the dance with her. She is going to be a football player.”

“You’re going to be a cheerleader. That is so wonderful. When is the dance?“

“Next Saturday at 7:30.”

“I could cut your hair differently if you don’t want to wear a wig.”

“No, no, I’m fine with the wig. It will help camouflage me. The wig is long and very cheap looking with big curls. I’ll be fine with that. I want you to keep your styling plans just as they were.”

“I would really love to help and besides I would love to see you in your costume.”

“I’m getting ready at Roxanne’s and I don’t think I’ll need much help.”

“How about you come by the shop before you go. I can paint your nails the school colors and maybe touch up your look. You know how I am with style.”

“That I know. Our school colors are gold maroon and white. I guess the nail thing could be kind of funky.”

Why don’t you come by and about 6:30. I usually close by six on Saturdays, and will stick around for you. It will be my treat. I will drive you to love birds to the dance when I am done.”

“Well if that’s okay with Roxanne, then fine.”

“Why don’t you get dressed here, then you don’t have to get half ready at Roxanne’s.”

“Good idea, but I have to check with Roxanne.”

“Since you’re getting ready here, try to get here by 6:15 at the latest. I will make sure the place is cleared out so you won’t be nervous.”

She proceeded to snip away at my hair with new enthusiasm. The new style actually looked longer than when I came in. My hair was now mostly even, but it still was slightly longer and hanging down in the front area. I had to brush it aside a couple of times before I even paid her. She told me if that became troublesome that it was long enough to push back behind my ears or I could wear a barrette. I frowned at the last suggestion, but she said they are not all that noticeable.

She mentioned that she was so glad that my mother and I decided to have her start cutting my hair. She said she would tell my mother tomorrow at her appointment how much she enjoyed styling my hair.

I called Roxanne as I left to ask her about Lulu’s idea. She thought it was great. “If either of us had any doubt, it should be gone now, you are going to have a great costume.”

I didn’t mention anything to my mother, but Lulu told her the next morning.

“Lulu tells me she is going to help you get ready for the party. We talked about it quite a bit.”

“I assume going to Lulu’s to get ready is all right?”

“Yes, dear. We agreed she could help you get the right look.”

“She’s going to paint my nails.”

“Yes that will help us with your cheerleader image.”

The rest of the weekend went on uneventful other than my mother taking measurements of me all over my body. I inquired what she was doing and she said she wanted to see what sizes I might need for some of my new winter things. She had said little about my new hairstyle other than it looked attractive. Later Saturday I found some hair clips, a new brush, and a set of three sizes of Barrettes on my dresser.

I asked her about those and she told me they were Lulu’s suggestion. “She wants you to brush your hair for 10 minutes every night before bed.”

It had been quite a weekend. I spent a little time with Chris and Sam studying, but the weekend was basically uneventful. There was no repeat of the girl time with mom other than my hair brushing. I was still wearing the new pajamas and they had become second nature.

In passing conversation on Monday I mentioned how much I enjoyed sleeping in the satin Pajamas. I told my mom how comfortable they were even though I would not want anyone to see me in them. I even said that on those few nights that they were in the laundry I missed their feel.

On Wednesday I received a most unexpected surprise. When I got home from school I found a bag from Nordstrom’s on my bed. Inside the bag were another set of pajamas and a full-length sleeping gown. The pajamas were red and the gown was black. They were both made of similar satin materials to my pajamas, but both were decidedly more feminine. The gown was completely feminine with a lacy shoulder line.

I ran into my mother’s room with the items, “What’s up?”

“Honey you mention how much you loved your new pajamas so I got you a couple more. Nordstrom sells the very nicest sleepwear and you’ll love the feel.”

“But one is a gown!”

“That’s true, but no one sees you sleep. Since you love the satin feel in the PJs you have to try sleeping in a gown. It is a scrumptious change of pace. Before you say anything just try it and keep an open mind.”

“I don’t understand, because you are sending me so many mixed signals. You were against my bold fashion statement, and then against the earring, then the new clothing my friends gave me. Now you teach me how to walk, and talk more like a girl. You teach me about makeup and now you are dressing me up even more femininely than my friends. I am really confused.”

“Alex, I am little confused myself. I was dead set against your extreme makeover. Then I saw how happy you became with your new friends. When I saw you last Friday looking like me 20 years ago I nearly passed out. I realized I needed you to find what makes you happy.”

“That doesn’t explain the gown. I said I like my satin pajamas, but I didn’t ask for such sexy sleepwear.”

“This Saturday you are going out in public as a girl. I just thought you needed to feel a little more comfortable in the role. I am going to help you get into the right state of mind.”

“It’s only a costume party.”

“If you say so. Let me know if you feel that way Sunday.”

“So now what?”

“Well we have three nights until the party. I thought I would call you Lexi and you could dress in your nice new things to get comfortable.”

“I guess I could do that.”

Over the next three nights she critiqued all of my movements and my speech. She didn’t put any makeup on me, but she treated me like a daughter. When Saturday rolled around I found it almost too easy to switch into the female role. I was comfortable playing the daughter, so dressing for the dance should be a piece of cake. It was all for fun and with the crazy wig no one would recognize me.

A CHANGE OF STYLE PART 3

by NINA ADAMS

In the 3rd of four parts, Alex goes to the High School costume dance with Roxanne. Roxanne convinces him to go as a cheerleader and Alex’s evening does not go as he planned.

The journey takes him places few boys have the opportunity to experience. His gradual acceptance of his changes helps enrich his life, but forces him to make some complex choices.

The Halloween Costume Party

Roxanne’s mother picked me up at home at 6 PM and dropped us off at Lulu’s. Before I left my mother pulled me aside and told me to have fun and just relax. She said she had spoken with Lulu and coordinated getting me ready. I didn’t know what needed coordinating, but nodded affirmatively. Her last pronouncement was to listen to Lulu and do whatever she told me. If you listen to her you will have a much better experience at the party.

I arrived at the salon and she unlocked the door and ushered us in. She smiled at me and said, “we have a lot to do, but first you need to get dressed.”

“I have my bag with the costume.”

“That’s good, but we have a couple of extra things for you.”

“What things?”

“Your mom picked up a brassiere for you and she got you some authentic shoes like the real cheerleaders wear. Those running shoes would not look right.”

“What do I need a bra for? I don’t have breasts!”

“Tonight you do.”

She took out two bouncy breast forms and handed them to me. They had a lot of weight to them and looked so real.

“I do a lot of makeovers for young models so I always need to have some of these around. They will look great in your new bra from Victoria Secrets.”

I remembered what my mom said about listening and took them. She also gave me the butt and hip pads my mother had bought on our shopping spree. I took everything and went into the back and changed, when I emerged, Roxanne looked at me and smiled. She came over and gave me a kiss on the lips, which made me feel much better. It was the first time I had experienced having breasts, and it took me a while to adjust to the sensation. With the breasts and my padding down below, my body took on some real curves.

“Now sit down while I do your nails. We can let them dry while I fix your face.”

“Face?”

“Just some makeup to go with the occasion.”

She did a very quick manicure on my nails. She rounded off the tips and then spread polish on them. First, went a deep maroon base, followed by white tips.

“What about the gold which is the other school color?”

“They are much prettier this way. The gold will look garish.”

She went to work on my face. It was much like my mother’s handiwork, but she went a little heavier on the eye shadow.

“I was going to give you false eyelashes, but your eyes don’t need them. A couple of coats of mascara and you will have eyes to die for.”

“I thought this whole thing was supposed to give me a vamp look.”

“Trust me you will be happier this way, when we are done.”

She removed my studs and Roxanne handed her the silver hoops we bought the afternoon I got my ears pierced.

“Those look wonderful. I think we are ready for the wig.”

“It’s in a bag in my case.” I yelled to Roxanne who was just watching in fascination.

Lulu went into her office and returned with a long wig with layers of wavy brunette hair. She put all of my natural hair in a wig cap and slipped the replacement wig on my head. She adjusted it a little and gave it a couple of brushes.

“Now you look ready to dance.”

I got up and walked over to her mirrors. And nearly flipped when I saw myself. I looked every bit the cheerleader and every bit the woman. I started to get totally aroused by my own image. Lulu and Roxanne could tell I was in an emotional overload. Roxanne giggled and said “Good thing I made you wear your thong tonight. I hope you tucked your thing underneath before you put it on.”

I was near tears. I never planned to go to the party of looking and feeling like this. I was way too authentic. This did not look like a costume. Roxanne’s outfit was funny and appropriate, and I just look like I got back from cheerleading practice.

“I can’t go like this Roxanne.”

“Of course you can. You look great. We need to get going. Put your brush and wallet in your purse.”

“People will laugh!”

“Highly unlikely, you will get a lot of attention, but not laughter.”

“I’ll never be able to face them looking this real.”

“Look at yourself. No one will recognize you. Think about it.”

She was right. The wig, while not vampy, made me look so much different than my normal self. I was quickly ushered out the door in two minutes later we were at the dance.

“Have a good time girls.”

As we entered we had to give them tickets and show some school IDs.

One of Roxy’s friends, Jana, signed us in. After we entered, I said, “Now what? I know people are going to figure out it’s me.”

“I suggest you go with it. No one can tell it’s you or can tell you are anything but a beautiful babe. Just pretend you really are a girl and no one will be the wiser. If you act like a girl the evening will go much smoother and I’m sure you will have more fun. Remember how much you love the theater, just get in the role.”

She was right. I had practiced during the week, so playing the part was my best shot.

I hung with Roxanne for a while, before two guys shuttled us both out to the dance floor. I was ready to freak out, but I just went with the music and tried not to focus on my new male dance partner. Roxanne kept grinning at me while we were dancing. I think she was actually enjoying my un-easiness. We ended up being on the dance floor for over 15 minutes, before we got a break. It was pretty wild out there and everyone was dancing with everyone. I even found myself dancing with Roxanne for a brief time. I was grateful there was almost no way to talk out there.

We slipped off the dance floor and got some punch.

“Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“I guess not, but it doesn’t seem right.”

“Give me a break, you look like a natural out there. You’ve slipped right into the role.”

“Here come some more cute guys. I think it’s time to dance again.”

It was hard to make any small talk with the loud music. One of the guys, I vaguely knew from a class last year, asked me to dance. He also asked for my name. I was panicked and did not know how to answer. Fortunately, Roxanne cut in and said, “It is a costume party, so it is a secret.” I shook my head in agreement.

We shuffled off to the dance floor for a couple of songs. My partner tried to put his arm around me when we headed out to the dance floor, but I slid away to avoid it.

I was getting confident that my costume was convincing. I could feel people looking at me, but not because I was a guy in a skirt. Guys were looking at me like I was a trophy and some of the girls were looking at me trying to figure out who I was. I figured if I stayed in my role, I could survive the evening and even have a couple of laughs along the way.

I retreated back to the punch bowl area only to find Roxanne out on the dance floor with Josh. I knew she still wanted to be with him and that coming tonight was partially to see him. My only real concern was that she was my safe zone and now I was alone.

My time alone did not last long. I felt a tapping on my shoulder and turned around. A wave of panic shot down my spine. In front of me was my chemistry lab partner, Paul Towner. Paul was not part of my inner circle, but he was someone I knew pretty well from class. He was not a star, but he played on the school’s basketball team. We worked as a team in class, so I was scared he might be able to see through my makeup and costume. I. He was actually a nice jock and I had enjoyed having him as a lab partner. Now I was destined to have him as a dance partner.

Paul introduced himself and of course asked for my name. I told him for the evening it was a secret. He looked me straight in the eyes and said, “I know you, but I just can’t remember your name. You do look lovely tonight. If you are not a real cheerleader you absolutely should be.”

His complements made me blush a little. I instinctively smiled at him and he smiled back. He held his two hands out and said, “Shall we dance?”

I grabbed his hands and he pulled me gently out to the dance floor. It was the first time I had held a guy’s hand for more than a second and his grip felt good. We danced to one of my favorite Taylor Swift songs, which helped me relax. Dancing with Paul somehow seemed different than dancing with the others earlier.

After two popular dance songs the music turned slower. This was the first song of the night where the couples danced holding each other. I was ready to leave the dance floor when Paul said he would really love to share this dance with me. I had enjoyed the last couple of songs with him, which I am sure he could tell.

“I’m not really a good slow dancer.”

“Me either, but I think we can figure it out.”

He held his arms out to me and I entered a weak embrace. At first, I tried to keep a couple of inches between us, but when he put his arm around me I was softly and slowly drawn in. I put my left arm around him and held tight with my right hand. He was about 4 inches taller than me, so my head was close to his shoulder line.

Holding him in an embrace made me feel so much different than before. I had become comfortable in my appearance, but now I found myself responding very much like a girl. It started to feel very nice and I was not sure what to think of it. About halfway through the song I could feel Paul was getting sexually turned on. A few seconds later, I started to feel the same way. I was so grateful that I had tucked myself under and had worn the thong. We looked at each other as only a boy and a girl would. He pulled me in a little closer.

When the song ended, I told him I needed a drink. We made our way over to the refreshment area. Almost unconsciously, I found that I was still holding one of his hands. I let go to fill up a punch class. He gently put his hands on the outside part of my shoulders and thanked me for the dances. I told him politely, “that it was my pleasure.” If he was not such a nice guy, I think he might have tried to kiss me right then and there. I was happy and maybe just a little sad, that he had not.

“You just have to tell me your name. I really like you and I think you like me.”

“It was very nice dancing with you, but don’t let it go to your head.”

“Please?”

“For now it is a secret, but you never know.”

I saw Roxanne a few feet away, she was scoping out Paul and me. I told Paul I wanted to speak with a friend and would be back in a few minutes. I motioned for Roxanne to go into the hall and she followed me out.

“I see you are back with Josh.”

“Never mind that, it looks like you have found someone.”

“We just danced.”

“That was more than just dancing. You like him. I can tell he likes you too.”

“This is only a party costume. It was only dancing.”

“Keep telling yourself that and maybe you will believe it. Tonight you are not Alex, it is Lexi’s evening.”

“But I am a boy and so is he!”

“It’s all very innocent and besides he is very attractive.”

“That’s irrelevant, he thinks I am a girl.”

“Right at this moment you are. It’s not like you are going to run out and screw around with him in his car, not tonight anyway.”

“Roxy, what do I do?”

“Just enjoy the experience and go from there. I have to get back to Josh before that bimbo tries to get him back. Good luck.”

I was alone again with a head full of mixed feelings and emotions. I decided that for tonight I was Lexi. I figured, no one would be the wiser and tomorrow I can go back to being Alex. I worked my way back into the gym and spotted Paul. He was chatting with a couple of girls; one of them was Roxanne’s friend, Melissa. When he saw me approaching he said a couple of quick words to the girls and walked over to cut the distance between us. I cocked my head slightly to the side and he looked like he was truly excited by my return.

“I’m ready to dance some more, Paul. Are you up for it.”

“Very funny, you are mine the rest of the evening.”

We danced a few more songs, and shared a few laughs. I was having an emotional experience that I never thought possible. I was reveling in our spirited flirtations and was being charmed by his attention. I started the evening trying to act the part and now the part was becoming me. Dressed and feeling as I did, I wanted him to hold me and maybe a little bit more. I knew I had to resist that urge, because if nothing else it would not be fair to Paul.

The party was nearing its 10 PM conclusion and I was starting to map out my exit plan. My evening with Paul had to be a one-night affair, even if I wanted it to continue. I was in costume and there was no way around that. Paul made one last attempt to get my name.

“Paul, I had a lot of fun tonight and I do not want to ruin it. I promised some friends my costume tonight would be a secret. Why don’t you give me your number and if the time is right, I will call you. You have to trust me.”

“I trust you, but I want to know more about you. My number is 555—555—3825. Promise to call.”

I did not immediately answer and he looked at me again and said, “promise!”

“Okay, I’ll call, but when I’m ready.”

Paul was going to kiss me, but much like Roxanne did with me, I turn my head. I so wanted to feel what the kiss would have felt like, but under the circumstances it would have been even more deceiving. He looked confused by my action, which was understandable.

I was looking around the room for Roxanne, so we could leave. I had told my mother to pick us up at 10 PM unless I called earlier. Just as I found Roxanne the class president started talking on the main microphone on the stage. He thanked everyone for coming and then thanked all of the sponsors, teachers and students involved in the dance. He then announced some prizewinners. They gave out a prize to the best dancing couple, the scariest costume, most creative, and then the best overall costume.

“The best overall costume goes to Alex Adams!”

I stood frozen in my steps. I figured if I didn’t move, no one would look at me.

“Come on up Alex.”

Our class president started to look over towards me and pointed in my direction. After a few seconds everyone was looking at me and applauding. I received a bunch of whistles and catcalls. I wanted to run from the gym as fast as I could. Instead I was ushered up onto the stage to get a ribbon. I played along with an exaggerated curtsy and a mock cheerleader cheer. I then jumped off the stage to exit.

On the way to the door I saw Paul leaning up against the wall standing quietly alone. Our eyes met, but he made no attempt to speak with me. I mouthed, “I’m sorry,” and walked out to the hall. Everyone was looking at me and commenting as I walked by. I just kept walking and met Roxanne out in front of the school. My mom’s car was there and I quickly hopped inside.

My mom looked at me and wanted to say something, but she could see I was upset and in a state of shock. I could not even speak. I think I wanted to cry, but I was too stunned to do so. Roxanne began to fill my mother in on some of the more relevant details. My mother was concerned about my mental state, but also quite intrigued by my elaborate makeover. “So in the end everyone knew it was you, but I bet up until then no one guessed. Lulu did such a wonderful job getting you ready. You look gorgeous.”

“Mom that was part of the problem. I was too authentic. I blended in and everyone treated me like a girl. I even responded like one.”

“Mrs. Adams, there was even one boy that Lexi spent a lot of time with. It didn’t end well after he found out her secret.”

“Lexi, you made a friend?”

“He was just being friendly and I ruined everything. He is my lab partner in chemistry. I will never be able to go to school again!”

“Honey you are over reacting. You won the best costume. That is an honor.”

“I’ll never be able to show my face again to my friends and classmates.”

“Roxanne we are almost at your house. Did you have a good time?”

“Yes Mrs. Adams, and I think Lexi did too, until her secret got out.”

“Thank you for helping Lexi and taking her to the dance. I am sure she will feel much better about it later.”

“Goodnight Mrs. Adams.”

“Goodnight Roxanne.”

“Mother, when Roxanne was in the car you both just kept referring to me as her or Lexi. The party is over.”

“You’re right Honey, but seeing you like you are right now it is hard to think of you as an Alex. Forgive me, you are just so pretty.”

“I’m never going to live this down. Paul is going to hate me.”

“This Paul, is he the boy you met?”

“Yes, I already knew him a little as Alex, but we danced together at the party. He just treated me nice and I deceived him.”

“Was there anything more between you and him or was he someone you just danced with?”

“What do you mean?”

“I think you know what I mean.”

“It’s all very hard for me to understand. I liked being with him and he liked being with me. When he held me it was strange, but also very nice.”

“Held you?”

“We danced together and a couple of the tunes were slow numbers.”

“I see. I am sure you can make up with him.”

“I’ll never be able to face him. He thought I was a girl.”

“You will feel better in the morning. We can sort out all of this then.”

With that we pulled into the garage and I ran up into my room. I removed my wig, makeup and the rest of my cheerleading outfit. Without thinking, I slipped into a pair of my satin pajamas and went to bed. Maybe it was all of the stress, but I fell asleep quickly.

I slept in very late. I think it was my subconscious desire to be by myself. When I opened my eyes the first thing I saw was the long wig lying on my dresser. My mind was quickly filled with a flood of emotions. I laid in bed thinking about the evening. I remembered how much fun I had until my life was ruined at the end. I was wondering what people were saying or thinking about me. I was both scared and curious. I decided to check out the walls in Facebook.

I grabbed my MacBook, and brought it into my bed. My first stop was my home page. It was still early, but I had a lot of activity. Roxanne had posted a nice message about how wonderful I looked and how winning the award was a great achievement. It wasn’t real personal, but I think it was for others to see.

A lot of my new girlfriends, posted similar messages, but some of them were more descriptive. Jessica called me, “the belle of the ball” and Lauren said, “she is going to have to keep me away from her boyfriend.” My friend Rob asked, why I had not changed my profile picture to update my newest look. Sam asked, if I had met anyone special and gotten lucky. In order to post a comment on my home page, they had to be a friend first, so there weren’t any real negative posts.

My friend Chris sent me a private message. He wanted to know if I felt better being out of the closet. He was not trying to be mean, but he was curious. Initially when I started changing my style, he had begun acting a little strange around me. Now he was assuming I was gay.

I had never considered myself gay. When dressed as Alex I was always attracted to girls. I never had any really passionate or intense relationships with them, but I always liked being with them. Last night, when dressed as Lexi, I had my first set of feelings for a guy. Since I was feeling like a girl, I never really thought about it as gay. In the girl’s role my feelings were sort of heterosexual. My mind was spinning from the thoughts flowing through it. I even wondered if Chris had any hidden agenda for his question, particularly since it was a private message.

I don’t think that anybody expected me to show up at school looking like I did Saturday night, but I was sure that the perception of my androgynous appearance would never be looked at quite the same. I was not sure what I wanted to do about that. My other big concern was Paul. I had led him to believe I was something I was not. My feelings were authentic, but it was not fair for him to find out like that. I was worried that he was hurt by my actions. I was also worried that anyone who saw us together might give him a hard time.

I wanted to talk with him even if I didn’t know what to say. I would be seeing him during second period on Monday, assuming I went to school. I really did not want that to be our first words following the events of the dance.

My mother heard me stirring in my room and knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

“Good morning Sleepyhead. How are you feeling this morning.”

“A little better, but still confused and I don’t know what to do.”

“I think that is all understandable. A lot happened last night.”

“It is going to be so difficult facing people. I pretended I was a real girl!”

“Let’s try and figure this all out.”

“Right now, I do not see how that is possible.”

“Try and be positive. Let me ask you a few questions.”

“Shoot.”

“Probably the most important question is something you need to answer very honestly. Before your camouflage was removed, how did you feel dressed convincingly as Lexi?”

“That’s part of the problem. At first I was just happy how I looked, but mostly scared. The longer I was in the role the more comfortable I became. It did not take that long before I didn’t think I was acting anymore. I like being Alex, but I also enjoyed being Lexi.”

“And this boy you met, how did he make you feel?”

“That was probably the strangest part. When I was with him I felt even more like a girl. I had never thought of myself as gay, but last night I was in his spell.”

“Alex have you ever felt like that about a boy before, even a little?”

“I don’t think so. Maybe I have looked at the kids at school and wished I knew them better. Until now, I just thought I was a little jealous of their popularity or good looks. But I do like girls. I love being with Roxanne and her friends.”

“If your classmates weren’t a problem would you want to continue with your androgynous ways?”

“I like my new style and the attention it was getting. Now I am not so sure.”

“If you knew no one would make fun of you, would you like to be Lexi again?”

“I don’t think that is possible, but I think I might. Please don’t tell any of my friends I said that.”

“Honey, this is just between us. I want to know what you want, before we can best figure out what to do.”

“It’s just all so new to me.”

“I think I have a pretty good handle on your dilemma. Everything will eventually work out. You just need to stay calm and be yourself.”

“That sounds too simple. What do I do now?”

“If you act embarrassed or try to hide things people will pick up on that. If you put your chips on the table and are open with people they will be more accepting.”

“What if people laugh at me or call me names? Then what?”

“Those are just words. Unless it is more than that, just ignore those people. I am sure they are not your friends anyway.”

“What about my new hairstyle and clothes. I think I should tone it down.”

“Is that a question? I really think you should not change anything, because of last night. Just be you and figure out what makes you happy.”

“Maybe I should call Paul and apologize.”

“That might be a good idea. You might also call Roxanne and let her know you are okay.”

“I will mom. I still am a little uneasy, but I feel less stressed.”

“Why don’t you get dressed and we can have some brunch.”

My mother took Roxanne’s cheerleader outfit off my chair and also took the wig. She said she would get the cheerleader outfit cleaned and return it to Roxanne. She didn’t say anything about the wig.

I slipped out of my pajamas and put on some jeans and a T-shirt. I just wanted to be casual and comfortable, but not fashion forward this morning.

After eating I decided to call Roxanne first. At least with her I knew she would not be upset with me. I also thought she might have her fingers on the pulse of what others thought of my deception. Her enthusiasm came through the phone instantaneously. She sounded like nothing was wrong and everything went perfectly. She also seemed to think it was natural that I behaved like a girl in almost every way.

“You were a star. The padding made everything look so magnificent on you. I bet I have some other things you would look phenomenal in.”

“Thanks, remember that was a costume party. Even if I wanted to do it again, you know I can’t.”

“I don’t see why not. It would be a waste with your potential, if you didn’t show it off a little.”

“We’ll see, right now I just want to get through Monday.”

“What’s Monday?”

“School! Everyone is going to have a lot of fun at my expense.”

“You might get a few funny comments, but I bet you get more compliments. If you had looked like a hideous vamp, then maybe, but you looked too good for people to say anything really hurtful.”

“Do you think everyone at school knows about my costume?”

“If they don’t, they soon will. The school paper took enough photos. I am sure you will be featured in at least one.”

“That’s all I need. So are you and Josh back together?”

“Yes. He and Claire had broken up again even before the dance. He apologized, and we are back together for now.”

“That’s good.”

“So what are you going to do about Paul?”

“Not much I can do, but I think I have to call him and apologize.”

“He seemed pretty smitten with you.”

“I have to admit you are right. I’m sure he is angry. I hope he takes my call.”

“I am sure he would take Lexi’s call.”

“Funny, very funny.”

“Who knows maybe he won’t be upset.”

“I’ll find out soon enough.”

“Good luck, you two make a cute couple.”

“Thanks.”

“Give me a call and let me know how it went.”

I took my time getting up the courage to call Paul. I liked him and didn’t want him to hate me. I felt something special between us, if only for a brief time. I didn’t know what to say, but I knew I had to take whatever he wanted to dish.

I dialed up the cell number he gave me. It rang three times before going to voicemail. His phone was obviously on, but he didn’t take my call. I left him a message. “Hi, I don’t know exactly what to say, but I know it includes I’m sorry. I didn’t expect last night to go like that and I feel terrible. I really enjoyed being with you and hope you can eventually forgive me. I want to be your friend. My cell is 555-555-5683.”

The rest of the day I kept my phone close in hopes that he would call. I never left the house all day long. It was one of the longest days of my life. I kept checking my phone, in hopes that he would call. I received a few other phone calls during the day including a couple from my guy friends and one from Jessica. The calls from my friends were a little juvenile, but in a friendly way. They joked with me about my improved looks and had a few good-natured laughs at my expense. They admitted I had a lot of guts showing up like that, but were impressed how well I carried it off.

Jessica just wanted to know how I was doing and if Lexi had enjoyed her evening. She also wanted to know if Lexi wanted to come over one night during the week and hang out. I asked her if she meant Lex or if she really meant for me to come over as Lexi. She said she liked Lex, but it would be a whole lot more fun if Lexi came over. I thanked her for the offer, but told her I was not ready to push things that far. She sounded disappointed, but said the offer was open. Before she hung up, she said that a few of her friends were coming over next Saturday for another get-together and it would be nice if I came over. She told me too come dressed as however I wanted to.

It was after 9 PM and I was getting myself ready for school the next day, when I saw Paul's number flash on my cell phone. I answered as fast as I could with a very feeble, “Hi.”

"I got your message. What do you want me to say?"

"I don't expect you to say anything. I just wanted to call and tell you how bad I felt. I never meant to hurt you and it was never my plan to take it as far as it got. I had never done that before, and I'm sorry it just got out of hand."

"Are you telling me that's the first time you ever dressed like that? I find that very hard to believe."

"I only did that once before and I never left the house. It was sort of a dry run for the party."

"There’s no question you're very good at it and you succeeded in playing a good joke on me."

"I was not trying to play a joke on you or anyone. If anything, the joke was on me. I was hoping to slip out before anyone knew my true identity. The thing with you just happened. It was not planned and it just escalated."

"Well, I didn't know you were a guy, but you did. How come you let it get that far?

"Like I said, I didn't want anyone to know who I was. You asked me to dance and to be honest it started to be fun. When I was with you, I somehow didn't think of myself as a guy. I am not sure you can understand that, but like I said, I really feel bad."

"You certainly didn't seem like a guy, even when I think back about it."

"I hope I didn't cause you any trouble with any of your friends."

"A couple of my teammates had a good laugh at my expense, but that is no big deal. I can handle it."

"Are we going to be okay? You are my lab partner in chemistry. I liked you when I was Lexi, so I hope you're okay with Alex."

“You call yourself Lexi?"

"That was probably an over share, a couple of girls I know, gave me that name."

"Well Lexi fits better with what I saw last night, but in chemistry class I think I'll call you Alex. I hope that is okay with you."

"Of course, does that mean were okay?"

"Yeah, just be honest with me in the future."

"Like last night, I promise. Thanks for calling me back. Goodnight Paul."

"Goodnight Lexi, see you tomorrow."

I was so relieved that Paul and I were not mortal enemies. I had been on pins and needles all day in hopes that he would call. That was at least one thing I would not have to worry about. It was kind of late so I decided to update Roxanne on my Paul discussion, at school on Monday.

I decided to wear my new nightgown to bed. Mother had told me to be myself and I remembered how nice it felt the one night I wore it to bed. At least at home I was not going to give into my personal embarrassment.

For school I decided to continue being style conscious, but not try and make any bold statements. I wore one of my pastel T-shirts with the new Dansko clogs. Other than that, everything else on my body was very traditional, except maybe my rapidly growing hair.

It took no time for me to receive some razzing. On my locker was a picture of me in my cheerleader’s uniform. I was on the stage and in the middle of doing my mock cheer. The position was decidedly feminine. I had no idea who put it there, but was certain I would be seeing the picture again. I was so right. I found that same picture on my chair in homeroom and again on my locker in the afternoon.

The first time I saw the picture I quickly pulled it down and shoved it into one of my folders. Later after I had gotten a second one I looked at it a little closer. I actually had to admit it looked kind of cute. It was probably meant to be funny, but I actually liked the picture. When I saw the third one on my locker in the afternoon, I remembered what my mother told me, she said not to act like I was embarrassed. I decided to leave it up, besides whoever put it up, would probably just put up another one.

Throughout the day I received even more attention then the day I showed up with my new hairstyle. I was asked by a bunch of male classmates to do a cheer for them. There were jokes about makeup, my hair, and even my sexual orientation. It was nothing I couldn't take and I mostly smiled at the jokesters. I was grateful the day was over, but it was not unbearable.

When Roxanne saw me just before lunch, she gave me a big hug. It was the same kind of hug that she had given me before; when I thought she might have had a different kind of interest in me. I was now sure that she most likely never considered me that kind of boyfriend. I told her I had made up with Paul and she was thrilled. She said she wanted to hear more about Paul later.

I had seen Paul in chemistry class earlier that morning. Despite our conversation I was still nervous to see him and looked him in the eyes. After all, the last time I did, I was in his spell. Before entering the room I made sure my hair looked good. I guess I was still acting a little vain in Paul's presence. Paul was cordial, but his mood was decidedly different than at the dance. I could see him scan me up and down on a few occasions. It was as if he was trying to reconcile the two images of me in his mind. He did not act angry in any way, and in fact was very polite. I wouldn't say he treated me like a girl, but he seemed to treat me with a gentle touch. His mood was somber, but friendly.

I survived the day and my life was not over. I am sure the events of Saturday would never be completely behind me, but at least I wouldn't have to go into a witness protection plan.

My mother's advice had helped me cope with the comments. She was also not surprised that my day had gone reasonably well.

"Now that school is not a big issue, we need to deal with the other things we discussed Sunday."

"What things?"

"Like Lexi."

"I'm still not following you."

"You were pretty clear that you enjoyed being Lexi and that you desired to explore that side of you some more."

"I did like that feeling, but that was for a costume party."

"It wasn't a costume for you. You said you actually felt like a Lexi. Did I hear you wrong?"

"No, but I don't see how that is really an option."

"I just don't want to shut that window unless you decide that's what you want to do."

"I already have the androgynous thing going, what are you suggesting?"

"The androgynous thing is good, but I think you need to experience Lexi a little more when you are away from school. Maybe after a while you won't want to do that anymore, but I want you to figure that out on your own without pressure."

"You think I should do more of the cheerleader thing at home."

"Well the thing, but not as a cheerleader. Just be Lexi, my teenage daughter."

"Do you really think that is possible? I remember you didn't want me pushing this envelope. Pretending to be a girl, even at home, it's pretty out there."

"I have come around. You are a special child with a side to you I somehow failed to see. I think this would be an eye opener for you and me. I have to admit I enjoyed the other night almost as much as you. If I think we are making a mistake, I will put an end to it."

"What do you expect me to do."

"I think we ought to have Lexi nights. Maybe once a week, during the week and maybe one afternoon or evening on the weekends. On those days you will have free range to explore as much or little of that aspect of your personality as you want. I will help you however I can."

"That sounds like fun. You already returned my costume so I guess I will wear some of my more daring androgynous clothes."

"I returned the cheerleader outfit, but I bought from Lulu the breast forms and the wig. Your hair is easily long enough to be attractively styled, but for the moment the wig will make you feel more girlish. After your next Lulu appointment maybe you'll have more options with your own hair."

"Wow, you have this all figured out."

"I have been thinking about it a lot since the party. I think this weekend we will go and get you some age-appropriate Lexi clothes. I think that way you can mentally feel different when you wear them. Maybe some of the new things can go both ways, but we will see about that.”

“What are we going to get?”

“I think we will go downtown to Chicago and hit some of the Oak Street boutiques and maybe water Tower Place or The 900 Shops. You will be more comfortable trying on things there, instead of up here where you might run into friends. “

“Trying on things? Will they let me?”

They will let Lexi. It’ll be fun and you will definitely feel the complete girlish experience.”

“I really don’t need that much clothes.”

“It’s about getting some nice things and about the whole experience. How about Thursday night we will do a dress-up dry run. It will make Saturday morning easier.”

“This is all mind numbing, but I think I want to do it.”

“Good. I will make plans.”

I tried to spend the next few days acting as normal as I could, but I kept thinking about the events ahead. Things gradually improved at school and after a couple of days the locker antics disappeared. I fell back into my regular routine and the comments faded away.

On Wednesday Jessica told me that her get-together was moved from Saturday to Sunday afternoon. Her parents would be out that afternoon so they could have more fun with a Sunday gathering. I had completely forgotten about her invitation with my shopping plans cluttering my brain cells. I told her Sunday would be good and I would see her then. She reminded me that I was welcome to come as Lexi if I wanted to.

On Thursday, my mother told me to work on my homework as soon as I got home. She wanted us to have free time later to fix me up. I finished my work and had a salad dinner. We were free to play at about 7 PM. I was instructed to do a fresh body shaving with my electric razor. My mother did all of her makeup handiwork on me and gave me one of her long silk tunics and some denim tights to get dressed in. she told me to wear my padding and brassiere to give everything proper shape.

When I returned I could tell she was pleased. I looked casual, but very pretty. She really wanted me to go without the wig, but she said maybe it was best until my hair got a proper styling. She had me walk around all evening on heels, so I could get used to them. She intended to have me wear a pair of her wedge styled shoes on Saturday. By wearing regular heels all evening she figured I would be better prepared to try on other styles.

We spent some time in the guest bedroom that was adjacent to my room. She said this would serve as the room for my Lexi things. It had a small walk-in closet and a queen bed. She moved a few items from her room into the closet and a few selected things from my room.

"Lexi, I think I will get a vanity for this room and do a little redecorating. I know it is not necessary, but it will be fun for me."

"I think it will be good to have my Lexi stuff in a separate room in case my friends come over."

"Maybe down the road you can have some of your girlfriends over and have a place to hang out."

"This is just for us, remember."

"I know, I'm just brainstorming ahead."

The dry run went well and we were as ready as we could be for our excursion on Saturday. I was excited about Saturday for another reason. I was looking forward to spending some time bonding with my mother. Over the years since my father died, my mother and I had always been very close. However, there is a special bond that a father and son can have, and the same for a mother and daughter. This would be an experience that few boys would ever get a chance to have. It would be as much for my mother as it was for me.

Saturday morning my mother got me up at 8:30 AM. I took a shower and had some breakfast before we got ready. I dressed in the clothes from Thursday evening and my mother did my makeup. I had practiced on a few occasions, but for our excursion today my mother wanted my makeup to be flawless. I did not look exactly as I had in our previous dress-up experiences, because my mother wanted the makeup to be more daytime oriented. The makeup was a little less extreme, but no less feminine. I wore a pair of her diamond studs that my father had bought for her. She said that studs would be easier for me when I was changing outfits.

I was nervous leaving the house in daylight for the first time, looking as I did. I was confident that I looked the part, but still a little worried that a friend might pop over as we were heading out the driveway. I could tell my mother was enjoying herself, as we drove down the Kennedy Expressway. We parked in the garage at 900 North Shops. It was centrally located and right next to Bloomingdale’s.

We made our first stop at Bloomingdale’s. Almost immediately upon entering the women’s department, a sales associate came to assist us. My mother told her that we were primarily looking for me and that I had almost no winter clothes. She told the associate that I had recently blossomed and had very little clothing that I could wear.

“What is your lovely daughter’s name?”

“Her name is Lexi. We need to get her some casual clothes and maybe something a little dressier.”

“ I hope it is okay that I call you Lexi. You are going to be in for a real treat. You look like a size 6, does that sound about right?”

“I am not sure I have not done that much shopping lately.”

“You will just have to try on a few things. Many of our designers have a different idea about sizing. You could possibly be a size 4 with some designers and even a size 8 with others.”

Over the next hour I must have tried on 20 or more outfits. I was amazed by the quality of the clothing. It was a lot different than the chain stores that I had gone through with Roxanne and Jessica. The prices were a little mind boggling, but there was no question the clothing was stylish and of high quality. I asked my mother if we really should be spending so much for me to be a part-time girl and she told me not to give it a second thought.

By the time we left Bloomingdale’s, I had three sets of slacks, four blouses, two sweaters, a wide belt, a silk scarf, and a couple of dresses. The dresses were not formal, but would be nice for going out on a Saturday night. Virtually everything we picked out was from one famous designer or another. I recognized a couple of their names, but not many of the others. My mother told me I had a lot to learn.

We had two very large shopping bags full of clothing. My mother suggested that we go and do a little shoe shopping and then put our current purchases into the car. We shopped at Charles David and Alternatives Shoes. I bought some cowgirl style shoes and two dressy pair at Charles David. At alternatives I bought shoes that would be appropriate for school, that is, if I was a girl. Two pairs were fun leather slip-ons, with small heels. Another pair, had straps that wound around my legs. I thought they looked pretty sexy on me.

We put all of our purchases into the car and returned to the mall for some lunch. We had a light lunch at the Oak tree Café, before heading out to do some more shopping. In addition to more clothes my mother said we had to get me some nice outerwear. We ended up getting me a three-quarter length, medium weight coat and a beautiful black leather winter coat. The black leather coat would be perfect for the winter weather that Chicago was known for. When I saw the price tag on that coat, I told my mother I thought that was ridiculous and that I didn't need it. She told me it was a perfect fit and could be worn with casual clothes or with something a little dressier. I said I would not have that many opportunities to where it, but she insisted that I could wear it with some of my boy clothes. I looked at her kind of funny, since the style was clearly designed for a woman. It was a classic leather coat, but the detail work and collar was very feminine. I was happy that my mother wanted me to have the very best, but I was getting a little concerned we were going over the top.

We had picked up most of the basics and started just going into some of the boutiques to see if we found something special that we really liked. Before the afternoon was over, I owned clothes from Prada, Hermes, and Anthropology among others. I had a wardrobe that any teenage or 20 something girl would die for. I felt kind of guilty, getting so many nice things. I somehow knew that my mother expected me to get a lot of use out of them. I was not sure when, but this was for much more than just for a couple of nights a week.

Our last stop for the day was at Victoria secrets. I ended up with some new bras and a number of other intimate items. Victoria Secrets was one of the few places that I was a little apprehensive about trying on apparel. With some of the intimate wear my breast forms either showed or had a hard time staying in place. When my mother saw my difficulty, she said that she would have to work on that for the future. I wasn’t sure what she meant by that, but at this point nothing would’ve surprised me.

We headed home shortly before 5 PM and put away my things in the guest bedroom. I was pretty tired from the day’s experience. Shortly after arriving home, I took off my wig. I told my mother it was getting a little hot and uncomfortable. When I took it off, she grabbed a brush and combed out my hair. She put a red barrette into my hair so it would not fall into my face. I still looked totally girlish even without the wig on my head.

I assumed after I got home that it would be time for me to switch back into my Alex role, but she said I should at least finish out the day this way. Since there was no reason to change, I stayed as Lexi. The more time I spent as Lexi, the more comfortable I became. After dinner, I found myself curled up with a book in front of the fireplace. My mother commented how adorable I looked sitting there all cozy looking.

It was an amazing day and I was sure it would have many encores. In only a few short weeks I had gone from a fashion forward hairstyle to a fully dressed teenage girl. It was more than I could’ve imagined and I still do not know what it all meant. I started down this path, hoping it would improve my social life. My social life had increased, but it was getting increasingly difficult to imagine myself making the moves on any girl at school. My personal style had changed significantly and more and more of my free time was being spent looking like Lexi.

The next day when I came down to breakfast my mother asked me if I wanted to be Lexi again. I was surprised by the suggestion, but told her that I would be spending the afternoon over at Jessica’s house. I could tell she was a little disappointed, but she did not push it on me. I spent the better part of the day finishing my homework. I really did not want to have any left when I got back from Jessica’s.

I think the experience on Saturday had made me less cautious about my appearance, so I dressed for the afternoon a little more boldly. Jessica had suggested I come as Lexi, but I was not prepared to go that far. I decided to wear my androgynous looking clothes, with a few decidedly feminine accessories. When I was dressed to go, I had not one thing on me that could be bought in a men’s department. I wore my hoop earrings, girl’s belt, and new bracelet along with some of the clothes that the girls had bought for me. I even wore a Barrette to hold my hair out of my eyes. When my mother saw me, she knew that I was dressing even more femininely for my friends than ever before. She did not complain and even suggested that a little light makeup might look nice. I resisted the temptation and told her I was ready to go.

I was the fourth person to arrive at Jessica’s house and soon thereafter three more of her friends showed up. Both Jessica and Roxanne commented how great I looked and never thought twice about calling me Lexi. About a half-hour after everyone had gotten there Jessica said it would be a good time to go for the swim. I had no idea that anyone was going to be swimming. I didn’t even know that Jessica’s house had an indoor pool. All of the girls had brought bathing suits, but I had not.

“I thought you knew we would be swimming. Whenever my friends come over on the weekend, we usually go for a swim.”

“It’s not a big deal, I’ll just hang out by the pool.”

“I am sure I can find a suit that you can wear. My sister is about your size and she has a few one-piece suits that I am sure will work.”

“A girl’s swimsuit?”

“It’s no big deal. It’s not like you have any sort of problem dressing a little more adventurously. You will look fine.”

“A few minutes later I was dressed in her sister’s purple one-piece bathing suit, it was low-cut in the back and had built-in cups in the front. I obviously was not wearing my breast forms, but with the style of the suit it looked like I had small breasts. The girls applauded when they saw me, and Jessica said I really need a little makeup to complete the image. At this point I wasn’t going to argue. I was given a little mascara, eyeliner and some lipstick. It wasn’t elaborate, but it did the trick. When they laid the makeup down on the table, I instinctively picked up the mascara as if I was going to put it on myself. I realized that I might look a little odd doing that myself, so I put it right back down.

I spent the afternoon with them as one of the girls and even kept the makeup on after I changed back into my regular clothes. I was treated completely as one of the girls and not as a fashion forward boy.

When I got picked up, my makeup did not go unnoticed. I explained the events of the afternoon and my mother did not seem very surprised. She told me to freshen my makeup before dinner and I did. It had been a crazy weekend that had taken me places I never expected to go. Tomorrow would be back to my normal routine and school.

Over the remainder of the fall semester my dressing activities at home expand. The original plan was for me to experiment a couple times a week. By mid-December I was dressing at home the majority of the time. It seemed to make my mother happy and I had grown much more comfortable in the part. On days or evenings I was with friends, I stuck to being Alex, but that now seemed to be only two or three days a week.

Most of my Lexi time was spent at home, but we did go into the city a few times to have dinner or do some window-shopping. I was also getting more used to having men looking at me. At first it creped me out a little, but now it just seems like something I just had to accept.

On my last salon appointment in late November, Lulu still did not do that much with my styling. She said my hair looked great, but still needed more length to do what she planned. In my mind it was already long enough. At school I started to keep it in a ponytail to draw less attention. At home my mother would have me brush it out into a more feminine style.

I tried to keep my two worlds as separate as I could. At school and with friends I rarely got as girlish as I did at Jessica's pool party. I was afraid of crossing that line. My relationship with Roxanne and her friends continue to grow, but I was careful not to act like a girl around them. At times I really wanted to, but doing so would probably cause the situation to spiral out of control.

My relationship with Paul had gotten better and his mood seemed to be improving when he was with me. The spark was still missing from his eyes, but we laughed and joked around a lot. He even got comfortable enough to start making Lexi comments about me when I acted or looked less manly. For the most part my relationships and school were going pretty well.

The holidays and winter break were just around the corner. It had been an amazing school semester that had certainly changed my life. I still was not sure where it was leading, but it was probably going to be a crooked path. There was one week left in the school semester, which would be followed by two full weeks off. We had made no real plans to travel over the break and planned to just do things around Chicago. We discussed going away for a long weekend, but had made no firm plans. The only thing I knew, was on Saturday, the first full day of break, I would be getting my hair styled again. I was pretty certain that Lulu planned to be a little more creative at this appointment.

After school on Monday, I went to the library with Roxanne to finish up a school project. We really didn't have much work this last week, but I still enjoyed studying with Roxanne. I still felt something special for her even though she felt somewhat differently about me. She had been a big part of my change the lifestyle and for the most part I was grateful. I wanted to get her something for Christmas and asked her if there was anything special that she would like.

"You know it's funny that you ask me that question, since winter break and the holidays are around the corner. I had been thinking, even before you asked me that question, of asking you to do something for me for Christmas."

"Of course Roxanne, I would do anything for you. What would you like me to do?"

"Do you really mean that?"

"Yes of course, why are you being so coy?"

"Well what I'm going to ask you is a little unusual and it's for me, but it's also for you."

"Okay, so what do you want? "

"This coming Saturday evening my family has a holiday party. It's for family, a few relatives and some friends. I would like you to come."

"That's easy enough, I would love to come."

"That's not the whole thing. When I said I wanted you to come, I meant Lexi. I would really like you to come as Lexi. It's a holiday party so you could wear something festive."

"Am I hearing you right. You want me to get dolled up and show up at your house as Lexi?"

"You are. I've been thinking about this for a long time and I think it's something I really want and I think you do too. It would mean a lot to me, since you are so special to me and have been such a good friend."

"I guess I don't mind dressing up for you, but there will be other people there."

"I have already spoken with my family and they would love to meet Lexi. They already know you very well and they also said it would be wonderful if you came dressed in the holiday spirit."

“What about others, I do not want to cause a stir. You indicated that some friends would be there. I'm not sure about this."

"You have already done this with my friends. Did anyone treat you badly?"

"No, but this is much less private."

"It's a party, everyone will be happy and having fun. This is a perfect time for you to spread your wings."

"Why do you think I need to spread my wings?"

"Come on Lexi. I know you are not like other boys. You have a special side that deserves to have some face time."

Roxy, I do enjoy being with all of the girls, but this is so much beyond that."

"Hopefully it will be well beyond that. I guarantee you will have a pleasant evening. So will you do it?"

"I think I need to run this by my mom. I am not sure if she will approve."

"Why don't you invite her too. That way she can keep an eye and you if she is nervous."

"Okay, if she says it's alright, I will come."

"You mean Lexi, don't you?"

"Cute."

"I probably have something you could wear."

"Don't worry about that. If my mom says yes, we will take care of my outfit. I'll ask her tonight and let you know."

"Great. I am so excited. This year we will have best holiday party."

Back at home I related Roxanne's request to my mother.

"Honey this is a very big step. This is not a costume party or some private playtime. Others will see you and it will permanently change some people's views about you. Are you prepared to have the light shined on you in that way."

"I've been doing this with you for a pretty long time now. It is hard to keep this from my close friends. I am Alex, but I also like how it feels to be Lexi. I would like to share it with my good friends, if you approve."

"I am only asking you, because sometimes I think I have guided you too strongly to this point. You initiated the change, but without my help you might have just grown out of it. If you really want this, then we will go to the party as mother and daughter."

"Let's do it. If it is my choice, then I am ready to show myself off."

"I know you are ready. I think most of your friends will be surprised by how ready you are."

"I certainly will not need any new clothes. I finally have some reason to wear that Donna Karan dress."

"That is for sure. You are going to look absolutely lovely."

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Any and all comments are appreciated. I love to hear what you think.

A CHANGE OF STYLE (conclusion) PART 4

by NINA ADAMS
In part 4 of the four-part story, Alex goes to Roxanne’s Holiday Party dresses completely as Lexi. In this chapter the recent changes in Alex become part of his fiber and his true self emerges. His transformation from Alex to Lexi is completed.
The journey takes him places few boys have the opportunity to experience. His gradual acceptance of his changes helps enrich his life, but forces him to make some complex choices.

THE HOLIDAY PARTY

"I am supposed to get my hair styled Saturday morning, do you think I should tell Lulu about the party?"

"I think she has big plans for your hair anyway, but I will let her know. I think I will make a manicure and pedicure appointment for you also. Your nails have gotten very long and could use some proper care."

"The place is pretty busy on Saturdays. I am not sure about getting a pedicure with everyone around."

"I was thinking about your next salon visit a few days ago, and now with you going to the party in the evening, I think you should attend your appointment as Lexi. This is going to be a long appointment and you will be much less out of place this way."

"With the party and everything I guess that makes sense. My hair is now down past my shoulders, I sure hope Lulu gives me something that looks good for the evening."

"That's something you don't have to worry about."

"I'll call Roxanne and let her know we are coming."

Roxanne was excited beyond words. I told her about my appointment and that my mother was arranging all the details for me to look my best. I even told her that I was going to the salon as Lexi. She was impressed that I was comfortable enough to go that way.

All week at school she kept trying to find out more about my outfit and plans. It was all girl talk without a hint of Alex discussion. I let on a little about experimenting with my mother over the past weeks, and she was not even a little astonished by my confession. She wanted me to do this because she already assumed I was doing a little of this in private at home.

On Friday when school let out I headed home feeling great about the winter break and awash in thoughts about the day ahead. I beat my mother home and headed up to my room. When I got inside, I discovered a lot of my personal items missing. My clothes and the majority of my things were still there, but some of my family pictures, personal items, my iPod dock, and most of my books were gone. They weren’t in my closet and I got a little concerned.

I called my mother's cell phone and she said not to be worried. She told me she would be home shortly. I went downstairs and turned on the TV. She came to through the door about 20 minutes later.

"So where is all of my stuff, mom?"

"It's in your room. You must not be very observant."

"I checked. It's not in my closet either."

"Let's go up and look, silly."

Instead of walking into my room she walked into the guest room. I followed a few quick steps behind her.

"See Lexi, it's all here!"

"Mom, what's it all doing in here?"

"Honey, I think with all of the time you are spending as Lexi, this is a better place for your important things."

The room had recently been painted, but now there were new curtains, a new rug, and all new art. The room had been totally transformed. A large vanity desk had been delivered along with a large swivel floor mirror. The room was everything a girl could want.

I realized that she'd gone through quite a lot to surprise me today with all of these changes. I loved how the room looked, but I didn't expect to be living in this room. I thanked her with a hug and a kiss and tried to take it in.

"You can always use the other room if you need to, but I think you'll be happier in here. You are off school for a while, so this will be a good time to start using it."

"Wow, you must have done a lot of planning ahead to pull this off."

"A little, I just planned it as an early holiday gift. Merry Christmas!"

"Thanks mom."

"Before you get changed stop in my room, I need to show you one more thing. It should help with your new wardrobe. Make sure you shower and shave very closely before you come to see me."

My mother assumed that I would be changing into my Lexi wardrobe. With all she had done for my surprise, I thought it would be only right to do what she wanted. I took a long shower and cleared off my minimal stubble. I had now been smooth skinned for nearly 2 months. I put on my pink robe and went down to her room.

"I bought you some replacements for the inserts that we got from Lulu. The new ones are specifically designed for women who have a need to wear breast forms all of the time. The others gave you a good shape, but these will stay in place better and be much more versatile. You can swim with these and wear slightly more revealing tops."

"What makes them better for swimming and staying secure?"

"They are designed for someone your size and they are attachable. They were custom-made for you based upon your chest measurements.”

"Attachable, How’s that?"

"I will show you. We are going to use an adhesive that is safe for your skin. They will stay in place even if you are not wearing a bra."

"For how long. Well they will stay in place for up to two weeks. I have a solvent that takes the adhesive off if they have to come off sooner."

"Two weeks! I can't wear them that long."

"Honey, you are on break. We will make sure they are off before school."

"But mom, that's the whole break. You want me to stay as Lexi until the break ends?"

"Do you have any Alex plans? If needed we can remove them early."

It took about five minutes for me to have a pair of small ‘C’ cup breasts. Alex was going to be away for a while. I was definitely going to have to get comfortable in my new skin. I could feel the weight on my chest. It felt different than the older forms and also made me feel like I was no longer Alex.

Over the past few months I had lost some weight. I was spending so much time with my mother playing the Lexi role, that my eating patterns had shifted a little. I was still only about 5'7", but my weight was down to about 125 pounds. Other than the hidden male organ between my legs I now had a very girlish looking body.

I dressed myself and put on some makeup to complete the transformation. I had gotten pretty adept at doing my own makeup, which also contributed to my girlish experience. My ever-changing mental state was now further enhanced by my new breasts and new bedroom.

Saturday morning I dressed in three-quarter length slacks and a somewhat revealing silk blouse. I brushed out my hair and put on some makeup. I wore open-toed low-heeled dress sandals, because my mother said they would be better for my pedicure.

My mom was pleased with my ability to get myself ready and declared it was time to go. She was also getting some nail care and styling at the salon, so we went to our appointments together.

I was nervous seeing Lulu in my current state, even though she was expecting me like this. She treated me like any other girl in the salon.

"You are going to be amazed how great you look when we are done. Your hair is a perfect length for you and I know exactly what to do to give you the perfect look."

"I guess right now I don't look very androgynous do I? Today is probably not going to help either."

Lulu just smiled and said to relax. Over the next 90 minutes she washed, cut and then wrapped things into my hair. When I inquired what that was for, she only said something about highlighting. She brushed and cut in every direction. When she was done working on my hair she went to work on my eyebrows again. This time, pulling out a lot more hairs than at the previous appointments. I still had not seen her magic.

When she decided I looked done she called my mother over to look before I had a chance to view myself. When my mom saw me, she actually teared up.

"Lexi, I'm sorry to be so emotional, but you are so gorgeous. All along I knew you had a very natural beauty, but you are even more attractive than I imagined. You make an absolutely stunning young woman."

They told me to stand up and turn around. When I did I felt a chill go down my spine. My hair was in no way cut to look androgynous. This was a girl looking back at me with attention-getting styling. My highlighted locks had straight bangs and flowing soft waves on the sides. My eyes stood out with the bangs and now thinner eyebrows. I did not see how I could possibly cover up my transformed look. I appeared all-girl.

My New Hairstyle---

I was shifted over to another area to get my manicure and pedicure. Getting my toes and nails done was much slower than I anticipated. That process took nearly an hour and a half. When they were done, I had beautiful red toes and nails. I found the manicure pedicure experience to be very pleasant, especially when I got to soak my feet.

I noticed two girls from school come in during my pedicure. They were not part of my group of girlfriends, but I knew who they were and I was sure they knew of me. The salon was not that big and they both looked at me, but it was clear neither recognized me. I was just some unknown girl to them.

When we were paying our substantial bill, Lulu asked me how I like my new styling.

"There is not much to not like. I think I look fabulous. I have never felt so pretty. For now I couldn't be happier with the cut, but I'm concerned this is going to make it very difficult to go back to being Alex."

"I understand, but you are too pretty to be an Alex. Don't worry about that for now. Just enjoy the moment."

It had been well over 3 1/2 hours before we headed out the door. We stopped at a popular café in Highland Park and had some lunch. I was not even remotely worried that I looked out of place.

We arrived home at about 2 PM and we both rested for a couple of hours. We wanted to be rested for the party at 6 PM. The holiday party was a dinner buffet and cocktail party. It was scheduled from six to 10 PM and Roxanne told me it usually went much later.

My mother and I took our time getting ready. My hair didn't need anything, but I needed to redo my makeup and get myself dressed. I knew my dress showed off my enhanced figure and I never looked better. I even dabbed a little of my mom’s Coco Chanel perfume on my neck. I put on just enough to be noticeable, but just barely. Roxanne was sure to be mesmerized by my appearance. I was anxious for her to see me. I felt a little like a girl might have felt going out on her first date.

We made our way to Roxanne's house at about 6:30 PM. My mother knew Roxanne's mother, but neither of us knew how many other people would be there. The Nash’s had a large house, which was well designed for entertainment. When we got near her house we immediately realized that this was going to be a fairly large gathering. There were numerous cars parked on the street we had to park nearly a block away.

We made the cold walk to the door. I could feel the chill on my bare legs. When approached the front door, other guests let us in. We were told to put our coats on racks that had been set up in one of the bedrooms. I took one last look in the bedroom mirror and took in a deep breath, before walking out to join the party.

When I saw all of the guests, I felt a wave of panic through my body. I looked at my mother and she could see my heightened anxiety.

"Lexi, you look spectacular. Just relax, talk slowly and smile. Find some of your friends and you will feel better very quickly."

"I am excited and scared all-in-one. I think I will look for Roxanne and try to hang with her for a while."

"Let's go socialize."

"I'll follow you mom."

We made our way towards their living room. Their living room was a very large great-room with a two-story ceiling. On the backside it had floor to ceiling windows looking out to their snow-covered backyard. On the other side was a second-floor balcony. When we entered the room I could see Roxanne standing at the edge of the balcony looking out over the guests. Jessica was standing next to her scanning the crowd. They both looked ravishing in their party dresses. I always knew how pretty they were, but all fixed up in party dresses they look captivating. They looked in my direction, but did not immediately identify me out of the guests. I zoned in on them and started towards the stairs to join them. As I reached the top of the stairs I heard a loud, "OH MY GOD!"

Both girls started rushing towards me.

"I can't believe how phenomenal you look." Shouted Roxanne.

"You look even better than I imagined." added Jessica.

For the next few minutes the conversation was all about my appearance. They commented about my hair, makeup, figure, dress and how perfectly natural I looked. They said I resembled in every way a real girl. They asked how I was feeling and if I enjoyed being one of the girls. I admitted that I was very comfortable after initially being nervous.

"Well Roxanne, I did it! Merry Christmas!"

"You did it all right. Let's have a toast. Long live Lexi!"

"I don't have a drink."

"We'll get you one in a minute. I can’t get over how beautifully your hair is styled and your makeup is flawless."

"I did the makeup myself."

"You did?" Jessica chirped.

"My mom gave me some lessons."

"Way to go girl. I am going to have to let you do mine. You have come so far so quickly.

"Thanks, I guess. I never plan this or really thought I wanted all of this, but I've grown to like it. I now feel almost normal."

Roxanne looked me in the eyes, "This is not a costume for you anymore. This is your new normal. I would tell you to get used to it, but I see you already have."

"I've practiced with my mother."

"Practice makes perfect and you look so perfect."

"So who all is here or coming?"

"Some of your friends are in my room and a few more are supposed to arrived at about 7 PM."

"Why 7 PM?"

"Well Josh is coming and he had to pick up someone, so he figured 7 PM would work."

"I didn't know your boyfriend was coming. Did you tell him about me?"

"I didn't see any way not to. He was very cool about it. Josh said he really wanted to meet you. He said he only caught a glimpse of you at the Halloween party."

"I guess this is not going to be any kind of secret.”

“ Lexi, you were at the salon today and are here at my house, did you really think it would be a secret?"

"No not really, but I didn't know any guys would be here."

She smiled at my last comment and said let's get some food and join the other girls up in my room. I have a present for you later, but it will wait."

"A present, I didn't bring you anything."

"Remember, your present for me was you coming as Lexi. So, I got Lexi something, let's eat first."

We went downstairs and filled some plates with a bunch of finger foods. I was introduced to a few of her relatives. All of them assumed I was one of her girlfriends. Her mom was very complementary and I heard her tell Roxanne "you are absolutely right about him."

When I saw her other girlfriends up in the bedroom, it was much like when Roxy saw me coming up the stairs. I was given a lot of hugs and a lot of praise. They all wanted to know how much was real and how much was artificial. I had to tell them that only my hair was real. "The hips and breasts got some help." They weren't surprised, but they joked that I was probably a late bloomer.

At about 7:15 Josh made his way up to get Roxanne. I knew she would probably now be giving him most of her attention. When he entered, they had a brief kiss for all of us to see. I could see some envy in a couple of the other girl’s eyes. With that Roxanne said she needed to step out with Josh for a few minutes.

I was engaged in a conversation with Lauren and Jessica that when Roxanne returned to the room. She asked if I could come outside for a minute.

"What's up Roxy? Do you need some help with something."

"No, I think it's time for your present."

"I really hope you didn't spend much."

"I'm pretty sure it's something you really wanted, and it didn't cost me anything."

"That sounds like a good present, what is it?"

"It's downstairs next to the small Christmas tree in the family room."

"How will I know which gift is mine?"

"Trust me you'll know. It's a little bigger than the other gifts."

"Should I bring it upstairs to open?"

"Why don't you open it by yourself. You can certainly bring it upstairs later if you want."

"Okay, let's go."

"I want you to open it yourself, so go down there before someone else takes it."

I was trying to figure out what it could be. Why would she want me to go get it by myself? I slowly sashayed down the stairs. I was feeling pretty good and any fear I had been feeling earlier had passed. I was having a good time and everyone was being nice to me.

I made my way into the family room and turned to the tree. I felt my heart stop. Standing all by himself next to the tree was Paul. When he saw me our eyes met, we both looked like dears in the headlights. After a short pause we walked up to each other.

I was not sure what to say. He also seemed at a small loss for words.

"I didn't know you would be here. Roxanne never told me."

"My God you look unbelievable. She told me that Lexi would be here, and asked me if I wanted to see her again."

"Well are you glad you came?"

"I am, are you happy to see me?"

"I am surprised. Our last Lexi experience did not end well."

"Hopefully this one will end better. You still didn't answer my question. Are you happy I am here?"

"I didn't want our last time together to end, so the answer is a very strong yes."

"I think we had some unfinished business."

"Paul, but I'm not really a girl, you know that."

"All I see is a girl. When I see you and talk to you I think Lexi. At school it took me a while, but I realize that you really are Lexi, not Alex. Seeing you so perfectly made up in front of me, confirms my beliefs."

"So what are you saying?"

With that he put his arms on my shoulders and turned his head so that our lips could meet. I felt the warmth of his kiss rush through my body. It was only a kiss of about 2 to 3 seconds, but it felt like time had stopped. I looked him in the eyes and then leaned forward for a longer more passionate encore. When we were done with our little necking session, I could see a couple of the people in the room glancing at us.

"So much for unfinished business." I joked.

"Merry Christmas, Lexi."

"Should we go join everyone?"

"Most of our friends are upstairs. So what does this all mean?"

"We will figure that out as we go, but remember what I said at the dance. For the rest of the night you are all mine."

I floated up the stairs holding Paul's hand. When we got into the room everyone started chanting, “kiss, kiss, kiss!"

We didn't disappoint. Some soft cheers and some applause followed our embrace. I gave Roxanne a big hug and thanked her for my ‘big’ present.

"What are friends for?"

The rest of the evening went wonderfully and it was one of the most enjoyable nights of my life . I introduced Paul to my mother and she told me he seemed very nice. "He's very handsome, don't you think?"

"Yes mom, I do, and he is a good kisser."

With that she raised her eyebrows and gave me a very sly smile "Young lady, you move too quickly."

"Mom, it's been a very long time in coming, don't worry."

"Well I guess you always put your heart into things, so we are going to have more things to be discussing."

"I think you are right mom."

I was having such a good time that the evening flew by so quickly. My mom came to get me just after 10 PM and told me it was time to go. I didn't want to leave, but I also didn't want to ruin a perfect night. I told her to give me five minutes to say goodbye to my friends.

I gave everyone who was still there a big hug and thanked them all for making my evening so special. I pulled Roxanne aside and told her there were no words that could express my appreciation for all she had done. I told her we could talk about it more tomorrow.

I stepped into Roxanne's bathroom with Paul for a final private moment. We spent most of the time kissing and squeezing each other. I was breathless when I knew I had to go.

"Are you going to call me or am I a one night stand?"

"You're too funny. Let's go to a movie."

"Sure, when? I can't tomorrow, but how about Tuesday?"

"It's a date. I can't wait."

My mother opened the conversation with me in the car with a statement. "I think Alex is gone. We need to start thinking more long term."

"I certainly don't feel like Alex right now, but what else do I have to learn about being Lexi?”

"I am not sure you need to learn much more, but we have to figure out how to deal with your choices."

"It's going to be even stranger going back and forth. Right now I'm happy it's winter break and I don’t have to worry about it.."

"We'll talk about that tomorrow and come up with a strategy. For now I’m thrilled you have found some happiness."

"Thanks mom. Tonight was amazing."

The next morning almost instinctively I dressed as Lexi, just like I had been doing it all of my life. I even walked down to the Walgreens to get some face cream and conditioner.

In the afternoon my mother sat me down in the den to discuss some issues she had been working on.

"Lexi, the recent events have led me to believe that you are much happier being Lexi then you were as Alex. Am I correct there?"

"I think so, I really enjoy being Lexi."

"Well we need to take you to see some specialists if you want to stay as Lexi and go back to school this way."

"Back to school this way? How can I do that?"

"Well honey, you are not much of a boy anymore. You look and act like a girl and frankly seem better suited to be one."

"But I am not a girl!"

"Technically, you are right, but in most other regards you now are. You even have a boyfriend."

"Well he made me feel like I never really had before, but it was only some kissing."

"It's how you feel that it's important. I don't see any real desire to be Alex anymore."

"But school how is that possible?"

"It's only possible if you truly are ready to be Lexi. I have made some appointments for you to see specialists that can guide you along that path."

"Specialists, what will they do?"

"The first one is a woman's doctor who will check you out physically and possibly adjust some of your hormone levels. The other specialist is a psychiatrist that evaluates your mental state. All of the things take a long time, but are necessary."

"I have to see a shrink!"

"I have scheduled you to see both Doctors tomorrow. First, you are going to spend most of the morning with Dr. Robin. She is going to evaluate your commitment to being a girl. Assuming she believes you are ready, she will provide us a note for school and for Dr. Kelly to begin giving you some girl drugs. You are probably going to spend time with her each day, before you return to school. There's not much time and there is a lot to work out. She has worked with many other transsexuals."

"You never called me that before."

"That's true, but it is a word that you are going to have to get used to."

"Wow. This is so major. How much will the meds affect me?”

“I'll let the doctor discussed that, but over time I suspect a lot. Down the road, probably in a year or two, if all goes smoothly, the doctors can complete your transition."

"You mean...”

“Yes Honey.”

"What do you think I should tell my friends?"

"I think Dr. Robin will talk to you about that, but I suspect the truth."

"Mom, I love you. Will you still love me when I am a girl?"

"Oh Lexi, you never need to ask me that. I will always love you. I loved you as Alex and I will always love you as Lexi. Young lady your best years are to come.”

THE END

EPILOGUE
I never looked back. I met with the doctors and also school administrators. After winter break I return to school as my new self. I was put on estrogen and progesterone to provide me with female hormones and I was given spironolactone to stop my production of male hormones. I didn't have that much hair on my body, but I started a regular schedule of laser appointments to remove what little I had.

Paul and I dated for the rest of the school year and even went to the spring prom together. Roxanne made certain that I became a real cheerleader for the spring season, after all she was the team captain.

I was in the school production of high school musical. I wasn't the lead, but I did get one of the big female parts. I continue to focus on the arts and chose to go to Northwestern as an art major. I wanted to stay near home during my transition.

Roxanne and I still are best friends and she promises me that someday I will be one of her bridesmaids. I promised her she would be one of mine.

It is amazing how much a new hairstyle can change your life.

I would love to hear any comments. I hope you enjoyed it.-----

This is the story of a theatrical acting opportunity that was so unexpected that it was too good to pass up. A role of a lifetime for our High School thespian may just turn out to be the role for a lifetime.

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I was probably the loneliest person on the planet despite having over a thousand friends. I was very popular on Facebook, Tumblr & Twitter, but in the real world I didn't have a life. My existence revolved around my MacBook Pro laptop. I would return home from High School and spend the bulk of my day gradually working through my homework while connecting to my diverse pool of internet friends. There were a few local friends mixed in, but I hardly thought of them that way.

Besides my I-Friends, I would use my computer to watch movies. I loved film and to a somewhat lesser extent, theater. A lot of my friends came from my blogs about films. I guess since I did not live a very exciting life, I took pleasure in throwing my emotions into film study and drama. I knew every site where I could download films for free, even some that were still in the theaters.

At my High School in Northbrook I was not an outcast, but my niche of friends was pretty small. I did well academically, but I always sat in the back and spoke only when I had to. As a result, I always managed decent grades, but would be one of those students that the teachers would soon forget.

The only school extracurricular activities that I ever got involved with revolved around theater or film club. Even the film club was a bit of a bore, because I knew more about film and film techniques than the teacher that acted as the sponsor. I only stuck with that because I wanted to go to USC film school in two years when I would graduate.

My small group of school friends mostly came as a result of acting class and drama. For some reason I could pull myself out of my shell when it came to acting. I guess throwing my emotions into a role allowed me to express myself in a safe way and provided an emotional outlet. As soon as my acting scenes ended, I would tend to quickly regress back to my invisible shy self.

I was reasonably graceful on stage, but I had no real skills when it came to dancing or singing. I was fine for a background role in musicals, but my preference was for straight theater. The good parts in these shows usually went to students that had paid their dues in other shows which were mostly musicals.

I had made the cast in three shows, which thrilled my divorced parents. My mother and father got divorced nearly ten years ago but still got along when they were not lamenting about money. My father was a gynecologist at the local hospital and made a decent living, but he always felt the need drive fancy sport cars and own other yuppy toys. My father and I got along fine, but I always felt he was a little disappointed that I was not more like him in his macho pursuits. He never said anything specific, but I sensed he wished I was more of a guy's guy. When it came to the shows, however, they were both there together as proud parents. In my three previous shows I had only had about a half dozen total lines, but I still managed to be on stage and sing as part of the ensemble.

I was hoping that in the Spring play or one of the productions my senior year that I would get a bigger part. I would be applying to college early in my senior year and they all consider activities as part of the holistic college application process. My grades and ACT would be more than enough to get me into USC, but I needed something a little special to enhance my application.

I felt I had some talent, but I needed the right part to audition for. I was not exactly leading man material. I was barely 5' 8'' in shoes and you could blow me over with a strong fan. I had pleasant looking facial features, but I maintained the artist look with hair that easily rested on my shoulders. It was long enough to clip behind in the back, but my chosen look was a backwards baseball style hat. My favorite cap was a green Israeli army hat. It kept the hair out of my eyes and I thought it looked cool.

The big Spring show was always student written. It would be based upon classic themes in literature or older established productions, but would be re-written to reflect modern themes and more current cultural concepts. Last year they did a modern version of the Grapes of Wrath. Instead of focusing on life during the depression, the story focused on survival of an unemployed family trying to make do in the current economic world. It was an especially challenging story for students to put on in a school district that was generally populated by families that were financially well off. The production got good reviews, but was a little on the depressing side.

This year the show was called "Political Side Story." It was a modern take on Romeo & Juliet and West Side Story. The general storyline followed a young woman from a wealthy conservative family that falls in love with a boy from a liberal working class family. The student team that had worked on the script for the last 6 months had the task of bringing in as many political themes without directly insulting the audience or taking too much of a political position. Originally, the writers wanted to make the doomed couple a Gay couple, but the faculty advisers thought that making the central leads Gay, might be too edgy for a High School show. Having gay characters or leads were fine, but they did not think that the audience was ready for them to be the central love affair.

The final script included a lot of social commentary and quite a few pokes at the Tea Party, the debt ceiling and Obamacare. It was a well thought out script, but the doomed central love affair almost seemed like an afterthought to the storyline about the worlds separating them. The casting for the roles of Tony and Maria (names taken from West Side Story) could make or break the production.

The tryouts for the show were held the week after Thanksgiving even though the actual show would not be staged until mid March. There needed to be a lot of complex staging work and preparation to pull the show together. The play had a lot of juicy roles because the central lovebirds each had family and friends that had to be developed, each with their diverse social agendas. There were three or four parts I would have been thrilled to get, but I could only try out for one. They could cast you in a different (usually smaller) part if they liked someone else for your chosen role, but you only got one chance to make your initial impression. Sometimes you would get a call back or be asked to read a different part, but if you showed well enough, you could be cast without actually receiving a call back. I chose to read the part of Maria's brother Alexander.

The consensus best actress in the school was a girl named Monica. She could sing and dance with the best of them. She was also the star of our state ranked volleyball team. Unfortunately for the role of Maria, the character needed someone more delicate. Monica was attractive, but she was both too tall and possessed an athletic build. This was to be Monica's final show before graduating and the directing team wanted her to get a decent part.

Monica read for the Maria part and probably would have been adequate. With the right Tony it might be possible for her to look the part, but no one special emerged as a front runner for Tony. The casting crew decided on three call backs for both Maria and Tony, but were a little disappointed in the alternatives. There just didn't seem to be any natural combos.

During the call back readings, one of the writers made an offhand comment that Monica could probably read the part of Tony better than any of the guys that were called back. The other two lead writers were immediately drawn to Jenny's comment. It was probably an accurate assessment, but the concept was really the brilliance of the statement.

Jack quickly added, "that would be a great twist on the story. If she played the lead male role, it would add some modern intrigue. It would not be a gay relationship, just something extra to make people think."

"I am not sure that is what I really meant, but maybe."

Kaya also through her thoughts into the mix. "If we cast Monica as Tony, we ought to cast one of the guys as Maria."

Mr. Jackson, the theater teacher and our faculty advisor, began to object.

Kaya quickly cut him off. "In Shakespearean theater men originally played all the parts. This would just be our modern twist on the concept."

"I see your point Kaya, but this is a play with serious themes and is not a comedy."

"I really think Monica would be a great Tony, Mr. Jackson" Both Jenny and Jack shook their heads in agreement.

"Okay for the moment, assuming she would take on that role, who would you have in mind for Maria?"

The room took on a long silence.

Jack was first to speak. "Getting a guy to play a female role as anything but for laughs could be a challenge. None of the call backs for Tony could possibly pull it off."

Kaya nodded affirmatively as she said "We have to go back to square one with our Maria casting. Let's rethink the auditions; specifically as it pertains to Maria, we have to think outside the box."

"We don't want people seeing a masculine guy parading in a dress no matter how good an actor he is. This part needs someone who is less recognizable that can carry it off." responded Jenny.

Over the next half hour the committee went over every person that had auditioned for a part.

Chapter 2---

I was surprised when I got a call just before dinner on the day the afternoon call backs were being held. I had not received a call back, but the actual casting was not going to be posted for a couple of days.

My mother yelled to me to pick up the land line. I almost never used that phone. I slid my computer off my lap and went into my Mom's room to find a phone. She told me Mr. Jackson from school was on the line.

"Hello"

"Hi Mr. Jackson, what's up?"

"Nate, this may seem like a late request, but can you come back to the school at 7:00 to read for a part in the play?"

"I thought the call backs were this afternoon."

"They were, but we are still trying to cast the show and wanted you to read for another part."

"That's cool, which part should I prepare myself for."

"We would rather you just came and did it with no preparation."

"Why's that?"

"There is not much time for you to learn this part and we do not want you over-thinking it."

"Alright, I will see you in a little over an hour, thanks..."

My heart was racing the moment I got off the phone. My mother was almost as excited as I was when I told her about the audition. She joked that anything that got me off my computer was a good thing.

I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to select the right clothes to wear. I had no idea what I was going to be reading for, so I didn't know whether a casual or conservative look would fit the part. Ultimately, I selected standard theater duds. I wore tailored jeans and a V-neck purple sweater. I wanted to show I had some fashion sense, but I didn't want to look like I got all dressed up for the last minute opportunity. I also wore my black Dansko clogs because the made me appear about an inch taller.

I was greeted warmly by the whole casting committee. They all seemed too social for a call back. This last minute reading was already strange to begin with, but everyone just felt overly friendly. I had only gotten there a few minutes before 7:00, but until Monica walked through the door, I was the only call back there. It was all very confusing, especially since I knew I would not be reading for the same part as Monica.

To me Monica was like royalty. She was popular, talented and of course, a senior. I was confident in my abilities, but felt like a child next to her. Her mere presence dominated me, as did her towering physical stature.

I was waiting for a cue on what was next. I plopped down into the second row of seats and patiently sat there silently. Monica did likewise a few seats over. I glanced in her directions a few times while trying not to stare. We both shrugged our shoulders and made polite half smiles to each other as we both contemplated what was up.

Finally, we were both asked to sit down on the edge of the stage as the casting committee and Mr. Jackson sat down in the first row of seats. This was not how I envisioned a call back.

Jenny broke the silence by asking us about the play and the statements that the storyline was trying to make. Before long we were all much more relaxed and the conversation was flowing. Ultimately we all agreed that a majority of the story was about how opposites and people of different cultures could fall in love, but that society was not always ready for this forbidden love.

"Jenny, I think we all grasp the meaning that you have written into the plot, but I am still confused as to why Monica and I are sitting down and discussing this with you."

"Well, Nate, we have been looking for something to profoundly show that the differences in people are all just a matter of viewpoint. It doesn't matter if you are white, black rich or poor, republican or democratic, even male or female, ultimately love is between two people."

"Well I am confident that I can express that feeling given the opportunity. I am sure Monica feels the same way."

It was Monica's turn to interject. "I have been to more than a few auditions before; you must be talking about something outside the existing script or we would have already been reading for you."

"Monica, your intuition is correct. We have tweaked the main characters to add a twist to the storyline and emphasize that people are just people."

Monica looked in my direction and caught my grin before saying, "So you would like us to play the leads, because we are physically a little mis-matched?"

"Well, that is sort of..."

Mr. Jackson cut off Jenny to get to the point.

"What we are about to ask you is not quite so simple. You both have talent and Monica you have always been a shining light in our theater program. The roles we have envisioned for both of you will challenge you beyond anything you might have considered. If you take the leads in the production, it will take all of your skills and efforts and not always be comfortable."

"Mr. Jackson, I am sure I speak for Monica, but I would be honored to take on the role of Tony, it would be a fantastic experience to play her unlikely opposite."

"As I was saying Nate, the leads are yours, but not exactly as you are envisioning."

"What am I missing?"

"Well Nate, quite simply, the casting committee would like you to play the lead role of Maria and Monica to play Tony!"

"What! You're kidding aren't you? I can't play a girl's part."

"This play is a modern take on a Shakespeare classic and in his day all the parts were played by men. Many of the most famous actors of theater and film have played across gender types."

"But..... I just can't imagine how I could pull that off. This is supposed to be a serious play and not a comedy."

"With the right direction and some coaching we think you have the skills to pull it off. We wouldn't be here right now if we didn't think you could do it."

"I just don't know. I am sure Monica does not want to play a guy."

"Well Nate, actually I think it would be a rush. I have played so many traditional parts, but this would be a great statement role. I think the challenge would expand my acting resume."

Kaya softly clapped her hands as she looked in my direction. If Monica is willing and excited to play Tony's part, it's not like you would be playing a girl's part falling in love with a man. What we are offering is really a phenomenal opportunity for someone that has never had a major part before. I think you could be wonderful, but if you are not willing I am sure we can find a replacement quickly."

"I didn't say I was not willing, I am just a little shocked."

"Do to the nature of these parts, you will both have to have one of your parents sign a permission slip to fully except these lead roles," added Mr. Jackson.

"Can I think about this?"

"Come on Nate, you can do this. We will be a great couple."

"Monica, you are one of the most popular people in school...my parents sometimes forget my name! I don't want to be a joke."

"If you really feel that way this should be great for you. We will be hanging out a lot together, besides if you put your soul into the part you will not be a joke. I didn't even get a lead role when I was a junior."

"I guess that is true, but I still think I will look ridiculous on stage playing a girl."

"It will be our job, to help you get ready for the part," barked Jenny. "The production is still months away, so you will have plenty of time to rehearse and mentally prepare yourself. Don't take this wrong, but making you look the part will be the easiest aspect."

"You certainly know how to make a guy feel good," I responded sarcastically.

"So are you going to jump on your opportunity?"

"I hope I am not making a mistake, but if my mother says it's alright, I am in."

"Is she home now?" interjected Mr. Jackson."

"Yes, she is waiting for my call to pick me up."

I will call her and explain things and I would like to do that with your parents too, Monica. Why don't you both go and relax for a while and I will make the calls."

Monica and I walked out into the hall together. It was an awkward few minutes, but we congratulated each other and gave each other a casual hug. Monica was more excited about her part than I was mine. She couldn't stop talking about how much fun it would be to play such a unique role. She tried her best to encourage me.

"We are in this together, Nate. I will be by your side and make sure that everyone gives you the respect you deserve for getting this part. I guess you could say, I will be looking out for you like a good boyfriend should."

"Please don't tease me. This is going to be hard enough."

"I didn't mean to. I just want you to know you are not on your own, and I will be by your side all the way."

"Thanks."

Chapter 3----

By the time my mother pulled into the circle to get me, she already knew all about my starring role and what was being asked of me. I was grateful I didn't have to explain the casting twist and have to ask her if it would be OK to play a female character. Her first words were "Congratulations on getting the lead role."

I had not really thought about it quite that matter-of-factly. I knew it was one of the two starring roles, but in reality the story revolved around Maria. I would probably make or break the show.

"So are you excited?"

"I think shocked would be a better choice of words. I am thrilled to get such an important part, but I am playing a girl! In my wildest imagination I would never have contemplated that."

"I guess that is a bit shocking, but you probably never imagined getting a lead either. You will have an opportunity to become a real thespian."

"That may be true, but I will get there looking like a lesbian."

My mother smiled at my little play on words.

"What's dad going to say when he hears about this? He's going to think his son is a sissy or something."

"Now let's stop this self deprecating nonsense right now. If you don't want people to give you a hard time, you better start by accepting and being proud of your own accomplishments. Your dad will be happy for you and proud just like I am. I will talk to him tonight or tomorrow. Don't fret about your father."

"I know I should be happy, but I also don't want to be a joke. I am not sure I can handle performing as a girl. It's all so out there."

"It won't be simple, but you have always been creative and a good actor. You have a lot of time to work on your character and get comfortable in being a girl."

"By tomorrow everyone at school will know about this, so I guess I will have to get over my anxiety quick. I am not that popular at school now, and I don't think this will help my reputation."

"Don't be so sure. You are now a big-shot in the play. You will probably make some new friends."

"We'll see."

"Your father and I will be in your corner all the way. I know a little about being a girl and I will help you. You are not going to be ready for your stage debut if you spend all of your time up in your room on your computer. I will give you some of my own brand of directing to make things easier."

"I will probably get plenty of that at rehearsals, but I know you mean well."

"It's going to take a lot more than rehearsals for you to make a convincing Maria. Trust me; your actual director is going to appreciate any help I can give you. Just relax and we can discuss this all later after it all sets in."

My fate became official shortly before 10:00 pm, when the cast list was posted online. Under normal circumstances I would have been online every few minutes looking for the casting post, but I already knew my name would be there. I was sort of curious about the other characters, but the thought of seeing my name next to Maria kept me from looking.

It didn't take long for my phone to ring. Almost simultaneously, I also began to receive text messages. The first text probably said it best "Is this for real?"

My closest school friend Sam was on the line. Most of my friendships were the internet variety and while a few were also schoolmates, I did not hang that much with anyone from school. Sam would easily be classified as my best bud at school. He lived across town so I did not see him that much outside of school, but we did stick together whenever possible at school. Socially, like me, he did not have a great many close school buds. I liked him because he was a great artist and always appreciated all forms of creative expression, including my film blogs. He was also involved in theater, but usually on the set design side of things.

"So Nate, you and Monica are the talk of the school. The role reversal is going viral."

"I guess I am not anonymous anymore. This thing just happened."

"It's so cool! You're famous now."

"Yah, but in a weird way."

"It's different, but the whole concept is so rad. I can't believe those straight laced theater nerds came up with such a amazing twist. And you are perfect for the part."

"I'm not sure I like that comment. Why am I so perfect to play a girl's part."

"I didn't mean it in a bad way. Nobody really knows you, so they won't be thinking about Nate in drag. You are a good actor and are one of the few people in drama that could probably pull it off convincingly."

"I'm still not sure I like what you mean by that, but I will try and take it as a compliment."

"Get used to it. The play is not for over 3 months and rehearsals don't begin until after break. You are going to be the center of attention for a long time."

"What's everyone else saying?"

"I haven't talked to anyone yet, but it's all over Facebook. Mostly "did you hear?" kind of stuff. I haven't seen anything nasty."

"I am getting texts from people I didn't even know had my phone number. Mostly congrats type of bullshit, but I haven't responded to anyone yet. I guess I will just say thanks and leave it at that."

"You and Monica are going to be quite a team. How is she doing with this?"

"Better than me. She says she loves the challenge."

"You should too. Don't forget your old friends when you become a famous actress."

"Stop!"

"Sorry, I just think it is way cool."

"Glad you're thrilled...see you at school tomorrow."

“Chio"

I spent the next half hour responding to messages. I was a little evasive, but tried to sound excited and appreciative. I wasn't sure what the next few days would bring, but I tried not to think too much about it.

I couldn't shake the apprehensive feelings I was experiencing. It took me longer than usual to fall asleep. The built up nervous energy refused to let my mind wind down. When I finally did fall asleep, I was out like a light. When the morning alarm sounded I did not want to get out of my slumber.

As I suspected, I received a lot more than the usual level of attention at school. Just about all of my small circle of friends congratulated me and gave me some good natured teasing. I also received hugs and positive attention from theater people I barely knew. More than a few of them affectionately referred to me as Maria. It was not meant as a tease or insult, but rather as a honorary label for my knew found celebrity standing. I was called Maria more than Nate during most of the new attention directed at me. I played along and took it all in stride.

I didn't cross paths with Monica until after 3rd period. She was clearly in a good mood and was already into the spirit of the show. As if to make a point, she was wearing a white collared shirt with a black narrow tie. It was stylish, but the implication that she was going to be playing a boy could not be missed in her morning fashion selection.

"Nate, now that the reality of your fabulous role has sunk in, are you ready?"

"Pretty much. I have not received so much attention since... well, never! So far, I guess it has been easier than I expected."

"Well today should be easy. After today the back patting is over and we have to get to work. Rehearsals will begin after break, but you and I have a lot of lines to learn and we both are going to need to practice, practice, practice. Between now and formal rehearsals we need to get into our characters and learn most of our lines. By the time formal rehearsals begin, we should be mostly working on details and staging. We have less than six weeks to be ready."

"You certainly have more experience with this than me. What's the best way to get prepared?"

"Well you can start memorizing some of your lines, but because this is a student written script, some of them will probably get changed as they work on the staging. The best thing is to get into your character and practice scenes."

"That's going to be hard to do before rehearsals."

"Not really. You and I are in a majority of scenes together. We can do readings together."

"Okay...When do you want to start?"

"ASAP. How about tomorrow?"

"Where?

"My house. We have a pretty big house and both of my brothers are already off to college. We can get a lot of privacy there."

"Sounds reasonable. After dinner?"

"7:00 or there about"

"That works. By the way, tomorrow night you don't have to wear a tie for me..."

"Don't joke about this. You need to start thinking more about getting into your part. Loosen up, remember you have to act like a girl."

"I'm just saying..."

"Tomorrow 7:00 and leave the attitude behind."

"Will do"

Chapter 4--

I was starting to get comfortable being noticed. My status as invisible was fading away and at least for now I was enjoying it.

The next day at school when I crossed paths with Monica she gave me a strange once over and reminded me to be over promptly at 7:00. I noticed she was still intentionally trying to look slightly butch. She had her hair pulled back in a ponytail. but it was bunched with a simple rubber-band low along her neck. She did not appear to have on any makeup and her clothes included a Chicago Bears T-shirt, jeans and converse gym shoes. She came across as almost androgynous. It might have been my imagination, but even the way she walked seemed more like one of the guys.

I wanted to get off on a good start so I rang her doorbell exactly at 7:00. Monica quickly ushered me in and up to her room. She had a huge bedroom with her own attached bathroom. It was definitely a girl's room with the exception of some sports memorabilia.

Once we were in her private lair she wasted no time in telling me I needed to get with the program. I was a shocked by her blunt criticism. I was clueless as to her attitude.

"What? I am here. I even read through the script a couple of times."

"Duh! I know you will learn your lines. Anyone can do that."

"So, I still don't get it."

"Obviously. You have so much to learn."

"That's why I am here."

"Have you noticed anything different about me the past two days?"

"I guess."

"You guess what?"

"Well you have changed your look a bit."

"Anything else?"

"Well today you seemed to be carrying yourself a little differently."

"At least you are observant. That's a start."

"Monica, I thought you were doing that for fun."

"Acting is fun to me. The best actors all have a passion for it. When you get a good role you have to live and breathe it. Some call it method acting, but whatever you call it, you need to think like your character."

"I plan to throw myself into as much rehearsing as it takes."

"You can't possibly expect to act like the heroine in the play by simply showing up for rehearsals, unless you want to fail."

"I am here to get ready. We can work together until we are hoarse."

"You are missing the point. You can read the lines all you want and still fail."

"I'm listening."

"I can't rehearse with Nate."

"What?"

"You need to be and think like Maria. To play a female role you need to assimilate so much. It is not just a costume. You need to walk, talk, gesture, and naturally send out subtle cues. If you want to be successful you have to lose your inhibitions and for all intents and purposes try and be and think like a Maria."

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"You committed to this play and everyone knows that. You need to start getting into the role. Throw your male ego out the window. Start showing me and the world some girl."

"Say what!"

"I have tried to start thinking like a Tony and dressing like one. It's not easy, and I have a long way to go. I haven't seen a thing from you yet. You even showed up here without so much as a hint of your pending character. I know it is a challenge, but you won't be able to snap your fingers and get into the role."

"What were you expecting me to do?"

"I didn't expect you to show up at school dressed as a cheerleader, but I thought you might at least try and soften your look; maybe a little makeup or at a minimum some attitude adjustment."

"I can't act like a girl at school... people will laugh at me."

"Has anyone laughed at you yet? The school has shown it is behind you. You might get a smile or two, but it will only be an issue if you make it one."

"It's harder for a guy to be accepted acting feminine than for a girl to be accepted acting masculine."

"That's a guy talking right now. You have no idea how it is for me."

"I'm just not sure I can do that."

"You should not have taken the part then."

"I just didn't think it would carryover beyond the stage."

"Get real! If you are going to pull this off you have to open your mind and go all in."

"I don't even know where to begin?"

"Exactly! That's why each journey starts with a first step."

"What will my mom think if I start acting weird?"

"It's not weird and she has already talked with Mr. Jackson and said she would help you in any way she can."

"I'll talk with her then... what now?"

"You are all questions..... let's get you over some of your fear."

"Easier said than done."

"I want you to sit down in this chair. I am going to put some makeup on you and brush out your hair. I want you to see a girl in the mirror."

"Fine... if you think that will help me get adjusted. I hope I don't look too stupid."

Monica worked me over for about 20 minutes. She spent a big chunk of the time on my eyes, but also added facial blush and even some light pink lipstick. When she finished my makeup she removed my ponytail and brushed out my hair. She teased it in a couple of areas and added some a couple of swift puffs of hairspray. As if to add insult to my misery, she dabbed a small amount of perfume on me before she would let me see her handwork. When I asked why she did that she said I needed to feel feminine with all of my senses.

My heart skipped a couple of beats when I finally saw my image on her closet mirror. My face looked attractive. I looked a little older, but I knew I was not kidding myself in that I was actually more than a little pretty. I didn't think that would be so easy."

"So Maria, how does my girl feel?"

"Strange. I never thought I would look like this."

"The directors obviously did, but that is just your face. It's a good start."

"Ok, but you know I can't go to school like this."

"Why not... besides you need more than just makeup. You have to stop fighting it. I should send you home with some of my clothes, but I think you probably need a smaller size than me. Your Mom can probably get you some things."

"She'd probably freak if she saw me now."

"I bet she would love it."

"After she fainted..."

"I think we ought to dress you up and see."

"I already look different enough to shock her."

"I have a sweater dress that would look acceptable on you. Add some boots and maybe a wide belt and you would probably look phenomenal."

"What happened to taking small first steps?"

"You need an initial shove to get you into the right frame of mind."

"If we keep this up we will not get much rehearsing in."

"This is better for you than hours and hours of line reading. Until you can accept looking and feeling feminine you will be worthless reading the part."

"Ok, get me the dress."

"Slow down girl. You need to get ready for it first."

"Now what?"

I would never have thought this evening was going to turn out like this. Monica had somehow taken over my self control. I guess seeing my pretty face had somehow changed my attitude. As if in a hypnotic trance Monica had convinced me to shave off the minimal fuzz on my arms, legs and even under my arms. I didn't have any yet on my face, so that was not an issue.

After rubbing some lotion onto my skin she insisted that I put on a pair of her panties and one of her bras. I changed in her bathroom and she slipped two rubber stress balls through the door. These were sand filled and once in place gave me a pretty big set of breasts. I felt naked and quickly slipped the maroon dress over my head. After coming out of the bathroom she gave me a pair of tall black leather boots that had about 3 inch heels. A matching wide black belt with a chrome buckle was positioned around my waste. The shoes were snug, but actually fit reasonably well.

Monica never let me pause as she kept adding elements to the mix. Before she was done I had on a series of wrist bangles and some clip-on earrings.

As Monica finished her work she re-brushed my hair. I think I let out nervous giggle, which prompted, "somebody is getting into this."

Monica had a huge grin on her face as she stepped back, "Now you are Maria."

I just couldn't stop looking at myself in her closet mirror. I was terrified, but also fascinated over my transformation. I looked almost as good as most of the girls at school. An hour ago I would never have thought this possible, but here I was dressed completely from head to toe.

"So Tony, what do you think?"

"I may turn into a jealous boyfriend... you are going to get a lot of attention from the other boys. How do you feel?"

Stealing a line from West Side Story, I said "I feel pretty."

"Well you are. It's a good first step for getting into your part. You look like a Maria and that was the first time you acted like one. The more you dress this way the better an actress you will make."

"You are probably right, but it's not like I can do this all the time."

"And why not? You are probably a little dressy for school, but you need to start bringing some of this expression to school. Girls wear jeans, but you have to start incorporating feminine personality traits into your life 24-7."

"That scares me. I am just not sure I can do it."

"No one will care and everyone knows you are playing a girl's part. My guess is that your friends and classmates will think it's cool and really get into it."

"A couple of them have already started calling me Maria and even that feels so odd."

"Maria is such and old fashion name. I think I like Mia better. Nate from now until the final curtain goes down, I christen you Mia."

"Let's just say I am willing to try and be more Mia and less Nate, my parents may have something to say about that."

"Well Mia, that's why we dressed you up,. It is time for your Mom to meet her daughter."

"I think I need to tone this down for her."

"No way. That would defeat the point. Put your old clothes in this bag, time for me to drive you home."

I was petrified as I walked down the driveway and got into Monica's CRV. Even the simple task of walking in heels was something that I had to learn. Not much was said on the short drive to my house.

After we parked in the driveway I called my mom on the phone and asked her if she could meet me and Monica alone in the kitchen. She wanted to know what was up, but agreed to meeting us there. It was kind of funny, but she commented that I did not sound like myself on the phone. It was probably because I was nervous and talking softly, but my voice was obviously the least of the change she was about to notice.
I wasn't sure what to expect when my mother saw me decked out in Monica's clothes, but her reaction wasn't what I expected. She must have suspected something like this because there was no shock on her face as she first laid eyes on me. Her first words were "Stand up straight and pull your shoulders back a little."

"I can explain."

"I understand honey, you're anxious to start getting ready for the show."

"You're not mad or upset?"

"Of course not, I was planning to get you some things and see how you looked this weekend. Turn around for me, so I can get the full view."

"This just sort of happened tonight on a whim."

"Nate, that dress looks adorable on you, but may be just a little long for you."

"It's Monica's and she is taller than me."

"I sort of assumed that, unless you already had been accumulating some girl's clothes that I did not know about."

"What? No, Why would I have done that?"

"It's OK, Nate, I am not trying to say anything."

It was Monica's turn to speak up. "Mrs. Adams, it is important that Mia spend as much time as possible learning to be a girl. Even at school she needs to include as much of her feminine side as possible. Everyone knows about the play and will be behind her all the way. If she is going to be a convincing Maria in the show, she needs to get totally comfortable being a Mia when off the stage."

"Monica, why are you calling her Mia?"

"That's the name that Nate settled on since he doesn't really look like a Nate now and Maria sounded kind of old fashioned. She will probably better fit in with the other girls as a Mia."

"Hey you both, you keep calling me a she. I'm still a guy even if I don't look like one right now."

"Honey, you picked out a pretty name for yourself. I think it best that we think of you as a she so long as you are being Mia. That is part of the learning. Your sensitivity to that is why you have to practice."

"It just seems so unnecessary. That sounds like you expect me to be a girl all the time."

"Well honey, Monica is right. If you really want to make the best of your big theatrical opportunity, you really do need to basically try and get used to being Mia. I can help you at home and Monica and her friends can help you blend in at school."

"I'm not wearing a dress to school."

Monica jumped on his attitude "It doesn't matter if you wear a dress or not. It's almost better if you don't. If you can change enough elements of your look and attitude to become a convincing Mia without screaming look at me in a dress, Then you will be ready for the stage and be a convincing woman."

"Monica, I had a long conversation with the drama teacher, Mr. Jackson. He asked that I help my little actress with things only a mother could. I told him that I would and we agreed that practice, practice, practice would be the only way to pull this off. I am sure he would be on board if 'Mia' began to spread her wings a little at school."

"Mom, I appreciate your understanding, but don't get carried away; besides Dad will freak if he knows I am prancing around as a girl."

"You are probably correct and your father may take some time to fully get comfortable about this. I told him last night about your part in the show and he took it hard. You know he loves you, but it took a while for him to settle down."

"I was afraid of that."

"Your dad is not homophobic and not completely un-sympathetic, but you know he always dreamed of you being more the fraternity boy type. I don't think he ever forgave me for buying you that Princess costume for Halloween when you were 5."

"I don't remember that... I was a princess for Halloween?"

"I am surprised you don't remember it. You were so cute; no one suspected you were a boy. You were having such fun I never gave away your secret."

"Wow, I really don't remember, but what about all of this and Dad?"

"Well he went on about boys should act like boys and girls like girls. I started to get angry with him, when he cut me off and said he wasn't naive or an idiot. He commented that he didn't have a problem with boys that wanted to be girls or girls that wanted to be boys, just that it is just something a parent doesn't wish for. He explained that it is definitely different for kids today, but he may need some time to get used to you as a girl."

"You told him the girl stuff was for the play, RIGHT!"

"I did, but he just sounded defeated. When we were all done with the discussion, he said he would be supportive. It might take him a while, but he would learn to adjust. He even said he would do whatever he could to help. I am not sure how he can do that, but giving you some space and being supportive is probably enough."

"I am having dinner with him Saturday, so I guess I will find out. He has always been good about my theater stuff, so I hope he knows why this is such a big deal. I imagine him seeing me dressed girlishly off the stage might be asking too much. I will keep the Mia thing as far from him as I can."

"Honey, he is going to know and besides I already warned him that if he came by the house he would likely see you practicing. When you meet him Saturday it is best that you get this confrontation over with. You will feel better if you don't need to sneak around behind his back. Tomorrow is Friday and after school we will go and get you some of your own things and we have all day Saturday to prepare as well. From Now until the show is over you are going to be my Mia."

"Mom, I won't need that much."

"Monica will tell you, a girl needs a lot of help looking her best. You are starting from scratch."

"Mia, your mother is right. You don't want to wear the same outfit to school every day."

"Outfits? I thought I just needed some things to express a more feminine appearance."

"Some of the things we will get for you will not be that different than some of your old boy clothes, but it should all have some element of your new persona. Trust me, you will look very nice."

"Mrs Adams, it sounds like you have this under control. I look forward to rehearsing with Mia. It also sounds like I should be focussed on upping my effort to be more of a believable Tony. It will help Nate adjust to being Mia if I also throw myself into being Tony at school. That way no one can question Nate's motivation if we are both doing this all the way."

"Thank you, Monica. That is probably a very good idea. If both of you are clearly into your roles at school, I think almost any style might be possible."

"Monica.."

"Mia, you need to call me Tony. Get used to it."

"Ok Tony, I think you dressing the part will probably make it easier for me, but let's not get carried too far away."

"Mrs. Adams, I am going to head home now. You two can have some mother daughter time now."

"Thank you for everything Monica. I will have Mia return your things after we get her some of her own items."

"No hurry, I think they look cuter on Mia, anyway. Bye now."

BY NINA ADAMS

In Part 2 our young star begins to accept his opportunity to become the lead actress in the school production. The role of a lifetime is gradually becoming the role for a lifetime.

---

Chapter 5 ---

Everything seemed to be happening so fast. A few hours ago I was heading to Monica's house to rehearse and now I found myself looking and being treated as a girl called Mia. I knew from the time I took this part that I would be bending the gender barriers, but I never really thought I would end up playing out the part so thoroughly off stage. My Mother expected me to dress, act and be her daughter almost completely when at home and even more disturbingly I was expected to extend much of that role playing to school. The school aspect was still not sitting well even as I was beginning to accept my crazy predicament.

The conversation with my mother was brief after Monica had left. She just tried to reassure me that everything would work out and be OK. She reiterated that tomorrow was Friday and that we would begin my education after school. She brought a few things into my bedroom and also cleaned out one of my drawers and made some space in my closet. I was told that would be good enough as a start. The final reference to to my new found status came when it was time for me to get ready for bed. I was carefully shown how to properly remove my makeup and moisturize.

I was emotionally exhausted as I headed to bed. I was quickly asleep even though I had a fitful night of strange dreams. When I finally awoke in the morning all that was on my mind was the pending challenges and changes that were coming.

On my chair next to my backpack was a neatly folded gold sweater. I didn't remember it from the previous evening’s activities.

As I was rubbing my hand over its soft feel, my mom surprised me from the hall. "It is called cashmere. That is why it is so soft. I thought that wearing one new thing would be a good way for you to get into the right frame of mind for the future. It is a very basic sweater that is similar to your others. It has a boat neck opening which is just a little larger than most of your old tops.

"Mom, I certainly don't have any this color."

"Honey, let’s not start this every time you try something new. Are we understood?”

"Ok, Ok just saying."

I went on to get myself ready for school and the last thing I did was put on the sweater. When I did, I also discovered other differences. It was longer than most of my sweaters and the sleeves were puffy except where they gathered back in at my wrists. The material felt luxurious but the style over my straight leg jeans sent out feminine signals. I knew that was the intent, but I was tensing up thinking about it. I mustered all the strength I could to not complain and just keep on getting ready to go.

As we prepared to head out the door my Mom pulled me aside and repositioned the rubber band holding my hair in the back. She took it out, brushed my hair and then re-positioned it much higher on the back of my head. She also had left a few strands in the front on both sides to hang freely. When she felt satisfied she commented, "this will have to do for now."

I would never had put my hair up like this, and again expressed some mild resistance. I considered that once at school I could change it, but with Monica and my mother working together I knew I had to be careful. Between my hair and the feminine sweater I knew my new look would be noticed.

Even before school started, I began to get some comments from classmates. Most of my friends just smiled and many of them gave me some sort Maria compliment. While not everyone knew of my part in the play, the only ones who said anything were the ones that did. To the rest of the students I was just another classmate. I even had a senior boy that I did not know make an extra effort to hold a door for me. I was finding this almost too easy.

When I crossed paths with Monica just before lunch she was genuinely happy to see me. I actually felt she cared when she asked how things were going today. She had obviously tried to look a little more butch than before. She had on some of her brothers work style boots and a checkered shirt. Even with the changes she still looked like a girl. There was no mistaking her chest and even with her hair pulled back her face looked female. For the first time since we received our lead roles, I was the one pushing the gender bender line further.

My last period was drama class and Mr. Jackson seemed pleased with my appearance. We didn't talk about the changes, but he did say at the end of class that he had spoken with my mother again today and that both of them were on the same page. As I was leaving the studio after the bell, he said he looked forward to seeing even more of Mia. I had not mentioned that name to anyone, so it had to have come from my mother or Monica.

Instead of taking the bus as I typically did, my mother was waiting for me as we had agreed.

"So how was your day sweetheart?"

"It went better than I thought. Most of the grief was good natured. To tell you the truth, outside of my friends and some of the theater crowd, nobody really cared."

"More importantly, how did you feel?"

"After the initial fear, I guess it wasn't much of a deal. The strangest problem I encountered was that after a while, the sweater kind of tickled."

"That's probably because you had nothing on underneath. I should have at least had you wear a cami."

"A what?"

"Don't worry, you will learn."

So now what? Head to Target and grab a couple of things?"

"That is so cute. You are now a teenage girl that has absolutely nothing. Actually, you have less than nothing. You don't even own one bra. We can add things as we go along, but we have to start with the basics. After that, we can have fun and develop your personal look."

"Whatever, I just wish I was invisible."

"Just follow my lead and don't make faces or resist. Remember how easy it was at school. If you just go along like it is no big deal, it will go faster, easier and will be more fun."

"Fun! We'll see."

We pulled into a parking space in front of shop called Schwartz Intimate Apparel.

"The first thing we need is to get you properly fitted for your first bras. My friend Sally is expecting us and she will measure you and help us give you some shape."

I didn't want to get out of the car, but I knew I had no choice. I looked around to make sure I didn't recognize anyone and then quickly shuffled inside. I had never been inside a store like this. I had a few times walked through the lingerie department at Macy's at the mall out of curiosity, but never had I been inside a shop that exclusively sold that type of product. It was not a place a boy usually ventured.

Inside it did not take long for my mother to find Sally.

"So you must be our new actress. Your mother told me about your desired plans and special needs. I am sure we can find you some very pretty things to help you look and feel like all the other girls.

I wanted to shrink out of sight..

"Thank you Sally, but can we do this in back?"

"Don't be shy; you are not going to see any boys here."

What little remaining male ego I possessed, had taken a fatal beat-down.

"Fine. Mom lets pick out what I need so we can move on."

To my relief, I was ushered into the changing room.

"Strip down to your panties so I can measure you."

I took off everything but my Jockeys.

"That is not going to do. If you want to look appropriate we need to flatten you out down there."

I did not like the sound of that. A few moments later Sally had a tape measure on my hips, chest and stomach. She even measured my modest 5"7' height.

"You have a nice thin frame that with the right padding will look wonderful. First we need to give you some panties that will hold your boy-thing out of sight. Change into these and tuck yourself under before you pull them all the way up. These are tight enough that they should hold it out of the way."

As I complied, I tried to just think I was home alone in my room. It was uncomfortable to position myself like that but the stretchy, off white panty did the trick. To my dismay my manhood was now hidden. I could hear Sally talking with my mother about additional panties. She even referenced some padded briefs that would add some curves which would enhance my shape depending on what I wore over them.

I could see that my mother was not in the least distressed that her son was being fitted for girl’s lingerie. There was even some delight as she handed me a matching satin bra.

"Mia dear, slip this on."

I slid it over my shoulders, but had trouble trying to close it in the back. Sally helped me secure it and mentioned that she also had front closing bras which might be easier for me at first. I tried not to think about getting used to this.

"Mom, I didn't bring any extra socks to fill the empty cups."

Almost on cue, Sally slipped two jelly filled forms into the empty cups. I could feel the weight pulling on the straps. Everything was holding and I was sporting a healthy looking pair of breasts.

"These are so big."

"Mia, it's ok that I call you that."

"Yes, it's fine. As I was..."

"Mia, your mother thought you should have proportional breasts for a girl your age and size. Remember you are going to be an actress on stage. The forms are a full "B" cup. but despite your thin frame you have a little baby fat on your boy boobs, so with these you are nearly a "C" cup. Probably a "B", but with a pushup bra, it will look like a full "C"."

"Honey, your first bra. I know this probably feels strange, but for a girl this is a big deal. I never thought I would have the opportunity to go shopping for bras with you, so just try and be a little excited."

I didn't have my mother’s enthusiasm, but I could tell it was a special moment for her so I tried not to ruin it. Over the next 15 minutes I tried on about a half dozen other styles along with a very restricting garment that my mother called a cinch.

Finally, I heard them both agree that I had enough items for the time being.

"Can I take this off now that we are done?"

"Honey, let Sally clip the tags off that one so you can wear it."

"Is that really necessary?"

"Mia, what did we talk about? You are going to need some shape to select your new clothes."

I hoped that the sweater would hide my new cleavage, but it did the opposite. The sweater now hugged my new curves and gave me an unambiguous female body.

We left there with a two full bags of items. I knew I was going to being wearing these more than just on a rare occasion. I was much more conscious of what I was wearing than I had been earlier. Previously, the sweater and carefully arranged hair might possibly be construed as androgynous, but now that I was sporting a healthy cleavage the image belonged to a girl.

When we pulled into the parking lot at the local indoor mall called Northbrook Court, I was the recipient of a short lecture from my mother.

"Mia, we are going to make a few stops and the only way this is going to work is if you start showing some of your acting skills. From the moment we get out of the car, you need to be my daughter. Even with only these minor changes you are looking very feminine, no one will suspect that you are anything but teenage girl. That is unless you give them reason too. Just follow my lead and I will try and give you some tips and instruction along the way. If you don't have an answer to a question, just look to me and I will help."

"I know I agreed to do this, but it just now feels so hard core. It's almost like I switched teams and the acting opportunity is an excuse."

"That's understandable, but immersing yourself all the way will allow you to become much more comfortable that if you reflected neither boy or girl. You have always enjoyed acting, so if you just allow yourself to try, it might turn out to be an illuminating experience. You will learn everything about girls, and one way or another that should help you down the road."

"Ok where to?"

We made our way to the MAC cosmetic counter at Macy's. When we departed there about 45 minutes later, I had a makeover that was typical of a girl a couple of years older than me. My eyes looked like saucers with a slightly smoky hint, my cheeks looked higher with what my cosmetologist called contouring and my lips were a deep pink. I suspected that our salesgirl knew I was a boy because of my utter cluelessness, but she never directly said anything. I left there with all the makeup any girl would ever need, including a makeup bag. I didn't see the total cost, but I knew from holding a few items that each item was very expensive. My mother did not seem to care.

We were not finished at Macy's. Next was the clothing department. Once there I tried on garment after garment. I rarely left the woman's changing area after we had piled up more than a dozen different items. In the changing room I tried on dresses, slacks, leg hugging jeans, and an assortment mix and match separates. At first, I tried to relax and enjoy modeling the clothes. I actually thought I looked pretty nice in many of the styles. However, after a while the constant flow of clothes began to get tiring.

When we checked out, the sales girl gave me smile and mentioned how lucky I was to be getting so much fabulous new clothes. We spent so much that they made my mother show her driver's license to verify that this was her credit card. In addition to a majority of the clothes I modeled, I found that my mother had added to our purchases various tights, socks and belts.

My mother had me run our current haul of clothes and cosmetics to the car. I thought we had acquired so much more than I could possibly use, but she said we still need a few odds and ends. When I returned from the car she had made one additional purchase. She had me put my small wallet and the few items in my pockets into a NineWest cross-body purse.

As we entered the atrium at the mall my mother looked in my direction and said "Shoes"

"Ok where?"

"They have shoes here, but I like the shoe department better at Lord & Taylor. Not today, but maybe another day we can go to Shoe Carnival or one of the other discount shoe warehouses. First, while we are here I want you to select a few quality pairs and we can add some inexpensive fun ones later on the cheap. You need some basics and I tam sure we can get that covered at the mall.”

As we headed through the mall my eyes drifted back and forth scanning the shoppers for people I knew. It wouldn't be long before I would be on display for friends at school, but I still had not overcome all of my anxiety. About halfway from Macy's to our stated destination, my mother spotted something that caught her eyes.

"Let's make a quick detour."

She led me into Clare stores. It was a store she certainly did not frequent, but she was obviously familiar with their products and services. Once inside she wasted no time chatting with the girl at the counter. The young lady then pulled out three boxes.

"These will suffice for now."

When I saw what she was looking at, I quickly realized what she was shopping for.

"Mom, you can't be serious. This is not makeup. This is permanent!"

"Mia, first off if you decide to stop wearing them, the holes will close naturally. It's not like you would be the only boy at your school to have pierced ears."

"But Mom, it's usually only one ear."

"Under your beautiful hair it's hardly going to be noticeable. Let's not quibble over this. Your ears are hardly going to be a noticeable change at this point."

She was right, but her matter-of-factness was what I found distressing. Her eagerness to make me so completely girlish had graduated from cooperation to total transformation.

Snap snap and I was now the owner of gold studs in both ears. In addition to paying for them, we left with a pair of hoops and a silver pair that looked a little like a hanging chandelier.

We finally made our way to the shoe department. Once there I got an education on the endless styles available and what you would wear them with. I tried on heels, flats,. dress shoes with and without straps and various boot styles. It was very challenging for me to walk even a few steps in some of the higher heels. Ultimately, I left with two pairs of high boots, one ankle length pair and two pairs of casual shoes one with no heal and the other only a modest heel. I also ended up with a dressy set that would obviously not be for school. I ended up wearing the ankle boots out of the store. The clerk said they were perfect for jeans or tights. The new shoes adjusted my posture and pretty much finished off my remade image. Even if I wanted to, there was no pretending that I was anything other than a girl shopping at the mall. Looking back, I believe it was at that point that I consciously tried to act more feminine. My appearance was so altered that I saw no point in trying to hold on to my masculine pride. It was just easier for to me to re-enforce the image that people would see. I think my mother sensed when I abandoned my reluctance.

The afternoon had shifted into evening and we were both getting tired. Even though we were ready to leave, we ended up at the upscale Bistro attached to the center. I was so hungry and had all but given up fretting about bumping into friends. I did see some people at the restaurant that I knew, but they were not close acquaintances and I don't think they recognized me.

When we got home it took it took three trips to get everything into the house and up into my room. While I had been at school my mother had reorganized much of my clothing and rearranged my room. The top two drawers in my dresser were now completely empty and a majority of my closet was empty. All of the displaced clothing was either in the guest room or in bags for Goodwill. My mother insisted that I was long overdue for cleaning out my old things and getting rid of things I had outgrown or did not wear.

Later, as I began the ritual of removing my makeup my mother informed me of my 10:00 appointment in the morning. I was set to see my mother's stylist named LuLu. She owned a chic salon in downtown Highland Park and had cut my mom's hair for the past few years. I was hoping for a relaxing day before my scheduled dinner with my father. I shouldn't have been surprised, but I did complain about her just dropping that on me. For the first time since this began my mother apologized for doing something without telling me. She said that not telling me earlier was an oversight and said she would try not to do that again.

As I readied for bed I was grateful that I would have at least a short break from my immersion in femininity. My relief was quickly dashed as my mother handed me a pink pajama set. It included tap pants and a matching camisole. There was little doubt that she intended me to maintain some degree of femininity 24/7 until the show was over. This was apparently going to continue as part of my routine for months.

I slept until I was roused by mother shortly after 9:00. "Get up sleepy head, time for your appointments."

The plural appointments did not go un-noticed by me. "More than one?"

"Not really, just beauty things at the Salon. It is really just one."

"I am afraid to ask, but what should I wear?"

"It's on your dresser. It will be much easier if you have a skirt."
I wasn't sure why a skirt would matter, but I knew she wanted me dressed as Mia. It would be my first venture out during the day in a skirt, but it wasn't as if it made much of a difference at this point.

"Don't worry about your hair; they will be washing it before they trim it."

I took a quick shower and brushed my teeth before working my way to the dainty outfit that awaited me. I tucked myself under then slipped on 'my' panties and bra before positioning the breast-forms in place. Even with my hair in a mess, I was transfixed with my female shape. It was a cross between fascination and infatuation. I knew I was doing this for a purpose, but the the new self image was oddly not repulsive.

When I regained my composure I put on the black ruffled skirt and the maroon blouse. The blouse had a low neckline and draped down from my breast-line. The sleeves were three-quarter length and had a silver trim much like the collar. In front of the combo on the chair were my new low heeled black boots. Also laid out was a thin silver necklace and a matching bracelet. When I was completely dressed I resembled from the neck down, one of the cute stylish girls from school. How quickly I had changed.

In the kitchen my mother gave me an approving glance and a fruit smoothie from the Vitamix blender on the counter. After downing my healthy drink she brushed out my hair and frosted my lips with a little color.

"Time to go, Mia. Wear this coat, until we get you something better."

It was not the first time that LuLu had cut my hair. I had gone to her the last two times I needed a trim. I had been keeping my hair long for the past two years and barbers basically gave me a hard time. LuLu never suggested I lop it off and she even gave me suggestions to take better care of long hair. She had never done anything extensive other than trimming the ends, but I liked visiting her over a barber. This time I was entering her lair dressed more like her typical client.

"My my, look at you. You look darling. I certainly agree with your school directors that it would be a waste to cast you in a boy role."

"Hi LuLu. Nice to see you too. So Mom has filled you in?"

"Yes, she says you are going to be a girl for a while and then in a play. What a wonderful experience for you."

"I landed the lead role and everyone tells me I need to do this to be ready. I'm not so sure, but as you can see, I am trying."

"You are doing the right thing. By the time the play comes around I am sure you will be great. By then it will all seem second natured and like most good actors or actresses it nothing will feel forced."

"We'll see, that's along time off."

"More time for the changes to grow on you. Your mother is so proud of you."

"She's certainly has been good with this and her enthusiasm has been a bit overwhelming."

"Maybe, but you know when you previously decided to come here to get your hair trims your mom and I did discuss giving it a little stylish pizazz. We agreed that we would not do anything unless you were on board or requested it. Now’s the time we can have a little fun."

"Nothing crazy. I am still a boy underneath and need to be able to go back to that."

"I will not give you anything drastic unless you need something specific for the show. For now, I will give you a flexible classic look."

"Good, I trust you, it is just this is all happening so fast."

"Relax, first we wash your hair."

LuLu had never washed my hair before. The washing and scalp massage felt nice. I closed my eyes and just drifted away. I woke up when I smelled something odd. LuLu had already cut my hair and now she was treating it.

"What's that smell?"

I am lightening your color a little and giving you some highlights. Nothing extreme, just giving it a little more life. I also added some very strong conditioner to give you some extra body."

"I thought you were not going to do much."

"All I did was even off your length. It is slightly longer going from the back to front with a part just off-center on the right of your forehead. I didn't add curls or any striking cuts, just an modified pageboy. If you really have to, you can still put it in a ponytail. There are some cute pullback looks you can do, but your old ponytail is still an option."

"I can feel that my hair is still damp."

"It is going to take a while for your hair to dry and then I will give it a final brush out. Let me clean up your eyes before you hit the next station."

"Say what?"

I thought she was going to pluck a couple of hairs, but instead she rubbed some goop on my brows and then yanked. The pain from the eyebrow waxing was worse than from when my ears were pierced. Even after that painful act she still needed to clean them up with a tweezer. I was afraid to see what little I had left. LuLu had turned the mirror so that I could not get a good look at myself. She wanted to give me the full effect when she was done.

From there I was taken into the back room to experience the same indignity on my legs. I had hardly begun the male puberty experience of body hair. I still did not shave (I did it a couple of time even though there was no need) and the only real peach fuzz was on my legs. There wasn't even much there, and my chest and arms still looked more like a baby than a teen boy. A few minutes later I had red legs that were as smooth as silk.

LuLu had a wicked smile as she retrieved me from the waxing room. "That is one of the least fun aspects of your new gender. Your hair is still a little damp so we might as well get you started on your mani-pedi."

"Still more?"

"Hands can be a big giveaway if you are trying to pass. Fortunately, you have small hands and feet, but they need a little gloss to look the part."

"No Color please. There are times like gym class where I will need to be a guy and colored nails will not do."

"I am sure that at this point color will not be an issue, but the plan it just to put a tinted clear on them . They are too short now for anything fancy, so we are just going to clean them up, re-shape them and put on a protective hard coat."

"Thank you."

Lulu’s idea of clear was different than mine. When Sasha was done with my hands and feet, I was now the owner of light pink nails. They were clear, but there was no hiding the fact that they had a pink tint. I had to hold my hands in a very careful and feminine way to make certain that they dried properly. It was at about this time that my mother returned to check on me.

As I sat back into the stylist chair my mother entered her work space. She hesitated about saying anything as LuLu began brushing out my hair. I could see the growing grin on her face.

"Well Mrs. Adams, what do you think of your lovely daughter now?"

"She looks adorable. I am just stunned by how absolutely perfect she looks now. There is no way that anyone would think she is anything but a lovely girl. It all looks so natural and she is not even wearing any makeup."

"That's a very good idea. Our treat. I am going to have Roxanne put just a little touch up color on Mia. Nothing much, but something appropriate for a girl her age."

"LuLu, that is very nice of you. One of the things I need to teach Mia is how to apply her own makeup. I shouldn't expect too much all at once. She has come so far over the last few days and she has her whole life in front of her."

I was getting nervous listening to my mom and LuLu chat like all of this was normal and that the changes were for the better.

"Alright you two, let's finish up. I have been here all morning."

With that, Roxanne came over to our station and did a little of her handiwork. She did not add as much as I had received at the MAC counter yesterday, but enough to enhance my eyes and bring out some rosy glow. Finally, I was able to check out the finished look. I stood up and walked over to the full length mirror. I felt a lump in my throat.

"Holy Shit! That's me."

"You could practically be a model. I am so glad I had an opportunity to help you."

"Mom! This is surreal. How am I going to ever pass as Nate again. All I see is girl. My hair looks like it belongs on a cheerleader. I didn't really think the plan was to jump so quickly to a completely unambiguous female appearance. The idea was to express more and more of this gradually until the play. On Monday at school I don't see how that will be possible."

"Honey, don't you have to admit you look beautiful?"

"That's not the point. It doesn't matter what I think. My friends will think I have flipped."

'It does matter. The school thing is not going to be an issue as long as you like how you see yourself and are happy."

"How can you say that. They might even send me home if I show up looking like this."

"Nonsense honey. That has already been taken care of."

"How’s that?"

"Well dear, you and Monica or should I say Tony, are supposed to report to the school office about 30 minutes before classes Monday. The principal and Mr. Jackson have made special arrangements for both of you. Because of the play, you are both going to be treated as the opposite gender until this is over. Monica's parents have also agreed to letting her completely throw herself into this. The school will make some special arrangements for you to use the faculty bathroom and they have transferred you out of your gym class into the health and wellness class. Monica will be doing the same."

"More secrets!"

"The final arrangements and approvals were just finalized while you were having your spa morning. You should have no issues with this at school and your friends will know that you and Monica are doing this together."

"The school is allowing this? That's just crazy."

"I think it started with a conversation Monica had with Mr. Jackson. She talked about you two getting ready and what she had in mind. The conversation morphed into the plan for you both to go all in. Mr. Jackson sold the idea to the principal as a way to promote the play. He knew it might create a bit of a stir, but he thought it would be mostly positive and not disruptive. The school said that the turnabout would end if it caused problems at school."

"Dad is going to flip out."

"Well I will talk to him this afternoon and later tonight you can talk to him and work out any lingering friction or doubt. He loves you and however he reacts you have to know that he wants the best for you."

"I just hate disappointing him."

"You have never disappointed him. You are different than him, but in mostly good ways. He has always been proud of you. He just has some old fashion stereotypes of guys and gals. Give him a chance, he might surprise you."

LuLu had drifted off to her next customer. We took care of our tab and went home. There was a special silent moment between my mother and I when we buckled up in the car. I did a little flip of my newly styled hair and simply said, "I will do my best."

I would be seeing my dad in a few hours and decided to get my homework done. Tomorrow, Monica and I planned to do our first actual rehearsal reading together. Before I made my way up to my room my mom sat down with me for a quick mother daughter conversation.

"We will make the best of the situation. You will have lots of new feelings and have so much to learn. At times, there will be awkward moments and you can always come to me for support or help. Having said that, from now forward I plan to treat you like you were my daughter. I have to show you things that girls your age already should know and will be coaching you on just about everything. There is so much more to a girl than makeup and clothes. Look at how you are sitting.”

"OK"

"Keep your legs together. It will get easier, but for a while my comments might be annoying. You have always been a quick study, so my guess is you will become a natural very quickly."

"Is there anything else? I am going to to some homework."

"I will help you get ready for dinner with your father later. Let's leave some extra time so you can practice putting on your own makeup."

----By Nina Adams

In Part 3, our young star has accepted his opportunity to become the lead actress in the school production. The role of a lifetime is gradually becoming the role for a lifetime. It is advisable to read the first two parts before reading the theatrical conclusion.
__
Chapter 6

I was able to finish up most of my work and checked out my Facebook account. The school theatrical turnabout challenge was already common knowledge. Monica had posted what was in store and I had a bunch of posts and messages on my profile. I was past denial or secrecy and informed the faithful that 'Mia' would be at school on Monday. One of my better friends suggested that I update my status. "Single-female"

The reference to female in conjunction with 'Single' made me squirm. I had not really thought about the social aspects of this. I was a loner and not been in any real dating relationships. I could not see how this was going to improve my odds or so I thought. The upside was that as a result of my new found status, I had a record number of friend requests. Probably over two-thirds of them were from girls at school. Most of them were students I hardly knew, but so as not to create any additional friction I accepted them all.

After my diversion on Facebook I told my mother I was ready to have my makeup lesson. She was happy that I came to her rather than the other way around. I received an explanation of each and every product and how it was supposed to be used. Some things were easier to do than others, but it was all a bunch of firsts. My mother explained that there were many different looks that would work and not just one appropriate combo . So long as I was not sloppy, I was likely to look fine. She said with my features less would be better than more. I had the most difficulty doing my eyes. The first couple of tries putting on eye liner and mascara looked comical. I got better, but I was not ready for prime time. After about an hour of playing around she had me wash everything off so that she could apply it for my first meeting with my father.

I wanted to wear casual, but she insisted that I wear a dress and look my best.

"You do not want for your father to see you as anything but convincing. He has to know that you are committed and that you can pull this off. He thinks girls should look like girls, so it would be a strike against you if you tried to look androgynous. When I spoke with him this afternoon he still had reservations and couldn't imagine you wanting this. I told him how important this was and that you would not back down. I think if he can visualize you as a pretty girl, he might see things differently. Please give him the benefit of doubt and cooperate with him as much as possible. Stand your ground, but try and be understanding. I am sure when he sees you he will come around."

For my dinner I wore the waist cinch for the first time which provided me some extra shape and over my foundation I wore a sleeveless Blue sheath dress that had a square neck. It was form fitting with a belted waist and showed off my artificial curves.. My mother insisted that I wear the strapped silhouettes, even though I still could barely walk in them. When I was finally dressed, she added a bracelet and replaced my studs with her tear drop sapphire earrings. A fresh coat of nail polish was added to my nails for effect.

As I stared at the finished product, I got a little weak in the knees. If I had been looking at some random girl, I would have classified the girl as a babe. There was no getting around that I looked like eye candy and no longer resembled the son my father had always known. I was certain to make an impression, albeit a shocking one.

This was me just before I met my father.

"Mom, how did this happen? I'm a girl!"

"And a pretty one at that. You obviously don't have experience looking like this, but you are going to be getting attention from the boys."

"You make it sound like I am not one."

"I am not sure how to respond to that, but just be careful."

It was time for Mom to drop me at Dad's condo. I wore a faux leather cropped jacket over my dress and took small steps to keep my balance as I headed to the car. I felt like a deer in the headlights during the short 10 minute drive to Dad's place. Once we were in the circle by his entrance, my Mom gave me a light peck on my cheek and told me everything would be OK.

I took a deep breath and headed to the doorman's post. I could barely breathe as I rode the fast elevator up to his unit. It wouldn't have taken much encouragement to get me to flee. I walked down his hall as gracefully as I could and knocked on his door.

The silence as he opened the door was deafening. I could see his eyes scanning my appearance for some point of reference.

"Dad, it's me."

"My God, you look like your mother when we met. Maybe just a little younger."

"It's still me."

"I never imagined. I should have been there more for you. This is my fault."

"DAD! This is nobody's fault. I made the choice to do this. With the play, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity."

"You just look so .... I don't know how to say it"

"Like a girl. I know."

"I didn't expect you to already look so convincing. I was still holding out that this was some sort of prank or joke."

"Is that what I am...A Joke!"

"No, that's not what I meant. I guess I was just not expecting you to be so completely feminine and girly."

"Well, Mom helped a lot and I wanted to look my best for you. I was hoping that if you saw me this way that you would get over it quicker. I didn't want to look halfway. I know you are a bit old fashioned about how men and woman should look."

"Well you definitely look like a woman."

"I will take that as a compliment."

"Nate, until I saw you, I was still thinking of trying to talk you out of this and convincing you to go back to the way you used to be. I now know, that this is not possible. Now that I see you this way, I am not sure that I could ever imagine things the way they were."

"I am still the same person underneath this dress and I will always love you. Try and understand I didn't choose this, but I needed to do it."

"I am not hateful and understand that today people can be whatever they want. Are you totally sure you want to go through with this? It's not an easy thing to reverse after setting things in motion. Once you get started you can't just flip a switch and expect things to be the way they were."

"Most of my friends already know about this and the play, so my plans are not a secret. Mom has already given her blessing. She even has done everything possible to speed things along."

" I suspect she wants me to do the same. since you made the ultimate decision to do this, I do understand that it's best if we are all on the same page."

"I would have been fine if Mom had just helped me get ready and assisted me here and there along the way, however, she has encouraged me to go full speed ahead. In fact, she only calls me Mia now."

"Where is that name from?"

"I sort of chose it after I realized that this was not going to be just a stage thing. I guess it makes sense. I don't look like a Nate right now."

"So this is what you really want? You are totally sure you want to be Mia?"

"I wouldn't be here like this if I still wasn't sure. I was very scared at first, but not really any more. I know it won't be easy, but in the end it will all be worth it. The school play is in just under 4 months and by then I want to be as perfect as I can be."

"That is not a lot of time. I am sure you will be great on stage, but don't expect that much in only four months."

"You are starting to sound like Mom. I will do my best."

"Trying to make changes so fast can be physically and psychologically very difficult. Are you totally sure that it is that important for you to make such a total statement by the time of the play? I understand that you want this, but in only 4 months."

"Dad, please. Just be there for me. I am fully committed. The play is important and if I make the right impression, it will give me confidence in myself and know anything is possible."

"You know this is hard for me and would be for any parent, but I will do everything to help you. Mom has her skills and I have mine and we will both make this complicated transition go as smoothly and quickly as possible."

"Dad, it is enough that you accept this."

"I guess I will have to start calling you Mia, too."

"Dad, you can call me whatever you like."

"Ok Mia. Give me a few minutes. I will be right back."

"Are we still going to dinner?"

"Yes, I just want to prepare a cocktail to get your show on the road."

"Thanks for accepting this."

My father was in his medical study which for nearly 10 minutes. I was beginning to wonder if he was having second thoughts about supporting my theater commitment. It's one thing for a father to watch his son play a girl's part on stage, but a whole other thing to see him wearing a dress in a restaurant or in public. I was astonished how supportive he turned out. He genuinely seem to want to help me achieve as complete a transformation by the time of the play as possible.

"What took you so long?"

"It's time for your Doctor father to give you your shots. I wanted to make sure I got the right combinations of doses."

"Do we have to do this now?"

"It is one of the advantages of having a Doctor for a father, especially one that understands your medical needs."

"Alright then, let's get it over with so we can go to dinner."

"I never had to say this before, but please pull your panties down and bend over."

I received two long injections in my butt. I received another one in my arm. I had no idea what inoculations I was due for. I never remembered getting three shots either."

"Dad, why so many shots. Is it flu season or something?"

No Mia, this is my gift to provide you a quick boost in your transition. I know that you will need to see a psychologist and endocrinologist, but you made it clear to me how important it is to get the ball moving. If you were anybody but my own child I would have made you wait, but if you want some changes by the play...time is of the essence."

"What are you talking about? Changes?"

"Mia, you can't go from being a boy to being a girl over night. There are steps along the road that need to be followed and it all takes time. Living full time and HRT usually follow together."

"What was that you injected me with?"

"I guess you could call it your girl cocktail. I could give you all the long Latin names but simply it is medication to help you with your desire to become a woman."

"I don't understand."

"You probably will learn a lot more about transitioning later but let me try and explain."

"Transitioning? I'm listening."

"You are very lucky that you have not gone through much of your puberty. Because of that your body should really benefit from the cocktail."

"Dad, you are loosing me. What did you give me?"

"The first shot was to effectively pause your body from any further male puberty. That should slow or stop you from growing hair where a woman would not want it. The dosage was pretty strong and your body should stop manufacturing much testosterone within a day or two. The second shot was a combination of hormones that will replace the testosterone with those of your desired gender. These will take more time, but you should notice some benefits before long. Initially it should help your skin and slowly provide some subtle other changes. You are likely to feel some emotional side-effects as well. The more significant changes will take some time and the need for follow up medication. Right now you are hormonally a girl."

"My God, what have you done? I am afraid to ask... what was the third shot?"

"That was just to help you with possible nausea. The dosages I gave you were very high because of your expressed rush and even at regular prescribed amounts people often experience some nausea for a few days. That shot should help to minimize the morning sickness."

"I can't believe you gave me that. Is this permanent?"

"Mia, I did it for you. I know how important this is for you to be a complete woman. You will need to keep taking meds for quite a long time to get the full and permanent benefits. You are on your way to hopefully a happier life for you. I am just glad I could be there to support you and help you mature into the beautiful young lady I know you want."

"I need to sit down."

"Are the medications making you faint?"

"I never expected to take any meds for this role. I just wanted to be the best actress possible for the show. That's all, this is way beyond comprehension."

"If you are going to be a girl you needed to go through with this. I don't want you caught somewhere in the middle and uncomfortable as one of those feminine guys that constantly has to battle through life. In time, no one will ever question your given birth-sex. There is a right way to do this and as your father and Doctor I am just trying to provide the best for you."

"Does mom know about what you did?"

"We talked a lot about your desire to go all in. I told her that if I ultimately agreed with your decision, that I would do everything in my power to help you. That is how we left it."

"This is just beyond my comprehension. I am going to have to talk with her about this. I know you meant well, but I am not sure we understand each other."

"We can talk more over dinner. I made reservations at your favorite Japanese restaurant in Evanston.”

"Dad, I have lost my appetite. Can you take me back home? I have a lot to think about and don't feel like eating anymore."

"Sure dear, I am sorry you are feeling this way. I really thought you would be more excited. I am not looking for a thank you, but I am having difficulty understanding why you are upset."

"Dad, I just need to be alone. I'll discuss it with you later. I just have to figure this all out. Can we go?"

"Sure."

I didn't say a word all the way home. All I could think about is what had just happened. My father had chemically neutered me and was turning me into an actual girl. In only a matter of a few days I had gone from being a invisible boy to a girl that was the center of attention and it wasn't a game. I know I had agreed to this crazy situation, but the stakes were beyond any scope imaginable. My dad and maybe my mom think that I want to be a girl forever. How did it get this far?

I was overwhelmed by the situation and pending implications. I started to question my own desires. I could have stopped this all before I got started or at least put my foot down a couple of times along the way. I had let them both send me on a journey and emotional path I was not fully prepared for. Did I subconsciously want this? The fact that I even asked myself that, made me shiver. I knew I had to figure this out very quickly or the problems could get much worse. A conversation with my mother was at the top of my list.

I am sure I looked visibly upset when I returned home long before I was expected. My mother had one of her closest friends over when I walked into the house. I was in no mood to meet anyone else, especially dressed as I was. Mrs. Goldsmith was a nice lady from down the block and I always appreciated her friendship. I could always call her whenever I was stuck somewhere and needed a ride and I had known her since I was little.

They both knew something was wrong so the chit-chat between us was very short. Mrs. Goldsmith said that my mother had just told her about what was going on at school and that I looked absolutely lovely. I thanked her and headed to my room. A few minutes later my mother came in to find me crying on my bed.

"What's wrong honey? Did Dad give you a hard time?"

I hugged her and then let the tears really flow. It took a long time to get my composure back to a point I could even speak. Eventually I tried to explain what had happened. I was so confused and upset that it took a long time for my mother to understand what had transpired. Her reaction convinced me that she did not know I was going to be put on a regimen of Hormone Replacement Therapy.

She really did not know what to say to me. We bonded for a long time, and she just kept saying everything would be OK and not to worry. I trusted her, but she did not have an answer for me. I felt better venting my emotions that had probably been building for a few days. Mom assured me that she would talk with my dad and figure out what to do. She also said she was very sorry if her enthusiasm for me being so completely convincing had been a big part of what caused my father to act so irrationally. I knew to some extent it had, but I was not really mad at her.

I was now completely spent so I got ready for bed early. I was out like a light.

I slept late and for a few early moments I woke up feeling calm. When I exited my bed I felt a wave of sickness. I dashed to the bathroom and threw up. I felt better after that and only had mild waves of nausea the rest of the day. I only had tea and some toast for breakfast to play it safe. I knew I would be seeing Monica in the early afternoon and wanted to feel better by then. I still had an uneasy feeling about my medical intervention last night which somehow made all of my other bizarre activities seem trivial.

I was a feeling like a mess shortly after I threw up.

After my quick breakfast my mother joined me for a little discussion. She clearly had something on her mind.

"Honey, I had a long difficult conversation with your father last night. It was the first time in a long time that things got a little heated between us. I told him that his actions last night were premature and if he was not your father his actions could easily be considered abuse. I also let him know that together we should all have discussed every aspects of medical intervention on you in prior to beginning. We always have done that in the past and this should not have been any different. It obviously might have avoided some of this necessary conversation we have to have now."

"Ok, so what can we do?"

"I wish there was a simple answer. Your father gave you very strong prescription medications. There is a reason that these are prescription. They are serious meds and have significant benefits along with potential risks. Your body has been given a sort of shock to the system and you may be feeling some of those effects. I am sure those are not good feelings right now."

"I threw up this morning."

"I am so sorry. Unfortunately, that is pretty normal. You probably know that women who get pregnant often throw up early in their pregnancy. Like your morning sickness, that is the result in the change in some of your hormonal levels. Your body has to rebalance and get adjusted. It passes, but may continue for a few days."

"Can't dad just give me something to reverse what he did?"

"It apparently is not that easy. The medicine needs time to work its way through your system. The combination of drugs has entered many of your organs and while they are generally safe, it would not be so, if we immediately shot your system up with a new set of changes. Most people never change their hormonal levels like this and they certainly never do it twice in a short period of time."

"So how long before this wears off?"

"Your father can probably explain it better, but we have to get you adjusted and stabilized on these hormones before we can consider shifting you back."

"What does that mean? I can't just take something to make it go away?"

"Not for a while. In fact, you will need to take some additional pills until your body adjusts and levels off. The worst of the morning sickness should go away quickly. Dad will give you blood tests each week for the next couple of months and determine when you are stable. For now you should continue taking follow-up boosters."

"This is serious! What's going to happen to me?"

"You will notice some changes, but because of your current situation I do not think anyone else will. The changes are dependent on your body. Some people only notice mild changes."

"And others?"

"Depends on puberty. The hormones are a lot like going through puberty. If the body is at the right point, it can be just like normal puberty, but for a girl."

"Like cramps?"

"Well sort of, but your body can also have some changes in weight distribution and maybe some other things. It's probable that you may notice the changes, but it is different for all girls."

"That is not re-assuring. So for now, not only am I going to be dressing like a girl, my body is going to be changing like one too."

"For now, yes. After I finally got it through to him that you had not declared that you wanted to change sex, he really did feel very bad. He is beside himself. Your Dad has a fairly narrow view of what guys and girls should be like, so he just assumed that since you planned to dress completely like a girl that you wanted to be a girl. He still doesn't get that you were just doing this temporarily, but he at least knows that he over-stepped the situation. He is going to have a hard time facing you because he feels so horrible."

"I get that, but now I have even more things to try and come to grips with."

"Honey, I wouldn't think about the meds. We will deal with that as time goes by. The good news is that it will probably help you get both physically and mentally adjusted to the stage part."

"That is a small consolation."

"Let's try and move forward OK. "

"Fine."

"Let's work on our makeup again..."

Chapter 7

We spent another hour plus working on makeup and other feminine skills. I still had plenty of room to hone my skills with the makeup, but I had improved quite dramatically. Part of my morning lesson was physical in nature. We worked on posture, walking, talking and subliminal behavior. Some of the skills sets were easy to learn and improve with practice. It was the subliminal behavioral education was the hardest . The little things likes a head tilt or proper use of eye contact were all things I never gave a thought to. As a girl, making eye contact with another person, especially males might be interpreted differently. I had a whole new set of interactive dynamics to learn.

It was time to head over to see Monica and actually rehearse some of the lines from the play. She was certain to be impressed or shocked by my makeover. She expected me to be completely girlish, but even she probably did not expect me to look so convincing down to the detail. If anyone I could talk about this with it was her, but I couldn't even tell her about the injections. The whole concept that I now had a new set of hormones flowing through my body was a subject I was not prepared to talk about. Maybe down the road or after this was all over, but for now the HRT was going to be a family secret.

I was wearing jeans with my ankle boots and a fitted ginger jersey top when I rang her door bell. When her mother answered the door she did not know it was me at first. My prominent bust-line clearly screamed woman, so it took her a few moments to put together that I was cross-dressing like her daughter. When the light in her head went off, she stumbled for her words.

"Now I see why Monica felt it was so important that she looked so boyish. I don't see one bit of a boy in front of me. I assume that you have been doing this long before the casting was made."

"No, Mrs. Collins. This is all new to me too. I think your daughter should get some of the credit for my changes. It was her passion for role play that led me down this transformative path. Without Monica, I would never have taken it this far."

"If you say so. You look very beautiful and quite natural.”

"Thank you. I am here to rehearse with your daughter."

"Yes, my 'NEW' son is waiting for you. You can go up to his room."

I was so focused on my own transformation that when I saw Monica I was not prepared for her new look. Monica had cut off most of her beautiful long hair. Her long dark hair was now cut in a boy's style which dramatically altered her appearance. With no makeup and her earrings removed she looked totally different. She was also wearing jeans, but on top was a One Republic t-shirt. The odd thing was that I could not observe her normally noticeable breast. She was pretty much flat on top. Every aspect of her look said I want to be a boy, but despite that she was still a girl. Her look was well done, but her facial features were still too pretty to get an observant person to mistake her for a boy. The fact that she was tall helped, but her appearance fell just short of being totally convincing.

Monica trying to look more like a boy

My obvious shock at her altered looks was a mutual emotion. Where as, I merely stared at Monica's makeover, she had to touch mine. She ran her hands through my highlighted and styled hair and ran her fingers over the studs in my ears. I was sure she was going to grab my new found cleavage, but instead she just chose to comment on them.

"You grew a pair of beautiful breasts. They totally look perfect on you. You are now a Babe."

"Uh thanks, Monica, my family went a little overboard in getting me ready for this thing."

"No way, starting tomorrow you are the new girl at school. You certainly will look the part."

"You too. I can't believe you cut your hair that short. It must have taken you forever to grow it so long. I don't see your breasts anymore either. I am sure nobody will ever question your commitment."

"When this is over I can always get extensions and at the moment I have my breasts sort of tied down. The breast thing is a little uncomfortable, but tomorrow we are going to have the school buzzing"

"I can hardly wait."

"Cut the sarcasm. You are going to be Ms. Popular. Not only will you be the respected center of attention, you are probably going to drive some of the guys crazy."

"Like I said, I can hardly wait."

"I will pick you up in the morning for the before school conference with the principal. It's kind of funny, but I hardly look anything like my driver's license photo anymore. I wish I could get one with the name Tony. You turn 16 soon. At least yours picture will look like you, even if the name doesn't match the image."

"Next month is going to be my birthday and I plan to get my license. I hope this school stuff does not cause me a problem. I really want to get my license."

"Mia, let's rehearse."

"Ok, Tony."

We read lines and chit-chatted for the rest of the afternoon. Monica's was surely the dominant personality in our new friendship. I took on the meeker personality and she was clearly much more gregarious. Some of the dynamics were the result of our newfound gender roles, but it was also part of who we always were. Spending the time being around her strong personality allowed me to slip even further into my feminine and more submissive character.

The acting was coming much more naturally as a result of the changes. Lines which only a few days ago I could not have said with a straight face, flowed with believable realism. I had work to do, but there was no longer any doubt in Monica's mind or even mine, that I could be successful playing the female lead.

I went home for dinner and to finish a small amount of remaining homework. I tried not to think too much about what lied ahead, but knew Monday would be a day I would never forget.

Chapter 8

The morning sickness from the HRT was still with me, but not as bad as yesterday. It was a reminder that my body was going through internal changes in addition to the exterior rearrangements.

I wore a tunic styled dress with a wide belt, along tights and the pair of new MaryJane low heeled shoes. I had goosebumps as I shuffled into Monica's car. I could feel the cool air flowing under my flimsy soft dress and couldn't stop myself from continually flipping my loose new hairstyle. I did not go overboard on makeup, but there were obvious small touches. I knew I looked respectable, but I still had a high degree of uneasiness.

We entered the school before most students had arrived so we went pretty much unnoticed. Once inside the school office we met the receptionist and told her we had a meeting with the principal. She looked us over and smiled at us before walking into the principal's chamber. About a minute later we were waved into his office. Principal Johnson leaned forward in his chair as if to take a closer look with his disbelieving eyes.

"It took a lot of convincing from your theater director Mr. Jackson for me to approve this. It is obvious you two have taken this very seriously. Even more so than I had anticipated. I was not sure this was a good idea and still have reservations. Are you two certain that you want to go through with this? At minimum, you will receive some teasing from the student body. I can not condone that, but I also know it will be impossible to avoid some of it."

Monica spoke first, but tried to speak for both of us. "We have given this great thought and are completely committed to acting as the students you see in front of you."

"Does that go for you too, Nate."

"Yes, Mr. Johnson"

"This is something we have never had or done here at the school and if it causes any problems I am prepared to put a halt to it immediately. I expect you both to act appropriately and not disrupt other students. You are not celebrities and with a minimum of necessary special privileges, I expect you to act and behave as your chosen gender. Are we understood?"

We both nodded before Monica added that we would like to be referred to as Tony and Mia.

"Well, I guess that makes sense under the circumstances. I will have Ms. Jones take new pictures of each of you and provide you with new school IDs."

"Is that it Principal Johnson?"

"I will be monitoring this closely, but if you have problems or concerns, please come to me before it gets out of hand. On this sheet of paper are your modified schedules and a few phone numbers and special rules for you to abide by. Additionally, neither of you can participate in extracurricular sports for obvious reasons. You are dismissed."

We went to Ms. Jones and got our new photos taken and received our new IDs. She made us turn in our old ones. Without a driver's license this was my only picture ID, so I was even further into my deepening womanhood. Once in the hall Tony and I said our temporary goodbyes and agreed to meet after school to see how it went. I slowly made my way to my locker. Along the way I went without notice.

On my locker was a note that said welcome to Deerfield High School Mia. It was there that some of the students from theater were waiting for me. I received some wolf whistles and some applause. The attention served only to bring on more attention. Before I could make it to first period I had dozens of eyes and students checking me out.

Inside the physics lab I continued to draw a crowd until Mrs. Spector settled everyone down.

"Well Mia, you are obviously quite a sight young lady. I expect that today's distraction will not be repeated each day. Good luck with settling into your new lifestyle."

"Thank you and I will try and keep this out of the classroom."

As the day moved along, I went through multiple similar experiences and by day’s end the repeated scenes hardly fazed me. It was not all silky smooth, however, I did get a few intended insults from some students. I got called weirdo, faggot, sissy and she-male from various classmates, but fortunately it was not from anyone that I cared about. For the most part, other students thought it was kind of neat to be around me. I also had some social chats with some girls that I could never have gotten attention from. Everybody knew it was because of the school play, but the gender bending just seemed so anti-establishment and went over successfully.

When I saw Tony late in the day, he related similar but less intense experiences. Monica had always been part of the popular group so it was not quite as dramatic an increase in attention for Tony. As the final bell sounded it hit me that we had survived the day without any major incidents. The student formerly known as Nate had quickly disappeared in the glow of Mia. Now I was basically a popular girl instead of an invisible boy and I kind of enjoyed it.

That first day at school pretty much ended squeezed the last of my reluctance out of this adventure. I think my mother sensed the changes when we were home later. She even gave me a copy of Elle and InStyle magazines and told me I should keep up with trends. Later before bed she handed me two containers of pills and told me that I should take one of each before bed. She reminded me that for now, my body needed to adjust to the recent hormonal changes and that the pills would help with that. Whereas on Saturday the revelation that my father had put me on a strong program of Hormone Replacement therapy was a shock, the followup pills I took in stride. I took two as if it was my daily vitamin. In a strange way they were.

Each day at school the spectacle of our cross dressing became less of an issue and more routine. Between the constant motherly coaching and daily reinforcement I no longer had to think about being feminine, it was flowing naturally. The only new sensation was that I could feel my breasts becoming more sensitive. I was going to have to ask my Dad about that over the weekend. We had not directly spoken since the injections, but I had not been avoiding him. I know he felt bad about his sexual assumptions and I also thought it would be harder for him than me the next time we met or spoke.

On Sunday, my mother and I joined him for brunch at the Four Seasons. After some awkward first few words we settled into an enjoyable family get together. It was not often that we all ate together, but because of the unusual family dynamics that we were adjusting to, we thought it would be a nice time for us all to be together.

"Dad, I don't know if this is the right place to be asking this, but I have been having odd side-effects to the drugs."

"Like what, Mia?"

"Well of course I have had nausea, but that is almost gone. The last few days I have had tenderness on my chest and also some periods of feeling hot. Is this my body rejecting the drugs?

"Well, it is actually more the opposite. The hormones are beginning to take hold. Much of their impact may go unnoticed as they happen slowly. The fact that you feel those things means they are doing their job."

"The tenderness makes me more aware that I have breasts, even if they are fake."

"It could take months or even years to get all of the effects of the medication, but if you stay the course long enough, they will not be fake."

"How big would they become?" I squeamishly asked.

"It usually depends on family genetics. Your mother is very, how should I say, full there, so I suspect you would become well endowed as well."

I couldn't help but make a silly face when he said that. "That wouldn't happen for a long time, right?"

"It not like they grow over night. Your body is kind of going through puberty. Some girls change faster or slower than others. You might see a little more change than most girls because your body is doing some catchup with the boost of estrogen in your system and the anti-androgen. We will monitor your hormonal levels and I will let you know when they plateau. At that point you can decide whether to continue."

I was going to say no way, but even I had some doubts about what I wanted. I just kept my mouth shut on that comment, which in itself was probably an informal acknowledgment that I might consider that option.

It was hard to talk about other subjects like school without my dressing getting into the mix. We all made an effort not to make the conversation too heavy or ruin our rare group get together. Before my mother and I got into the car at the valet station had, my father gave me a tender hug and light tap of a kiss on my forehead. It felt genuine and it was something he would never have done with Nate.

There was not a lot of talking in the car, but mom made the point of saying, "Your father seems to be adjusting to his new daughter."

Chapter 9:

It wasn't until the fourth week of living completely as Mia that the official rehearsals were to begin. By this time all of the novelty of being the boy in dresses had passed. I think the perception of most of my classmates was that I was now one of the girls. There was still some popularity boost I was receiving, but a lot of that was because of all the new friends I had added. Between the kids at school and friends that heard about me on Facebook, I had a very visible presence. I had even been included in some of the group study gatherings of my new female friends. While they did use me for some good natured humor, for the most part I was treated as another girl. I certainly was no male threat to their social group.

It was quite a twist, but Monica used to spend a lot of time in these study groups, but lately had not been joining us. She was still good friends with the clan, but she was becoming more independent. When the group talked about boys they never gave a thought to consider myself as one of them.

It was near the end of the fourth week that one of the guys in the theater group asked me if I wanted to go to see the new movie 'Catching Fire' on Saturday. Just about everyone wanted to see the second 'Hunger Game installment, so I really didn't think much about his request. I was quick to say sure. He got pretty excited and said he would pick me up at 7:00.

When I mentioned to my Mom about my plans for Saturday she looked directly into my eyes and asked, “Do you think you are ready to date?”

Her matter of fact comment surprised me. “It’s just a movie.”

“Have you ever done anything with this boy before?”

“No, but I know him from theater.”

“Honey, who asked who?”

“Well he did, but…”

“It’s definitely a date Mia. If that’s what you want, then there is nothing wrong with it.”

“Mom, I know this has gone way overboard, but I am not gay.”

“I never said you were. I don’t think anyone who saw you would think it was a gay thing, not that anything is wrong with that either.”

“What are you saying? I should go out with a boy on a date?”

“I am not saying that, but you seem very happy since you began your journey and you might enjoy being treated as a girl by a boy. Is he cute?”

“MOM! Come on, he’s nice and all that, but… I guess he’s OK looking.”

“I am sure you will have a good time. I don’t know if it is the meds or just how you are adjusting, but I have noticed you have more of a glow recently. I suspect that I am not the only one that has noticed that. ”

“I don't know about that, but at least I no longer get nauseas in the mornings. That is a happy change. The only thing I am aware of, is that I am swelling a little around where I was previously just tender. In one breath that scares me, but in another it almost feels re-assuring.”

“The rest of your body also seems to be noticeably changing too. As long as you are mentally OK with this, we will deal with it as we go.”

On Friday at school we got called into the principals office during the health our wellness class. Neither Tony or I had any idea what was up, since we did not have any planned meeting scheduled.

Tony and I looked at each other like something was seriously wrong.

"I have received a call from a group of parents that think this masquerade is inappropriate for the school and sending a bad message to other students. They have threatened to take legal action if I don't put a stop to this."

I was first to bark, "We are not hurting anyone."

"I don't think you are either, but it puts the administration in an awkward position."

"Tony chimed in, "There is nothing illegal about students dressing in the opposite genders. Other schools have students that do that."

"Well Monica, that is true and it is false. The district follows similar protocols as most school systems when it comes to students dressing in the opposite gender. There are policies and rules to follow, but they are designed for transgendered students. We can make accommodations, but they were not meant to be for theater programs. The truth is, the parents are not focused on you Monica, and they just don't think a boy should be dressing as a girl. A majority of girls push the style gender lines, but the real problem lies with our Mia."

Again I got testy, "That's not fair!"

"Of course it is not, but the school is not in a position to defend itself in court. We would probably lose anyway. We have to follow our own rules, I am really sorry. I wish you could continue, but rules are rules."

"I still don't get it. I follow all the rules and am not hurting anyone. What would I have to do differently to appease those idiots?"

"Calm down, Mia. It is not so much the school rules which you have shown that you follow. The ability to cross dress at school is limited to students classified as transgendered. You have to have a psychologist's recommendation and be under his or her's ongoing care."

"So I could continue if I got a doctor’s recommendation?"

"Yes, but only if they said you were transgendered. That is a big reach from dressing to learn a theater part. That is a label we take seriously and you should too."

"But it is possible?"

"It would go on your permanent record at school. I would not approve it unless I believe you were serious. I am sorry, but the rules are there for a reason."

"Who is responsible for this complaint?"

"That is not important. There were three families that brought this to my attention together. If there was any other way, I would back you."

Monica was not happy, but nowhere near as dejected as me. As I heard the principal telling me I could not continue to dress like this, I came to the realization that I did not want it to end.

Monica commented, "So that's it, you are telling us it's over, now what?"

I want you both to go home later and talk to your parents about this and have them give me a call if they want to talk to me. I want you both to return to my office before school Monday so we can follow up. Monica, I expect you will tone down your fashion selections a little and Mia, I am afraid you will have to return to being Nate. We will get you new student IDs again at that time."

I was in near tears as I left his office. I was so upset that I asked to stay in the nurse’s station for a while to regain my composure. The nurse called my mother as part of her protocol. After sitting there in a depressed state for nearly a half hour, my mother walked into the sitting area. When I saw her, the tears began to flow anew.

I left school with my mother without returning to any classes. In the car I related the conversation and the ultimatum made by the Principal. It was not anything he had done, but rather I was not emotionally prepared to be returning to being Nate. I had become so accustomed to my new identity that changing back felt unthinkable.

It was in this discussion that I put to words what had become almost obvious; I wanted to remain as Mia. This experience had transcended a learning opportunity for a play, it was now a role of a lifetime. In the process of preparing myself I had found self discovery. I now knew that this lifestyle was what I wanted and no matter what it took, I did not ever want to go back to being Nate.

I had been led down this path by the strong hand of others, but the journey now belonged to me. I still was learning what it is to be a woman, but I had never felt so comfortable in my skin as I had these past few weeks. The physical changes were visibly emerging and I welcomed them.

My mother and father along with an initial assist from Monica had put me in the fast lane along the transgender highway. Only now, as if to pass the responsibility, did my mother ask me if this was absolutely what I wanted. I had emotionally become her daughter and now the physical changes were beginning to catch up, but this is when she asked me to tell her definitively that I wanted to be a girl. The timing always seemed strange when Ilooked back at it. She seemed almost relieved as I stated what she probably knew for a long time. "Yes mother, I want to be a girl."

"Well honey, I have been waiting to hear you say that. You know we will support you and help you grow into the lovely lady that was your apparent destiny. There will be many steps and it will all take time, but you should eventually have almost no limitations in your future. I am sure that someday after you get married you can make me a Grandma by adopting. I just want you to be happy.

My father was equally unsurprised by my pronouncement. In fact he had already lined up specialists to take on my case as soon as I had committed. As a Senior Doctor on staff at Evanston Hospital he knew the best specialists and was able to handle my unusual head start with discretion. It only took a quick phone call and I had a letter from a psychologist to inform the school that I was transgendered and under psychological counseling.

My roller-coaster of emotions had bottomed out and was back on an upswing. I was no longer pretending anything, I was Mia. As it turned out, the first student to learn of my intended path was Josh on Saturday night. My mother was correct and Josh looked at our movie night as a date. After the movie when I told him that I planned to stay as Mia, his reaction was not that different than my father's.

Out with Josh on my first date

"I kind of figured. No one can look and act as girlish as you, if they were really a boy. I know it was probably a little crazy for me to ask you out and all, but whenever I saw you, I couldn't help but excited. You are one of the cutest girls in the school."

His comment caught me a little off guard and at a loss for immediate words. Instead of just thanking him for his sweet statement, I gave him a quick peck on his cheek.

I think he took that as a go sign and he returned my gesture with a full kiss on the lips. I didn't have much kissing history to compare it with, but I was pretty sure I liked it. Before he dropped me back off at home, we had repeated that activity a few times, with each kiss lasting a little longer that the previous one. I know doubt was feeling and reacting like the girl Josh saw me as.

I had discovered that Josh and I were more than friends

The next three months prior to opening night of the play, I went through some significant physical changes. I had developed sufficiently that I no longer wore the breast inserts. My mother bought me some padded bras with smaller cup sizes, which made me feel much more comfortable. I did wear inserts for the play as my character was written for a physically more mature woman than I had attained in only a few months. The significant growth I had already experienced left little doubt that I had some of my mother genes in my blood.

The school play turned out to be a huge success. Both Monica and I were given long ovations. Monica proved to all what a great actress she was by playing a boy with amazing skill. I was equally applauded, but by the time of the first production, playing a girl was no longer an act. The hardest scenes for me were when I had to kiss Tony. Even though she looked a lot like a boy, I knew she was a girl and kissing a girl felt almost unnatural. I tried to pretend she was Josh during those encounters.

Before summer arrived I had my driver’s license and it read Mia Natalia Adams. Spring was so full of firsts and it was certainly a sweet 16 birthday to remember. One of those firsts was Prom, but that’s a whole other story.

The End

I would appreciate all comments. Thank you.

Jessica and I met our junior year at USC in LA. We were both architecture majors and initially crossed paths in an advanced design course. We were randomly paired together to work on a concept project and became close friends almost immediately. For the next two years of school we were nearly inseparable. Our friendship blossomed into a full-time relationship and by the time we were ready to graduate we talked of getting married.

I had been an active member of a fraternity up until we met, but considerably less so after Jessica and I became a thing. Jessi was a member of many academic organizations but never understood the need to join a fraternity or Sorority. She would have been coveted by any sorority, as she was attractive, a great student, and came from a family with real money.

I joined the Fraternity for a sense of belonging. I had no siblings and both of my parents had passed away when I was in High School. My mother had cancer and shortly have she passed my father was killed in an auto accident. I lived my last two years of High School with my aunt and Uncle. They were good people, but the tragedies had taken a lot out of them and those years were hard on everyone.

Fortunately, my father had been a lawyer and had some life insurance. I was financially well enough off to not have to worry about college costs even if I chose to continue on to grad school. I would also have a small nest egg to get started on life when my school days ended.

Unlike Jessica, I don’t think I was high on the fraternal recruiting listed. I felt almost lucky to get accepted to the Kappa Omicron Kappa, which was not one of the elite frats. I didn’t have any legacy connections, special talents, and I was not exactly an Adonis. I stood about 5’7” if I really stretched myself out and while I was fit, my body had not developed much from the stick that I survived through High School. At least I had what was described as an attractive face with fine features. My skin was very fair with minimal facial hair. At the start of college my sandy blonde hair barely covered my ears, though I wore it long in the front. The bottom line is that I might be considered cute, but I looked younger than most freshman. I guess my strong high school academic record and that I was admitted into the honors Architecture program scored enough points for me.

I quickly became an enthusiastic member of the frat. It was something I really needed after all the family tragedies I was trying to get over. I was eager to have the new friendships and brothers. Like most fraternities we drank, partied and engaged in stupid activities, but at least I felt a part of something.

Chapter 2:

In the weeks just prior to our graduation Jessi and I talked a lot about our future. We both planned to work for a year or two and then go to Graduate school. Jessica was going to work for her father’s Corporate real estate firm in the planning division and I had lined up an assistant architecture position at BuilderOne Inc. Both of our positions were in Los Angeles and we managed to negotiate in a couple of months off before starting our positions. I really wanted to work for the Jessi’s family firm too, but I did not even apply to avoid putting extra pressure on Jessi’s Dad. Her father’s firm was super prestigious. Her dad had made a bundle in Real Estate development and in the hedge fund market. The Johnsons were sort of Nouveau rich. They had major wealth, but were the first generation in their family tree to have big bucks.

Jessi and I considered going on some exotic vacation and even contemplated getting married on a beach somewhere. Jessica knew that this would probably not please her parents, because as their only daughter, she would be their one chance to plan an over the top Wedding. I was probably not the ideal they envisioned as her future husband. I am sure they desired her settling down with some big hunk from the upper-crust or other prominent background.

I had met them on multiple occasions, but I don’t really think they saw me as her exclusive boyfriend. I got along with them OK, but it was mostly because we could talk architecture or because I was thought of as Jessi’s good friend. My guess is they assumed our relationship would just fade to acquaintances or that she would eventually meet Mr. Right.

Only a few days before graduation, Jessi informed her parents that we planned to live together and were considering tying the knot. To say they were shocked and upset would be an understatement. The conversations went on over the next couple of days and I was not even given an opportunity to make my case to them. Jessica finally agreed to some of their demands as a possible compromise.

I was basically told by Jessi that upon graduation that we were going to move in to their home for at least a couple of weeks so that they could get to know me better. That seemed reasonable, but Jessi knew that they still were not thrilled. We would have to be on our best behavior and I would need to develop a stronger bond with them. While her dad was the ultimate boss, the key was Jessi’s mother. If I could impress her and make the right connection, she would be able to guide us over any of his remaining reluctance. His mom had always been nice to me, but this was prior to the recent revelation.

Jessica began to focus on the situation as it pertained to us. She was very matter of fact and became unusually controlling. It was not really a two way conversation and it was a side of her that I had not seen very much of. I’m guessing it was a family trait, but I was willing to follow if it made our lives better. Jessi meant the world to me and I wanted what she wanted.

She began to lay out how I was to behave and act while living at their estate. There were many do’s and don’ts and I should not consider it a vacation. How we, and more specifically I, performed over the next couple of weeks could have major repercussions for the rest of out lives. She basically told me that I needed to be totally cooperative with both of them and follow her lead. I could express my opinions, but not be adversarial, and ultimately try and be agreeable.

Jessica wanted me to focus on her mother. First off her dad was not around that much and she was the key. If she could begin to feel motherly around me, then I had a real chance. She wanted me to try and spend as much time with her as possible. In addition to the long list of mandatory suggestions, was as Jessica put it, ‘the need to dress up’. This was my first push back with the house rules that I expressed my displeasure with to Jessi.

“Lyle I’m just saying that you need to dress for the occasion.”

“Occasion? What occasion?”

“Whatever occasion there is. If we go out, I want you dressed in your best threads. At home, neat all the time. Your hair should be shining and your nails well manicured. Basically, I want you to look extra nice all the time.”

“I thought I did look nice.”

“Why are you taking this so negatively? You do look nice, but if I wanted you to wear a costume to impress them, then you should. For now you need to focus on how they want you to look. We need everything to go smoothly.”

“The last time I wore a costume it went too smoothly.”

“Lyle, what are you talking about?”

“Not important. I get your point.”

“No really, what about the costume?”

“Its kind of embarrassing, and I am not sure you would appreciate it.”

“We don’t keep secrets. Please tell. I am sure I will understand.”

“Promise not to laugh at me? Even though admit-ably it was a little funny.”

"Sure Lyle. Now I am very curious."

“Well Jessi, as part of my Freshman initiation into the frat, I had to spend an entire weekend dressed as a cheerleader. I did rah-rah-rahs at all the frat events that weekend.”

“So childish of them. They really made all the pledges do something that ridiculous?”

“Actually, each of us were given different silly activities for the weekend.”

“How come you got that one?”

“They say it was a random drawing, but I later heard unofficially that they picked me for that one because they thought I would make the cutest cheerleader.”

“Lyle, did you have to wear a cheerleader’s skirt or just the sweater?”

“Actually, they wanted the whole nine yards. I was shipped off to the sister of one of the upper-class fraternity brother’s for a full makeover. She was a Pom Pom girl for the football team and she was told to make me as believable as possible.”

“Wow Lyle! How come you never mentioned this?”

“Kind of hard to tell your girlfriend that you made a convincing Cheerleader”

“So, what did she do with you?”

“Everything. My hair was much shorter than it is today, but she provided me with a long wig made from real hair to borrow. I had to completely shave my body and she meticulously did my makeup including false eyelashes. I even had to wear panties and a bra.”

“How did you turn out? I bet you were pretty.”

“That was really the most embarrassing part. I looked very real and according to her and later most of the guys, I could have given the real cheerleaders a run for their money.”

“I bet that felt strange.”

“More than a little. I couldn’t believe it was me when I saw myself in a mirror. I looked like someone that I would have found sexy.”

“What happened after that? This story sounds very interesting.”

“I was scared.”

“I guess it must have been pretty freaky.”

“In so many ways. I was scared that it didn’t look like a costume for one. It also scared me that I took pride in how I looked. It felt kind of cool to look so hot. I never told anyone but I was fascinated by seeing my reflection and even a bit turned on.”

Jessica was smiling ear to ear as she professed, “You really enjoyed it, didn’t you?”

“I’m not sure I would go that far, but it did feel a lot different than my expectation.”

“How did the weekend go after that?”

“The whole weekend I had to remain in the uniform. The guys at the frat called me Lyla instead of Lyle. I didn’t know where that came from, but it stuck all weekend. Someone even left me a nightgown on my bed with a note that as pledge I had to stay in the role all weekend. I’m sure that was just someone’s little joke but I didn’t dare challenge the fraternity rules. God only knows what more they could have made done had I not fully cooperated.”

So you were pretty Lyla all weekend and even when you snuggled in bed.”

“Don’t make fun of me, please. It was hard to put behind me.”

“I’m sorry, it’s just I can’t believe I didn’t hear about this from you or some of your friends.”

“I played along with them all weekend and when I became an official brother, I swore them to secrecy.”

“What was it like being the only girl living with a bunch of guys?”

“JESSI!, I wasn’t a girl. I just looked and attempted to act like one.”

“Act like one?”

“I mean I just played the part of the cheerleader like I was required to.”

“Were you treated OK?”

“Actually, I was treated the best of any pledge that weekend. They pretty much treated me like a real cheerleader living at the house. I think I made a couple of the guys nervous because of the way they looked at me.”

“So before you turned me on, you turned on a few guys. I so wish I could have seen you.”

“Every once and a while some of my brothers call me Lyla to get a rise out of me. Not so much lately, but it went on for quite a while.”

“Do you have any photos? I want to see how you looked.”

“I managed to delete the couple that were taken. I didn’t want them to pop up on FaceBook or someplace even worse.”

“Damn. I really would have loved to have seen how you looked.”

“I hope you are not upset about hearing this.”

“Only that I am hearing it over three years after the fact. Did you ever do it again?”

“What? Of course not. Why would I do that.”

“There’s nothing wrong with it. You obviously had some fun with it and looked great. Didn’t you ever think about it.”

“Sure it popped in my head a few times, but it didn’t seem like a very good idea. I never really had a reason and of course everything but the nightgown disappeared after the weekend.”

“Tell me the truth, did you ever wear the nightgown after that weekend?”

“I stashed it away, It would have been very weird for any of the guys to even know I still had it.”

“What about after you moved out of the house?”

“I did wear it once out of curiosity when I had my own place. I just wanted to remember the silky feeling, Then I met you later in the year.”

“Once? Come on… It felt nice, didn’t it?”

“Ok, more than once, but I haven’t worn it since we have been together.”

“You still have it?”

“Umm, I’m not sure.”

“Really? You either remember parting with it or you still have it somewhere.”

“It’s probably somewhere buried in my closet.”

“Do you ever have the urge to slip it back on?”

“Why are you teasing me? I love you and you are all the girl I need.”

“I’m just fascinated by the learning this. I have always found you attractive, but some of it is your androgynous features. You are handsome, but I can also see how you might be pretty too. I mean that in a good way.”

“So I am not manly?”

I’m not saying that. I love you and have always been drawn to you. It’s just that I am now a little curious to see what you looked like.”

“Well there are no photos, so that’s impossible.”

“Would you ever let me make you up for fun? I think it might be enjoyable for both of us.”

“You really would want to do that? I always thought this would turn you off.”

“Not sure why, but I really am curious.”

“Maybe someday. No promises. We will be at your folk’s house for a while, so let’s forget it for the time being.”

“You are probably right there. Maybe there will be a costume party or something like that down the road that we can have some fun with.”

With that we ended the discussion. I saw an odd gleam in Jessi’s eyes. I knew that this would not be the final conversation on the topic.

Chapter 3:

Nothing more was said about my Cheerleaders experience for the next few days. We were very focused on finishing up school, our graduation and moving in to Jessica’s family estate. Jessica continued to coach me on how to behave around her parents and the importance of building a bond with her Mom.

Despite the fact that our relationship was a bit rebellious against what Jessi’s parents expected for her, she was still very tight with them and wanted to maintain their trust in her. Jessica and her father often talked about his business and I think he saw in her a future star at the firm. There was no doubt he wanted her to work at his company and groom her for a major role when the time was right. She was privy to many of his ideas that even some of the top executives there did not know. On a few occasions he sought her opinion on some concepts before presenting them to his associates. They rarely chatted about feelings or personal issues; that was usually reserved for Jessi’s Mom.

Jessi and her mother were very close in a more personal way. Her Mom did not work for a paycheck, but she was involved in many high-level charity endeavors and managed the family estate. Though Jessica was career driven, she still respected her mother and valued her opinions. She had graduated with a psychology degree from college and shortly after that met her eventual husband. When Jessica needed personal advice or needed emotional support, she always called Mom. The depth of Jessica’s relationship with me was one of the few things that she rarely spoke to her mom about. Mrs. Johnson knew that we were dating, but not that we were basically inseparable.

The first day we were living under their roof, I felt like I was walking on ice. I was trying to be so polite and constantly thinking about all the rules Jessica had established for me. Though I only saw her mom for a short while that day, I tried to be agreeable and make my best impression. I am sure she could see my nervousness.

It was a relief when Jessica told me that she was going shopping and for an afternoon coffee with her mother. I was thrilled to be left alone and have some relaxing private time. Jessi and her mom did a lot of catching up that afternoon. Much of the conversation was apparently about me. Jessica’s Mom and Dad would ultimately let her make her own decisions, but at that stage in our relationship, I don’t think they would have been against undermining me a bit. They did not dislike me, but I was not the vision they had for their only child and daughter.

“Mom, he really such a sweet guy. Once you get to know him better, you will love him like family. He’s not that different than me. We have so many shared passions.”

“We don’t have anything against him. We just want to make certain he is right for you. Is that unfair?”

“No, but you have to be open minded. He would do anything for me and probably for you as well. That is the kind of person he is.”

"That’s good. I am sure he is very nice.”

“Give him a fair chance and he will win you over.”

“Of course we will. I will try and spend some quality time with you both. In fact I promise to spend time with just him; One-on-One. That will let me best get to know him. “

“I hope we can find some time as a family to all be together. Dad’s schedule is always so busy.”

“I Know he is working on the big development deal for a high rise in Chicago. So this week is likely to be challenging for him. At least I know he will be home for the weekend, because the Art Institute costume ball is this weekend. They will be unveiling a couple of new Renaissance paintings that were just acquired. Your father was very much involved in the fund raising for those pieces.”

“Costume ball? Since when does the Art Institute put on a costume ball?”

“Honey, I’m being facetious. Your Father and I like to call these fancy black tie affairs costume balls. People dress up so over the top that you sometimes don’t even recognize them. I think the Art Institute fundraiser is one of the most extreme. I could wear a tux exactly like your fathers and no one would bat an eye.”

A big smile started to cross Jessica’s face. “Maybe you should.”

“Should what?”

“Wear a tux.”

“What’s gotten in to you?”

“Nothing really, just thinking about costumes and things.”

Jessica strange smile was still plastered to her face. Her mother started to look closely at her expression, but inquired further. “What’s so funny. You must be thinking about something, because my costume reference was not that funny.”

“It’s kind of personal. Your comment about wearing a costume made me think about it.”

“Soooo what were you thinking about?”

“I really shouldn’t talk about it. Like I said, it’s kind of personal.”

“I am your mother. We never keep secrets.”

“I know, but its about Lyle and I don’t want to embarrass him at all.”

“Honey, now is not the time to keep things from me about your friend. If you want me to know him better, secrets are not a good way to start.”

“Mom, he’s not just my friend. You know he is much more than that.”

“Understood, so what made you smile so broadly? It has to be something that made you happy.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“It’s you and me here. I think I can understand most things.”

“Well…. I’m not sure about talking about this.”

“Now, I do have concerns. Talk to me….”

“OK, but at least for now, I would rather you not let Lyle know we talked about this. Maybe there will be a time, but we just talked about this recently and I don’t want to look like I came running to you.”

“That’s fair.”

“Your costume comment made me smile because Lyle just told me about a little costume drama he had participated in when he initially joined his fraternity three years ago. He had to spend an entire weekend at his frat dressed up as a cheerleader. It was a 24-7 thing and according to him he was made-up to be pretty convincing.”

“You just talked about it?”

“He hadn’t mentioned it before because he was concerned I might not have liked it.”

"And do you?"

“Its not a big deal to me, but I told him I would have loved to have seen him. He was probably really cute.”

“How did he feel about it?”

“He said it was very strange, but because he actually looked so good it was not that big a challenge. He admitted that the frat gave him the name Lyla and treated him like a real girl all weekend. By hazing standards he said he got off easy.”

“So you never got a chance to see him or her as Lyla?”

“Funny… I did say it would be fun to try something like that again. I asked him if I could make him up some day.”

“What did he say to that?”

“It’s not like he jumped on it or anything, but he did say that maybe we could do it someday or for some costume party. That’s why I smiled. You mentioned the costume party and it clicked that memory into my head.”

Mrs. Johnson obviously was thinking hard about what had been said and trying to figure out what to say. The thought of her potential son-in-law traipsing around as a cheerleader did not strengthen her opinion of Lyle as the man for Jessica. She didn’t want to say something mean or negative, because Jessica might get mad or push back from her. Maybe this was an opportunity to show Jessica that he was not the man for her. It would only work if Jessica felt that she was making the call.

“Jessi, I think that letting him have that fun again would be precious. I bet he was very pretty.”

“You are not teasing me? You really think that?”

“I do. It could be fun for everyone.”

“Everyone?”

“Hear me out.”

“I’m not sure I should, but go ahead.”

“It would be a riot if he went to our ‘costume ball’ as Lyla.”

“Ha Ha. Its not really a costume ball.”

“Your Dad and I think it is and that is enough for me. There will be hundreds of people there and no one will know him. As I said, almost anything goes. In fact my guess is he wouldn’t be the first person to do something like that for the event.”

“Mom, I only suggested he do this for fun. I do not want to embarrass him.”

“I would help make sure he was not embarrassed. It could be a fun thing for him as well as his new family. Ultimately, maybe we could use this as something for all of us to bond over.”

“First, I doubt he could pull this off for something like that and secondly I do not think he would go for it.”

“On your first point, I will help him get prepared and if you don’t think he can pull it off by Saturday, he can wear a tux like your father. As to whether he is up to the challenge that will have to be up to you. You can just call it a Costume Ball until you think he can pull it off or to gauge whether he is enjoying it. It’s up to you and you can tell him whatever you like. I think if he knows you and the whole family are on board he will have fun with it.”

“That seems kind of deceptive. I would hate myself if I hurt him.”

“This is for him and you. You said he might like to re-live the experience and this way it will be guilt free and give him and me an opportunity to spend quality time together.”

“I’m still not sure. The event is Saturday, and only six days does not give me much time suggest this to him and get him ready. That would be even if he considers it.”

“Your father wanted to take you with for his business trip on Wednesday to Chicago. You will be back Friday or maybe even sooner. You have today and tomorrow to propose this to Lyle. If he is willing, I will help him while you are gone. We will get him everything he needs, no matter the cost, and I will make sure he is pampered along the way so he has the maximum fun doing it. If he lets himself, I will make sure he has an even better time than when he was in the fraternity. When you return from the trip, if you don’t like what you see or think it’s a bad idea, we will forget it.”

“Let me think about it. It seems a bit much, but I do have more than a little curiosity as to how he would turn out.”

To be Continued?

Part 2

Chapter 4:

When I saw Jessi Monday evening she seemed very distracted. She said it was just some issues between her and her mother. I knew she was trying to process something. She didn’t look upset, just not all there. A couple of times she began to talk with me only to abruptly interject some random thing she saw while out with her mother. She later decided to turn in early. Before quietly slipping into bed she asked me to plan on having breakfast alone with her. We did that a lot, so it was weird that she mentioned it before bed.

We made breakfast together the next morning and sat out on the deck by the pool. It was always fun cooking with her and I know she had something on her mind she wanted to talk about. It was a beautiful morning even if I sensed something coming. I was clueless, but I knew she had been thinking about it since at least last night.

“Lyle, can we talk about a couple of things?”

“I knew something was up. Of course. Did I do something?”

“No, no … you’ve been great. Just a couple of things came up that I wanted to run by you.”

“Sure, is everything OK?”

“Yes, it’s nothing that serious, but I want to ask you a couple of favors.”

“Anything sweetie. You know that.”

“Well first, I wanted to know if it would be OK if I left you here with my Mom so I could accompany my Dad to Chicago to help him with his big new project. I would probably be gone two nights. I know you probably don’t want to be all alone with just my mother, but it would be a great way for you to have quality time together.”

“I’m not sure she would like that, but if it means a lot to you, I can survive a couple of days hanging with your mom.”

“That’s great.”

“You said a couple of things. That one wasn’t something that should be making you so distracted. What else is on your mind?”

“Lyle, the second one is more complicated. I am not even sure where to start.”

“Wow. I have not seen you this nervous since those four finals in two days during second semester junior year.”

“Try not to say too much until I explain the whole thing.”

“Sure baby.”

“This Saturday is the Art Institute Gala dinner at which time they will unveil two new master artworks just acquired by the museum. This is a really big night for my parents, especially my dad. As my folks describe it, it is a formal Costume Party. Not like Halloween, but fancy ball gowns and stuff like that. People dress in some crazy expensive getups but all appropriate for the important occasion that this signifies. Many of the folks are hardly recognizable in their theatrical looks, but it is always appropriate formal costumes. My folks will be at the head table and my father will even be making a speech and unveiling one of the works.”

“I’d love to go, but I probably need to get something to wear.”

“That’s good, but I kind of talked with mom yesterday and for me I would really like you to wear something extra special. My mother will help you pick it out while I am gone.”

“I said I was good to go. I’m sure she knows better than me what to wear.”

“Lyle, Mom and I talked about a lot of things yesterday and your experience as Lyla came up. I’m really sorry.”

“My God. She must think I am a freak or worse.”

“No not at all. I told her I was totally good with it and my only issue is that I never got to see you all dolled up.”

“She still wants to be help me find something fancy enough and stay here with just me. Did you really need to tell her that?”

“It kind of came up when she referred to Saturday’s event as a costume ball. I began to smile because of our last chat about you wearing your costume. She managed to get me talking and truthfully we keep very little from each other.”

“Should I say anything to her?”

“I was hoping you would say yes.”

“Huh?”

“For me, you and even for my parents, I was hoping you would agree to go to the party as Lyla.”

“You’re joking. Right?”

“I’m not. I told her that I would have enjoyed seeing you all made up and she thought it would be fun too. She was quick to volunteer to help you get ready.”

“You want your mother to help your almost Fiancé dress as a woman.”

“When you say it that way, it does sound a bit crazy.”

“It is crazy.”

“It probably felt crazy the first time, but I know from how you told me about it, that once you got over that is was sort of fun. This time I will be with you and my mother will make sure you are truly pampered. No one is going to laugh and she will make sure everything is perfect for you.”

“That was three years ago. I am 21 now. This isn’t a frat house I will be going to. I don’t want to embarrass myself or even your family. There will be people there looking all fancied up in their ball costumes and you will walk in with your boyfriend looking like a buffoon. “

“That’s not going to happen. First off, I bet you will look very nice and I won’t let you go if I don’t think you can pull it off. I will make sure you have a fancy tux at the house, if when I get back from Chicago either of us don’t think you look great.”

“Your Mom really said she wants to help her potential son-in-law play dress up for a party?”

“It was actually her idea after I spilled the beans.”

“This is getting very surreal.”

“She said she would do whatever it took for it to be fun for both of us. I believe she really wants to help you. She has great taste…that’s where I get mine. I know this is not what you expected, but do t for us. I want to see you looking regal and after you get over the shock, I think you will enjoy it more than you might admit. Dressing up like this will be so much more fun than wearing just a sweater, skirt and keds.”

“Can I think about it?”

“Sure, until breakfast is over. I need to know so I can plan to go with Dad tomorrow on the business trip. It’s probably better that you don’t have to think about it very long.”

“Really? What if I decide later to back out?”

“Beside me being a tiny bit disappointed, I guess that would be understandable. My mother is going to spend more than a few bucks on you, so I expect you to give it your best shot and cooperate. She knows what she is doing. Trust me. If once you have given it fair shot you decide it’s too hard or you absolutely can’t do it, I will understand. Both of you can keep me updated along the way.”

“So?”

I gave her a crooked, but affirmative nod.

“This is going to be spectacular. I am so excited. After breakfast and a quick stop in our bedroom for some closed-door celebration, I will let Mom know Lyla is on board.”

After rolling my eyes at the last comment, I followed her into the bedroom for some very passionate sex. We were both highly aroused as we leaped into bed together.

Chapter 5:

“David, maybe after Jessica see’s him as something less manly than the boy she fell in love with, she will reconsider getting married.”

“Sophia, you know I am less than thrilled at her surprise pronouncement, but I think she should be making her own decisions.”

“I do too. I just think that if we give Lyle a chance to express part of himself that she has not seen, it is possible that we help them both.”

“We both know your plan is geared to more than just help them out.”

“Of course, I had hoped she would marry some important socialite, but I also don’t want to hurt either of them. He is a sweet kid and has treated our baby very nicely. If after the weekend they still feel the same, I will happily welcome him to the family.”

“I still am not sure about this plan to dress him as a woman for the benefit. This is our most important night and I don’t want to make a scene there. It wouldn’t be fair to him and would be embarrassing for us as well.”

“I am already on that. If he cannot completely pull it off, I will make sure Jessica or I pull the plug. I have already lined up some of my friends and called in a favor. You go on your business trip with Jessica and if anyone, including Lyle does not think they can do it, we won’t take the risk. Even if it doesn’t make it to the affair, I will make it a special experience for him. Remember, I plan to pamper and spare no expense letting Lyla have her moment. Even you would probably enjoy some of the attention she will get.”

“Very funny. You already are referring to him as her.”

“Seriously, some of what we go through to be pretty is very enjoyable. Don’t knock it if you never try it. And by the weekend you will need to get used to thinking of Lyle as Lyla. I don’t want you to be the one creating the stir.”

“Ok then, I trust you. If your idea does not go according to your plan, then change it. I mean it when I say I want the best for them. Jessica would never forgive me if we pushed them apart. “

“Remember David, Jessica already is on board with seeing him as her. I am only going to facilitate making it happen. I will be getting started right after you two catch your morning flight.”

We all had dinner Tuesday evening and I felt like crawling under the table. Everyone knew what was on the agenda for Saturday night, and for most of the dinner we all tried to avoid talking about it. Near the end of the meal the first reference to it was breached by Mrs. Johnson.

“So Jessica, I understand you and your father will be leaving the house at just after 7:00 for your flight to Chicago. Do you need any help with anything?”

“Just take good care of Lyle for me while I am gone. He’s going to be family, and just because I am gone he should still be treated that way.”

“Honey, Lyle and I are going to have so much fun. I bet you will be jealous. I promise to take the best care of him.”

“Just do your best to make him comfortable with whatever you two do. I will be checking in with him to make sure everything is good.”

“Don’t fret I will treat him just like I would treat you. I plan to get things in motion tomorrow morning. There is not much time to get him what he needs by the weekend.”

“Mrs. Johnson, do you need me in the morning or will you just be picking up the things I need?”

“Lyle, you will be part of the process at every step. Besides needing you for things like measurements and fitting, I have lined up spa and the full Salon experience. I also want you to be helping make choices along the way. It’s important that you have a say in everything, including your statement dress. Picking things out is half the fun.”

“Ok Mrs. Johnson, I guess I will just follow your lead. I will obviously have to rely on you. I’m clueless on this girl stuff.”

“Please call me Sophia, or just Mom. I am sure you will do great. Just relax and let yourself enjoy it.”

“Ok Mrs. Johnson, I mean Sophia.”

Chapter 6:

I was up for Jessica's departure. I hadn't slept that well full of nervous energy. I was anxious about what was planned. It was mostly a fear of the unknown, but I remembered that the first time it was not totally unpleasant. The idea that I might enjoy some aspect of this made feel an extra level of concern. There was a fine line between going with the flow and having a good time.

Jessica made it clear once again that I should try and bond with her mother while she was gone. Being difficult or challenging her would not help the two of them in the long-run. She wanted me to enjoy the experience, but cooperate. She also told me to become the best girl I could. She was excited to see me when she returned and said it would all be worth it in the end.

The only instructions I had been given the prior evening by Mrs. Johnson was that we would be leaving early in the morning. She also said that I should shower and wear comfortable clothes that would be easy to change in and out of.

When I sat next to Mrs. Johnson in their Mercedes S-class sedan, she gave me a big smile and said, “I bet you are excited?”

“I am something. Not sure I would describe it as excited.”

“Well I am excited for you.”

“Sophia, what kind of shop opens at 9:00am?”

“I know you want to go shopping, but we have a lot of work to get you ready for that first. Don’t worry we will have plenty of time for that later.”

“So where are we off to?”

“We are going to Nine Zero One. We need to start at the top and work our way down.”

“What is Nine Zero One?”

“You do have a lot to learn. Nine Zero One is only the most fabulous Salon in all of LA. They also have a reputation for making blondes into to starlets. I have you booked there for the works. If anyone can make you and your hair look fabulous, it’s them. It’s very private there, but don’t be surprised if you see a celebrity or two sneak in or out.”

“I thought I was just going to wear a wig.”

“We need to do this right. This is not a frat you will be going to Saturday. Anything less than perfect will make you stand out. You don’t want to look campy in your gown, do you?”

“No, but my hair is not super long. I know it is a little longer than it should be, but what can they do with it?”

“Leave it to them. They may ask a few questions, but ultimately LuLu and her team are magicians and will work wonders.”

I felt so under-dressed when we gave the car to the Valet and went inside. Sophia instructed me to check in while she walked to the back.

I made my way to the receptionist. I had never been in a place like this before. “I’m here to get my hair cut.”

“Welcome to Nine Zero One. May I have your name?:

“Lyle Adams.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t see your name. Who made the appointment?”

“It was probably made by Sophia Johnson.”

“You must be Lyla. She has you booked with LuLu and and her team. Would you like an espresso or something else to drink.”

“Thank you, but I am fine.”

“Let me take you back to her area. You are her first appointment today and with all of your scheduled activities, I am sure she will want to get started.”

LuLu was not what I expected. She looked like a young executive, not a hairdresser. She was dressed in a power form-fitting suit. She couldn’t have been more than 35, but she was obviously captivating and very confident. She approached me and took note of my full image before greeting me. Apparently, hello was not in her vocabulary.

"Lyla is a beautiful name and soon you will have an image to match that. Are you ready to bloom?”

“I’m a little nervous, but ready.”

“Just relax. We will do all the hard things.”

“Cut away”

“In time. First a few questions.”

“K”

“Do you like being a blonde or have you ever thought of changing things up?”

“Never really considered changing colors. I like being blonde.”

“That’s fine, but I could really see you as a red head with those cute dimples you have.”

“Thank you, but lets stick to blonde.”

“How good are you at applying makeup? Do you wear a lot?”

“Seriously? I can put on chapstick. Not much beyond that.”

“Hum… hard to be truly glamorous without makeup. We can help you a bit, so you wont have to do as much on your own, but it will add a little extra time. I have a gal that can give you some private lessons at home. Before you leave I will give you her number.”

“Thank you again, but I doubt that will be necessary.”

“Let’s get started. You tomboy types never understand how much effort it takes to look beautiful. Maybe after today you will appreciate how lucky you are to have natural beauty.”

My morning went on and on. Instead of a cut, I had extensions permanently attached to my hair. Once attached, it was all bleached a golden blonde. Two technicians worked on my eyes at the same time. I thought they were attaching false eyelashes, but the smiling Asian girl called also referred to them as extensions. They were being applied individually. When done with my eyes, they did the opposite to my brows. They plucked away making me worry that they may be taking too many.

Moments after they finished I was swept up into another room and they waxed my sparse body hair. I didn’t think I had much body and leg hair, but it was still very painful. From there I was shifted to a manicure/pedicure location and received a set of summer pink acrylic extensions with matching toes.

I mistakenly assumed I was finished when I was seated at another station for makeup application. During this entire process, I was only able to get partial looks at my progress. I was told that I was finished and that Sophia was ready to take me to lunch. I began to walk into the lobby, but stopped cold in my tracks when I finally had a chance to see their work.

There was no way that anyone would recognize me. I may have had the body of a teenage boy, but my face looked like that of California Beach Babe. I blinked my eyes and watched them flutter. I felt someone tap my shoulders and ask if I was OK.

“Yes, I just can’t believe this is me.”

“We get that a lot. You are a very pretty girl.”

“I just never…”

“Lyla dear. Come and let me see how lovely you turned out.”

“Sophia, they went overboard.”

“LuLu said you picked out the color and asked for Lash Extensions. Jessica will be jealous. She hates applying false lashes when she wants to dress herself up.”

“I didn’t ask for anything. She asked me some questions and then her team went to work. LuLu mostly oversaw the process. All she did was a little trimming of my hair.”

“It looks stunning. You now have almost unlimited style options. It will be fun to pick one for Saturday. You and Jessica can decide after you pick out your gown. You can even wear it up if that’s what you want.”

“Sophia, I am speechless.”

“Lets go and get a bite. I would take you to the club, but your wardrobe is not ready for prime time.”

I never thought Mrs. Johnson would go to a chain restaurant, but she said we only had about an hour. I was afraid to ask why.

END OF PART 2 --- What could be next?

Part 3

Chapter 7:

When I went outside dressed as a cheerleader it was on a college campus and part of a fraternity hazing. Now I was walking into the Bonefish Grill with my future mother in-law looking more like a future daughter in-law. While I was dressed simply in jeans and an Old Navy sweater, my appearance could hardly be confused with a male. My body had no distinguishing shape, but what most people saw was my shimmering hair and makeup. I tried to convince myself that it was a slightly androgynous look, but anyone that saw me would more likely think I was a girl trying to dress down.

Mrs. Johnson could see me scanning the crowd intermittently as I tried to keep my head down.

“Lyla, don’t be so self-conscious. Even in those rags you are as pretty as anyone here. Stand straight and if someone looks at you, look back and smile or nod.”

“Do you really think people can’t read me? Besides probably looking like a boy in makeup, I am dressed like one.”

“It will get easier after you relax and stop thinking like a man. You need to work on how you move and act. I promise to make sure that your clothes won’t give you away. We will start on that task after some lunch.”

“It’s hard to not think that way.”

“You just need more practice. I will give you some tips and help you learn. If you let yourself, I am sure it will become second nature. Don’t fight it.”

“I still can’t believe I am doing this for a costume party.”

“Stop thinking that way. You are doing this for you and Jessica. She wants you to have the full experience and she told me she wants to see how beautiful a woman you make. The more you throw yourself into this, the better that it will be for both of you.”

“It just seems so extreme.”

“I know my daughter, if you don’t give your best she will be disappointed. If you do everything possible to be the best Lyla you can, then no matter how you turn out, she will know it was the worthwhile.”

“I will go all in, but I hope I do not look too authentic for the party. I am sure not many others guys put in such an enthusiastic effort, just for a costume party.”

“The more convincing a woman you can make yourself, the better will be your experience on Saturday. I can pretty much guarantee you of that.”

Following lunch, we made our way down to Rodeo Drive into a very exclusive lingerie shop called La Perla Boutique. Not surprisingly, Mrs. Johnson had someone there that was prepared for our arrival.

“Hi, I am Fifi, you must be Lyla… your mother told me so much about you.”

“Oh Mrs. Johnson, I am not sure what she told you.”

“Enough to know that we are starting from scratch and need to make you look and more importantly feel more girlish. Looking your best, starts with feeling your best and the proper foundations.”

“Your merchandise looks very beautiful, but I really don’t think I will need that much.”

“Sophia, she is so precious. She is on the way to being absolutely lovely, but certainly has a lot to learn.”

“Fifi dear, she needs everything we talked about. She has nothing now. She is even wearing boxers at this moment. She wants to look sexy, but not trashy. She will need the proper garments for casual, nots so casual and of course for evening gowns.”

“Mrs. Johnson!”

“Please, I prefer Sophia or Mom.”

“Ok, but I don’t need that much. Won’t one thing do?”

“Don’t be silly, We are not going to be washing your things every night. The benefit is not for three days, and you will not be wearing the same clothes for all that time. Just let Fifi do her thing. You are in for a treat.”

“Let me take you into the back and get you set up. After you strip, I need to measure you and get started. Don’t be shy, I do this all the time.”

“I am sure you are phenomenal at this, but I am not like most of your customers.”

“Not like most, but you are far from my first for your special needs. If you want, you can leave your boxers on until we find something more appropriate.”

It felt so strange having this strange woman walking around my nearly naked body, measuring me with her tape. She wrote down measurements that meant virtually nothing to me. She even touched me around the waist and at the breast to see how firm I was. Once she had a chance to determine what she was working with she asked.

“Lyla, do you find woman with large breast more attractive than other woman?”

I was a little put off by the question. “I don’t judge woman by their breast size. That’s a terrible thing to do.”

That’s a good answer. I just wanted to know if you had a desire to be oversized. It does not sound like it.”

“Of course not. The last thing I want to be is a caricature of a woman. That would be insulting.”

“Good. I think I am ready to get started.”

The first thing she brought me were a pair of off white panties. She insisted that I replace my boxers. Unfortunately, the silkiness of the panties was to much for me to ignore and I found myself aroused by the time she stepped back into the room with Mrs. Johnson at her side.

“My my, that is going to be a problem.”

“Fifi, we can’t have that happening under his new clothes. It would be very embarrassing and ruin the look.”

“Sophia, I have something that will help, but it is not always perfect. It can also be a little uncomfortable if she continues to get so aroused.”

“Well we need to keep that at bay.”

Fifi return a couple of minutes later with a latex garment that she called a dancer’s gaff. She asked Mrs. Johnson to step out of the room as she showed me how to properly wear it. Tucking myself under and clamping it down with this gaff was not very comfortable. At least for the moment I was no longer in the excited state. She slipped the panties over the gaff and I was now sporting a woman’s flat triangle. Mrs. Johnson was let back in and quickly commented how much better I looked.

Next came a white matching bra that she mentioned was a 36c. Two heavy globs were stuffed into the cups and instantaneously I looked dramatically different. Anyone at that moment looking at my image would without hesitation presume I was a young woman. There was no sign of my maleness. I was fascinated by my appearance, but also very afraid by the convincingness of the reflection.

It didn’t help my psyche that Mrs. Johnson said I made a more natural looking woman than she even suspected. My heart skipped a beat when she exclaimed that she would be proud to call me her daughter. I knew I was more than just passing at that point, I was attractive standing in front of the mirror only dressed in lingerie.

I could feel my hidden manhood trying to pop out which was very uncomfortable. I looked down at my panties with an uncomfortable expression on my face. Mrs Johnson and Fifi picked up on my distress.

“Lyla, if you don’t want the world to know your little secret, you need to stop getting so excited by your transformation. We still have work to do.”

“I’m sorry, this is just very confusing.”

“You just need to get adjusted. It shouldn’t take you very long. The gaff will just have to do until you can get a better handle on that or we can come up with a better alternative.”

I could feel the weight of the breast-forms in the brassiere and cupped them with my hands to get a better sense of the new appendages.

“Mrs. Johnson, I mean Mom… these feel and look almost real.”

“Those are made of silicone. For now, you will just have to settle for those.”

Her comment and the fact that Fifi was taking this all in, made me squirm like a shy girl. I had no legitimate response and standing almost naked, I felt so vulnerable and defenseless.

I thought that we were done at that point, but I was pushed into modeling numerous other matching styles and colors as well as other sexy items. I protested unsuccessfully when the corset was tightened around my waist. Mrs. Johnson assured me that Jessica would love to see me with an hourglass figure. I had trouble accepting that logic, but the physical discomfort it created was offset by the fascination of how it redistributed my body. It was almost like it squeezed any remaining masculinity from my formally shaped frame.

I was grateful that the ordeal was finally coming to an end. Mrs. Johnson and Fifi discussed the choices after they had exhausted the inventory options available for me. I was told to keep on the foundation items I was currently wearing and slip on the items in a bag that I was handed.

I had entered the store dressed in my jeans and baggy sweater, but inside the bag was a bohemian style dress from Free People. I initially thought it was just to see how the lingerie might look under clothing, but as soon as I had slipped it over my head, Mrs. Johnson removed my former clothes from the changing area.

I took the remaining items from the bag before calling out to Mrs. Johnson. There was a purse, and a pair of strappy wedge sandals and nothing more in the bag.

“Where’s my clothes?”

"I am having them sent to the Johnson residence with your other lingerie purchases. No point in you lugging them around.”

“You mean I am wearing this out?”

“Lyla, you look lovely. That dress now fits you perfectly. Inside your purse are some wrist bangles that will add a nice touch. You can step out as soon as you are ready.”

I knew as soon as I agreed to go to the costume party that I would be dressed completely as a woman, but that was not for three days and here I was looking like a college pretty college coed in the middle of the afternoon. There was not one aspect of my appearance that didn’t scream feminine.

When Mrs. Johnson saw me emerge from the cubicle even she paused for a moment to take it in.

“Lyla, you are perfect. Aren’t you thrilled by how gorgeous you turned out. Jessica is going to love her new girlfriend.”

“I think shocked would be more like it.”

“Not at all. She knew you would look beautiful. Remember, she wanted this almost as much as you.”

“I never said I wanted this.”

“Let’s not argue. It takes a very special boy to allow himself to become such a convincing young woman. The next few days are all about fun. Make the most of your Lyla time, so when Jessica comes home you both know this was the right choice. She would be very disappointed if she didn’t think you were making the most of your opportunity.”

“I’m trying, it’s just all happening so fast.”

“You fit in much better now. It would not have been fun with you dressed as a boy when we go shopping for your fancy dress for the Gala.”

“I don’t think I am ready to do that yet. Today has been pretty overwhelming.”

“That’s ok. We are seeing my Stylist at Bloomingdales tomorrow. The dress shopping will wait another day.”

“That’s good. Are we going home now?”

“Soon. Let’s stop at the Starbucks, before our last quick task.”

As we walked down the block, I had to get used to the new sensations resulting from my appearance. It was one thing for the woman to take a glance at me, but it was very disconcerting to get checked out by some men as they walked towards me.

The iced chai latte tasted very good and helped me regain some of my composure.

“Where’s our last stop?”

“The jeweler two doors down. If you are going to be properly accessorized for the Gala we need to pop in there.”

“We don’t need to be buying expensive jewelry for only one night.”

“I agree. You will probably wear something of mine or Jessica’s after we pick out your dress. We just need to stop there so you will be able to.”

I really didn’t follow her logic as I followed her into the Jeweler. Not surprisingly she was greeted warmly by her first name. The woman and her walked around the store for a couple of minutes before Mrs. Johnson pointed to something in the case. The woman smiled and took an item out to show her.

I was finally included in the discussion as they walked over to me.

“What do you think?”

“Sophia, those look like lovely diamonds. I am not a good judge, but they look simple but very classy.”

“See Vera, I told you Lyla had a good eye for this.”

“Thank you, Sophia. Are these for Jessi?”

“You can share them with her, but these are my gift to you. Your first studs should be special ones that you will always cherish. I want you to have a pair that is appropriate for such a pretty woman.”

“Sophia…”

“Please call me mom.”

"Mom, these are way too nice for me and they are for pierced ears."

“Of course. These will be your first pair after Vera pierces your ears.”

“I think I look girly enough without pierced ears. I don’t really think that is necessary.”

“Gifts are never necessary. That’s what makes them special. Having pierced ears is however necessary. You are going to a very fancy party Saturday and all of Jessica’s and my earrings are for pierced ears. If you decide to ever stop beautifying your ears, which of course would be a waste, the holes will fill in naturally.”

“I won’t need these studs then. I wouldn’t want you to waste your money.”

“First off, you will have to wear them for a while to avoid getting an infection and later if you want, you can re-gift them to Jessica. I do hope you decide to keep them. I’m enjoying our time together and this will be a nice memento.”

“Ok then.”

Before I had a chance to rethink anything I could feel the pinching of my ears. I looked at my ears in the swivel mirror on the counter and could see the shimmering reflection coming from my lobes. I felt like it was symbolic punctuation of my total emersion into femininity. The holes might later fill in, but for the moment I felt I had totally abandoned my manhood.

Mrs. Johnson took the opportunity of me transfixed in the mirror as a good time to take out her iPhone for a few photographs.

“I need to take a couple of shots for Jessica. She will want to know how things are going and you might like these as keepsakes too. Stand up and smile for me.”
She had me pose for at least a dozen different shots. A couple were close-ups, and a few were in very staged feminine poses. When she was finished, even I was curious to see them. They looked too good. They appeared to be photos of a pretty girl… nothing more, nothing less. I wasn’t even sure that my Jessi would know they were of me.

Thankfully, our shopping was done for today. I knew tomorrow would bring more new feelings.

Chapter 8:

Back at the Johnson home I retreated for a while to my bedroom. I was emotionally spent by the full day of activities. It was the first time I really had a chance to think about what was happening to me. With each passing hour, I had become more-and-more Lyla and less-and-less Lyle. I was spending quality time with Jessi’s Mom as requested, but I couldn’t imagine it improved my standing as their future son in-law.

I also did not know how I felt about my transformation. When I agreed to this, I used my frat hazing experience as a reference point. That foray in the cheerleader’s uniform was kind of fun, but I never took it that seriously. The current image I was staring at on the closet door was not a gag. It also was not all going to wash off when I hit the shower later. I was going to a costume ball on Saturday, but this degree of preparation seemed way over-the-top.

I also didn’t hate what I saw in the mirror which added to my confusion. The fact that I turned out to be attractive felt like a déjà vu, causing me to re-experience that comforting emotion when I first dressed as a cheerleader. In reality it might have been easier if I looked like a guy in a dress. Instead, I saw what everyone else's had to see and that was of an attractive woman. I kept telling myself that Jessi wanted me to enjoy this time, but I had some guilt about accepting this so easily. I wasn’t even sure what I was going to say to Jessica about today. My anxiety was on many levels.

I was pulled out of my deep thought by the distinctive ringtone on my iPhone. It was Jessi’s jingle. I was always happy to know she was calling, but for the moment I was scared to answer. My voice cracked a little when I finally got the courage to talk.

“Hi Jessi. How’s your trip going?”

“Lyle, is that you? You sound strange.”

I tied to over compensate in a deep voice, “Yes. I just had something caught in my throat. It’s Ok now.”

“My trip is fine. Lots of travel, we had one long meeting this afternoon. The real question is, how is my butterfly doing?”

“Butterfly?”

“I wish I was there to watch my Lyla spread her wings. Mom texted me some photos of you just after you decided to get your ears pierced. You look stunning.”

“I had no idea things would turn out the way they had today.”

“Mother said she had fun with you today. She says it was almost like having a second daughter.”

"She has me calling her Mom.”

“You're calling her Mom now. That’s so sweet.”

“She really insisted. I guess it’s easier under the circumstances.”

“It looked like you were really enjoying yourself in some of those poses. I was worried at first, that this might have been difficult for you, but it’s easy to see from the photos that you are happy. I was a little reluctant at first about you going to the Gala as Lyla, but not anymore. I hope you find a gorgeous dress tomorrow.”

“I’ll try. I had to try on so many undergarments to find the ones I am wearing. Girls have so many more options than guys.”

“Mom told me about some of your new lingerie. It sounds like you picked out quite a lot. Maybe you will share some with your sister when I get back.”

“Ha Ha. You can strip me in bed if you want my new sexy things. I have no idea what if any of the other items your mom actually purchased. She and the sales lady Fifi, had me try on all sorts of different things. I hope she kept the receipts for any extras they might have bought.”

“I think it was a very long receipt. Maybe you can get a job as a Victoria Secret model if you get bored with architecture.”

"Not likely, but wearing these things sure feels a lot different than my plain old jockey’s.”

“Better make sure you don’t like it too much. It might develop a bulge in your otherwise beautiful image.”

“Have you been talking about that with your mother?

“No, but based upon your response, I’m guessing you have been enjoying this even more than I suspected.”

“I don’t know what came over me. It’s embarrassing. Everything just feels so soft and silky. It’s like how I feel with you in my arms”

“Face it Lyla, you're hooked.”

“Stop kidding with me. I’d die if someone saw that bump when I was out.”

“Just teasing you. I’m sure there are ways to keep your little friend at bay or not constantly excited. Maybe we can trade your penis in for a vagina for a few days. Then you could try being a real girl for a few days. Wouldn’t that be fun.”

“Stop that. I having enough trouble being just your girl. Quit making this harder for me.”

“You are my girl. When I get back we will make some great lesbian love.”

“I wish you were here with me now for some lovemaking.”

“I’ve only been gone since this morning and you are already such a babe. I can’t wait to see how far you have come by the weekend.”

“I hope I survive. I can’t imagine it getting any crazier than this.”

”You never know. Just go with it. What do you have to lose.”

“Easy for you to say. Just don’t be surprised if I am pregnant by the time you get back.”

“That’s my lover’s humor I miss. At least my mother would finally have a grandchild.”

“Anything for Mom.”

“Keep that up and she will never let you go.”

“We’ll know soon enough.”

“What are you up to tonight? Do you have a hot date?”

“Yeah, your Mom. We are eating in, thank God. She mentioned that there were things she wanted to show me.”

“I want you to have fun, but right now I have to go. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

“Love you”

“Love you more. Bye”

Chapter 9:

Gratefully, Jessica seemed to be more than OK with how far the masquerade had gone. I knew she had encourage this, but a small part of me thought she might not like seeing her almost fiancé looking so totally feminine. I felt her enthusiastic acceptance relieved a major personal burden for me, and now I was much less concerned with how easily I had let myself be transformed.

Dinner with Mrs. Johnson was low key, but she continued my education into becoming the perfect Lyla. We ate a tasty chopped salad accompanied by a glass of white wine. I was still hungry, but she said as a woman that I needed to watch my figure. I had a hard time with her logic, but did not argue. Throughout the dinner, she coached me so I might better project ladylike table manners and utilize more feminine word choices.

Midway through the meal she even had me working to change the pitch of my voice. Sometimes I managed to sound more girlish, but occasionally I sounded clownish. She said that my voice was nearly as important as my look and could easily be my undoing. It was not something that I could change as simply as I managed with my appearance. I sensed some frustration in Mrs. Johnson.

After the meal. it was more lessons. First it was on my posture, then how I walked and moved and finally even some tips on eye contact. When we were both nearly ready for bed she showed me how to touch up my makeup and then showed me how to remove it all before bed.

When all my makeup had been removed, I was still amazed how feminine my face appeared. It wasn’t just my hair, which had received extensions, bleaching and styling, it was also my eyes. They had plucked my eyebrows into feminine arches and my eyelashes still looked like they had mascara on. That’s when I learned that they had also added to my lashes multiple new hairs. I was told they weren’t permanent but could last for weeks if I took care of them. She said I had requested the lash extensions, because it was not something she had originally instructed the technicians to do.

On my bed was a black nightgown which I simply accepted because I just wanted to go to bed. I actually found it’s softness very soothing as I slipped under the blankets. Just after I had turned off my lights I heard Mrs. Johnson, “Good night Lyla, I hope you enjoyed the day as much as I did.”

“Good night Mom. Thanks for helping me so much today.”

“You're welcome. Tomorrow's we will try and make it just as special.”

“Hopefully I won’t disappoint you.”

“I’m sure you won’t, now get some sleep.”

“You too, nite nite.”

After a restful night of sleep the schedule began the next morning with great pace. I had my shower, some coffee and a yogurt, then Mrs. Johnson sat me down to put on my makeup. She explained everything and told me that she wanted me to practice later when we had more time. We had a late morning appointment scheduled with her fashion stylist at Bloomingdales. I assumed it was for my Gala dress.

Unfortunately, I was instructed to wear the corset again along with a new matching bra and panty. I recognized the set from our shopping excursion. The dress she laid out for me was a simple dark blue, back zip sheath dress, which she said would be easy for me to change in and out of. The dress was paired with black leather shoes that had a narrower and more pronounced heel than the wedges from yesterday. The look was dressier and it took some practice to walk steadily in the new shoes.

We arrived at Bloomingdales and walked around for a few minutes before heading upstairs to meet her stylist Lana. She walked me through the jewelry, cosmetics, and handbag areas. We did not actually shop there, but she wanted me to get comfortable just browsing. Lana was ready for us when we made it to the clothing area. Lana and Mrs. Johnson shared a hug before turning their attention to me.

“Hello Lyla. Your mother told me how lovely you had become, but you are even prettier in person.”

“Thank you. Mom deserves the credit for that.”

“She does have great style. Hopefully we can add to that and pick out somethings that you really love. With your figure, we have many options.”

“I am clueless, and in your hands.”

“Sophia, says we need to work from basically scratch. She says you have almost no appropriate clothing and we need to get you all the basics, and of course something for the Gala this weekend. I bet you turn quite a few heads on Saturday.”

“I just want to look nice for the family, and look the part.”

“Well you came to the right place. We will start with casual and work our way up to dressy.”

“Work our way up?”

Mrs. Johnson interrupted our conversation by explaining the need for a larger wardrobe.”

“Lyla, you have no clothes. When Jessica comes home she is going to want to spend some time with you and see the young woman standing here. The Gala is the big event, but I am sure she will want to have some personal time with you. We will pick out a few things and of course if you never wear them, we can return them. From what I have seen with you and hear from Jessica, I am sure things won’t go to waste.”

“I am not so sure, but whatever. I guess it’s ok if you think Jessi would approve.”

“I am absolutely certain she wants you to be happy, so let’s get started.”

I could not believe the amount of clothes that I tried on. I was beginning to understand why it took woman so long to shop for their outfits. After a quick measuring, I was brought a series of items.

First came jeans, capris, shorts, and a dozen or more different style tops. Some for hot weather, some for the evening, but all appropriate for a casual event or outing. With each piece, I was asked about my opinions and preferences. After a while, I think I Lana and Mrs. Johnson began to understand a little what I liked and didn’t. For the most part I selected preferences that I might have liked on Jessi or on any other woman I thought attractive. My likes were generally more along classical lines and not extravagant.

After each fitting the items were taken out and sorted near the tailor station. Much like the lingerie shopping, I was not privy to which if any items that might be kept.

Trying on the casual clothing took nearly an hour and when that was finished they brought us some iced tea drinks so we could take a breather. Mrs. Johnson made the observation that I had a greater sense of style for woman’s clothing than for men's. I wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or a dig, but I thanked her. Mrs. Johnson smiled when I said that as long I was going to dress as a girl, I might as well pick out attractive styles I like.

After our 15-minute break, the clothing that was brought to me was much more dressy. It started with some shapely dresses from designers like Vince, Halston, Joie, Theory, and Lafayette. Some seemed appropriate for a Friday or Saturday night on the town, but others looked like classy work clothes. I was amazed how wearing some of these things effected me. When I looked at my reflection I felt a sense of pride in how nice I looked. I never had felt that when I dressed up in men’s wear. I began to feel a sense of anticipation when a beautiful dress was handed to me. I shouldn’t have been excited to wear these things, but seeing how well they looked on me began to show through.

When I slipped a lace covered Nicole Miller dress on I began to get noticeably aroused. I was wearing the gaff, but I began to get uncomfortable down below and Mrs. Johnson could see my discomfort and attempts to adjust myself.

“We are going to have to come up with a better solution for that problem. There is another option, but I was hoping it wouldn’t be necessary at this point. We can deal with that later, when we work on your voice.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t do this on purpose.”

“I know Lyla. Don’t fret. I have a solution for later that will be more comfortable for you. “

“What is it?”

“Just a more painless trick so you don’t try and pop out of the gaff. We will deal with that after lunch. Let’s finish up here.”

I thought I was done with the dressy clothes, but now I was trying on silky blouses, skirts, and some matching jackets. One white blouse was a wrap around and we paired it with a Steel Grey pencil skirt and jacket. I looked like a $1000 an hour lawyer and all three of us were impressed by the fit. I had no idea where I would wear this, but I felt sexy in this professional ensemble. Mrs. Johnson placed this in a separate pile from the other clothes.

“Mom, we have been busy all morning trying on clothes and I’m not even sure which of the dresses is the right one for Saturday.”

“That’s because you haven’t tried it on yet.”

“More dresses?”

“Just a few.”

The dresses that followed made me look like a princess. They were all long, fancy and a bit hard to maneuver in. I would not have looked out of place at the Academy Awards in any of them. The last dress I tried on was a shimmering black gown by Vera Wang. When I saw how fabulous I looked in this dress I was slightly overcome by emotions. I couldn’t understand what made me feel such an instant emotional feeling, but I couldn’t hide my mood. I had never been with a woman wearing something as beautiful as this dress and yet here I was wearing it myself.

Jessica wanted me to enjoy the experience, but I can’t imagine that she wanted me to be having this type of reaction. When Lana and Mrs. Johnson saw my reaction to this dress they immediately knew it was the one.

Lana looked me in the eye, “This is my favorite part of my job. I just love it when a woman sees herself in a magical dress and gets emotional. It sometimes takes dozens of dresses to find the right one and not everyone does. However, when that connection materializes like it just did with you, the moment is priceless.”

With that revelation, I was told my clothing shopping was complete.

"Can I get dressed now?”

I was handed the last blouse-skirt combination that had originally been put in a separate pile. I had liked how I looked in the combo, but I thought it was too professional looking to just be out shopping.

“Mom, why so dressy?”

“We are going to our club for lunch, and after that we need to stop by Jack’s office to pick up the Gala tickets. We also need to go shoe shopping and have at least one other stop. The dress you wore this morning was nice, but I think this white wraparound top with the pencil skirt makes you standout.”

“That’s fine, but I really don’t want to stand out to much. I just happy blending in and not drawing much attention.”

“Lyla, you are just going to have to get used to it. You are too pretty a girl not to get noticed.”

My wish was not granted. We made our way to the Brentwood Dunes CC which was the center of Mrs. Johnson’s social network. I must have been introduced to over 20 of her friends. I was grateful that she simply referred to me as her niece. I don’t think I could have handled her telling people that I was her daughter’s fiancé. I was going to really have to chop off my hair and change my appearance if I ever met these people again. I didn't mind that Mrs. Johnson spoke so glowingly about me, because she seemed to be genuinely happy while she did it. My biggest concern was that these were her good friends and I was being introduced as Lyla and soon I might be meeting these same people as Lyle.

Mrs. Johnson only spoke of me in a very positive light. She told everyone that I was also a recent architectural graduate like Jessica. Other than the fact that I was Lyle, everything she said was true. She seemed almost proud to be showing me off. A few of her friends inquired if there was a special man in my life, which caught me off guard and not knowing how to respond. Again, Mrs. Johnson was truthful in telling them there wasn’t and that I was still single and focused on my career.

I spoke as few words as possible as I was still having difficulty sounding as feminine as I looked. When we were alone after the meal, she apologized to me for putting in such an awkward spot before I was prepared to sound more authentic.

“Luckily Mom, I think most of them just assumed I was shy. I’m trying to sound more girlish, but it’s not easy.”

“That’s why we are making our first post lunch stop to take care of your little tells.”

“Tells?”

“I said we need to stop you from popping out of your gaff. I think my friend may be able to help you with your voice too.”

“I haven’t had a problem since this morning. I think I can handle it.”

I am worried about you having that issue at the wrong time, like at the benefit. Wouldn’t that be terrible if you had the problem in your gorgeous new gown?”

“That’s true. So where are we going?”

“I will explain it in the car.”

We made our goodbyes to her friends and hopped back into her Mercedes as soon as the valet brought it around.

_______________________

End of Part 3. What more could be on the agenda?

Part 4

Chapter 10:

Inside the car, Mrs. Johnson began to lecture me. “I am so pleased how easily you have settled into your role as a young lady. I mean this in a good way, because it feels like I have another daughter. I like having you in the family.”

I wasn’t sure how to decipher that. She was welcoming me into the family, but for a second time, hardly focused on a future son in-law.

“I feel the same about you Mom. You have been so nice to me and surely have gone overboard in preparing me for the party. I didn’t have any idea what these last two days would be like, but it has been miles beyond anything that I anticipated. I am beginning to appreciate women in ways that I never expected.”

“I can see that in how you are adapting. It’s a shame that few men have appreciation for what we go through to look our best for them.”

“I certainly have an understanding now.”

“We are almost at the Doctors office and we are right on time.”

“I thought we were getting me a more comfortable gaff so I would not pop out.”

“My friend Dr.Welby has an alternative temporary solution for your problem.”

“A doctor. I’m not sure I like the sound of that.”

“He is a friend and very discreet. If he can help, his method will feel less restrictive and you will not have to worry about embarrassing yourself. He’s just going to give you something that will hold you over for a short while. Its completely temporary, if you want it to be.”

“Of course, I do.”

“Don’t be so defensive. It’s just us in this car.”

“I’m just get a little nervous about seeing Doctors.”

“Dr. Welby is known for his bedside manners. You will like him.”

“I feel so strange going to be seeing a doctor looking like I do.”

“It will be easier if you focus on being Lyla in a completely positive tone. If he does not think you want his help, he will not assist you. If he asks if you feel like a girl, tell him you do. He needs to know that you want this or he can’t ethically do anything for you. He is a doctor and he can only prescribe things if you come across as committed. I told him about you, so just answer his questions without hesitation\ so he knows you are serious.”

“I still don’t understand what he can do, but if it is something to get me through the Gala and is temporary, then I guess I can hear him out.”

Inside the Doctors office I was lead to a private room. Before I had a chance to see the doctor, a nurse came and took my vitals and some blood. She only asked a few basic questions and I never even had to admit to her I was a man.”

I had to wait another 20 minutes before the Doctor came into my room. Mrs. Johnson entered the room with him.

“Sophia, gave me a little background on you Lyla. I can see how pretty a woman you are. I want to help you, but normal protocol is for you to be referred by a specialist to me. Mrs. Johnson is a very old friend, but I don’t like giving out meds unless I am sure it is appropriate. You certainly look very feminine, but I need to know that this is what you really want.”

I was not exactly sure how to answer, but I looked over to Mrs. Johnson. She smiled at me and with her eyes widely opened tilted her head as if to encourage me to answer.

“Yes, I want this. I don’t want anyone to look at me and see anything but a woman. I have come this far, but there are aspects of this that clothes can only cover-up so far. I need some help with… if you know what I mean. I really hope you can help.”

The doctor asked a few more questions which I also responded to positively. A few minutes into his interview the nurse came in and gave him my blood report.

“You are a healthy young lady. I am going to help you today, but I am also going to give you the name of a therapist that works with my gender patients. I encourage you to make an appointment very soon. She will help you sort out your feelings.”

“Thank You Dr. Welby. I still don’t know what you can do for me today.”

“Nothing major, for now. Just something to help you get physically comfortable with how you feel mentally. It should help your body react less like a man and more like a woman. It will not last that long and I won’t continue your treatment and give you any more medications unless I know you have seen the therapist.”

He wasted little time giving me two shots. He also gave me a bag of sample meds.

“What did you give me?”

“The first shot blocks your testosterone production and the second shot was a mild dose of female hormones to replace that. You will need to take the sample pills for at least three weeks. By then I expect you to bring me a referral letter from the therapist.”

I was stunned by what he told me. I didn’t know what he was going to give me, but this was not what I expected to hear..

“What does that mean?”

“I did not give you a heavy dose of the estrogen hormones, because first you need to first slow your testosterone production. In a day or two it should be hard to get an erection, but you can still have sex if you are active.”

“That’s not permanent is it?”

“Sorry, but it’s not that easy for permanent results. You need to be on the medication for months before that is true, unless your therapist thinks you need to speed things up and then you can consider an orchiectomy. That’s irreversible, but I wouldn’t suggest you go that route at this point. Take it slowly, in case you decide being a woman is not what you want.”

I was getting dry in my throat thinking about what I had just received. It may only be temporary, but it was more than just a weekend step.

“Your Aunt also mentioned that you were having trouble with your voice. If you stay on the these meds, that might help a little, but usually that impacts very marginal if at all. A voice therapist can help you work on your pitch if you have trouble on your own. If it is a real problem there are procedures like a Laryngoplasty that permanently tighten your vocal cords. For today, I an just going to give you a shot that will temporarily tighten those muscles. It will wear off in a few days, but you can see how you like that or if surgery is something for you to consider.”

I was still feeling the shock of what had just happened, when he dabbed some Novocain on my throat and then injected me with a short needle. He told me not to speak for about a half hour.

I left his office wondering how I got to this point and how I was going to explain this to Jessica. I wanted to say something to Mrs. Johnson, but she kept reminding me not to speak.

We stopped for some tea and honey before getting back in the car. Mrs. Johnson could obviously sense my concern. She was very careful in choosing her words. Even though I was not yet allowed to speak, she did not say a lot.

As the 30 minutes time-frame was coming to an end, we were nearly at our next destination.

“Lyla, I am sorry if the Doctor appointment upset you. Remember, everything is temporary. When I discussed your issue with him last night, I thought his solution would just be a pill or two for a few days to control your urges. I guess it is a little more than that, but this will still get the job done.”

I squeaked out a terse response. “”A LITTLE MORE!”

“I said I am sorry.”

“I’m scared. I was kind of enjoying all of this, but now I think I have allowed this to go too far.”

“You will be fine. It’s not like you need to be Lyle over the next few days. I will explain what happened to Jessica. She will understand.”

“I hope you are right. I love her.”

“She will always love you… no matter how you present.”

“How can she see me as a man, if I can’t?”

“She wanted you to have this girl time. Doesn't that say enough.”

“Yah, but I doubt she thought I would ever get in this deep.”

“Truthfully, I grown to like you more these past two days, maybe it will have the same effect on her when she sees you tomorrow.”

“If I can face her.”

“It will all work out, just let yourself enjoy your remaining girl time. She would want that.”

“Fine, but no more surprises, please.”

“Just try and put being Lyle out of your mind, you will avoid anxiety and I know Jessica will understand.”

“I even sound funny now.”

“I think your voice sounds much nicer now. No one is going to miss-gender you now.”

“Actually, don’t you mean everyone will?”

“I am glad you are getting your humor back.”

Chapter 11:

I should not have been surprised that she dragged me along into her husband Jack’s office. Since he was the CEO of BuilderOne, she was granted pretty much free rain of the facility. I had always wanted to work there as they had one of the best reputations in Architectural design. This was the first time I had ever been in the executive suite of their huge facility.

While Mrs. Johnson was looking for the Gala tickets on Jack’s desk, one of the young Architects made his way over to me. I had seen him come out of one of the private offices a few doors down. I got nervous as he made a beeline straight towards me.

“Hello Miss. Is there something I can do for you?”

“I’m fine, my Aunt is getting something from her husband’s office.”

“Your Aunt is Sophia! I can’t believe we never met before.”

“That’s ok, I have been at USC in college. I just graduated.”

“I am thrilled to meet you finally. My name is Marc. And you are?”

“I’m Lyla. We will be out of here in a minute.”

“Please don’t rush. What did you graduate in?”

“I studied Architecture.”

“Sophia’s daughter also studied Architecture at USC. Did you spend much time together there.”

“Umm yes. We are very close. That’s why I am here. I am spending a few days with Jessica and her family.”

“Well maybe I will see you around again.”

“I’m spending most of my time with Jessica or her mother. I doubt we will be by here again.”

“Jessica comes over hear a lot, so you never know.”

“If we come back I will make sure to say hello.”

“I would like that. What are you doing while you are here?

“I think my aunt has filled up my schedule, so I am truly in her hands.”

“Any chance you could sneak out for a cocktail or dinner?”

I must have turned red. This almost stranger was asking me out. I don’t think I was ever that aggressive when I first met someone.

“I’m really sorry. You seem very nice, but as I said, while I am in town, I plan to spend as much time with the Johnsons as I can.”

“I completely understand. They are wonderful people. Another time maybe.”

“Maybe. See you around.”

“I am sure you will… I am very persistent.”

At that moment, Mrs. Johnson popped back out of Jack’s office.

“Oh, hi Marc. How’s your family?”

“Great Sophia. How come I never met Lyla before? We were just getting to know each other.”

“She did not grow up around here and until she went to school at USC, she really did not like the big city. We are kind of giving her the crash course on the cultural aspects of LA.”

“Lyla you are very lucky. If anyone knows about the arts and culture of LA it is Sophia and Jack.”

“Yes. I almost feel like I am taking advantage of their kindness.”

“Lyla dear. It is our pleasure. We want you to experience the best of the city. Hopefully you will settle down here soon.”

"Mrs. Johnson, Lyla and I were talking about getting together, but she made it clear that she planned to spend her time here with Jessica and your family. I would not want to interfere with that. However, I had an idea you might approve of.”

I started to squirm as they discussed me and what I might want.

“She did… so what did you have in mind.”

“Next Friday is the grand opening of Hamilton here in LA. It is the biggest new show to hit town in years. I have a friend in the box office and I might be able to snag four seats. I can’t promise that they will be great ones, but maybe I could take Lyla and Jessica to the show with my brother and I. If you approve.”

I was dying to see Hamilton, but certainly not as the date of some guy. I also was just trying to be polite when I suggested that I might get together with Marc down the road. He was a smooth operator.

“You could get those? I know Jessica wanted to see that show badly. I’m sure that she would gladly tag along if you get four tickets. Lyla, I don’t see how I could deny you that. There is certainly nothing on our calendar that matches up to that.”

“Sophia, I just met Marc. That would be too much to ask. Maybe if I came back to town later this summer.”

“Lyla, I can’t promise I can get them, but if I can, I would be honored to take you and of course Jessica. First dates, should be special… don’t you think?”

I was backed into the corner. Mrs Johnson obviously liked Marc and the opportunity to see the opening night of Hamilton was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Maybe, he would fail in getting the tickets. As much as I would love to to see the show, I could only hope they were impossible to acquire.”

“I will have to check with Jessica and get back to you.”

“So that’s a yes if she agrees?”

“If she agrees, and of course if you can get tickets. I heard that even for insiders that show was impossible to get tickets for.”

“True, but you give me incentive.”

“I will talk with Jessi tonight. It was nice meeting you.”

As soon as Marc walked away I headed to the bathroom to regain my composure. I almost walked into the men’s room, but managed to get into the privacy of the lady’s room. I could feel my heart racing. This was all becoming surreal. I knew Jessi would never agree, but I couldn’t believe what had transpired.

Mrs. Johnson followed me into the bathroom to check on me.

“Are you OK Lyla? You ran off”

“No, I am not OK. That guy just asked me out. How could I be OK.”

“Well you made a quite an impression on him. I have known him for a couple of years. He’s a nice man.”

“I am too!!!”

“You can’t blame him. That’s not what he saw. In fact, when I saw you two chatting, it looked like you were both flirting.”

“I was not. I was just trying to be friendly and polite.”

“Sometimes those are the same things. You should be proud of yourself, he is quite a catch and he’s cute too.”

“Sophia! Jessi is going to go ballistic when she hear’s we were invited out for double dates. She will freak.”

"Settle down. I will talk with her and explain what happened. She will probably find it funny.”

“I don’t. Can we go home now?”

“Soon, we just have to go and get you some shoes for the weekend.”

Not surprisingly, I ended up with multiple pairs of shoes. Either Mrs. Johnson felt guilty about what had happened at the office or thought that more shoes would cheer me up. I did like most of the shoes we purchased at Nordstrom, but I hardly saw the need other than for the Gala. I ended up with flats, wedges, booties and sandals. It all seemed excessive.

It was late afternoon before we got home. I had settled down, but still could not fathom the conversation with Jessi that was on the horizon. How do you tell your girlfriend about getting asked out by a guy; or how you ended up with female hormones racing through your blood. I would have to do this with a voice that was probably an octave higher than it should be. I would just have to accept whatever anger she vented. I deserved it.

Mrs. Johnson told me she would call Jessica and take full responsibility. She had lead me along this path, but I had let her do it. We probably both deserved some of the blame. Between my appearance and the temporarily altered timber of my voice, it would be impossible for me to be Lyle for now. How could Jessica think of me as Lyle if I couldn’t? Somewhere over the past 36 hours I had begun to accept being Lyla. It shouldn’t have been so easy.

Jessica would be home on Friday and the Costume Gala would follow on Saturday. She would see the a woman when she returned from her trip, not her boyfriend in a dress. I saw no alternative to change that. I had long ago allowed this to go beyond turning back. I looked and sounded flawless, my body was chemically altered and I had acquired a wardrobe that any girl would be envious of. I could blame her Mother, but I was in this spot because I allowed it..

Chapter 12:

I kept to myself after getting home. At first, I just sat on my bed pondering the turn of events. I tried to replay in my mind what I felt at each juncture and why. I had even noticed a very small nick in my manicure and it bothered me. I was thinking like a woman and apparently responding like one too. After using the bathroom I touched up my lipstick and brushed my hair, as if that is what I should be doing. I even spent a few minutes looking at all of the new clothes now hanging in my closet. I should have been aghast at the sheer quantity, but instead I was mostly curious which items we actually bought.

I was pulled from my deep self-thought by Jessica’s distinctive ringtone emanating from my new Kate Spade purse. I had heightened fear because my first words would be in a foreign voice to her. I knew I had to answer, so I took a deep breath and reached into the bad and pulled out my phone. To my further dismay, I discovered she was calling me on a FaceTime call. Not only would she hear the strange voice, she would see it coming from my transformed appearance.

I answered in a soft voice, "Hi Jessi"

Before she responded, I could see her meticulously taking in my image on her screen. Instead of hello, she spoke in a strained voice.

“Lyle, I am so sorry. I just spoke with Mom. I hope you can forgive me.”

“Forgive you? I was going to ask you to forgive me.”

“I only wanted you to have fun. I thought the party was a good excuse for you to have a little more girl fun. You sounded like the original college experience getting dressed up was a good time and I thought that asking you to do this again with my Mom and me might even be more fun. I never expected you to be put in such a difficult position and aggressively manipulated. I think my Mom meant well but I take full responsibility.”

“What did she tell you?”

“Quite a lot. And hearing your sweet voice now tells me that much of it must be true.”

“Did she tell you what else the doctor gave me or about that guy Marc at your Dad’s office? So much has happened and I am not sure what to think about it. I was a little angry with your mom too, but in reality she didn’t force me to do anything. I really didn’t ask for most of this, but I could have stopped it.”

“Don’t blame yourself. I know about the drugs and our dates for the play. She put you into those positions and its understandable under the circumstances, that feeling so girlish kind of took over. I wanted you to feel some of that, I just didn’t think it completely through.”

“Both of those things came out of the blue. I thought the doctor could help control a problem that occasionally made me uncomfortable and the voice thing happened like it was a throw in bonus. It all hit me when it was over and the interventions were explained to me. I sound, look, and even feel so much like a girl now. I really can’t believe I did all this for a costume party.”

“Lyle… I know you are going to be upset with me. That’s a big part of why this is actually all my fault.”

“Why would that be your fault? This was your Mom and me.”

“It’s about the Costume Party thing. I was a little misleading there.”

“How so? Its not a big fundraiser for the Museum?”

“It is an important thing for the Museum and especially my folks, but the Costume thing was my parent’s slang description of the Gala.”

“I’m not following. Your Mom bought me the most beautiful and expensive dress for Saturday. Is that the wrong kind of costume?”

“I’m sure it is a magnificent selection for the evening. What I mean is…. God I don’t know how to say this.”

“Jessie, I’m getting more confused.”

“OK, my parents have always called these Black Tie events costume parties. Everyone wears the fanciest clothes and many of the patrons go over the top trying to look like movie stars. The Costume description is really only what they call it. It really is just a very very important Black Tie Gala.”

“So why then was I dressing up in a costume?”

“Lyle, I am beyond sorry. This all started right after you told me about your cheerleader dressing up for the frat. You made it sound like you actually enjoyed it and I was jealous that I never got to see you dressed up. This thing just came up, and my Mom thought if that was fun, getting an opportunity to wear some nice things would be even more fun.”

“Jessie!!!! Were you trying to embarrass me at the party! How could you?”

“No. You have to believe I did this for you and for us. I thought it would be enjoyable for you and of course I wanted you and Mom to get to know each other more. We all agreed that the dressing up would stop if any of us thought is was out of hand or if you asked to stop. I was going to tell you the truth before the Gala and of course you would not have to go as Lyla if you didn’t want to.”

I began to get very emotional. I was having trouble processing what had happened and where this left me. I went into this thing without much resistance, but I had been tricked by the people around me that I had trusted. Knowing that the original premise was a ruse, I began to cry. I told Jessie that I needed to be alone for a while and ended our FaceTime call. I felt crushed that the woman I loved had deceived me.

I didn’t even come out of my room for dinner. Two hours had passed and I was still as confused as ever. I received multiple texts from Jessi all stating remorse and apologizing. I didn’t know what to think or what to say. I wasn’t ready to talk to anyone, especially Jessi or her Mom. My first impulse was anger, but now I was just an emotional mess.

Eventually my fit of tears and shock began to wain. I pulled myself up from the pillow on my bed, that was now stained with a rainbow of colors from my makeup. I actually was pleased to see the damage to the fine linen that I had created. After composing myself in an upright position for a minute I entered my private bathroom.

I found myself forming a half smile when I saw the smeared lipstick halfway up my cheek. My image was still all girl, but I looked more like a coed waking up from a drinking bender. Again I paused as I thought out my next move.

The obvious choice was to strip off as much of the past 2 days as I could. I would still be left with pierced ears, meds floating through my body, extra thick eyelashes, wispy eyebrows, a hairless body, long bleach blonde hair, and of course a girls voice for at least a few days. I could remove all the makeup and clothes, but I would not easily erase the feminine appearance. That might be harder than the process of receiving all these makeovers.

As I calmed down, I knew deep down that Jessi would not want to hurt me. That didn’t totally forgive the deception, but at least I could now see it was not some sick game. I had just told her about my cheerleader experience and maybe I came across as too happy about that hazing ritual. Maybe she really felt I needed this experience. I was now wondering if maybe I did.

I didn’t specifically ask for any of it, but my reluctance to pull back or stop the silliness never materialized. I still could remember how mesmerized I was seeing myself in the ball gown. I probably should have been laughing or repulsed, but instead I was emotionally moved. For whatever reason I found myself looking so beautiful, I certainly did not hate it.

The guilt of enjoying aspects of my situation was lessened by the fact that it really was not of my own making. I was responding mostly as they wanted me to. Why they wanted me this way was also bouncing around in my head, but now I simply had to decide how best to cope in the short-run.

Jessi would be returning tomorrow which was a day ahead of the Gala. I figured that I could survive at least another day and have her help me deal with this. My immediate need was to remove my messed up makeup. Mrs Johnson had given me a lesson and tools to do that the previous evening.

After cleaning and moisturizing my face I made another call to Jessi. This time not as a FaceTime call, but rather a regular audio call. Oddly, I did not want her to see me this way after seeing me so glammed up a few hours ago.

She was thrilled that I called and quick to answer. It was two hours later in Chicago, but she said she had been waiting by her phone praying for a text or call from me. Once again, she could stop saying she was sorry.

“Jessi, I forgive you. That doesn’t mean we don’t have issues to work through, but I don’t hate you. I still love you and can’t imagine my life without you.”

“I so love you too! I just want you to be happy. I never should have implied that it was a costume ball. It was an impulsive idea and unfair. I hurt you and don’t know if I can forgive myself.”

“I already forgave you and the only thing that hurt me was you not being truthful with me. Promise you will be honest with me and the rest of this we can deal with.”

“I promise! I Promise! I promise!”

“I assume you will still be home tomorrow afternoon. When you get back, we can sort all this out. I haven’t even spoken with your mother since I learned the truth about ‘The Costume Party’. I’m not sure how to face her. She treated me like a daughter, but I have mixed emotions knowing that is was a ruse. She spent a fortune on my makeover and gorgeous clothes. In one breath I want to tell her off, but in another it was nice to have a mother again. I also still want her to like me.”

“Lyle, I spoke with her for nearly an hour and she also feel terrible.”

“I haven’t been called Lyle in two days. It feels almost strange.”

“Would you rather I call you Lyla for now?”

“I’m not really sure. After everything I have been through the past two days and how I currently look, Lyle just seems incongruous.”

“Ok, then for the moment I will call you Lyla. If you want me to stop just say so.”

“Your mother must think I am a wimp. She probably can’t wait for me to be gone.”

“Just the opposite. Besides expressing her apology to me she told me that she really did bond with you. She didn’t say it, but from the way she spoke, I think she enjoyed her girl time shopping with you more than she does with me. Maybe it was seeing you experience things for the first time. For whatever reason, wanted me to know that she saw much of what I saw in you. She really wants to make it up to you. I hope you can give her a chance.”

“Wow! But having seen me so utterly girlish, how can she ever respect me?”

“Both my mother and I only care about you, not how you look. She liked you before and that has not changed. Despite your assumptions, the last two days have only increased her desire to have you in the family.”

“I felt more like her daughter than a future son-in-law.”

“That’s something to build on. You felt like family. How did you feel being treated like that.”

“What do you think?”

“Be honest… that’s what we promised each other we were going to do. What did it feel like being her pampered daughter?”

“It’s weird, but I had a lot of fun. Even when my parents were alive I never experienced being treated like the most important person in the world. It’s as close to being a future Princess like Meagan Markle as I will ever experience. You probably think I have flipped.”

“I suspected you would have a good time otherwise I wouldn’t have put you through it. I’m just sorry it got a little out of hand. I never got a chance to say it, but you really do look stunning. I hope I will still get a chance to see you in person tomorrow.”

“At the rate I am going, I will probably be pregnant by tomorrow. But seriously, I will try and look nice for you when you get back.”

“Lyla, I love you.”

“I love you too.”

End of Part 4======

Part 5 (Conclusion?)

Chapter 13:

I got up early Friday morning, partially because I was anxious to see Jessi later in the day and also because I was hungry from skipping dinner. I showered and shaved the few facial hairs that were poking out. My next choice would define the rest of my day and possibly even beyond that. Instead of slipping on my jeans and a t-shirt, I elected to keep the masquerade going at least until Jessi got home.

I went to my closet to see if there was something casual, but feminine to wear, Since I had tried on so many things at Bloomingdales I thought maybe there would be something I could wear. I had already put on one of the many bras in my dresser along with matching panties. Upon opening the walk in closet, I was startled to see the mass of items beautifully organized on hangers, shelves and shoe trees. If I hadn’t just tried on most of these items I would have assumed they were someone else’s, but I recognized most of the items. On the far side of the closet was my Gala dress with the matching shoes and clutch next to it. I felt my heart skip a beat when I focused in on it. I resisted the urge to put it on for one last time.
Mrs. Johnson had purchased virtually every outfit I tried on that fit. There were even a few items and accessories that I had not seen before. The wardrobe had everything a girl might need or want. Besides being outlandishly expensive it was enough clothing for a very long time. There was only one pair of jeans and a v-neck top which were the clothes that I wore when I first arrived at their home. Whomever had organized the closet left me the one option if I didn’t want to wear my new fashions. I was given a choice but it was provided mostly as the back door if I didn’t want to continue the feminine mascarade.

I had already decided for now to stay the course, so I selected the Vince Midi Slip Dress in Silver/gray. It reminded me a little of my formal gown and the silky material felt luscious against my skin. I matched it up with a pair of black ankle boots with modest heels. I remembered seeing a similar look on the display at Bloomies.

When I finished dressing and brushed out my long hair I felt satisfied with my appearance. If I had known how to apply makeup I probably would have attempted to further enhance my look. It was as good as I was going to get before heading down to the kitchen. Besides getting some overdue nourishment, I would likely have to speak with Mrs. Johnson. I wasn’t sure if she would be surprised to see me this way. As much as I know she had been a major instigator in my transformation it crossed my mind on the way down that having a good reason to stop dressing she might be upset to see me continuing to present as a woman.

It didn’t take long to get an answer. She was waiting for me in the kitchen with breakfast ready to go. I could smell the aroma of fresh coffee and bacon. As soon as she saw me enter the room she walked right up to me. She stopped 2-3 feet short of me, but her approach was as close as she thought I might be comfortable with.

“It’s my fault. Please don’t blame Jessica. When she told me about your positive Cheerleader experience, I came up with the idea to take it a step further. I never meant to hurt either of you. With each step we took together I became more entranced with how lovely you looked and how happy you seemed to be. I should have thought through the Doctor’s appointment more thoroughly or not at all. I hope you can find a way to forgive me.”

“Mrs. Johnson all of this has been very confusing to me. You know I love Jessi, but its been hard to understand that both of you could have tricked me into such an embarrassing situation. I keeping wondering why?”

“You have nothing to be embarrassed by. First off, you look gorgeous. The only people that have seen you this way think you are a sweet young lady.”

“Maybe, but it still does not explain why.”

“Some of that I am embarrassed to answer. First, let me start by saying Nate and I have always liked you. However, we did honestly have some reservations about you marrying our daughter. That’s why we asked you to spend at least a couple of weeks with us so we could get to know you better.”

“That still does not answer why.”

“I know. We always wanted Jessi to make her own decisions on her future and still do. Wrongfully, we thought that if she saw you from such a different perspective, it would be a major test for her. I feel horrible because looking at this objectively, it appears we were trying to sabotage the two of you. We didn’t just do this to you, we did this to Jessi.”

“Yes, but she knew the truth about the party”

“Yes, but mother’s can be persuasive.”

“Mrs. Johnson, that I won’t argue with.”

“Lyla, Please call me Sophia or if you like Mom. “

“Ok Sophia, I guess while I look like this you can call me Lyla. Whatever the misguided reasoning, can you still see me in the family?”

“Lyla, spending the past two days with you was a joy. This may upset you a bit, but I have quickly grown to love you like a daughter and I mean that dearly. I am sure that I just see the good person that you are and will learn to love you no matter how you look. Right now, I am happy to have a little more time with Lyla.”

“I would be lying if I didn’t say some of this has been fun. This has been considerably different than my fraternity days, but you did make me feel special. I’m glad you told me the truth. I also feel for the first time like I have a family. Let’s start fresh from here.”

“So Lyla are you saying we are good?”

“Yes. All is forgiven.”

With that we had a long hug and then sat down for a pleasant breakfast. My time as Lyla never missed a beat. Mrs. Johnson never asked or questioned why I still was dressed as a woman. She continued some minor coaching on my posture and hand movement. Towards the end of breakfast, she asked if I was still up for some makeup lessons. The woman Lulu had recommended was supposed to come over at 10:00 and in all the chaos, the appointment had not been canceled. I told her that I promised Jessi I would look nice for her return in the afternoon so that would actually be nice. I couldn’t say it, but I guess I was not ready for the girl time to end.

Chapter 14:

The makeup lessons lasted two hours. I was no expert when Christa left, but I certainly knew enough of the basics to look presentable. Before we finished she glammed me up for Jessi’s return. Christa wanted to schedule a follow up. I told her that I would love to but Mrs. Johnson was footing the bill and I didn’t know when I would be available. That seemed like the simplest excuses.

I learned that most of Christa’s compensation came from selling me the products she selected for me. As a result, I now possessed a complete set of brand new makeup products. These included products from, Urban Decay, Dior, Tarte, Marc Jacobs, Clinique, Lancôme and more. I would have put up more resistance to buying all these things, but I assumed I could give them to Jessi.

After Sophia settled up with Christa, we dined by the pool while consuming a very light lunch.

“Jessica is going to be amazed and how attractive you have become. Lots of woman have natural beauty, but you have that special glow.”

“That’s the makeup and the fact you are making me blush.”

“Trust me, a lot more guys like Marc would die to take you out.”

“Let’s not talk about things like that around Jessi. That something I don’t want to even think about.”

“That’s just a price you have to pay for looking so pretty. Men can be like that.”

“Sophia! Remember who you are talking to.”

“I do, but you have a whole new perspective to see things from. Just relax and try and experience the view from the other side. It will make you a better spouse when that day comes.”

It was a little more than an hour later when the limo pulled into the driveway and Jessica and her father piled out. My heart began to race. I wasn’t even sure what kind of reaction I wanted to see from her. I wanted to look great for her, but I also didn’t want her to freak out. Just before they came through the door, Sophia looked at me and told me to breathe.

Nothing prepared me for the reaction I got when she met me only steps from the front door.

“Welcome home Jessi.”

As soon as my words left my mouth it hit Jessica that the person speaking with her was me. She had a momentary stunned look on her face before she fainted.

“Jessi, Jessi wake up are you OK? Please wake up.”

Both of her parents asked me to wait in the living room. I guess they didn’t want to shock her again when she came too. I hated leaving her side but understood. I retreated to the other room.

“Honey are you ok? It’s me, your mother. You just fainted.”

After her father dabbed her with a cool wet towel she began to wake up.

“What happed to me?”

“You came through the door and I think after you saw Lyla you just fainted.”

“Was that really Lyle? I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me. Let me go see him.”

“Let’s just sit up for a moment. You can see her in a minute.”

“Her? I don’t understand what happened to me.”

“Seeing her or him just must have really surprised you.”

“I knew what to expect, but I guess it all hit me when I saw her.”

“It’s understandable dear. She really does make a lovely woman.”

“I’m ok now. Please I’m fine. Maybe I was just dehydrated from the flight.”

Jessi found me nervously waiting for her on the couch. I stood up to greet her and before we hugged she scanned my image from top to bottom. We embraced before we both sat on the couch. I didn’t think about it until later but we usually would have also kissed after not seeing each other for a while.

“I saw the photos and we FaceTimed, but in person you look even more feminine and beautiful that I imagined. You really are gorgeous.”

“Thank you. I wanted to look nice for your return.”

“My God you even sound like a girl.”

“Are you upset with me? Should I have not dressed up for you?”

“No no. I wanted to see you for myself. It’s just….”
“What?”

“Nothing. I thought you might look pretty. It’s just you really look and sound like a Lyla. You even sit like a woman. I’m still trying to take it in.”

“We can end it right now. I will go and change.”

“No way. I put you through this and we both need to spend some girl time together. We have a lot to talk about and figure out. With your voice and all the rest, my girlfriend is going to be here for at least a while.”

“I think your mother has made certain of that. Not only do I have all the physical changes, she has bought me a whole wardrobe. I guess a little longer until at least I get my voice back won’t kill me.”

“You know what they say?”

“What?”

“Once you wear a bra you never want to be without one.”

“Funny, I’ll try and remember that.”

The rest of the afternoon Jessi and I hung out together. I showed her everything I had acquired the past two days. We had a few laughs over everything and Jessi seemed intent to see how thoroughly I had adapted. When we talked about my clothes she intentionally wanted to know which items I liked the best. This continued until we were informed that dinner would be at the club.

I picked out a simple but attractive Lauren sheath dress along with modest heels. Jessi liked my selection, but she really grew interested when she saw me touching up my own makeup.

“If I knew you had that skill I would have had you help me the past couple of years. Are there any other things I don’t know about you?”

“Stop teasing. Lulu had a makeup artist name Christa give me a lesson.”

“It’s just cute seeing you this way. The way mom has been gushing over you and now seeing for myself, you seem to me enjoying your experience….”

“I’m just trying to make the best of it. That’s what you told me.”

“Of course. I’m now over the initial shock myself. I don’t want to sound cruel, but it’s sort of fun for me too. I mean, I’m an only child and often wished I had a sister to hang out with.”

“Your Mom called me her niece at the club yesterday and you call me your sister.”

“Well at least we all agree you are part of the family.”

“For the moment I guess that will have to do.”

Chapter 15:

“You girls look wonderful. It’s nice to have us all together as a family. Your father and I understand this is not how you planned your stay, but we hope we can all make the best of the situation.”

Before I could speak, Mr. Johnson added. “Lyla, is it ok I call you that?”

“Yes sir.”

“Call me Nate.”

“Yes sir, I mean Nate.”

“Lyla, I also wanted to say I am sorry. I wasn’t involved in planning this, but I was aware of it and could have stopped it. We are all partially at fault. In any event, I am pleased that it doesn’t appear that you are still struggling with your changes. You do make a remarkable young lady. Society has come a long way the past few years and people can now be whoever they want.”

“Thank you Nate. Under the circumstances, I am just trying to blend as well as I can. It would be a lot harder on me if my appearance was less stealthy. Maintaining this image seems like the best course for the moment.”

Jessi also felt the need to proclaim my ability to pass. “Lyla fits in perfectly here. Dad you are lucky to be sitting with three pretty woman. You are the envy of the club.”

I was a bit uneasy by her comment, but it got a smile out of her father.

The majority of the dinner conversation shifted away from me. I was happy to discuss architecture, art and the tasty food we were consuming. Towards the end of the meal the discussion shifted over to the benefit.

Mr. Johnson was beaming about the art that the museum had purchased from a private donor. He wouldn’t tell us who the artists were, but insisted that they were major pieces by world renown masters. It was going to be a special evening for the museum and obviously a big evening for him. We could see he wanted to tell us about the pieces, but insisted that the whole board was sworn to secrecy.

Mrs. Johnson started laying out the plans for Saturday which to my surprise still included me. Under the circumstances I just presumed I would be staying home while they went to the Gala. The costume premise had been exposed and the pressure for me to attend as a woman had been removed. I just assumed they would not want to push the issue by having me attend such an important event dressed like a lady.

“Sophia do you really think it’s a good idea that I attend?”

“Of course. You don’t have to, but it is going to be a wonderful evening and it would be a shame for you not to get to wear that gown you fell in love with.”

“Jessi, what do you think? I don’t want to embarrass myself or the family. If you don’t want me to go or think its not a good idea, then that’s that.”

“Lyla, the whole thing started for the wrong reasons and we are all very sorry. Early on, I also doubted you actually going to the event. However, once I got to see you in this light I lost my biggest reservation. There is no way you will embarrass anyone, unless you cant handle the attention you are likely to receive”

“The only attention I desire is from you.”

“Well at the ball we are not a couple. If people see us as such, then we might have a problem.”

“I guess that right, but that doesn’t mean I will have to give any attention to others.”

“Do you think you can act like a proper society lady for a long evening?”

“Truthfully, I never thought I could have been at a place like this two days ago.”

“Lyla, I just want you to be happy. I will always love you, but I think you deserve the full opportunity to experience the view from the other team at this juncture. I also want to see you on parade in that gown that mom says you swooned in when you tried it on.”

“I didn’t swoon. I was thinking about you wearing it when I saw myself in the mirror.

“Good answer, maybe you can lend it to me some day. Girls do that you know.”

“So I guess I am going then.”

“Girls, I’m glad we got that out of the way. Sophia and I promise both of you that it will be special evening. Lyla, we will keep an extra close eye on you to avoid any issues. It is very nice that we can all be together and hopefully you will have a memorable night.”

Back at the house Jessi and I prepared for bed. We shared the bathroom to remove our makeup and prepare for bed. I was excited to be alone with Jessi after such a stressful day. I had no choice but to wear a cami and my panties to bed as I had no other pajamas in our room. It took me a little longer than Jessi to get ready and when I came to bed she smiled but shook her head.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothings wrong. It’s just that even without makeup or your breast forms you still look so feminine. If I was a lesbian I would be all of over you.”

“I’m still your guy. The hair extensions, smooth body and and other stuff is just temporary. I can turn off the lights and we can just be us. You can still be all over me.”

“I know you are still the same person underneath the beautiful façade, but I can’t stop thinking of you as a babe right now. I dreamt this was going to be a playful, if not, a kinky sort of thing when we originally talked about it, but you are just too convincing. I don’t see Lyle dressed as a woman, rather I see Lyla. I like Lyla, I like Lyla a lot, but I am not into woman.”

“I didn’t ask for this. I still feel the same about you. What are you telling me?”

“I’m sure we will get back to normal, but until then you will still be my best friend in the world. For the next few days you will have to just live with that. My parents and I consider you family so just think of yourself as part of the family. Maybe we can jump each other’s bones when your new voice and other changes fade away. Until then, I plan to enjoy having a best girlfriend. I haven’t had one of those in years.”

“I guess this is the first time in my life I really wished I had a bi girlfriend.”

“Maybe I will come around to that. You are so pretty. Maybe since Lyla wants to jump my bones she is bi too.”

“I’m getting a headache trying to figure this all out. I guess it is goodnight then. Please make sure I don’t make a fool of myself tomorrow.”

“From now until…who knows when, you are Lyla. You will be fine if you just remember that’s who you are. Night night Luv.”

Chapter 16:

The big day included an afternoon at the Nine Zero Nine salon. Sophia, Jessi and I went from station-to-station getting every possible form of grooming and pampering. Even before Lulu styled my hair, my skin and nails were glistening. My nails and toes had a flawless British red glow courtesy of a fresh Gel coating. My hair was given a romantic Bohemian style with cascading curls. Some of the hair was pinned up to give it a more flowing appearance. My somewhat retro appearance would not have been out of place on a bride. From Lulu’s private station I was ushered to the makeup area. When I was done there it was my turn to get a little light-headed. My intense makeup and f-me hair made me nearly forget my birth gender. I was draped only in a simple peasant style dress but I looked more like a real life princess.

The shop was loaded with ladies getting similar treatments for Saturday affairs so my makeover was not out of place. Shortly before we left I finally got to see Jessica after her beauty regimen.
She looked equally ravishing. I had never seen her so formally made up, but her beauty had always been something I appreciated and was drawn to. We smiled at each other in approval and shared a careful hug.

Even Mrs. Johnson looked gorgeous. She was an older version of Jessi, but still was a very attractive woman. With her makeover she looked younger and quite stunning. The three of us were going to make quite an entrance. Moments before we were to leave the Salon Sophia reached into her purse and pulled out two pills. Lyla, here are your pills. I spoke with Dr. Welby earlier today and because of the injections, he insisted you take those until at least your body can adjust to the jolt to its system. Besides its very good for your skin and hair.

It wasn’t a place to argue and defending my masculinity would have been ridiculous at this particular moment. I swallowed the pills as Jessi blankly gazed at me.

We headed home to change into our Gala clothes. We would have about an hour before the Limo would take us into the city and drop us at the Hilton Grand Ballroom.

Back at the house I was actually excited to be putting on the gown again. I tried to contain my enthusiasm around Jessi, but even she knew that putting it back on would not be a struggle for me. I needed her help to get it on properly without ruining my makeup. I stood there in front of the woman I hoped to marry looking like a starlet at the academy awards. I could see her looking me over and trying to formulate something to say.

“Jessi, what are you thinking about. Does something look out of place?”

“Lyla, just the opposite. You look perfect. I haven’t seen you this confident looking in a long time. That dress was made for you. I think I am going to just have to get used to that.”

“I think it would look better on you, but thank you.”

“I’m not sure you completely understand what I am saying.”

“I’m confused. Does it or doesn’t it look good on me?”

“Good would be an understatement. What I am saying, this transformation appears more like a transition. You don’t just look like Lyla, I think you are Lyla. You have confidence and I can see the sparkle in your eyes.”

“I’m just in a role. This is just acting the part.”

“Method acting. You appear to be in the role of a lifetime. I think you are so convincing because I don’t think you are acting.”

“Jessi! Please don’t think like that. We will just laugh at this later.”

“Lyla. Tell me you don’t love how you feel dressed as you are now and have been the past few days. Be truthful… I will understand.”

“It hasn’t been terrible. I mean some of woman’s clothes feels so much nicer than my male clothes. I guess I have learned to appreciate being all dressed up. That’s it.”

“Now is probably not the best time to have this discussion so lets both just enjoy the evening. I want you to remember we are not a couple tonight. I expect you to respond to me and the other guest as my lovely cousin from out of town. If you do, you will have a lovely evening and maybe even some new sensations.”

“Let’s talk about this more tomorrow when this is in our review mirror. Besides having more time then, we won’t be in our red carpet attire.”

“I agree. Do you think anyone will notice me tonight next to you in your dream dress?”

“Haha! You look stunning. Then again, you always do.”

We were called downstairs to leave. We both took a deep breath before smiling at each other and making our way out.

It didn’t take me long to discover that I was not going to remain a wallflower for the evening. We were met by one of the organizers and lead to a VIP room. I was introduced to the entire Art Institute board and even Mayor Emanuel of Chicago. There were other VIPs to schmooze with before we made our way out to greet the regular patrons and have cocktails. From the time we arrived until I collapsed back into the limo many hours later, I had few moments to myself.

I was much more popular at this gala than I had ever been at a party. I used to have to insert myself in conversation to get noticed, but on this evening I was often the center of the attention. I met a few of the ladies from the club which already knew my name. They all wanted to include me in their conversations and get me involved in future activities. I was surprised how many of these ladies wanted to pry into my private life. It seemed most of them wanted to know if I had a special man in my life. At first, I adamantly said no, but as I thought about it more, I was more vague so I would provide them less of an opportunity to make suggestions. I later started to imply I had someone I met recently.

When I was not surrounded by the ladies, I found that many of the single men saw it as an opportunity to introduce themselves. I received many compliments and was the target of a few creative pickup lines along the way. It was nice to receive all the attention, but strange to be desired by random men.

Shortly before the dinner and presentations, I finally got alone with Jessica. She too had been receiving endless attention, including a lot from men. I wasn’t exactly in a position to stop that.

“Jessi, this is crazy. I don’t know what to do.”

“Looks like you are doing just fine. You are quite the debutant tonight.”

“I thought tonight was going to be all about art.”

“Art is part of it, but these things are social gatherings. People want to be seen with others and make contacts. As you can tell it also is a classy singles event.”

“Looks like you are quite the popular girl Jessi.”

“No more than you Lyla. I don’t like thinking of myself as an object, but we are both quite the catch this evening. Find anyone that you fancy?”

Before I had a chance to respond, we were in the presence of Marc and another man that I did not recognize. When I last met Marc at Mr. Johnson’s company BuilderOne he was trying to get me to bite on Hamilton Tickets. He didn’t have them, but he was using the remote chance at getting opening night tickets as a carrot to get me to go out with him. I had told Jessi about that and assumed since it would be nearly impossible to get them that I would not have to deal with this again.

Jessi was the first to kick off the conversation. “So Marc, I presume your Hamilton offer was puffery. I understand that those tickets are gold.”

Marc smiled and introduced his good friend to Jessi. “Jessica Johnson, this is Jason Kennedy.”

“Pleased to meet you Jason.”

“The pleasure is all mine.”

Marc quickly cut back in. “Jessica, Jason would like the honor of accompanying you to Hamilton Next Friday with Lyla and I. We have four seats 5th row center.”
Jessi nearly screamed. “I can’t believe you really got them. You must have a really phenomenal connection or some great blackmail photos on someone.”

“I have a relative that has an investment interest in the theater. I never asked him for a favor before, but getting Lyla to go with me was a good enough reason to cash in my chips.”

I was stunned. Marc had pulled out the miracle. I didn’t know how I was going to say no. I was hoping Jessica would come up with a plan, but quickly found that prayer dashed.

“Marc and Jason, we would be honored to go with you. Both Lyla and I have wanted to see that show so badly. To see opening night here in town is phenomenal. We can’t thank you both enough.”

I still had not said a word, even as I turned to my overly excited girlfriend. “Jessica and I hardly know the two of you. Are you sure you want to take us to something so extravagant on our first date?” I realized as soon as I said it that, that first date was probably not my best choice of words.

Marc did not hesitate. “I hope this will be a first date that will be hard to top. We can do something more casual as a follow up.”

Jason added. “Jessica, Marc has told me so much about you and your family. I understand you don’t know much about me, but your parents do know my parents and I assure you, I will be a true gentleman.”

Jessica left no doubt on the issue. “We are in! This is going to be so much fun!”

The speakers at the Gala were taking the stage. As Marc looked directly into my eyes, he said, “We can work out the plans later. Enjoy the evening.”

Jessi and I retreated to our table up at the front of the ballroom. I could see that Jessica was genuinely excited about the Hamilton show. I wanted to see it as well, but not on the arm of some man. Obviously, Jessi did not see a problem with that.

“Jessi, do you really think this is a good idea?”

“I think you will be fine. I will be with you and make sure everything is appropriate for a first date.”

“Me going out with another guy is not appropriate. I also don’t like you going out with another guy.”

“Lyla, stop thinking like another guy. It would be ridiculous for you to make yourself so beautiful and stop short of going out on a date. He’s a nice man and will treat you with respect. I will be there if you have a problem. Beside’s you have to admit, both of them are good looking.”

I didn’t dignify a response to the last point, even as I thought about what she said.

I was happy to change my thoughts to the presentations and speeches. Mr. Johnson was correct and they did unveil two magnificent piece of art. They had acquire an original Van Gogh and an even more rare Caravaggio. Mr. Johnson got to do the honors and received a long standing ovation. When all the speeches were over we had a chance to see the art up close. We also had our photos taken with the art and many of the dignitaries. My Lyla name was given to the photographers. Even if Lyla were to fade away she would forever be linked to this evening. Those photos would undoubtedly end up in print or online in many places.

The evening was not over. From the formal presentations the gala turned into a celebration. Dancing was now on the card. It didn’t take long for Marc and Jason to pull us out onto the dance floor. Fortunately, most of the music was oldies and pop so I was able to avoid much physical contact. I was not a great dancer and now I had to dance like a woman. It was almost easier because I could move my body and arms and nothing was off limits. I did find myself holding Marc’s hands a few times, but that did not seem too awkward. Before the evening was over I had even danced with Mr. Johnson.

Back at the house I was ready to crash. Maybe it was the meds, but unlike the previous evening, sex was not on my mind. Jessica did not seem intent on pushing the issue either. She handed me a very sex nightgown, casually explaining to me that I should be wearing something meant for bed. The Gala should have signified the end of my time dressing as a woman, but now I had another even more feminizing experience awaiting me the following weekend.

Chapter 17:

I woke the next morning before Jessi and just sat up in bed wondering what was ahead. My mind was swimming with thoughts about what had transpired and what might be on the docket. Part of my anxiety was not knowing what I wanted to happen. I loved Jessica and always felt she had the same feelings for me. Throughout these past days she treated me with love, but most of the sexual spark seemed to be missing. I was living with the Johnson’s because I was Jessica’s almost Fiancé, but they now were treating me as a female member of the family. My mind was confused, but there was no ambiguity that to the entire Johnson clan, I was now Lyla. If I had any doubt about that, it was eliminated early that morning at breakfast.

When Jessi’s eyes cracked open she smiled at me. I hid my anxiety and smiled back at her. In a soft voice I whispered, “Good Morning Sunshine.”

“Good morning to you too Miss Lyla. How did my beautiful girlfriend sleep?”

“Ok I guess. I woke up a few times with my mind racing, but I got enough sleep. How about you?

“I slept pretty well too. I had some strange dreams, but I don’t think I woke up at all. I can’t remember them clearly but you certainly were in them.”

For the first moment since her return to town, I thought Jessica might be feeling amorous.

“That’s sweet. What were we doing together together? Was it super erotic?”

“I don’t remember it very clearly, but I remember seeing you looking stunning in a white wedding dress. You looked so happy.”

I could feel my stomach drop. That was not what I thought she was going to say.

“Were you also wearing a wedding dress?”

“Like I said, I can’t remember much more than that. It’s possible, but maybe I was just your Maid of Honor.”

“Jessica, what’s happening to me and to us? I’m so confused.”

“You shouldn’t fret. I think you are just a bit overwhelmed by your emerging feelings. You don’t have to hold back anything now. Just let yourself out.”

“It’s just not right. We are supposed to get married. We are only staying here for your parent’s approval.”

“Lyla, you won over my mother big time and even my father has taken a new interest in you. I will always love you, but I think getting married needs to be tabled for a while. I think we both need to figure out a few things before we can even consider that.”

“What are you suggesting? What do you want me to do?”

“It’s not so much about me. You need some time to figure out what makes you tick deep inside. Marriage is a long-term deal, but you need to know yourself a little better before you can marry anyone else. Let’s get up have some breakfast and talk some more later about anything and everything. Make yourself pretty it will help put a smile on you, OK.”

“Alright. We have a lot to sort out.”

Sophia greeted us in the kitchen with a “Good morning girls.”

Most of breakfast was just the three of us. We talked a lot about the gala. Jessica also informed Sophia that I wanted to stay as Lyla for now and sort out a few things. She made it sound like it was totally my decision and something I asked Jessica to accept. It would have been understandable for Mrs. Johnson to ask me to move out at that point, but she was very understanding and said we would all work through everything together. She then surprised me by suggesting I move into the guest bedroom next to Jessica’s room. “It might be better for both of you to have some private space.”

Jessica did not argue the point. “You will both have your own closet. Girls need space for all their pretty things.”

At the tale end of this discussion, Mr. Johnson sat down at the breakfast table. He was informed of the decisions that Sophia and Jessica had made for me. Again, the implication was that all of this was driven by my desires. I was not resisting but everything was moving along so swiftly.

The biggest shocker came from Mr. Johnson. “I have been on the phone this morning with my office. Last nights gala was so successful, I think we got a couple of new exclusive business relationships. I have to say, we all contributed to that last night at the benefit.”

I was the first to congratulate him. “That’s wonderful, your speech last night was so inspiring.”

Nate nodded at me. “Lyla, you made quite an impression on some of the business community too. That certainly had to help as well.”

“Thank you, but I was just trying to be social.”

“Well you impressed some important people.”

“It was an amazing evening, so thank you for including me.”

”Lyla, I have a proposal for you.”

"What’s that Mr. Johnson? I would be glad to do anything you need.”

“When Jessi and I were on our business trip, she couldn’t stop raving about your architectural skills. I know she cares for you, but the way she spoke of your designs and knowledge, it was clearly more than just talking you up.”

“Thank you both, that means a lot to me.”

“Then last night I saw how well you handled what had to be a pretty stressful situation. You managed to impress a lot of people and fit in very well.”

“I was just trying to blend in as well as I could. I met a lot of very nice people.”
“You obviously succeeded. What I want to propose is an opportunity or you, that will also help us all spend more time together.”

I wasn’t sure where he was going with this, until his next statement.

“I know you planned to work across town with another architecture firm, but I want you to work for us. I guarantee you will make more and working with Jessica and my senior team, the position will put you on the fast track.”

I was stunned. I had not even interviewed with his firm. I had intentionally avoided that, so as not to put him or Jessica in an awkward spot with me dating Jessica. It was my dream firm and I was being offered a sweet job. I looked at Jessica with my eyes bulging open and a loss for words.

She smiled back at me before a long drawn out “Well?” emerged from her lips.

I looked back at Mr. Johnson. “Are you really offering me a job?”

“I most certainly am. You and Jessica will bring some knew young blood and energy into the firm. The atmosphere at the firm has always been a little stuffy and is overdue for some diversity and knew thinking. So what do you say?”

“My God, how can I say no. Just to be associated with your trend setting designs and a firm with your reputation, is what I went to architecture school for. I would be honored.”

“Then it is decided. Welcome aboard.”

“Thank you Thank you!”

“I will let Marc know, so he can plan ahead. I’m sure he will be pleased too. You made quite an impression on him too.”

It was at that point it hit me. Lyle was not being hired; Lyla was. I had just committed to beginning my working career as a woman.

“Mr. Johnson, I don’t want to be at all negative, but what about my real gender?”

“First off, please call me Nate. Our firm may be a bit stuffy, but we have very open and progressive human resource policies. To most of the employees, I’m sure you will be treated exactly like any other woman. Being transgender is a personal choice and will be fully supported. We have great healthcare and resources. Besides you are like family. Jessi, Sophia and I will be there to help you with your transition.”

My brain was trying to tell me to back down, but I could feel the emotional support that all of the Johnson’s were sending me. I was being treated as one of them. I had lost my own family and now I was being welcomed into another family. I still had not fully processed my rapid-fire changes, but I was ready to commit to it.

“So when do I start?”

“That’s the attitude! You and Jessi still have a few weeks off before you begin. I’m sure you can use them for a mental break and to adjust a little more to your changes. Not that you have shown any difficulties, you will need to be totally comfortable in your new environment and lifestyle. When you do begin at the office, you are going to be working very hard. Until then, I’m sure Sophia would love to assist you and Jessica in your preparation.”

“I really don’t know where to begin, but I have always enjoyed being a student.”

Until now Sophia had mostly just listened. “Lyla, I think you are a quick study. As far as the world needs to know, you are my niece. Us girls are going to enjoy the rest of the summer helping forget any old ideas or habits. From today on you are Lyla.”

“I’ll try Sophia.”

“You already appear so natural… soon it will feel totally the same way.”

I wanted to talk about it privately with Jessica. After all, I was now going to be living as her cousin. She seemed happy for me, but obviously we now had a very different relationship. I looked her in the eyes once again. “Are you sure this is all OK with you?”

“Lyla, we will always be best friends and family. I know that in my heart. It will just be a new chapter. I’m sure we will both adjust and be happy. We will do this together. I’m excited for you. I even get to go with you on your first date next weekend.”

With that proclamation my mind began to fully absorb my future.

To be continued?

CRUISING FOR TROUBLE

PART 1

Summary: In the first of three parts, Eric finds himself in deep trouble. He makes a bargain with his family that will ultimately lead him down a path he never dreamed of.
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My high school spring break was less than two days away but I was still focused on summer vacation. It would be nice to be off school for over a week, but the big prize would not be arriving until summer.

I had turned 15 in January and had managed to convince my parents to let me take drivers education over the summer vacation. I was signed up to begin my lessons at an agency near our home in Highland Park, as soon as school finished at the end of the spring semester. My mother promised to take me to the Secretary of State's office and get me my learner’s permit. Some of my best friends already had their permit and I wanted to get mine more than anything.

It took a lot of convincing of my parents to let me take driver's education over the summer, because I had recently found myself in the doghouse. My dad was not pleased that I quit the Junior Varsity high school baseball team after only two weeks. I liked baseball, but I really did not love playing at such an intensely competitive level.

The bigger issue that pushed me deep into the doghouse was my mother finding a joint in one of my socks in my bedroom. I thought it was well hidden but I guess she picked up on the smell. I had only smoked a joint twice and didn't really like it. I was read the riot act and put on family probation at home. I lost some privileges and had to stay in for three consecutive weekends.

The punishment had ended two weeks ago, but I knew I was still on a short leash around them. I was grateful that Drivers Ed did not begin until the summer or I probably would have lost that too.

I knew my parents were concerned about me, but I was generally not a problem for them. My grades in school were generally good and for the most part I got along with my sister Sasha, who is a year and a half older than me.

I think the marijuana thing was just a part of my rebellious side that seemed to crop up from time to time. As I said I was a good student, but otherwise I really did not standout. I stood a mere 5'7" tall and according to my doctor I was not likely to grow much more. I have very small feet and hands, so he had predicted that I would only be 5'6” at the most. I was happy I had out grown his prediction. My dad was almost 6 foot tall, but my mother was only 5'4" tall. I ended up almost exactly the same height as my sister, and she often reminded me of that. We were both quite thin, but I think I outweigh her by about five or 10 pounds.

Clearly I'd gotten more of my mother's DNA than my fathers. My features were fairly delicate and I had thick dark brunette hair just like my sister and my mother. Even my voice had a high inflection to it and I was often mistaken for a girl on the phone. I was proud of my main, and I currently wore it quite long.

Over the years my hair had taken on an almost ritual tradition. Each year I would get it cut short before school in the fall and then let it grow until school got out in the spring. I would then get it trimmed a little before the summer heat rolled in. Then in the fall it would be cut way back again and the cycle would repeat itself. During the school year I would only see a barber if there was some special occasion that necessitated a trim.

This tradition had been going on as long as I could remember and I was told that originally it was my mother’s idea because she contended my hair was too beautiful to always wear it short. Later as I grew older I developed an appreciation for wearing it long. My thick hair was one of my few distinguishing characteristics.

My father was less fond of my long hair and typically early each spring suggested that I get it cut. Most people’s hair typically grow at about a half an inch a month, but mine always seem to grow even faster than that.

This spring my hair was easily the longest it had ever been. My hair had been given a head start due to my last two haircuts. At the beginning of last summer my mother decided that she would take me to her stylist, since our neighborhood barber had retired. Instead of giving me my typical quickie trim, Sonia had given me more of a styling. She trimmed a fair amount off, but the results were still much longer than any of my previous summer haircuts. It looked much fuller on the top and the length tapered on the sides. It was a unique style that I thought was kind of cool other than having to go to a salon to get it.

When it was time for my fall preschool cut my mother brought me back to Sonia. Instead of cutting it short for the beginning of the school year, she mostly just trimmed it. She left it very long on the top and only trimmed some length on the bottom and sides. My hair only brushed my neck, but it looked much longer. The top hair reach almost as far down as the somewhat shorter strands on the sides and in the back. If I brushed it straight down it all reach to about the same length all around my head. It already look longer than it typically did in the spring just before I would get most of it cut off.

My mother thought it looked great, but my father made the comment, “This is what happens when you take a boy to a woman’s salon.” I was not sure about it myself, but after hearing my dad statement I got a little defensive. Instead of questioning it, I insisted it looked in style and was perfect.

In the six months since that fall cut my length grew at least 3-4 inches. It managed to remain pretty even in length and I usually had to use a ponytail to keep it from flying in my face. I knew it was beyond long, but every time my dad suggested I get it cut, I resisted. I usually played the “tradition” trump card, but it still did not make him happy.

If it sounds like my father and I were at odds, that was not the case. We disagreed about a lot of things, but overall we got along just fine. I knew he cared a lot about me and for the most part he let me be myself.

I was probably a little bit of a disappointment to him from an athletic viewpoint. My father wanted me to play baseball, because he had been a very good college ballplayer and up until now I had not shown much interest in other competitive sports. I was more the nature person and even enjoyed helping my mother in the family garden. My only typical macho endeavor was my interest in getting my drivers license.

I had some friends in the neighborhood and at school, but I generally had a hard time being social. I always seemed to find myself interested in the most attractive girls, and they generally did not even give me the time of day. My guy friends were into sports, cars, and video games, which I liked, but not to their level. I smoked a joint, because of peer pressure and trying to fit in. I know my mother was particularly concerned with me finding the right friends and just being happy.

This brings us a spring break and the cruise we were about to embark on. Our parents decided that with Sasha almost ready to go off to college that we needed to take a family vacation. They wanted to take a trip in which we would all spend a lot of time together. They felt that cruise would be a good choice, as most families ate their meals together and usually went on excursions together. They also liked the idea, because the new mega-ship Oasis of the Sea had virtually every type of activity on board and no one in our family had ever been on a cruise before.

The ship would be a new experience for all of us and it would probably have something that each of us would like. When I looked at the brochure, I had to admit there was a lot of cool stuff on the ship. The only thing I didn't like was that some of the evening entertainment was kind of formal. There were two fancy dress dinners and some art shows and even a theater. I liked the daytime options the most, and didn't really want to get dressed up on vacation. I expressed that thought at dinner earlier in the week and clearly found I was the only one who felt that way.

The evening before we were set to leave, each of us had to pack our suitcases. My mother was very specific in telling us what to bring. Besides all the bathing suits, shorts, and T-shirts, I was told specifically what nice clothes to pack. My sports jacket, dress slacks, and ties were neatly folded and left on top of my dresser for me to add to my suitcase. I was also told to pack some nice slacks and a couple of nice short sleeve shirts. My leather shoes were placed right next to my suit and I was told to take those with as well. With my extra large Delsy suitcase I had plenty of room for everything I needed, so space was not going to be an issue.

As I was packing, I got a sneaky idea that I should not have acted upon. I decided to "forget" to put my fancy clothes in my suitcase. I figured that my parents and Sasha could do the dressy things and I could find other things to do when they were gone. I would just claim it was a mistake. I certainly would not go hungry as a casual dinner buffet was served on all evenings, even on nights of the formal dinners. I thought I had it all figured out.

We flew to Miami the night before the cruise was to leave. We did not want any possible chance of problems with our connections. The weather was 80 ° when we arrived and I was suddenly very happy to be out of the cold Chicago area weather.

At midday on Saturday, we made our way to the cruise ship. I think we were all blown away by the sheer size of the ship. It was bigger than any of us imagined. The loading process was fairly slow and it took a long time to make it to our suites.

I was not thrilled, but I had to share a suite with my sister. It was attached to a larger suite that my parents were in. I wanted my own room, but then Sasha and I would have been charged as singles, which would have been a lot more expensive.

Dad told us to unpack and then we would go for a tour of the vessel. The room was pretty nice with plenty of drawers and one good-sized closet. It did not take long to put our stuff away. As I was finishing up and putting away my underwear in the bottom drawer, my sister looked at me and asked where my jacket was.

“Oh Shit, I think I forgot it! I meant to put it on top and I must have forgotten. Damn it! I won’t be able to go to the formal events with the family.”

“Mom and dad are going to be really pissed off with you. You don’t have a prayer of them believing that crock.”

“It’s true Sasha, I forgot.”

“Yeah right. We’re still going to do all of those formal things and you are not going to ruin it for all of us.”

“You can all go, it’s no big deal for me.”

“That might be what happens, but Mom and Dad wanted this to be a family trip and they are going to go ballistic.”

“Now you are scaring me.”

“You better be scared. They spent a lot on this trip and they are not going to be happy.”

“Well at this point there is not much I can do.”

“You better go face the music. I would tell them now, to give them time to cool off before tomorrow night’s first formal dinner.”

“I think I will wait.”

“Tell them or I will.”

“Come on sis, can’t it wait?”

“I would tell them now so maybe you can have some fun on the trip before it is over.”

“All right then, I will tell them.”

My sister was so right. They did not even remotely believe it was an accident. They knew I intentionally forgot those clothes and they were also very upset that I tried to lie to them. I pleaded that I was sorry, but they were too upset with me to immediately forgive me.

We were told that each evening we would have an assigned table if we wanted to go to a sit-down dinner. Even on the non-formal nights the sit-down dinners were a little dressier than the buffet area. You didn’t need to wear a jacket or tie, but you usually would come looking a little nicer than shorts and a T-shirt. I had managed to pack only casual clothes and it was already coming back to bite me.

My dad began raising his voice at me before my mother helped him regain his composure. My mother sent me back to my room and told me they were going to discuss my fate. I knew I was in deep Doo Doo and I was seriously regretting my intentional oversight.

I went back to my room and just sat on my bed with my hands on my forehead. I was trying to figure out how I was going to get out of this mess. My sister was less than sympathetic and said my mistake was very selfish. She was probably right about that, but I didn’t say a word.

About 10 minutes later my parents came through the private adjoining door and they still did not look very happy. I could see my troubles were not over. I tried one last time to plead for mercy.

“I am so sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. I was wrong and I will stay in the room while you all go to the formal dinners and dress up activities. Please forgive me.”

“Well Eric, is not going to be that easy. This was supposed to be our family trip and we were planning on spending a lot of time together. Your mother and I planned this to be a special time and you have made that nearly impossible. Maybe we can find you some slacks and a polo shirt, but you have no nice shoes or other things. It’s not really the money, but you just don’t deserve to have us purchase new things for you because of your transgressions.”

“Okay, so what now?”

“We have decided that you are not going to be taking your driver’s education this summer. You will just have to wait.”

“DAD! Come on, not that. I wanted that more than anything. That’s not fair.”

“You should’ve thought about that before. At this point our whole trip is messed up and there is no way around it.”

“I’ll do anything. Please don’t take Drivers Ed away, please.”

“Like I said you should’ve thought about that when you were packing. Your sister didn’t have to be told. Look, she packed clothing for every possible thing we might do, even extras in case of problems. You should have done the same.”

“Yeah, but Sasha is a clothes-horse. I wasn’t thinking. I am sorry. Isn’t there some other way you could punish me. I’ll do extra chores forever.”

“Well if our trip wasn’t so impacted I might have considered that, but that is not possible now.”

At that point my sister chose to speak up.

“I have an idea that might fix our problem and at the same time could serve as punishment for Eric.”

“I don’t see how that is possible.” My father shot back.

“Well dad, how about Eric borrow some of my things so he can join us for the dinners. You said I have plenty.”

“You’re crazy sis, I’m not wearing your things, they are all for girls.”

“Remember on Halloween two years ago you wore the cheerleader costume. You actually looked so good no one knew you were not a girl.”

“That was three years ago, and that was for a stupid party.”

My dad looked directly at my sister, “Sasha, that is a cute idea, but he is 15 now and this is not Halloween. “

My mother who had been silent through the whole discussion decided to interject, “Well Bill, it’s not such a bad idea. He has managed to avoid getting his haircut and he is about Sasha’s size. It might work. At a minimum he will know he should have followed orders.”

“Rita, that’s all well and good, but I still don’t think he could possibly pull it off.”

“I don’t think I can either, so let’s forget it.”

“Bill, how about I have him try on one of Sasha’s outfits and fix him up a little bit. If it looks possible, we can work on perfecting his look tomorrow.”

“Mom, I can’t believe you’re really considering this. I’m not going to dress up in girl’s clothes. I’ll look stupid.”

“I think with a little work, you should probably be passable. If you are not willing to give it a try, you can just forget about Driver’s Ed.”

“But….”

“Son, your mother and Sasha are giving you your one and only opportunity to get out of trouble. I do not see any other options.”

“There’s no way this is going to work dad. Sasha’s idea is just crazy.”

“Well here’s the deal. You will do a dry run here in the room. If your mother thinks it will work, then I will give you the opportunity to earn back your driver’s education class. You have to listen to your mother and do absolutely everything she says. If you do not cooperate 100% then you can just forget about driver’s education. You may not drive until you are 17 or more.”

“What if mom and Sasha’s don’t think it’ll work after dressing me up. Then do I get to take Driver’s Ed? “

“If you cooperate, then I will consider it if you stay out of trouble between now and the summer. But remember, if they think it might work, you have to do whatever they tell you to.”

I couldn't believe it, but I was about to try on some of my sister's clothes for the whole family to see. This was going to be very humiliating and I couldn't believe it was happening.

I was ordered to take a shower and shave my body of any stray hairs. I had very little hair on my body and most of it was very fine. I was told to shave under my arms as well as up and down my legs and chest. I was also told to wash my hair and wrap a towel around it.

Shaving my legs was not as easy as I thought. I actually nicked myself a couple of times, drawing a small amount of blood. I was very embarrassed when I emerged from the bathroom, both hairless and feeling very exposed. My sister looked at me and told me to calm down.

I could see that they had laid out a complete set of clothes on top of my bed. I began to squirm a little and said, “Let’s get this over with.”

First came some of my sister’s undergarments. I had to put on a pair of her briefs and one of her brassieres. They stuffed some of my socks in the brassiere to give me some shape. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and began to squirm even more. It was strange seeing my own image in some of my sister’s lingerie. I’m not sure what came over me, but I started to get an erection. My arousal did not go unnoticed.

My sister commented, "if this is going to work, we are going to have to do something to cover that up. I guess he enjoys being Erika more than he cares to admit."

"Don't tease him, we still have a lot of work to do here."

They slipped over my head one of my sister’s sundresses that only reached to mid-thigh, which was followed up by a pair of wedge sandals onto my feet. I could tell they were pleased with my progress. They told me to sit on the bed while they blow-dried my hair. They worked on my hair for about 15 minutes. They kept brushing it under and using the blow dryer to create one large wave. When they were done my hair curled slightly under my chin. I had never seen my hair like that and it definitely looked more feminine. At that point I thought they were done. Instead, my mother laid out her makeup kit.

“Eric, I am only going to put a little makeup on you to bring out your eyes and cheeks.”

“ I feel so stupid.”

“You look just fine, let me finish.”

Over the next 10 minutes my mother outlined my eyes, and brushed some mascara into my lashes and eyebrows. She worked some powders above my eyes and on my cheek line. Finally she put some lipstick on my lips.

When she was done she stood back a couple of steps and stared at her work.

“That one earring looks wrong with everything else. Eric, please take it out.”

After I took the stud out of my left ear she smiled.

“I think this is going to work. You look very nice, and with a little more effort I think you will look very pretty.”

I turned to the large mirror in our room to take in the full affect. With the makeup on, I looked a little too good. My hair didn’t look quite right, but otherwise I looked like an attractive teenager. I began to get uncomfortable knowing that the charade was unlikely to end anytime soon.

My father got his first look at me and he sealed my fate.

“Eric, you look amazingly like your sister. I think with your small frame and long hair you should have no problem spending some time dressed in your sisters clothes. It looks like our family vacation is back on.”

“Bill, Eric looks pretty good, but his hair looks very odd and his hands and feet look like a mess. If this is going to work, we need to make an appointment for him at the ship salon. I am sure they can do a better job than I did.”

“Rita, you have total freedom to do anything you want to get him ready. I want him to be as perfect as possible to avoid any problems. It will also teach him some good lessons.”

“I will call the salon to get him in tomorrow.”

“I’m not going to a salon! That’s not fair.”

“Son, you know the drill. If you do not do everything your mother says, you can forget about your summer driving plans.”

“How many times am I going to have to get dressed up like this?”

My mother quickly responded, “We will see. There are only two formal evenings, but we may want to go to a show or possibly some other dressier event. You are in no position to make demands.”

“Can I take this off now?”

“Yes, Sasha will show you how to remove the makeup and moisturize your face. Please take good care of her clothing, it needs to last for both of you.”

When I was done we finally went for our tour of the ship. As the brochures’ indicated, the ship had everything. There were many exciting entertainment areas including pools, game rooms, an ice rink, and even karaoke booths. The ship also had many restaurants, spas, salons, and shopping areas. The shopping areas were almost as large as the mall back home. I could probably get all of the boy clothes that I needed in there. I even mentioned that to my parents.

“Eric your father and I have already dealt with that issue. You will be fine and this will teach you to listen better in the future.”

We walked around for nearly 2 hours and only stopped for a quick beverage on the top deck. We decided that after walking around so long we were hungry. Instead of doing the sit-down option we decided to try the buffet. It was plentiful, but nothing exceptional. My parents said that the sit-down and formal dinners typically had better food. We had some dessert and went back to our rooms.

Sasha and I decided to go for an evening swim and our folks decided to check out the onboard casino. It was a fun evening and Sasha and I managed to get over the conflict we felt earlier. By the time we got back to the room around 10 PM I was very relaxed and had forgotten about the coming challenges.

My mother stopped in our room while we were watching a little TV and told me that my appointments were to begin at 10 AM. She said we would all go and have some breakfast at 8:30, and then we could come back to the room to get ready. We were told to turn in, and get a good night sleep.

I ask what she meant by appointments, and all she said was they had a lot to do.

Despite being very tired, I had some trouble sleeping. I woke up two or three times and each time I was thinking about wearing that sundress. Normally I have a hard time waking up, but on Sunday morning I was up before Sasha. I listened to music on my iPhone for a while, until everyone else was up.

We all made our way to breakfast as a family. Today would be our first full day on the ship and there would not be any island excursions. The ship had to make a long journey to its first stop deep in the Caribbean Sea before we would make our first stop in Jamaica. My mother emphasized that it was good we were on the ship all day as I would need extra time to prepare myself for the evening.

I told her that I dreaded the appointment that was growing near and asked one last time if it was really necessary.

“Eric, you need to start getting into a better frame of mind to make this as easy as possible. If you keep making faces and resisting you will have a miserable time and much more likely embarrass yourself. When we get back to the room to change you have to start thinking and acting more like a girl.

“Can’t I just wait until this evening?”

“Honey, when you go back to the room, you have to change into proper clothes for the salon and after the salon we’re going to have to work on teaching you some basic lessons. For the rest of the day you are going to have to be Erika. Tomorrow we go ashore and it is a casual dinner so maybe then things will be easier.”

“I have to go to the salon dressed up?”

“Yes, it would look very odd getting some of your treatments as a teenage boy.”

“I guess you are right, but I don’t want to look stupid.”

“That is why you need to relax and start getting into a better mindset. You’re going to feel different looking and dressing more like your sister. You need to accept that, and just go with it. Don’t try and be a boy in a dress or everyone will see through it. Try and enjoy the experience. If someone compliments you, just smile and say thank you. You are much less likely to be ‘read’, if you make an effort to act in a more feminine way.”

“This is all so much to take in. I’ll try and do my best, just don’t expect me to wear white if I ever get married.”

“That’s very funny Eric. I’m glad you can find some humor in this. But don’t be so quick to plan your life, you probably would look beautiful in white.”

With that we all laughed a little. Breakfast moved along too swiftly for me and it was time for me to get ready for my makeover. We headed back to the room where my mom once again helped me prepare. Sasha and my father went up to the deck to enjoy some of the morning sun.

My mother laid out some clothing for me again, but added a few items. I was surprised by some of the things lying on the bed. She had me put on a maxi pad after I tucked my penis between my legs. Following that uncomfortable maneuver she pulled a very tight bikini bottom up over the pad to hold everything in place. When I looked down I could see I was flat where my family jewels used to reside.

I slipped on the same brassiere from yesterday only my mother had some new inserts for me to put in them. She had found thick rubber breast pads at one of the shops last night. She explained that on the ship a lot of girls like to look much more fully endowed, so they sell waterproof inserts. She had bought the largest ones they had, which almost completely filled my sisters ‘B’ cup bra that I was wearing. They really weren’t meant for someone with no cleavage at all, but they did the job on my chest.

I pulled on the sundress and wedge sandals and walked over to my mother.

“Hold your elbows in a little and take shorter strides.”

She had me walk back and forth a few times until she thought I had a more acceptable motion. She then went to work on my face. She put on me only a little makeup this time; as she said one of the salon stylists plan to touch me up later. She gave me matching silver bracelets for my wrists and also spritzed me with some sweet smelling body mist. With that we were out the door and on our way to the salon.

Just being in the hallway looking as I did, gave me some chills. I knew I had to get used to it, but I could only think about some of my school friends seeing me this way. I told my mother how nervous I was and she seemed sympathetic.

“It probably is a little difficult now. This is all so new to you, but I am sure you will feel much better later. When they are done with you at the salon you’ll look so much nicer and after you have had more time to adjust, I am sure you will feel much more natural. Remember, don’t fight it. You’re going to be pampered at the salon and that is something every girl loves. So just go with it.”

At the salon I was introduced to Lulu who would be trimming my hair. When she first saw me she had an unpleasant look on her otherwise attractive face.

“I see we have a little work to do. Your thick hair has potential, but it looks like no one ever gave it much thought.”

My mother responded, “My Erika has always been kind of a tomboy. On the cruise we want her to look and feel much more like a pretty young lady. We want her to look nice for the evening events, but with something that is not too hard to take care of.”

“Your daughter is going to be very beautiful. She has nice features and wonderful eyes. We will give her a styling, makeup, manicure, pedicure, and pierce the other ear as you requested.

“Mom, what about my ear?”

“Honey, you need to pierce your right ear to wear Sasha’s or my jewelry. Don’t fret, the hole will just fill in later.”

“Mrs. Adams, we have a lot to do and this is going to take a long time. She could be here as much as three hours.”

“I understand. I have scheduled a manicure and pedicure for myself, and Erika’s sister, at noon. We thought it would be nice to have some family girl time.”

“That’s fabulous. We will get to work on Erika and you can see her when you return.”

“Now Erika, please cooperate with Lulu. She knows what to do. I don’t want to hear about any problems or you know what the punishment will be.”

“Yes mom. I will try and be a good girl. Please hurry back, I’m not real comfortable being here all alone.”

“Yes dear. Have a great time.”

Lulu began washing my hair and then she played with it for a couple of minutes, before deciding on how to begin.

“I guess it needs a trim. I had been meaning to get a haircut.”

“A trim, that’s funny. You need a complete restyling. Your hair is very healthy, but has absolutely no body or style. We will take care of that and maybe bring out the color a little more. You have a hint of red in your brown hair and I think we will bring that out just a little bit more. When we are done you will be so thrilled.

“Restyled, like how?”

“Don’t think about that, just sit back and enjoy.”

I never had someone spends so much time working on me as Lulu did. She cut, brushed, died, and even used hot rods in my hair, while I patiently sat in her chair. Shortly before she was done working on my styling, a person entered the salon and called over to her. Lulu waved the girl over to her station and she pointed at me.

“This will only take a minute.” The girl dabbed my right ear and almost immediately I felt a small prick. Moments later I was wearing my mother’s diamond studs on both of my ears. I couldn’t believe what was happening to me, but I just kept thinking it would be over soon enough.

When she was done working on my hair she called over a very beautiful woman that appeared to be of some sort of Caribbean or Latino descent.

“Calia is going to work on your make up. Your mother instructed her to give you some basic highlighting that could be adjusted for different needs or for the time of day.”

Calia’s accent was a little hard for me to understand, so just before she was done I had Lulu explained to me what she was doing.

“Most of the makeup is pretty standard. She uses blends that hold up a little better under the hot sun than traditional cosmetics. She will give you some samples of those to take with you and apply, as you need it. You also received some special treatments for your eyes and your lips”

“What kind of special treatments? She seemed to work on those for a very long time.”

“For your eyes, she put on some long-lasting eyeliner and mascara. Neither is permanent, but should last a week or two. If you swim a lot or are out in the sun a great deal it might not last quite as long. It just wears off gradually and then you will need another treatment.”

“What! This is going to stay on me. That cannot be! You have to take it off.”

“Sorry Erika that would be a very bad idea. When the treatment is fresh, you could get an irritation or even infected if you try to take it off too soon.”

“Oh God, so what did she do to my lips?”

“That was pretty minor. She just stained them to give you a slightly pinker lip color. That also is temporary and you probably will want to wear lipstick on your lips anyway.”

“Can I see myself? I am getting very worried.”

“I am almost done and you can see your pretty self in a moment.”

Almost on cue, my sister and mother re-entered the salon. They immediately made a beeline to our station.

“Holy shit! You are stunning!” My sister nearly screamed.

“Quiet now Sasha. Honey you look adorable. I knew you would be pretty, but I wasn’t certain you would look this fabulous.”

“Mom, they use long-lasting makeup on me, and Lulu still hasn’t let me see myself.”

“It’s called semi-permanent makeup and you look great.”

Lulu informed us that she was done and that I could look now. I stepped out of the chair and I could feel the blood rushed back into my bottom. I walked the 10 feet over to the full-length mirrors and quickly started to feel faint. My mother dashed over to grab me.

“Are you okay Honey?”

“Mom, that can’t be me. What have they done?”

“It’s you dear, and they brought out your inner beauty.”

I started to look again. I was still feeling flush, but I focused more on the image staring back at me. The girl in the mirror was as pretty as any I knew, and I looked almost like my sister. I was originally concerned about passing as a girl in a dress, now I was more concerned as to passing as a guy. With my restyled hair and the makeup, I did not see any way that was possible.

My hair had been cut into what Lulu described as soft cascading curls. Every strand of my long hair had loose spiral shape. My hair while still brown had more red in it and bounced along on my shoulders as I turned my head. I was in shock by the extreme makeover, but also fascinated by how attractive I looked. The longer I looked at myself more I became mesmerized by my appearance. I even found myself getting turned on by the image. I was grateful for the moment that the feminine pad was holding down my private parts.

I was pulled back into reality by Lulu who told us that the manicurists were ready for us. Our feet were submerged into warm tanks of mineral enhanced water. The whole process was much more involved than I imagined. They worked on my hands for about 15 minutes before they began adding fake nails to my fingers. I looked over at my mother and she smiled and said “Acrylic nails will hold up much better at the pool or on the beach. I asked for nails sizes that are just a little longer than your previous length.”

They looked a lot longer to me, but at least they looked pretty natural. I was just getting over the anxiety of having fake nails when my manicurist started painting them ‘sunshine red’. Not that the rest of me looked remotely boyish anymore, but having red nails would just add to the illusion. Before I was done I had matching red toes as well.

My resistance to being humiliated had evaporated. I had no energy to fight back or complain. When the whole idea had been originally suggested, I assumed I would be able to switch back and forth in appearance with ease. Now I knew that would be virtually impossible. I had been given a new identity for the rest of the cruise. I was even a little worried about the ability to remove some of the handiwork after the vacation was over. For now, I was just going to have to stay focused and try to adjust.

When we signed the tab for the extensive services, we thanked and tipped all of the people who helped us. I received a number of compliments on my new look and returned each comment with a polite thank you. The very last compliment though caught me off guard.

“I loved cutting and styling your hair. I think it turned out gorgeous. You’re going to have such a wonderful time on the cruise. Looking at yourself now, isn’t this so much better than being plain old Eric?”

“I nearly froze. Lulu had known from the beginning that I was a boy and never let on. I gave her a quizzical look and answered, “I guess I’m going to find out.”

________________________ END OF PART 1

CRUISING FOR TROUBLE

PART 2

Summary: In the second of three parts, the bargain Eric made with his family has him spending the rest of the cruise as Erika.
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We left the salon and made our way to the ship’s center shopping and restaurant area. We stopped to get a salad for lunch and to discuss my new circumstances.

“Erika, everything went so well at the salon and I’m sure you’re going to have an exciting time this week. Your sister and I will help you however we can and point out things that will help you with your feminine comportment. You seem to be adjusting pretty well already, but I bet it will feel totally natural before long.”

“Mom, this is not supposed to feel totally natural!”

“Dear, that is a figure of speech. I just mean that over time you will feel more comfortable this way.”

"You just never told me that this would be so extreme. This is more than a little punishment. I think I would have skipped drivers education, instead of being turned into a girl."

"Look at the bright side little sister, your drivers license picture will look so much prettier now."

"Sasha, I told you not to tease him. That does remind me, Lulu has arranged to get you a new ID card this afternoon. We need to stop by “ship's services’ and have your picture re-taken."

After our light lunch, we stopped at a couple of the boutiques and my mother picked out a few outfits and swimsuits for me. She thought that this would help Sasha's wardrobe last longer and we wouldn't have to share as much.

When we were done we made the quick stop to get my new ID. The clerk asked why we needed a new one already and my mother said that they misspelled my name and I was embarrassed by that. He looked at my old card and then me. He kept looking at the ID card, and me and then told me to sit in the photo chair and smile. Click-click, I was now Erika for all to see.

---The picture on my new ID---

Back at the room my mother ushered my dad inside to see his new daughter. When he saw me, I could tell he looked very confused.

"Rita, I can't believe this is really Eric. I thought you were just going to have his hair trimmed a little."

"Bill, he needed to feel like a girl if he was going to try and pass as one. Isn't she beautiful."

"She!"

"Bill, for now you need to think of Eric as Erika. If we don't treat her as a girl, she won't feel like one."

It was almost like I was not there. They were discussing my situation and planning my vacation without me. My mother reminded my father that he had told her that she had complete freedom in getting me ready to pass.

I could see my father was shocked by the complete makeover I had received. He went along with my mother's recommendations, because he thought it would teach me a good lesson. Now he was clearly not as sure about the idea. The lessons I would be learning were a little different than I think he anticipated. I was now effectively another daughter and he had to treat me just like Sasha for the rest of our vacation.

For the first time in a long while, I could see that he felt some sympathy for me. He sat down next to me on my bed and put his hands on the back of my hands, which were on my lap. He spoke to me very softly and with a very kind tone in his voice.

"I know this must the very difficult for you. Your mother and I will try and make it go smoothly and help you out however we can. I never thought it would end up going this far, but you do look lovely. I guess I am going to have to get used to calling you Erika. That is the name your mother and I originally were going to call you, before we found out at the last minute you were a boy. The doctors had told us they thought we were having a girl, and then you surprised us when you were born. We were never disappointed, but now I guess we can use that name for a little while. It is probably a nice treat for your mother."

"You never told me that before."

"It didn't seem that important. I think your mother would have been happy either way. For your first six months or so you had to wear a fair amount of baby clothes that was styled for a girl. It was easier than returning all of the baby gifts."

It was a nice talk with my dad and it lasted for nearly 20 minutes. I think it was the first time in over a year that we just sat and chatted. He made me feel loved and I appreciated his empathetic acceptance of my current situation. When we were done he gave me a sweet peck on my cheek. He would never have done that with Eric.

It was late afternoon, but our first formal dinner would not be until 7 PM. Sasha convinced me it would be a good idea if the two of us went up on deck and got some sun or just fresh air for a while. She thought it would be good for me to get used to being outside as Erika. We made our way up to the main deck and just strolled around. I still needed practice walking in shoes with high wedges so the practice was good. After walking around the entire topside twice, I began to feel more stable and in control. Sasha helped me adjust my hips and stride to walk more girl like. The breeze felt nice on my naked legs and when it blew up and under my sundress. The sensation started to feel almost pleasant.

When we first started walking I noticed a few guys look in our direction. At first, I assumed they were checking out my sister, but I realized I was getting eyed as much as her. This was something I never contemplated or had a clue how to cope with. When I was Eric I don't ever remember getting checked out by girls. Maybe I was, but it was never so obvious. I was now a girl for only a few hours and I had guys attracted to me.

Sasha told me not to worry about the boys. "I'll just have to get used to that. You are as pretty as any teenager on the ship, so it's just going to be something for you to learn to handle. Most guys are just lookers anyway.”

“What about the others?”

“It’s not hard to be polite and let them off easy. If you are not interested, just tell them that you have a boyfriend already.”

“What do you mean, ‘IF’?”

“Erika, I’m not telling you how to have fun, but you are on vacation and you may want to socialize. I’m not always going to be there for your company.”

“I was never that good at talking with girls, how can I talk with guys?”

“You do have a lot of questions. My guess, with girls you were trying to get their attention and sound interesting. With guys, you already have their interest and you just have to decide which one you want to be with.”

“I don’t want to be with any of them!”

“Relax, you have a lot to learn or should I say re-learn.”

We returned to the room to get ready for the evening. I took a quick shower, but made sure my hair did not get wet. It still looked fabulous from the styling and I did not want to deal with drying it. Sasha told me to remove my makeup and she would replace it with evening makeup.

I washed off all of the regular makeup, but the semi-permanent makeup remained. When I looked at myself in the mirror, I still looked completely girlish. The eyeliner highlighted my eyes, and my lips look plumper due to the tinting. My hair was unmistakably styled and I found myself smiling back at my reflection.

My sister noticed my mood shift and told me to get my pretty butt over to her for some more makeup.

“It looks like someone likes how they look.”

“I was just looking at my face.”

“It’s okay Erika, I am not trying to tease you. You are very attractive and I know you like it.”

“I am just glad I look passable.”

“Passable, very funny. You look great. Just admit you like how you look. I am not going to give you a hard time or tell anyone.”

“I am not sure what I think, but it is kind of nice. I shouldn’t like this at all, but some part of me is enjoying this. Please don’t tell mom or dad.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll help you try and figure it all out. Tonight should be fun, and we can take each new experience as they come.”

I wore Sasha’s blue formal cocktail dress. It had better coverage of my breasts, so it was the obvious choice over her black one. I had a hard time navigating on heels, which were only connected to my feet by some very thin straps. I practically looked like a bridesmaid when I saw the full affect of my ensemble.

Sasha was equally beautiful in her black dress with black pumps. Together we looked like a pair of knockouts. My father looked at us with a little fear in his eyes.

“You girls look much older than your ages. I can’t believe how grown up you both look. I am a little nervous taking you two to dinner looking that sexy, especially you Erika. Sasha, I need you to watch out for your sister. She is going to get a lot of attention and may need some help.”

“I already talked to her about things like that and I think she is ready.”

“Then it’s time for us to go and enjoy dinner together as a family.”

We entered the main dining room, which had been set up elegantly for the evening affair. We had stopped by the dining room on our earlier tour of the ship, but had not experienced a meal there as yet. We had to wait to be seated. As it turns out, all meals in the formal dining area are by assigned seats. Each family is assigned a table, and it is their table for the rest of the cruise. Some of the tables are small and others are very large. They set up the tables so that families can have some privacy, but also so they can socialize with other families. Since our family was only four people, they placed us at a table with another family of four people. We would be eating with this family each night that we elected to eat in the formal dining room.

We were introduced to the Grant family. They had arrived in the dining area a few minutes before us, and already had been seated. We had been grouped with them, because they had two children that were approximately the same age as Sasha and I. They seemed very happy to meet us and were quick to engage us in conversation. One of the first things that they said was that they were surprised to see two girls. Their family included two boys that were a junior and seniors in high school, and they were told that we had a senior girl and sophomore boy. My mother was quick to the explanation, and told the story about the messed up ID cards. The two boys did not seem at all upset by the error.

I squirmed a little when I was seated next to the younger of the two boys named Mark. Sasha was paired up with David and we were all seated. The agenda for the evening was a multicourse meal, followed by a speech from the captain and some ballroom dancing. I planned to make my exit as early as possible.

Mark told me that they lived in Boston, but that they had lived in Hinsdale, IL when they were much younger. They still had some family in Northbrook, which was only one town over from our home in Highland Park. They had not been in the Chicago area for nearly 3 years, but always liked it there. This was also their first cruise and so far they have been enjoying it. Mark and David had spent the afternoon at one of the topside pools and even did some surf boarding in the special wave pool specifically designed for that. Mark said we really should try that.

I didn’t want to say that I had spent the day in the salon, so all I said is that we went to one of the spas for a while and spend some time relaxing up on the deck. We talked a little bit about school and I even managed to say how excited I was that I would be getting my learners permit this summer. Mark told me that he had just recently passed his driving test and now had his license. He was so excited that he took it out of his wallet to show me. We did not seem to have very much difficulty finding things to talk about. Every now and then, I had to use choice words when describing some of my past activities. I had to be very careful not to say anything that might blow my cover. After some initial jitters, I found it pretty easy to talk with him.

After talking almost exclusively with Mark for about 10 minutes, I engaged my sister in a brief conversation about the food. I could see a small smirk on her face and she looked at me and then shifted her eyes over towards Mark. She then smiled at me and blinked her left eye in a sign of approval. I had been feeling pretty good until then, but realized that she was acknowledging that there might be something between Mark and me.

Following Sasha’s silent comment, I looked over towards my mother until we made eye contact. She seemed pretty happy, but fortunately did not make any similar gestures like Sasha. My father seemed to be engaged in conversation with Mr. Grant. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the evening and I was clearly passing my first test with flying colors.

The meal lasted about an hour and a half. You can cover a lot of conversations in that period of time. Before we were finished with dessert we all seemed to know a lot about each other. After the meal we made our way to the main ballroom to hear the captain’s speech. It was a nice welcoming speech and provided us with a lot of information about the amazing ship that we were on. When he concluded, I started to think about heading back to the room.

At that point they started some live music for entertainment and dancing. For the adults they passed around Champaign and for those of us underage, they provided other sparkling beverages. We gathered around as a family listening to music while enjoying our beverages.

As we were relaxing David came over and asked Sasha if she would like to dance. They headed out to the dance floor to do some formal dancing. Sasha had always been pretty graceful, even though she did not have that much experience doing formal dancing. I was watching her dance when Mark came over and asked me to dance. I became a little flustered, but Mark held out his hand as if to guide me. A few moments later his hand was on the small of my back and I was holding him. It was a strange sensation and I was in a little bit of shock. I kept trying to smile, but I didn't know the right way to react. The longer we were out on the dance floor the more I seem to get comfortable. I could see in Mark’s eyes that he was very happy sharing the dance with me. He was obviously attracted to me and I wasn't sure how to respond. He was not acting in any way inappropriate, but he was clearly trying to act charming in my presence. Before the evening was over I had danced four numbers with Mark and one with my father. When dancing with my father, he made the strange comment that Mark seemed to be a nice boy. I let it pass, but was not sure what he meant by that.

At the end of the evening we all said our goodbyes and my parents commented that we would look forward to seeing them for dinner the following evening. It was then that David suggested that the boys could take Sasha and me to the pool in the morning. It was supposed to be a hot day and later in the afternoon they were going on an excursion into the Montego Bay to do some sightseeing. We were also welcome to join them for that, but they thought swimming in the morning might be a fun start to the day. Before I could answer, Sasha said that would be great. With that we headed back to our cabin.

“Hey little sister, how long has it been since you’ve had a date? I’m not sure you would call this a date, but it should be fun hanging out with them.”

“Why did you do that?”

“We were probably going to the pool anyway. You seem to be having a good time with Mark and having him around should help keep other guys away from you.”

“Probably right about that, but he might get the wrong idea.”

“What idea is that? Like I said before, when was the last time you were out with somebody of the opposite sex?”

“He’s not of the opposite sex!”

“It’s just for fun. It’s not like you’re going to sleep with him.”

“You’re making me nauseous.”

“I think you’re just seasick.”

“You’re supposed to be looking out for me.”

“I am. Mark is a nice guy and if he does anything you don’t like you know his parents will hear about it. It’s about as safe as it could be.”

“It just gives me butterflies to think about it.”

“Butterflies can be good. The guys are going to meet us at the pool at 9:30. You can wear one of your new bathing suits and the pink flip-flops.”

When we got back in the room I found a new pair of silk pajamas on my bed. They were ocean blue and had the name Oasis of The Sea on them. I had not forgotten my pajamas, but my mother wanted me to spend the entire trip as Erika and that included time in the room. It seemed like a moot point to argue, so I took them and put them on. They immediately felt so different than my old pajamas and made me ponder my current situation. Up to this point my makeover had been so that I would appear female for other people; the pajamas however were so that I would feel like a girl when I was by myself. Everything that had happened so far seemed to be geared to draw me deeper and deeper into my female persona.

I was very tired from the events of the day and fell asleep very quickly. It felt like the night had passed so quickly when it was time to get up in the morning. Sasha and I went together for a quick breakfast so we could meet up with the guys.

We met them as planned by the largest pool on the main deck. We were lucky to get four deck chairs exposed to the early morning sun. The temperature was still comfortable, but with the direct sun it felt very warm.

We had been on the ship for a day and a half and this was my first time lying out in the sun. Sasha had spent some time while I was at the salon yesterday, but for me it was a first. My skin was very pale, so I had to make sure I put on plenty of lotion. I liberally spread the lotion on my body everywhere but my back. I asked Sasha to put some on my back, but she said she was busy putting on her own lotion on. Mark overheard me and volunteered to put it on my back. It was an unusual sensation having a guy rubbing lotion onto my back. Almost without thinking I asked him if he needed me to rub any onto his back. He smiled at me and said that would be very nice. I think I made the offer instinctively without thinking. I started to rub some lotion into his back and could feel that there already was some there to begin with. I mentioned to him that it felt like there was lotion already there, but he again smiled at me and said he thought he could use a little more.

After sunning for about an hour we decided to go for a swim. I was nervous about getting my enhancements wet and wondered if they would stay in place. I was careful getting into the water and fortunately did not seem to have any trouble. The water felt invigorating and we all started swimming around playing games and splashing each other. It was all good-natured and we were having a lot of fun. The games led to a lot of touching and I found myself being lifted out of the water by Mark. He was holding me under my legs and back almost like a baby. I was laughing and I gave him a big smile while I glanced into his eyes. It was a moment I never intended to happen, but it was too late to take back. Our friendly socializing had taken an unexpected small step forward. For the rest of the time at the pool, I tried to avoid a repeat moment, but our friendly interaction clearly had escalated. When we got out of the pool, he rubbed some more lotion on my back and neck, even before I asked for assistance.

We stayed at the pool for about two hours but had to leave to get ready to go on shore. Sasha had a great time with David and seemed very pleased that I have had fun with Mark. We did not go to shore with the Grants, but confirmed that we would be joining them for dinner in the evening. My mother wanted us to do some shopping at the local island boutiques. Sasha was thrilled to be going to the boutiques. She wanted to pick out an authentic Island style dress or two.

“Well did you two girls have a nice time at the pool?”

“Erika and I had a very nice time. It was fun being with David and Mark and we all just hung out by the pool.”

“Yeah mom, the pool was very nice.”

“It was more than the pool that was very nice, right Erika?”

“That’s enough Sis. We had a good time.”

“You know mom, Erika is probably going to want to pick out a new dress before she sees Mark again this evening.”

My mother gave us both a raised eyebrow look “ Well girls, it sounds like we have some shopping to do."

On the island, we were hounded by locals trying to sell us just about everything and offers of services like hair braiding. There was no way my hair was going to be braided after getting it so completely restyled just yesterday. We got very good at saying "no thank you,” sometimes multiple times to the same vendors.

In some of the nicer boutiques, we shopped for summer dresses and stylish accessories. The first time I was sent in the back to try on a dress I was a little afraid, but I quickly got over it and started enjoying it. I had never particularly enjoyed clothes shopping before, but then this was more recreational than out of necessity. I liked how some of the dresses were flattering on me. My dad who was just tagging along had to critique our new Looks. I could see him trying to adjust to seeing me look and begin to act more girlishly. In only one day I had gone from totally reluctant, to strutting my stuff. He looked just a bit forlorn by my new attitude, but he never outwardly complained.

I ended up with three new dresses before we were done. I especially liked the last one I picked out, since it had local flowers in the pattern and I thought they were really colorful. If I could have grown those flowers in the Chicago climate I would have bought some seeds to bring home. I planned to wear that one in the evening.

Before we returned to the ship we stopped for a frozen island drink at the Port. My dad and I chatted some more about my changes.

"Dad, you've been pretty quiet all afternoon, is everything okay?"

"Yes Erika, I am just not as interested as you in dress shopping."

"I didn't think I was either. I feel almost like a new person. It is kind of liberating."

"I am glad you are doing fine with it. I just never thought you would adjust so quickly and completely."

"I know that underneath my dress I am not really a girl, but I am experiencing sensations that are all new to me and I am enjoying it."

"Well we are on vacation so it's good you are happy."

"Thanks dad, Mom seems all right with it too."

"I think she is more than alright with it. I think she really is enjoying this."

"I never expected to feel this way, but in being Erika I feel more girlish, than I ever felt boyish when I was Eric. It's hard to explain, but this has not been that difficult for me to adjust too."

"Let's just see how you feel in a few days. Maybe the thrill will wear off."

"Okay daddy, how does my hair look?"

We showered up and readied ourselves for dinner. I wore my new print dress. My sister lent me a pair of her dangly silver earrings and showed me how to put on some of my own makeup. It was part of the whole experience of looking pretty, but I wanted to look my best for everyone at dinner.

The Grants arrived at dinner about five minutes after us. We had just received our beverages and were still looking over at the dinner alternatives. When they saw us, Mark quickly made his way over to meet me. We had an awkward moment when he didn’t know whether to hug me, give me a peck or what. Ultimately, he gave me a big smile and said he was very excited to see me again. I told him I was very happy they were able to join us.

We all heard about their eco-tour and swimming experience in the spring fed pond. It sounded like a fun afternoon. We told them about our shopping afternoon, which Mark said sounded a little dull. I told him that I bought the dress I was wearing and he perked up.

“You look spectacular in the dress. It makes your afternoon totally worth it.”

I thanked him for the compliment and felt myself blush a little.

Dinner was almost as good as the previous night’s formal menu and we spent most of the dinner talking about each other and about life at school. I had to embellish my stories to keep the descriptions consistent with my new appearance.

Instead of having dessert off the menu, Mark asked if I would like to go to Johnny Rockets up on the entertainment deck for dessert later. I looked at my parents to see if it was okay. I could see by their faces they were not sure it was a good idea.

“Erika you have had a very long day, your mom and I think maybe tonight you might want to take it easy and get some rest.”

“Come on Dad, we are on vacation. The whole trip is rest. I can sleep in tomorrow if I am tired.”

“Well I guess that would be okay, but I don’t want you out really late.”

Mark’s parents made him promise to bring me back to my room by 10:30 PM. It was about 8:30 and Mark said he would come by my room at nine o’clock to pick me up.

Back at the room I got a lot of attention from my sister and parents. My parents were somewhat panicked that I was going out with a boy for ice cream. They had pushed me down the slippery slope and now I was putting myself in a position that that no one was prepared to deal with. They warned me that I had no experience being with a boy and I had better just go for ice cream and no more.

“Don’t fret, I am just going out to be social. We went to the pool this morning and he was quite the gentleman. I am just trying to get the most out of the cruise and I am feeling much better adjusted to being Erika.

My sister did not say that much to me, but she clearly was encouraging me on.

“You seem to understand relationships much better as a girl that you ever did as my brother. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

I had to laugh a little at that last comment, but I know she really meant it.

______________________________END OF PART 2

CRUISING FOR TROUBLE
By Nina Adams

PART 3

Summary: In the third of three parts, Erika now experiences feminine bliss and is unsure of where this will take him. His secret comes out and he has to fight his feelings.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Mark came to get me he held his hand out and our palms embraced. We strolled down the hall casually holding hands. I was feeling 100% girlish, still not sure what to expect or what I actually wanted. I was no longer the reluctant girl, but I knew I was still male under my façade. As we walked, I was feeling nothing but chills through my veins.

Mark was so polite and nothing like the guys I knew back home. He made me feel special just by his presence and his complete attention to me.

When we checked in to Johnny Rockets the hostess told us it would be about 15 minutes and she gave us one of those pagers that flash when it is our time. We decided to hang out outside under the clear sky that was sprinkled with the most stars I had ever seen. We shared a small space at the railing with our bodies brushing up against each other.

For a short moment there was no conversation between us. I was just looking up at the amazing sky and taking in the pleasant evening breeze. Mark looked over at me and asked, “What are you thinking about?”

I really was not thinking at all. My mind was on ‘cruise’ control and I was just drifting through the moment. I answered, “I was just thinking how wonderful it feels right now and how nice it is to be here with you.”

I was probably a little more forward than my parents would have approved of, but I think I hit the magic chord with Mark.

“I feel exactly the same way being here with you. I am with the most beautiful girl in the most romantic setting and I don’t know what I did to deserve all of this.”

“You are making me blush.”

With that thought still gliding off my tongue, Mark turned completely towards me and put his hands on the inside part of my shoulders. He slowly drew me into his body and guided his lips to mine. It was like an epiphany had swallowed my soul. I felt like I was attending a festival for my senses. I never imagined anything could feel so good and I never questioned that my impulses were anything other than what they should be.

I had wondered what that moment might have felt like, but it exceeded any possible expectation. I knew in that flash that part of me wished I really was Erika, and I wanted to feel more of the passion I was immersed in. We kissed and held each other until our pager went off. It was like it signaled the end of the most significant 15 minutes in my life. My psyche would never be able to erase this magical moment I had no desire to ever forget it.

We floated back into the diner and sat together on the same side of the bench in our booth. We decided to share one giant strawberry sundae. We had a hard time concentrating on the sundae and basically fed each other in an almost erotic fashion. It was playful, but also made me aroused just sitting there looking into his eyes. I had never felt that way as a boy and knew that I never wanted this feeling to end.

We knew the evening was one we would unlikely ever forget, but we did not want to ruin it by staying out too late. I could have remained in his arms almost forever, but I knew we had to get back and I also knew I was hiding a very big secret. Mark walked me back to my room and I leaned up against my door for another minute of glorious kissing. I realized, as we were finishing that we had been making quite a commotion in the hallway and against the door.

Nothing had to be said; we both knew that the rest of the trip would somehow be inalterable changed by the flames that were stoked in our hearts. I slid through the door and let out an audible exhale. Sasha turned to me and her gaze immediately translated my emotional overload.

“That was you, you little tart. You two sounded like cats in heat out there. It sounded like Erika has totally emerged.”

“Sasha I don’t know what came over me, but my body is tingling all over. I’ve never felt like this before and I’m not sure what’s happening to me.”

“Your feelings are absolutely normal.”

“But I have never felt like this before.”

“That’s because they are normal for a girl. You are just catching up for lost time. This cruise is your chance to experience the girl that I always thought might be inside of you.”

“Why do you think I really want to be a girl?”

“Take a look at yourself. It took you all of a few hours to sashay yourself into a full-fledged girl. We gave you a little nudge and you adjusted completely. I don’t really see any signs of my brother in front of me.”

“I never asked for this. I was all boy until yesterday.”

“Little sister, you may have dressed like a boy, but mom and I would often comment to each other how you seemed to have so many feminine personality traits. You also have such a wispy looking physique and such delicate facial features. It’s not your fault you are so pretty.”

“I didn’t act like a girl, I liked girls.”

“I like how you said ’liked’ girls. You never seemed that comfortable dating girls, but always felt comfortable hanging around with me and my friends. Most of your interests and the way you project yourself was never very macho. You even love growing your hair very long and keeping it shiny and healthy. I know some guys with long hair, but none that look like yours.”

“It’s just so surreal; I just never asked for any of this. Even Mom seems into me looking this way.”

“Mom’s been dying to see what you would look like fully dressed this way. We have even talked about it a few times since you dressed up that past Halloween. I am pretty sure she was looking for an excuse to see you this way. You and I just gave her an opening.”

“Well I am glad this is fine with her, because right now I am enjoying my little time as Erika.”

“I know she must be happy for you, but I think you may have taken this further than Mom and Dad ever anticipated. Hell, you already have a boyfriend!”

“That’s the weirdest part. I like looking like I do, but I am even more surprised that I wanted to be kissed so badly. When he was holding me, I was just melting in his caress. I never wanted to let go.”

“I am sure Mom and Dad must have heard you out there too. I think this little experiment may have gotten a little out of control. At least they don’t have to worry about you getting pregnant.”

“Very cute. I am going to put my confused self to bed. God only knows what tomorrow could bring.”

“Sweet dreams Erika.”

“Thanks for listening, Sweet dreams Sasha. Goodnight.”

The next morning I got up with more bounce in my step. I was looking forward to hanging at the pool again with Mark and continuing to have fun with my Erika side. I had slept in late and Mark and I plan to touch bases sometime in the morning. After getting dressed and fixing my hair my father called me into their suite. He had a troubled look on his face and my mother’s expression also looked tense.

“What’s up, you both look so serious.”

My father quickly answered, “Eric, we need to have a talk.”

They had not called meet Eric since I headed off to the salon.

“You both are scaring me. I didn’t do anything wrong. What’s going on?”

“Your father and I are very concerned that we took this punishment thing too far. I thought it would be a good lesson and maybe even a little fun for you, but now we’re not so sure.”

“It’s okay. I am actually enjoying it. I like how I feel. Don’t worry about me.”

“That’s just it honey. You seem to have taken to being Erika too well. We know about last night and it is not something that any of us were prepared for.”

“Mom, Dad I never expected it either, but I have never been happier. Mark is very nice and he made me feel even more like a girl. It’s like a light went on in my head. You wanted me to act like a girl and I am trying to feel that way too.”

“Son, we can’t be mad at you, because we are responsible for this, but you are a boy and so is Mark. I am glad you two became friends, but remember underneath it all you are still Eric.”

“You both wanted me to find what makes me happy, and right now being a girl makes me happy. I like being Erika in more ways than just looks. I am finding I just relate to being this way more than being an unhappy boy.”

“I think your mother and I pushed you too hard and this has been hard for you to process. We have decided that it’s okay for you to spend the rest of the cruise as a boy.”

“You aren’t listening! I want to stay this way for the rest of the cruise. I like the new me and Mark likes me too.”

“That may be all well and good, but he didn’t know you were a boy.”

“What do you mean ‘didn’t?’’

“We felt we had to speak with his parents. It’s not right that it went this far without his knowledge. It would be one thing if he knew, but your makeover was not meant to affect or hurt anyone else.”

I can’t believe you told them. That’s not fair, I hate you! You tell me to be a girl and then you punish me for being one. I’m not talking to you anymore.”

I was so furious I just ran out of the room and slammed the door. I went up to the topside and found a private area and let my tears flow. I was sad on so many fronts. My parents had turned on me and my relationship with Mark had been torpedoed. I wanted to explore being Erika and I knew that in my heart, but now I was being made to feel dirty.

The cruise had been like a roller coaster of emotions. I was feeling on top of the world and now I felt so alone. I didn’t think I could face Mark ever again even though I wanted to see him more than anything. I wanted to stay as Erika, but my parents were now pushing me back towards being Eric. I just decided to stay away from everyone as long as possible.

I had been alone for nearly 2 hours when Sasha finally found me. I was grateful it was Sasha and not my parents. She was the only one who had been truly honest with me and supportive. When I saw her I started to cry again. She sat down on my lounge chair and held me while I let out a few more tears.

“Erika, are you going to be okay?”

“Don’t you mean Eric? Isn’t that what Mom and Dad want you to call me?”

“They feel terrible. When you left, mom started crying also. It took Dad almost a half-hour to settle her down. They know everything is their fault and that they handled it like shit.”

“That doesn’t change anything. My life is all fucked up.”

“We all spoke and they realize that this ‘new you’ is something that they are going to have to cope with and accept. They just aren’t as quick to adjust as you were.”

“They should’ve talked to me before they spilled the beans to the Grants.”

“You’re right and they handled it wrong. At this point it can’t be undone. At some point you were going to have to tell him and maybe it’s easier this way.”

“I should have told him, not his parents. I’m sure he hates me or worse.”

“Try and be positive. When it all began you didn’t know what you wanted and now with his help you have found an important part of your soul. Even if he never talks to you again you now know so much more about yourself.”

“I didn’t want it to end that way. I was feeling on top of the world. Besides, Mom and Dad want me to go back to being Eric.”

“Let’s go see them together. First things first, you need to talk to them about remaining as Erika. Maybe after that you can try and talk with Mark. I’m supposed to see David later this afternoon and he might be able to clue me in on Mark.”

“Sasha, I appreciate what you are doing, but I still feel like I was run over by a truck.”

“Let’s go find Mom.”

We went back to the room and waited for them to return. My Mother was first to return and she was happy that I was back. She started the conversation with another apology. She also made the point of calling the Erika when she entered the room.

“Your father and I have managed to make some poor decisions and you’ve been the one to pay for our mistakes, some of these were of bad judgment and others possibly even out of selfishness. We love you and always will. We obviously have opened a door that cannot easily be closed.”

“I don’t want it closed.”

“I understand that and we will just have to figure out how to go forward. Whatever decisions or actions are taken, it is not going to be easy or uncomplicated. We will figure this out as a family.”

“I guess that’s reasonable, but I don’t want to go and switch back to Eric while on the cruise.”

“We have thought about it some more and for the rest of the trip you can stay as Erika. We still have to talk about what this all means. This unusual vacation is going to have implications after we get home, but for now it’s probably best that you learn and experience as much about being Erica as you can.”

“Is Dad going to go along with this or is he going to be mad and keep calling me Eric?”

“It’s a little harder on him, but he wants the best for you. He is on board with what I am saying, so just be a little patient with him.”

“What did the Grants say? Were they upset? Have you heard how Mark took it? I really did like him and I’m feeling horrible about how all of this went down.”

“Mrs. Grant at first appeared pretty shocked, but then shifted more towards curiosity. We didn’t have many answers, but inferred that this was who you are and not a game. Mr. Grant sat there and didn’t say much through most of the discussion. It was kind of strange, but when we were just about done discussing your changes he mentioned that one of his good friends from college recently had told him he was transgendered. It probably explains why he took it so calmly.”

“What about Mark?”

“I don’t know, but they said they would talk to him. It would be understandable if he did not take the news well.”

“I never wanted to hurt him. It just happened and I reacted out of instinct.”

“We will just have to see how he is. We have tentative plans to see them at dinner, but if they call and if it does not go well with him we can adjust our plans for the remaining part of the trip. At least his parents took it pretty well and were not noticeably put off by the turn of events..”

“Do you think I should call him? Should I apologize?”

“I would give him some time to think about it. His parents said they would have a discussion with him and go from there.”

“I’ll just hang out then and hope he wants to talk. I don’t want to make it harder on him, but I so want things to be okay between us.”

“We will figure it all out. Why don’t you change into your bathing suit and go relax on deck. I will try and track you down if I hear from his family.”

“Okay mom, tell dad I don’t hate him.”

“He knows.”

I went back up to the pool after having a small bowl of soup at the buffet. Everywhere I walked I kept looking around to see if I spotted Mark. I saw no signs of the Grant family, which was not surprising with over 5000 passengers on board and so many areas to choose from. I went up to the main deck and found a spot near the center of the ship. The ship had over 20 pools and Mark might not even want to be hanging out by any of them. I spent the afternoon up there and never spotted any of them. I went back to the room at about 4:30 PM and no one was there. I remember that Sasha was planning to meet up with David and maybe I would get some feedback after that.

I showered and waited for my family to return. My parents returned first, but had no news from the Grants. They had bought a beautiful sarong for me as a peace offering and to show that they supported my desire to maintain my feminine appearance.

Sasha returned about 20 minutes later dressed in her sunning attire and looking very refreshed.

“Well did you see David?”

“Hello to you too Erika.”

“Come on, did you see him?”

“Who?”

“Stop trying to be funny!”

“I actually saw David and Mark.”

“You saw Mark?”

“That’s what I said.”

“So… What do you have to report?”

“David found the whole thing kind of funny, but not in a mean way. He even asked if I was a real girl. It was a good icebreaker.”

“And?”

“Mark was clearly upset. When he first found out he locked himself in his bathroom according to David. He stayed in there until his family convinced him to come out and talk. His father spent quite a lot of time explaining to him about your apparent transgendered sexuality. He told him about his friend and how difficult it can be for everyone including friends, family, and especially you.”

“I would never have guessed his father would be so understanding, but I’m not sure what he meant by transgendered”

“He didn’t tell Mark what to do and even said that his reaction was very reasonable and understandable. His father suggested that he take some time before he did or said anything. David told him that eventually he would have to face me and it would be good to at least try and be civil.”

“Did Mark say what he was thinking or planned to do?”

“No, only that he was going to hang alone this afternoon and give it some thought. David said he planned to join us at dinner and he was pretty sure that Mark would be showing up.”

I didn’t know how to interpret the news other than the knowledge that the door to our friendship was not completely sealed shut. I wanted to talk with him and was not sure that dinner with both families was the forum I really wanted. I decided to accept that opportunity and make the most of it.

I wanted to look my very best and took my time getting myself ready for dinner. I even had Sasha check to make sure I looked good. She had me switch earrings to better match the sundress I chose to wear. I knew that the “Mark” that I went out with yesterday would love how I looked tonight, but I had no clue what Mark would think now. I was hopeful, but not too optimistic.

XXX IN ANOTHER SUN DRESS

We were a few minutes late arriving for dinner and the Grants were already seated when we arrived. Unfortunately, Mark was nowhere in sight. David said that he decided at the last minute that he did not want to come to dinner tonight. His parents made a small effort to change his mind, but he had made his decision.

I felt deflated that he was not there. Sasha insisted that I sit next to her at the table. She knew I was near tears by his absence.

The dinner felt like one of the longest meals I ever sat through. I did not want to be there and I had lost my appetite. I only participated in the conversation went initiated by others. I could tell the Grant’s wanted to ask me some personal questions, but they kept it pretty generic. They remained very pleasant, almost to an extreme. I was obviously the 900 lb. gorilla in the room that no one wanted to touch.

When dinner was over I asked to be excused so I could go back to our suite. My parents insisted that we take a stroll on the decks so we could chat some more. Being outside in the evening air would probably keep confrontational discussions to a minimum.

“Erika, I know you wanted to see Mark this evening, but that was out of our control.” Stated my Mother.

“It’s just that last time I saw him we were and such good terms and now he doesn’t even want to see me. I know his anger is easily justified, but I really liked him and at least want to have a chance to apologize.”

“I am sure you’ll get that chance before we leave the ship. Until then, you need to get out of your funk. We have three full days left after tonight and you need to move on. These are three important days for you to experience being a girl without having to deal with people you know back home. When we get home you will have to get used to being Eric again.”

“It’s just that last night, I felt better than I ever had and I didn’t want that feeling to go away.”

“I am sure you will feel that way again sometime, but for now you have other new feelings to explore. Back at home I am not sure the opportunities will be so available.”

“I really like being Erika, when I go home I don’t want this to disappear.”

“Your father and I have been thinking about this and we don’t have any perfect solution. We will probably seek some professional advice for all of us and go from there. If at the end of the trip you have not gotten this out of your system, then we can figure out some way for you to come to terms with this. If it means dressing some more then we will just have to figure it out. You have to remember; you cannot go from Eric to Erika overnight. You have school friends, extended family and neighbors to consider. We will do it all with your best interest in mind, but you may need to be patient. This is uncharted waters for all of us.”

“I’m scared that my life is now all messed up. Yesterday everything felt good and I really liked who I was. Now I am not so sure. I kind of feel more alone than ever before. How can I ever have a relationship with anyone now? What am I? I’m starting to get freaked out by all of this.”

“You’re not alone, you will always have us. We will help you through this and figure it out as a family. If that means spending some more time as Erika we will accept that. You have been a boy for over 15 years and a girl for only a few days, so it’s understandable that you’re confused and stressed. Try and relax and see how you feel in a few days.”

“What do I do now?”

“For now just be the best girl you can be and take it one step at a time.”

“I’ll try.”

Everything had been happening so fast that I had not really thought much about the big picture Implications of my rapid-fire transformation. I had been operating on cruise control and I had reacting based upon my feelings and emerging sensations. I previously had never experienced such an intense hormonal overload. As a boy I was excited to be by the side of a pretty girl, but now I was even more excited to be one. I was clearly aroused by my newfound sexuality, but I was more confused by how easily it came to me.

I had some very important personal issues to work through on the ship, but these probably would be pale compared to the ones I might have to deal with back at home. The past two days have been a roller coaster of emotions, but the ride was only beginning. I was happy for the belated support of my parents and I know I would not get through this without all of them. Right now, I wanted to rekindle those feelings with Mark, at least for a brief evening. I had the emotional clarity to know to feel true happiness. I never had that clarity as Eric.

As it turned out, I didn’t have to wait that long to talk with Mark. He called me the next morning and asked if I could have lunch with him at the pizza parlor. Not a lot was said, but I jumped at the chance to meet up with him.

I did not know what I was going to say. I did not regret what happened between us, but I knew I had to express some sort of apology for my deception. The sparks between us had occurred spontaneously and I just figured I would let Mark’s feelings dictate my actions. As much as I wanted him to look at me and hold me as he had before, I also wanted him to not hate me.

I wanted to look my best for him, but I was careful not to look like a tart. I wore a pink top and a casual pair of white shorts. I wore some silver wrist bangles, and matching earring studs along with Sasha’s white canvas wedge sandals. Sasha helped me with some simple but attractive makeup. I wanted to look and feel pretty, but not like I was trying to seduce him. For the first time we would both know I was a boy, even though I had hardly felt like one for last couple of days.

I entered the pizza parlor and found Mark at a corner table sipping a cola. It was half gone so he must’ve been there for a while. As I walked up to the table he stood up in a polite gesture, but did not make a move towards me. The Mark I had fallen for would have intercepted me before I could have made my way to the table.

When I sat down there were about 5 seconds of total silence, which seem more like 5 minutes. At first, Mark avoided making eye contact, but then began to regain his composure. I could sense he was checking me out, almost like someone might on a 1st date. I wondered whether he was still seeing me as a girl or now as something completely different.

I wanted to start the conversation with an apology, but I had no idea where to start or what I was most sorry for. I certainly was sorry it all led to hurting Mark, but I was still grateful to have had the time with him.

Mark started the conversation. In a very reserved voice he broke the fragile ice. “My dad told me about you and what you are. I'm still not sure I understand it.”

“I'm not sure either.”

“Should I still call you Erika?”

“I would prefer that. I really don't feel like an Eric right now.”

“You don't look like one to me either.”

His last comment brought the first light moment to our chat.

“You look so girlish, but you are really a guy like me. Have you always been gay?”

“I'm not gay, at least I don't think I am. I've never been with a guy until I met you. This may seem strange to you, but I don't feel gay when I'm with you. You made me feel all girl.”

“I sort of understand, but I am a guy and only like girls. This is really hard for me to process. Have you always felt like this?”

“Mark, you ask some tough questions which don't have any simple answers. I guess part of this has always been inside of me, but it was really just on this cruise that I realized it. Besides my family and yours, you are the only person to have met Erika.”

Wow. You seem more like a chic than most of the girls I know back home.”

“I guess I will take that as a compliment.”

“It's true, but I'm sorry that something just feels different now.”

“I wish it didn't. My feelings were genuine and I never meant to hurt you or deceive you. I never expected to fall for you like that. It just happened. I am very sorry that I hurt you. It's probably asking too much for you to think of me like you did before.”

“I won't deny what I felt, but all of this is too bizarre for me to just forget.”

“Bizarre? Is that what you think of me now.”

“That was a bad choice of words. It's just complicated. I'm not trying to be mean or anything, but I've never met anyone like you. I'm trying to not be judgmental, I'm still a little stunned.”

“The last few days have been the most unusual in my life and I don't really know how to change your feelings. If you are uncomfortable being around me I won't be angry, maybe just disappointed. You made me feel so special and right now I feel anything but that.”

“Erica you are special and I don't mean that in a bad way. I really do like you. It's just hard for me right now to flip the switch and forget that last week you were just another guy. At some point I was going to find out.”

“That's probably true, but I never planned any of this. In fact, I thought I was going to be Eric on this trip. My family did the switcheroo on me. I think they knew something about me I did not understand or consciously know.”

“Well you took to it like you were always this way. Is this an experiment or are you planning to stay this way?”

“When I think about that I want to cry. Am so much happier this way, but when we get home it will be so hard to stay this way. My family and I will have to try and figure it out and adjust.”

“I like Erika, so I hope she gets to stick around.”

“Thank you, I hope we can stay friends.”

“Deal! At least for now let's just enjoy the rest of the cruise as friends.”

“Sounds fair”

“Do you think you and your sister might want to hang out at the pool later?”

“I know I would and my sister would certainly show if your brother comes.”

I felt so much better walking back to my room and than when I had headed out. It wasn't perfect, but we were at least friends again. The old mark would've held my hand and walked me back to my cabin, but I knew it could have been much worse.

After climbing and falling off an emotional mountain the remainder of the cruise was much less dramatic. I spent a significant amount of time with Mark and his family, but we never kissed again. There were a few awkward moments between us as we both still felt a flicker of the magic. The remaining 3 days were still enjoyable as I settled into a daily routine as Erika. I would love to have experienced more passion, but with each passing day I was beginning to fret about returning to Eric back on the mainland. The conflict in my mind was very consuming.

In only a week I had gone from a socially outcast Eric to a confident attention-getting Erika. Returning to my old life self and at least for a while as Eric was going to be difficult on so many fronts. The future would be anything but predictable and maybe someday I can report back to you all on where it took me. My only certainty is that I know what its like to feel wonderful.

----The end.----

All comments -- are welcome and encouraged.......

In Part 1, The local barista at Starbucks comes to the rescue of his favorite patron and secret crush. They begin an unusual relationship that spans their very different worlds. The Barista begins to experience many pleasureful changes to please his dream girl.

________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 3

At six AM my iPhone alarm began to chirp. My bliss would have to finally end. I needed to return home and get ready for work. My wallet and keys were on the counter but my clothes was nowhere to be seen. I gently nudged Charley and asked her where my things were and she muttered something about them being in the laundry. She then invited me to come over again in the evening. She said she would wash them and return them to me then.

"You can wear the loungewear over or something else very casual. We will make some new fun then. See you at 8:00 my pretty Angel.

"Ciao girl"

I was glad it was still so early because I managed to get home without running into anyone. It would have been hard to explain my unusual fashion statement. In the car all the way home, I had a satisfied grin plastered on my face. I really didn't mind being dressed femininely, as it brought Charlie closer to me. It was a small price to pay and actually turned out to be surprisingly comfortable.

I didn't say anything to my co-workers and wasn't even sure what I would have said. It certainly would have been easy to gloat. I was obviously in a good mood and left it at that.

After work I washed Charlie's loungewear, but didn't dare wear them back for the return journey. I wore my best jeans and a black crew neck T-shirt. I hoped my casual choice would be acceptable to my dream girl.

When Charlie appeared from behind her massive redwood front door I had to stop myself from drooling. She was dressed in a white silky smooth summer dress that floated over her flawless body and highlighted her combination of natural beauty and stunning style. I would have been attracted to her in a burlap bag, but this image was almost more than I could handle.

"Hi Brooke. How was my sweetie's day?"

"It's good now. Work was work."

"I'm glad you could make it."

"I know it's probably a rhetorical statement, but you look so totally pretty."

"Thank you. I was sort of hoping you would have on your pretty Angel-wear for me."

"If you really want that, I can change."

"You are OK for now. Maybe in while, we can find you something different for a change of pace. I really like that you are open minded."

Inside Charlie had a small spread of crackers and cheese. She had already poured me a wine spritzer. It didn't take long for us to resume our intimate conversation and position on the couch in a light embrace. Between her stunning beauty and sexy fashion selection I was physically overwhelmed and un-comfortable in my tight jeans. I almost wished I was still dressed in the soft Victoria Secrets loungewear.

The conversation quickly turned to relationships and likes and dislikes. Charlie was very interested in me sharing my secrets. Since she was so forthcoming with her revelation about being Bi, I don't think she felt anything was private.

I told Charlie about my most recent dating experiences, but it was obvious that I had not had anything serious in a very long time. She picked up on how observant I was on how women, in particular Charlie, dressed. I think my detailed recollection as to her specific style ensembles pleased her. I was not very stylish in my own look, but paid close attention to others.

We spent a great deal of time discussing woman's clothing. I had never chatted with anyone so long about the subject. She really wanted to know what I liked and appreciated. Charlie even made the point of describing to me what wearing some of her favorite soft outfits felt on her smooth body. Most guys probably would not have cared, but she made everything sound so sexy.

The tipping point was when she talked about how aroused her breast sometimes felt when she wore a silky nightgown or when she was with another woman that was also wearing something sexy. The visuals going through my head were blowing my mind.

"Charlie, that sounds sounds so amazing. I can only imagine how great that must make you feel."

"Well Brooke, I'm ready to take this up a notch if you are?"

"Charlie, I'd love to see you in a nightgown or anything else for that matter."

"Let's head up to my room. Time for some new fun."

I followed her up to her bedroom feeling like a child heading for the Christmas Tree. I never wanted something as much as I wanted this. Inside her master bedroom was a king sized canopy bed covered in an off white satin comforter. I wanted to immediately throw Charlie onto the bed and make love to her.

Inside the room she smiled at me and said, "Time to get ready for bed my sweet Brooke."

"I'm ready"

"One second. Let me grab something comfortable to change into."

With that she dimmed the lights and disappeared into her walk-in closet. A couple of minutes later she re-appeared in a red full-length shimmering nightgown. She looked like an absolute Goddess as she slowly made her way to my trembling body. I was so excited, but also so scared that I might fall short of her expectations.

"Brooke, are you ready to experience something new and wonderful?"

"Yes, yes, yes. I am all yours."

"Take off that boring clothes and slip this on." In her hand was what appeared to be a matching gown to the one she was wearing."

"You want me to put this on?"

"Of course. You said you wished you could experience what I had and this is your opportunity. Brooke, you are very special to me and if you are trusting, I think we can have some real fun together. I hope I have not been wrong about you."

"No, I want what you want."

"Think outside the box and our fun will be just beginning."

There was no way I was going to back away from Charlie. She had total control over me and was guiding our budding relationship. I meekly reached for the gown and took it in my hand.

"May I use your closet?

"You don't have to be shy, but go ahead. I will be anxiously awaiting you."

The closet turned out to be more like a cathedral full of high fashion clothing. There were sections for long dresses, short dress, slacks, tops, skirts, accessories and a nearly a whole wall devoted to shoes. There was a center island that had shelves and drawers. The back of the door was all mirrors and there was a large three sided mirror on top of the center island.

I stripped my clothes off and folded them on top of the island. When I wore Charlie's Victoria Secrets loungewear I felt awkward, but after Charlie's positive reinforcement, I actually felt nice in them. Putting on a woman's nightgown was clearly even more tabu. This was not just convenient apparel to cover my body, this was to provide us some mutual sexual excitement. Everything to this point with Charlie had been a dream so I slid the satin material over my head. I will probably never forget the tingling feeling that my skin felt as it slid down to just above my ankles. I was always turned on by images of woman in nightgowns and baby-dolls and now I was getting even more turned on by the feeling of having one on. It was hard for me to hide the immediate sign of my pleasure.

Waiting a couple of minutes did nothing to reduce that obvious sign, so I flipped off the closet light before opening the door to re-join my girl.

Charlie was propped up on her bed with only the nightlight on and some soft music playing in the background. Even in the dimly lit room, my emasculated image was very clear, as well as my bulging physical state.

"Brooke, you look amazing. You apparently feel amazing too."

I wasn't sure how to respond to that, but simply countered, "If you are happy with how I look than I am too."

"Come over to me so I can show you how happy I am."

I climbed onto her bed and she immediately pulled me down on to my back and rolled on top of me. We started off with some passionate kissing, but after getting warmed up she began to kiss my whole body. Between her fiery passion and the constant feeling from the gown I had to hold back from exploding. I was so ready to rollover and release into her.

Charlie eventually did roll over but she was not ready for me to take the traditional position. She quickly guided my kissing efforts down between her legs. I was still in a state of bliss and attacked her triangle temple with every ounce of my passion. I knew that Charlie's bi lifestyle would have high standards for love-making, and I wanted to please her to the best of my abilities. Dressed as I was, it was more natural to get comfortable in this position and exciting her orally. As much as I was in heaven ready to release, Charlie beat me to the climax. I was so happy I made her feel so good. In my limited past sexual experiences, that ability had never been so easy for me.

We had a short pause for us both to catch our breathes as we just held each other in an embrace. I was totally spent, but Charlie wanted to make sure I felt complete, so she rolled me onto my back and massaged my temporarily flaccid member. In a matter of seconds I was ready to roll back on top of Charley and complete my fantasy. Instead, Charlie took the top position and mounted me. I slipped inside of her as she gazed into my eyes. My whole body felt alive as Charlie did all of the maneuvering and work.

Charlie whispered into my ears throughout our lovemaking in her most seductive and erotic tone. "You are my pretty Brooke... my sweet thing... my beautiful love."

The moment of my final physical release was infinitely beyond any preconceived expectations. I never felt anything remotely as gratifying as that moment of ecstasy. Charlie was in total control and she made me feel so special. It was a moment I never wanted to end.

I felt so content as I laid next to my Goddess, and even the softness of the full-length nightgown adding to my fulfillment. I fell asleep pressed up against Charlie's body.

Chapter 4--

I woke very rested on Sunday morning with the knowledge that I did not have to work. Charlie, was already out of bed and nowhere in sight. I crawled out of the bed feeling conspicuous still dressed in only the nightgown. I walked to the hall and called out for Charlie.

"I am down in the Kitchen. I left you a robe on the back of my bedroom door. Please put it on and come down."

The robe perfectly matched the nightgown and further added to my oddly clad appearance. I assumed Charley was similarly dressed so I did not hesitate and came down the stairs dressed as she requested. The additional layer of satin reminded me how nice the gown had felt throughout the previous evening.

In the kitchen, I found Charlie dressed in a tennis outfit. She had been up for a while and looked ready to head out the door. She had made coffee and had put out some orange juice, toasted bagels and some bran muffins.

"How did you sleep sweetie? You looked so comfortable that I didn't want to wake you."

"You should have woke me. How long have you been up?"

"Not that long. I have a tennis match in a short while and will have to leave you."

"I will go back upstairs and change."

"No rush. You look so cute in that. I wish I could stay."

"I wish you didn't have to dash off even more."

"You will just want me more next time. At least we both got a taste of the fun we can have together. I'm so glad you aren't just another stereotypical male."

"I think the fun we had was pretty great. I'll take that taste anytime."

"Yes it was delicious, but hopefully it was only the beginning."

"Charlie, I want what you want. I hope it is also only the beginning."

"Let's plan on raising the bar every time we get together."

"Hard to imagine, but a pleasant thought."

"I have to leave, but take your time. You can shower if you like. Your clothes are still where you left them in my closet. You can wear them home or if you see anything else you love, you can wear that. I put on top of your clothes a little gift. Take it home with you and promise you will use it."

"What is it?"

"Promise!"

"Ok, I promise. So what is it?"

"Just a little something to remind you of the fun we had and will have when we get together again. I have another busy week, but we could shoot for next Friday after work again."

"I am not sure I can wait, but I guess I will have to. See you Friday."

"Come to me my luscious thing. I want to kiss my pretty Brooke one more time before I go to battle on the tennis courts."

As I approached Charlie she put both of her hand on my neck and tilted my head while planting a firm kiss across my lips. She then slid both hands down to my ass and gave both a slight squeeze. I then walked her to the door. I almost forgot how I was dressed as we opened he front door and I waved goodbye to her.

Back inside, I couldn't help but bristle to my good favor. Charlie and I had something going together and it was not just a fantasy. Our first experience together was a little unusual, but we both had a phenomenal climax. It was hard to imagine anything more spectacular, but I was anxious to try.

I headed back to the closet to change and see what Charley had left for me. I would have showered first, but I did not want to wash off her scent.

A thin Bloomingdales box sat on top of my clothes. I quickly peered inside to reveal her gift. I was surprised to find another nightgown and a set of panties. The nightgown was similar to the one I was still wearing, but was black instead of red. The set of 7 panties were in various colors. There was a short note inside the box. The note was mildly scented with Charlie's perfume:

Sweetie:

I had so much fun last night and hope it was as wonderful for you as it was
for me. You looked so beautiful and happy in my nightgown. Please wear this
to bed so you will think and dream of me each night. I know you can't wear it
under your work clothes, but I thought that some of my lacy intimates might
serve as daytime alternatives. I know these are odd requests, but I thought
last night was very special and unless you felt different, please enjoy these
gifts.

XoXo,

Charlie

I had enjoyed everything immensely last night, but that still didn't eliminate my discomfort with her suggestions. I had enjoyed the soft and silky feeling that Charlie had convinced me the gown would provide, but to continue to wear these things seemed to be an extremely feminine request. I knew it was not my manliness that had gotten me this far with her but this felt dramatically in the opposite direction. Despite my reservations, it seemed like a small price to pay to building a relationship with Charlie. Maybe it was just a test, but I didn't think it would be too much to comply with.

I changed back into my clothes from last night. But before I emerged from her closet, I did look around at her amazing wardrobe of designer fashion. I recognized a few of the items from her visits into my Starbucks. I stroked a few of the garments to feel their luxurious materials. My own closet was stocked with a minimal selection of nice items and they would be an embarrassment next to hers. I always found Charlie so magnificently beautiful in her gorgeous clothes and even now some of the items still looked sexy just hanging in the closet. I abruptly left the walk in wardrobe when I realized I was now even obsessing over her clothes.
It was boring to be back in my apartment, especially knowing that it would be nearly a week before I would get to spend time with Charlie again. I couldn't get my mind off her or what we had experienced together. I ran a few minor errands and tried reading a bit to get my mind off her. In the end I could not concentrate on the book and just flipped on the television. I wondered if I should send her some chocolates or flowers, but in the end I thought that would be too much of a cliche. She liked me because I was not like all the other guys. She certainly made that clear with her gift to me.

After eating a light dinner I began to think again about our unusual love-making experience. Charlie had obviously planned to have me wear the nightgown and the present was more than an afterthought. She was apparently convinced that I would go along. Besides that, I started to ponder why she wanted me so badly to wear it. I felt it then and was even more convinced now, that If I had not put the silky garment on, we would never have gone that far.

As I contemplated my choice, I began to remember how nice the gown actually felt. I open the box and pulled the garment up to my body. I walked over to my only long mirror and held the gown up against my body. The black nightgown was very sexy and I was getting turned on just looking at it. Charlie wanted me to wear it to bed each night as an obvious reminder of the territory we explored and probably to help me get over my reluctance.

Maybe it was the boredom or maybe it was the fascination, but I changed into the gown shortly after 7:00. I had succumbed to it's pull long before it was bedtime. I wanted to jump in bed and fantasize I was with Charlie, but it was too early. I watched TV and hung out for about three hours dressed only in my new sleepwear. The few times I got up I walked around I did so with a conscious little swish in my hips. Charlie was my hearts desire, but also my only roll model for wearing sexy clothes. Mimicking her movements added to the sexiness of my odd role-play.

As the evening advanced I became more comfortable and less distracted by the garment. I slowly stopped questioning my decision to put it on. At first I was totally aroused by the feel of it on my naked body, but in the end I fell asleep watching TV comfortably curled up on my bed.

I woke with a firmly aroused organ in a somewhat confused orientation seeing myself still dressed in the gown. I needed to get ready for work so my playing around effectively had to end. The good news was that I would likely see Charley at the Starbucks in a couple of hours.

After showering I was faced with another easy dilemma. Next to my jockey shorts were the new satin panties that Charley had also given me. My brain was telling me that it was a bad idea to wear those to work, but my heart was clouded by my thoughts of Charlie and how nice the gown had felt. After only a minimum of hesitation I took the only white pair out of the collection and pulled them up my legs.

Much like last night, the feel of the silky material quickly was reflected in my arousal. I tried not to focus on the panties as I finished getting dressed. As long as I focused on other things I was able to settle my member down in my slacks. Each time I thought about Charlie or the apparel I would quickly revert to my stimulated self. I would have to be very careful at work.

The early part of my work day was quite busy so I managed to avoid any embarrassments. As the time of Charlie's arrival grew closer I couldn't help but thinking about her. During those awkward moments I would stay as close as possible to the Barista Bar to avoid easy viewing of my lower body. I almost burned myself once because I was too close. With perfect timing, Charlie showed up right on schedule. When she made her way to my area she looked down at my crotch and then looked me straight in the eye, and then gave her beautiful face a slight inquisitive tilt. I acknowledged with a nod that I was wearing them. She then, handed me a napkin with a phone number and a time 11:00.

After that, she just smiled at me and was off. We had not said a word, but there certainly had been some informative conversation. I assume I was to call the number at 11:00. I made sure I would have my long break then in-case we had an extended conversation.

The morning crawled along until the appointed hour. I dialed the number at exactly 11:00.

"Is this my cutie Brooke?"

"Yes Charlie. How is my beautiful?"

"I am great and just dreaming about how sexy you must look in your new items. What color did you pick today?"

'Um white."

"Just like a bride on her wedding day. A great choice for the beginning of our fun together."

"I didn't think of it like that, but I do like our fun together."

"Me too. It will only get better from here."

"How does it feel wearing my gift under your dreary work clothes?"

"Truthfully, it has been difficult. Whenever I think about our special fun or your gift, I get turned on. It has been happening a lot this morning."

"I like that, but we can't have you getting visibly aroused all day at work, can we?"

"I agree. I may have to wear my old Jockey shorts again tomorrow."

"No no."

"I almost burned myself trying to hide my excitement earlier. I am not sure about doing this all day at work."

"I have an idea."

"What's that?"

"Let me think it through. Can you stop at my house for about 10 minutes tonight around Six. I have another business dinner tonight, but I think I have a solution."

"Tell me about it."

"You will just have to wait. Think of it as a bonus opportunity to see me. I can't wait to see my sweetie."

"Me too. See you tonight."

The conversation was over and now I had plans to see her again. I loved that she was thinking of me as much as I was of her. I knew our time tonight would be short, but any time with my dream girl was a good time.

I had just enough time after work to shower again and put on a clean pair of jeans and a fresh t-shirt. I put the white panties back on after my shower so as not to disappoint Charlie.

When Charlie opened the door she pulled me inside and gently slammed me against the wall before planting a long deep kiss onto my lips. I was shocked by her aggressiveness, but also thrilled by her passion. I had not even had a chance to see how fabulous she looked before her controlling move. She looked like the sexiest executive on the planet in her tight black business suit with a vented skirt. The contrast with her stark white silk blouse created an enticing contrast. Her makeup was a little more pronounced with smokey eyes and very red lips. I would have given or done anything to be going out with this beautiful creature tonight.

"I wish it was me that was going out with you tonight Charlie."

"I am sure we will have our day soon enough."

"It's hard to see you so beautiful and know you are going out with others."

"I think your jealousy is so cute. I am sure the table will be turned the other way at some point. But I like that you feel so strongly about spending time with me."

"As much as possible. So what were you thinking about this morning?"

"I came up with a couple of things to tame your wonderful excitement and to even add to the pleasure."

"You have me very curious."

"Come into my bedroom. Let me show you."

"Now we are talking."

"Settle down. Don't be like all those male pigs out there. I hoped you were different. Should we just forget it?"

"I'm sorry. That was crude of me. Let's start over. I am ready for your solution."

"Ok, but please don't make me second guess being here with you."

"I'm yours. We are on the same page and I trust you."

"Good. Now I only have a few minutes, but I have some things in my room that should help you at work."

""Let's go check them out."

On the bed were two separate piles. The first were a stack of clearly folded pairs of slacks, but the other items were a mystery to me.

I went directly to the odd items and picked one up.

"What is this?"

"That is called a gaff. It should hold you in place even when you are having sweet thoughts about me."

"I'm not so sure about this thing."

"It's really pretty simple. You tuck your thing back between your legs into your natural cavity and then put this over that to hold things in place. If you do get excited, it will only be your little secret."

"That doesn't sound very comfortable."

"As an extra treat, I have laid out some of my slacks that I think will fit and also look nice at your job."

"Your slacks! I can't wear those."

"Why Not?? They look almost the same as your other black work slacks, but have some bonuses."

"Like what?"

"First off, you will love how they feel. These are very expensive, high quality designer slacks, some have satin linings inside. You will feel sexy with every step you take."

"Not sure I will be able to handle that sensation all day."

"Don't be so sure. You must at least try them."

"People will know that they are girls pants."

"Hardly. They look similar to the ones you wore today, with only minor differences."

"What kind??"

"The main difference is that they are snug in front. This will help hold the gaff in place and give you a smooth appearance no matter how much you are focusing on things besides espresso. They are also more tailored and will make you look more professional."

"You really seem to be taking this up a level. Is that necessary?"

"Nothing is necessary. I thought you liked what we had together. I find these fun little twists a titillating turn-on. I was hoping you felt the same way. I don't want to push you if I read you wrong."

"No... this type of kinky fun is all just so new to me. I have really enjoyed all of our time together, so I'll try to go with the flow. If these things fit and don't look too weird, I guess it won't hurt to give them a try."

"Brooke, you're the best. I have to leave now, but go hurry and change. I want to see how they look."

"Now?"

"Of course. I want to see if everything fits in case you need a different size. Besides, you need to get used to the gaff so you will not have a problem at work. I think you should wear it all the time for now or as much as possible. That way it will feel more natural at work and you won't be so self-conscious."

"Can I use your closet again?"

"Think of it as our closet... of course."

I had a difficult time in many respects. First, folding my privates under was not so simple. I ended up laying on the ground in order to get them into the available cavity down there and to get the gaff over the top before they came out. When I stood up the image was more than a little disconcerting. My manliness was gone. I slid the panties back over the top and was alarmed that my lower section now looked completely girlish. When I had first worn the gown and then the panties it had been for the feel, but now I had an altered physical appearance. I thought maybe with the slacks over the top it would not look so bad. I grabbed the first pair on top and pulled them up.

Charley was right about the feel. The legs were lined with the softest and silkiest material I had ever touched. I wondered how woman could wear something so amazing all day long. The zipper in front was very short and the slacks rode up my hips higher than my older pair. When I looked in the mirror my relief was not what I hoped for. The pants were completely flat in front and much snugger through the groin area than any I had worn before. They practically fit like tights and if anything highlighted my lack of manhood. The slacks were also slightly tapered and slimmed my legs as they gradually narrowed down to my ankles. The effect made my hips look a bit larger even though they seemed to fit almost too perfectly.

I hesitated before leaving the closet, but I knew Charlie had to leave.

Charlie practically screamed with delight. "My God they fit beautifully. See I told you they would be a big improvement."

"They don't look strange to you?"

"Not at all. They have style and look like they were made for you."

"I look like a eunuch in these. Doesn't that jump out?"

"I like how you look in them. You don't have to worry about an embarrassing bulge and besides that dull Starbucks Polo shirt practically covers your new beautiful form."

"Even if you are right, the gaff and tight pants are not very comfortable. I have to take shorter strides so it hurts less."

"That's why you need to wear this all the time for a while. You will get used to it and it will feel more comfortable before long. I'll see if I can find you some less dressy bottoms for casual wear before I see you again on Friday night. I can't wait to make love to my special Brooke."

"I look forward to that also; but, I don't know if I can wear these slacks and the gaff all the time."

"I know you can. Just suck it up. Just fantasize about your future rewards. I will be in the shop tomorrow and will be very disappointed if you are not wearing my gifts. I have more wonderful plans ahead for the two of us together."

"You must have a spell over me, because I will do it. I'll go change and you can be off."

"Don't be silly. Keep those on. You need to get used to them. When they get dirty, you have the other pairs."

"Ok."

After agreeing I walked right up to her and made a move to kiss her. She hesitated and called me out for being more aggressive than in the past.

"That's not like you. I prefer when our kissing flows more naturally. Not like you need to stamp your toughness on me. Think passive not aggressive and you will get more out of our relationship. I wish I didn't have to leave you. I would have much rather have spent the night with you instead of working on more business development. Unfortunately, I am already late and I am never late. Let's have a little kiss goodbye."

We had one nice, but not overly long passionate kisses. She clearly let me know she needed to be in control. Even with the tables slightly turned, I could feel my manhood trying to escape it's enforced trap, but the effort was futile."

I left Charlie's house wearing the new slacks with my other new gifts in a Bloomingdales bag. I was hungry so I stopped at a local bar/restaurant called Norton's for a bite to eat. I did not eat out alone that often, but Norton's was one of the few places I would call one of my regular places. I was not ready to spend the evening all alone and figured that in a relaxed environment like my neighborhood pub my slacks would not be a big deal. I was hungry and had a taste for their veggie burger.

Maybe I was overly nervous, but I felt like people were looking at me more than usual. Even after I sat down, I caught a couple of woman giving me a knowing look. I ate my meal and made the short trip home. When I got home I decided to take a closer look at my slacks to see if I had missed anything. When I stood in front of the mirror I realized what the issue was. My lips were nearly bright red. Apparently when Charlie had kissed me, much of her lipstick had transferred to my lips. Even after eating there was a definite discoloration. I had eaten alone wearing lipstick and dressed in woman's slacks. I could only imagine what the bartender must have thought.

I folded my other new slacks over a hanger and put them away. I knew I would be wearing one of them each day for the rest of the week until I was able to spend time again with Charlie. If I elected to not wear them, Charlie would certainly know when she came into the Starbuck for her morning beverage. I wanted to please her, but I was also getting more confused by where the relationship was leading. I knew that Charlie was "Bi", but I still didn't understand why she was trying to have me share so much of the female experiences. I had enjoyed the experience immensely with her in bed, but now she was pushing it to a new level. She wanted me to wear some of her things both at night and now during the day.

Maybe I was too mesmerized by her beauty and attention, but I was letting her drain away more of my masculinity. For now, I was not ready to rock the boat. Maybe, after our relationship had more of a foundation, I would be able to re-establish some of it. For now, I was just grateful for her obvious attention on me.

Our new relationship was still our little secret, which was fine. However, I did look forward to doing things with Charlie like other dating couples. That was my near-term goal, maybe a cocktail out or something like that. If I could get her back to Norton's, it would probably more than re-establish my street creds. I planned to suggest that if the opportunity presented itself.

_______________________________________________________

Where will it lead? I appreciate any and all comments....

__________________________________________________________________

In Part 1 & 2, the local barista at Starbucks comes to the rescue of his favorite patron and secret crush. They begin an unusual relationship that spans their very different worlds. The Barista begins to experience many pleasureful changes to please his dream girl.
__________________________________________________________________

Chapter 5--

I woke up caressing the material in the nightgown that had now become my regular sleeping wear. I had to get ready for work and had lingered in bed too long and was running behind schedule. After a short shower I knew I had to put back on the gaff before getting dressed. I didn't dare risking Charlie's disdain on the first day since her newest gifts. After carefully positioning my manhood, I pulled it over the top and covered that with a yellow pair of panties. I had worn the white ones first, but the laundry was building and underneath my clothes no one would see them anyway.

I grabbed a pair of the black slacks of the hanger and pulled them over my feminized groin. Much like the first pair, they seemed tailored to my physical form. This pair was stretchier than the first pair I had worn and clung to my body from mid-thigh up through the waist. I really didn't need a belt with the tight fit, but I added one because I always wore one. It wasn't until I was almost ready to leave that I noticed that these slacks had no pockets at all. The first pair had small pockets in front, but this one had none. My Starbuck polo shirt hung down far enough that I imagined no one would notice. I used a plastic white Apple Store bag that I had laying around from my last headphone purchase for my personal effects. I shoved my keys and wallet into it because I was too behind schedule to change.

My anxiety level was maxed out as I headed through the front doors at work. I prayed my co-workers would not notice my strange attire. I was very nervous for the first hour or so, but began to relax as the morning moved forward without comment. Despite, my apparent secret, I was very aware of my new slacks. I found myself looking down at my restyled lower half almost in disbelief that I had actually come to work dressed this way.

I gradually became more accustomed to wearing the restrictive gaff. It became more uncomfortable when I thought about Charlie or when I needed to relieve myself. The back side would periodically slip into my rear crack which also created some strange new sensations. When Charlie finally arrived at the Starbucks the immediate discomfort almost became unbearable. I was happy that my altered appearance pleased her, but I wanted to run to the bathroom to free my member. Her infectious smile and comments only made my pain worse.

"You look so darling, I just want to slide across the bar and grab you."

"I wish you could. I would rather go anywhere with you than be here."

"You'll get your chance. With each day you are turning me on more. You are really a very special lover. In time, I can see our relationship really developing and becoming even more intense."

"I hope so too, but it is already pretty great now."

"I know."

"When can I see you again?"

"I will be here again tomorrow morning."

"You know what I mean. A real date!"

"We could do that. How about I take you out for a bite after work on Friday?"

"I would love that. I would like to see you before then if you are free."

"Let's not move along too fast. Enjoy my little gifts this week and think about how wonderful they make you feel. We have plenty of time to work on us."

"OK. You're in charge."

"And that makes it extra fun.... Got to run."

That was the longest conversation we ever had inside my Starbucks. I had almost wished that one of my co-workers had over-heard me so they would know we were dating. I am sure that if they were paying attention they would see how we looked at each other. At some point, I planned to talk about the relationship, but with the kinky foundation our relationship was based upon, I thought I better wait until we were dating more like a regular couple.

Slowly I became more accustomed to my altered anatomy and new apparel. I rarely forgot how I was dressed, but I became less fearful of my discovery. There was no question it effected how I moved and felt about myself. In the past, I seldom focused my glazes at my patron's slack, but now I started to become much more observant of the styles and fits. I even caught myself looking at a few guy's lower half to see how different they their slacks fit. My posture was a little different, but from the waist down my appearance would certainly read girl. I was grateful for my oversized polo tops.

I was excited to know that I would only need to get through three more days of work before we would go out on our first date. We had already made love, but this would be the first time we were out in public together. I knew that wearing the unusual garments would ultimately be worth it, and besides other than the occasional pain, the new clothing felt nice. I almost wished I could have all of the sensual feelings without the pain that accompanied the occasional daytime erections.

Thursday's slacks had satin linings. The cut was less clingy than the previous day, but every time I moved I would get turned on by the feel. These slacks were also a bit too long. The belt openings were too small for any of my belts, but with the higher waist and tight fit I was able to get by without one. I could tell that Charlie was pleased to see that I was still on the program, but out conversation was very brief.

I had a difficult time sleeping Thursday evening in anticipation of seeing Charlie. In the morning I had to select from my two remaining pairs of Charlie's black slacks. I probably could have worn a previous pair again, but I needed to impress Charlie that I was trying all of her suggestions. I picked up both of the selections to compare them and found each to have challenging drawbacks. Pair one was extra glossy on the outside and even without feeling them had a softer looking appearance. The material was not like any man's pants I had ever worn or remembered. I am sure they would have felt wonderful, but even with an oversized top, I think they might have looked overly feminine.

The second pair looked very tailored and did not even have any belt loops. The material looked more acceptable so I decided to go with those. As I drew them up my legs I discovered some additional differences. First the legs gradually tapered down to a narrow opening on the bottom. The material did not hug my legs, but the tailoring certainly made my legs look extremely thin. The other major difference was at the top. The zipper was positioned on the side. It was a bit difficult to pull up, but once I succeeded the style really took shape.

The slacks had no pockets and no front stitching at all. The front panel highlighted my now flat groin. Each day I had looked at my altered appearance with trepidation, but this time I found myself staring at myself thinking the appearance was attractive. It took a few seconds before I came to my senses and realized how un-masculine these made me look.

I pulled over my Starbuck Polo top to get the full picture. Fortunately, most of the style differences were masked by the long baggy shirt. If anyone could see the top of these pants they would immediately know they were not men's. I thought about switching to the other pair, but that pair had a more obvious shiny look, that would be visible even with the baggy top. I was not ready to be that bold.

I kept telling myself that it all would be worth it as I made my way to work. I had made it this far without apparent issue, so I felt I could get away with this. I knew that wearing these more dramatic slacks would not go unnoticed by Charlie and that was very important.

It was a busy start to the workday so I had little time to contemplate my fashion. During the first lull in the day, I got my first reality check. My co-worker Julia slid over from the register to confront me and comment.

"We have worked together for nearly a year, so if you want to talk about anything let me know."

"Thanks, but I'm good. Anything you need to talk about?"

"Don't get me wrong. I like them. Today's pair really looks amazing on you. Those had to set you back quite a bit."

My heart skipped a beat. My secretive wardrobe shift had not remained stealth. Not only had Julia noticed today's bold selection, she was aware of some of my previous experiments. I stumbled for a reasonable response, which totally escaped me.

"I am doing this for a girl."

"You don't need to have a reason. It's too bad we don't have more fashion freedom here. I wasn't the first to notice, so you don't have to be defensive or nervous about it. Kayla mentioned yesterday that you were wearing Givenchy slacks and she said they were to die for. Even Jack thought you looked improved after overhearing us talking. All I'm saying is that it is no big deal."

"It's hard to explain, but I met someone..."

"Back to customers, we can talk later if you like."

"Thanks."

About 45 minutes later my dream girl made her entrance. I wanted to talk about my morning, but making plans for later was most important. When she first appeared at my station I saw a quizzical expression on her face.

"I didn't remember giving you those. I was looking for those yesterday and just assumed they were at the cleaners. You must really like my knew slacks to be wearing those at work. There is a matching jacket for that pair. Remind me to give that to you later."

"I'll give these back tonight."

"No no. I think they look perfect. It gives me some other ideas we can talk about in the future."

"What time should I pick you up?"

"Just come straight from work. You can shower there and we can go straight to one of my favorite Italian places in the city."

"I didn't bring a change with me."

"I am sure I have something that will fit you."

"Be serious. I can't do that."

"I saw her smile begin to fade. I wasn't going to force you into something ridiculous. If that's how you feel, we don't..."

"Sorry, I am just sensitive this morning. I will explain later. See you right after work."

"Good. We always have fun together. I'll see you later sweetie."

Chapter 6-----

Friday was always my longest shift and today it seemed like forever. It was nice that I no longer had to worry about my secret clothing choice, but it was strange knowing that people thought they were attractive on me. There was no laughing or snickering, just approval and compliments.

I was emotionally drained from the day. I was clearly getting checked out by everyone on the staff. I perked up near the end of the day as my date was finally approaching. I knew I didn't dare change before seeing Charlie, but I wanted tonight to go smoothly.

Charlie greeted me at the door with a glass of white wine. She was dressed in a tight pair of jeans and black sweater. It really didn't matter how she dressed, she always looked stunning. She was also wearing ankle boots with very high heels. She insisted I kick off my shoes before planting a kiss across my lips. She wrapped her arm around the small of my back and leaned in as she aggressively kissed me. With her very high heels she easily towering over me. I had no problem melting into her caress.

We worked our way over to her living-room couch. I asked her about her day, but she was more interested in mine. I told her about my discussion with Julia and the apparent secret that was no more. She thought that was great news.

"I knew my solution to your excitement problem could easily be fixed. Didn't it feel good to be dressed so nice and have the other girls compliment you?"

"You mean the girls?"

"Excuse me, but I bet they were even a bit envious. It's a new world now, people can wear whatever they want so long as it is appropriate for the environment."

"Bit I'm not trying to make a statement."

"'I'm just saying that if you want to wear things that make you feel nice or pretty, it's OK."

"I like the nice thing, especially because you like it."

"Sweet Brooke, we both like it, and the pretty aspect is a nice side benefit. You know my attractions are open, so you also being pretty is a real bonus. Men can be pretty too."

Charlie finished her cocktail and poured me another glass of wine. We continued chatted along with some mixed in necking. Just as I was getting fully relaxed, Charlie said we should get ready for dinner. She had a casual Italian bistro picked out that she frequented and told me the Starbuck polo would look tacky.

"Topo Gigio is not overly fancy so you can wear dressy jeans if you like."

"You know that the only clothes I have are on my body."

"Don't be silly, we have a closet full."

I will get you a some jeans and a sweater."

"That sounds fine, but I often find sweaters very itchy."

"That's easily remedied. Off to the closet..."

Charlie handed me a pair of dark blue jeans with the label BCBG along with a white sweater and a satin T-shirt.

""What's with the T-Shirt?"

"You love nightgowns and this will stop any itching. The sweater will also float over your body better."

This time Charlie did not want to leave the closet as I changed.

"I want to see your body with the lights on."

I stripped down to my panty covered gaff. I felt like I was getting evaluated as Charlie spun me around.

"You are so lean. I am so glad you are not hairy. I find that a big turnoff. Most male models now don't have a speck of hair except on the top of their head."

"Yep, I don't have much. It's even hard for be to grow a five o'clock shadow."

"Well you do have beautiful hair on top of your head. I am glad you don't wear that short. It could use an updated cut, but even now I like it."

"Thanks."

"Being smooth and hair free all over is one of the things that makes nice clothes feel and look nicer. It would also add to our lovemaking experience. It so much more fun to wrap yourself around a perfectly smooth lover."

"Are you suggesting that I shave my whole body?"

"Yes and no. Shaving can be a real pain and it does not last very long. I hate shaving my legs. I go to the spa and have them take care of it."

"They must do a great job because you feel so smooth."

"Brooke, tomorrow you get off at 11:00. I would like to treat you to an afternoon at LuLu's. We can have a spa afternoon, including joint massages, and they can work on making you smooth like me."

"Some of that sounds good. I'm not sure about the hair thing. The only guys I know that have no hair are bikers."

"You have been wearing girls clothes to work and you are concerned about excess hair. Are you dating someone besides me?"

"Of course not. Do you really think it will make a difference?"

"It will definitely be an improvement."

"Ok then, I haven't had a massage in ages."

"We need to get you dressed. Put these things on."

I felt like I could have used WD-40 to get those jeans up my legs. Charlie called them skinny jeans. I told her that they did not feel as comfortable as even my work slacks, but she insisted that looking nice sometimes had its price.

The satin T and sweater was just the opposite. They felt wonderful, but the cut was odd. The sweater was longer in the back and barely covered the top of the jeans in the front. My neutered flat groin area was impossible to miss. The collar on the sweater was very wide and oval in shape. It was nearly impossible for me to move without part of the satin T-shirt showing one of it's silky shoulder straps. Charlie was much happier with the look than I was.

"Charlie, do you really want to be seen with me looking like this. I might get laughed at."

"I think you look cute. Our votes are the only ones that matter to me."

"I agree, but this is a bit rad."

"If we have a problem, we will come straight home and I will make it up to you in bed."

"Deal!"

I started to put back on my Merrill loafers, when Charlie stopped me. You can't wear those with skinny jeans."

"This time Charlie we have no choice. My feet have to be a a full size larger than yours."

"Not a problem. My last lover left some of her clothes and shoes when she moved out. I bought all of them for her, so it is was no surprise she left some of them behind. I could wear some of her shoes, but she could not fit into any of mine. I think some basic low heeled boots would match what you have on."

"I should thank the Lord for small favors, they don't have much of a heel. I do not think I could handle something like that now."

"Don't be so negative. It's not a good personality trait. Here pull these on."

The only way to get these on was to unzip the long zipper on the side. After getting the first one on and zipped up, I barked, "How am I supposed to pull the pants over these?"

"Damn it Brooke, you are so full of attitude tonight. I think you should go home."

"I'm sorry Charlie. This is all so new to me. I'm trying. I want to make you happy."

"I'm trying to make us both happy. Just leave the ugly macho shit at home."

"Give me another chance. I am trying to go with the flow."

"OK Brooke, but I don't want to keep having these conversations. Just focus on us and not what others will think."

"Will do. So the boots go on the outside?"

"Yes, It is the style. I am surprised you haven't noticed that when at work. You are normally so observant."

"I guess I wasn't thinking from the right perspective."

"That's better my Sweetie."

Though I would not verbally admit it at that point. I knew I was not dressed at all manly. Charlie, obviously liked this look on me, so that was the only thing that really mattered. She already had told me she swings both ways, and if she wants me to reflect a softer side, I just had to accept it.

We drove into the city in her BMW. I was glad that our date was not at one of my favorite local places. I am not sure I could have handled being seen dressed this way by anyone I knew. The evening actually went better than I had expected. I was treated like royalty at the restaurant and by everyone all the way down to the valet. The only awkward moment was when two guys at the bar sent over drinks for the two of us. I could only imagine that they assumed we were both women. Charlie was so beautiful that they must have figured including me would still be worth it. Charlie quickly put them in their place when she refused to accept the free beverages.

Charlie never looked back at the guys but did smile at me as she commented. "See just a little style and you are already drawing some lust. Don't get any ideas, tonight you are all mine."

"That's all I want as well. Just you."

We headed back to Charlie's after dinner. She knew I had work in the morning and we both wanted time to play.

We wasted little time and went directly up to Charlie's room. On her bed were two long black nightgowns.

"Let's get changed before we get started. Please leave your panties on... I want to strip them off with my teeth."

I so wanted to strip off my painful restriction, but the small delay was not a big price to pay for the pending explosion. It only took me a moment to exchange my feminine apparel for the even more feminine nightgown. Removing the skinny jeans took some extra effort but I was quickly ready for Charlie and reclined on the bed. Charlie took much longer as she stopped in the bathroom to remove her jewelry and makeup. Her natural beauty was still mesmerizing.

Once in bed we began some lengthy foreplay. I wanted badly to strip off my gaff as we kissed and rolled around. Eventually Charlie guided my head down between her legs to provide her with an oral treat. She coached me as I brought her to multiple organisms. At first, I just wanted to come inside her, but knowing how magnificent I made her feel also turned me on. I was not an experienced lover and I never had satisfied a woman so thoroughly. For a brief time I was distracted from my imprisoned penis.

"Brooke, you are such a wonderful lover. I feel so completely fulfilled."

"That was amazing and with you everything is."

"Brooke, you are both very skillful and tender. I wish you could feel what that is like."

"I wish I could, but making love to you in any way is fabulous."

"Are you game to try and come as close as possible?"

"I am ready for you any way you like."

"My turn then..."

With that Charlie planted a deep french kiss on my lips. From there she worked slowly down my body with a long stop to lick and nibble on my nipples. She gradually found her way down to my panties and as she said, she pulled the off with her teeth. She then used her right hand to finally pull of my gaff. The relief that made me feel was almost orgasmic in its self.

My now freed member was slipped between her lips. She needed very little effort to bring me to the edge of explosion. Each time I reached that point and started to make waling sounds she released her mouth until my near orgasm calmed down. We did this three or four times until I became almost desperate to finish.

"I think you are now ready to enjoy the ultimate."

"Yes, Yes... I am yours."

With that she rolled me over and after a brief delay, I felt something enter me from behind. Charlie had strapped something onto her body and was guiding it into my anus. She had completely penetrated me before the shock had completely set in. With that she continued to gyrate over my behind with her hands firmly holding my hips. I was confused by the unexpected turn of even but there was little time to contemplate whether I should resist as I quickly felt the stimulation. With each thrust of her hips I became more aroused.

In my last breath I made a high pitched "Oh My God" With that, I exploded into her bed and collapsed. I could barely move and was in disbelief at what I had just felt.

"My sweet Brooke is no longer a virgin."

I laid silent before finally rolling over. I was now laying in a pool of my own cum. Charlie had a very satisfied look across her still gorgeous face. She pulled next to me and put my head on her shoulder.

"Tonight you must stay here. You are in no condition to go home. You can go to work from here. I was too exhausted and shocked to argue. I was glad I had already set my iPhone to get up in the morning, because I quickly fell asleep.

________________________________________________________

Chapter 7--

Considering that I just spent the night in bed with Charlie after experiencing a shockingly new dynamic in love making, I slept surprisingly well. I was rudely awakened by the chirp of my phone alarm. It was preset to provide me with enough time to shower and get ready for work, but did not factor in my unaccustomed surroundings. Charlie was still laying in bed next to me when I carefully extricated myself from under the blankets.

I quickly moved across the still dark room into the master bathroom. I stripped off my soiled gown and jumped into the shower. The only bath-wash in there was a strongly scented blossom oil enriched product. I needed to wash off memories of last night so I had no choice but to rub it all over my body. I even used it in my hair to remove some stray gifts that found their path all the way up there. As I washed my back side I also discovered that my rear end was extremely sore. As the soap trickled down, the pain substantially increased.

I stepped out of the shower and wrapped myself in one of Charlie's oversized violet bath towels. I also used it to blot my wet hair. I brushed my teeth with some of Charley's toothpaste and my finger. I felt clean enough, but the fragrance of blossoms was still very evident on my body and especially in my hair.

I planned to grab my clothes from yesterday and wear the same things. As I emerged from the bathroom I was surprised to see Charlie busy in the bedroom. My Starbuck work shirt was hanging on an automatic steamer and some fresh slacks and lingerie was being placed on the foot of the bed next to my wallet, car keys and the large set of work keys.

Charlie quickly met me half way across the room and planted a long kiss on my neck followed by a peck on my lips.

"I have gathered you some fresh things for your short day at work today. These should carry you over until our fun starts at the spa. The time for afternoon pampering will be here before you know it. Until then, I wish you didn't have to wear that dull polo top again. I have so many things that would look and feel better than that."

"It's policy."

"Fine. At least I can help it feel a little better."

Charlie handed me a matching set of panties and a camisole. Both were cream white and had some lace along the edges. The camisole was a new daytime addition to my already unusual wardrobe. I knew better than to reject her suggestion. I liked how last night's camisole felt, and under my oversized polo shirt, I assumed it would be invisible. I quickly slid on my gaff which I had been getting better at positioning. Over the top went the new lingerie, which tingled my clean skin.

Charlie lifted off the bed the newest pair of required black slacks and held them for me to step into. I stepped into each leg before Charlie pulled hem up to my waist. These slacks were made of a crape material and each leg was very wide with and not tapered at all. All of Charlie's previous pairs were very fitted, but these were oversized. They were also much longer that any of the previous slacks. Charlie handed me an ultra thin belt.

"That will hold up these slacks so they will drape your legs properly and not drag along the floor."

Even with the belt tightly holding the slacks high up on my waist, they were still too long.

These were way too feminine looking, but I knew they were also too long which would be my out. I didn't want to say no to Charlie, but even she would see this obvious problem for me at work.

"Charlie, these are so nice, but unfortunately too long. I would be tripping all over myself with the extra length. If you had a tailor hanging out in your closet, I would love to wear them."

"Not in my closet, but in the guest room!"

"Huh?"

A few seconds later Charlie was standing in front of me holding a pair of clunky heeled shoes.

"These are called Mary Jane Wedges. They are very basic shoes with only about two and a half inch heels. They are very easy to walk in and will solve both the pant leg problem and give you a more attractive posture."

"Charlie, I want to completely cooperate, but heels? "

"Sweetie, you love the slacks and under them they will not be visible."

"The slacks do not even have a place for my wallet."

"I have a small messenger bag you can put your wallet and keys into. You will no longer have to be embarrassed bringing your things into work in a plastic bag."

The bag was very basic black leather, but with the overly long strap it looked much more like a purse.

I was feeling stuck and running out of time. Charlie did not come into the Starbucks on Saturday so I figured I could slip into yesterdays slacks and shoes on my way to work.

"I appreciate all your new treats, but I need to get going."

"Come back here after work and we can have a bite before hitting LuLu's."

"I'll do that. I can't wait."

With that I donned the Starbuck Polo and started to gather my previous clothes.

"No need to do that sweetie. I will have them cleaned. You can get your loafers later."

I was ushered out the door wearing slacks that looked almost like a long skirt, paired with woman's heels, already avant-garde underthings and a purse. The people at work already had noticed my unique styles; now I was pushing the envelope far beyond subtlety.

Behind the counter few people ever saw my lower half, but the fashion selections would be immediately obvious to any of my co-workers. I had no choice but to accept the situation and deal with it. I could not think of any reasonable excuse for my ever increasing feminization so I just decided to pretend like it was no big deal. Besides I was an assistant manager and would be in charge this morning.

Even with my modest delay as a result of the morning discussions with Charlie I was still the first person at work. I was busily setting up the register when Julia came in. Julia had been the first person last time to say anything about my apparel and that time had no problem with it. When she came out of the employee office she already had something on her mind.

"Brooke, who's your sugar-daddy?"

"What?"

"I saw the Valentino purse in the office and you and I are the only two people here. That bag costs a fortune... you are so lucky."

"I just borrowed it to hold my things this morning."

As those words were coming out of my mouth, Julia first noticed my newest fashion statements.

"Look at you, cutie! My God, you are becoming a fashion plate."

"I know, they are probably a bit much for work."

"No not at all, but they are super pretty. Spin around for me. I want the full effect."

I was feeling her enthusiasm as I spun around on my toes. The motion also exposed my unusual shoes as my slack bellowed out like a full skirt.

"I love how you are changing before my eyes. You look great."

"Thanks, I think. I know some of it is over the top."

"Only the cost of your changing wardrobe. There's no way you are paying for all of these new things on your Starbuck paycheck. Either you come from money or you have a sugar-daddy."

"Neither. I have been hanging with a woman that has big bucks, and a massive wardrobe. She has been ushering in my little changes."

"You got to hold onto her. She has great taste and sounds very understanding. I would love to meet her."

I was going to say who she was, but wondered if that was still a good idea. I changed the conversation to work and we were quickly engrossed in our tasks at work.

I survived the morning and all of the comments from the staff. I even had to endure some obvious flirting from a male regular, that from previous conversations, I assumed was gay. My female co-workers had oddly grown friendlier. One of the gals called Amy, even casually put her hands on my hips near the end of my shift, to straighten my long draping slacks. She would never have touched me before, but did not think anything of adjusting my very feminine wardrobe. I gave her a thankful smile and continued with my work.

I left the the Starbucks having survived once again an emotional test. What started as an experiment in experiencing some new sensations had now evolved to all of my co-workers accepting to various degrees that I now came to work half dressed in woman's clothes. I did not know exactly what they assumed about me, but they obviously were fine with that. It would be very difficult for them ever to see me in the same light as before.

As planned, I drove straight to Charlie's house for lunch and the trip to her spa. Charlie was dressed comfortably in some yoga style clothes as she embraced me at the front door.

Charlie did not want to waste any time so we had a quick lunch. She wanted to hear how my day went and I did not spare her any of the awkward details. She was very pleased that the crew was so accepting and that even others were noticing the improvements. I wasn't so sure I would call my changes improvements, but that wasn't her main point anyway.

After finishing off our Greek salads she pulled me back into her room.

"Get changed quickly. We have a full afternoon ahead."

"We are still going to have time for the massages?"

"Of course, but those come last. First we both are going to become as smooth as babies. Tonight is going to feel magical. The first time is not a lot of fun, but it will get easier down the road. You will feel so sexy when the only patches of hair are on top of your head and between your legs. If you want we can even remove that little patch down there."

"No no. Being smooth on the rest of my body is plenty for me now."

Before you change into your sweats, rub this lotion onto your body. It will help moisturize and has some lidocaine in it, which will reduce the mild discomfort. Only leave on your gaff, but otherwise rub it all over. You have almost no hair on your back, but I will help you and apply it there. It took a couple of minutes to apply it everywhere. Charlie did my back, then helped me finish the other areas. She even put the moisturizer on my face.

Once I was fully covered she told me to slip on my sweats. They top was a teal colored tank top and the bottoms a matching black color like Charlie's. There was also a matching black jacket that perfectly matched the bottoms. Charlie's sweat bottoms loosely clung to her body, while mine were much baggier. The sweats reminded me of a genies costume and looked like they were stolen from a harem. Finally she handed me a pair of shoes that looked like slippers but more closely resembled ballet flats.

Just before leaving her house Charlie handed me a pill and a glass of water. "This is a Valium so you will be totally relaxed. It's prescription strength, but I think it will help you feel less anxious."

"Good idea, I could use something to take the edge off."

We made the 15 minute drive to Lulu Day Spa and Clinic. By that time I was already feeling a bit loopy from the pill. We were greeted at the spa by LuLu. Charlie was obviously a very important client and her needs were always carefully catered to. I would learn later that Charlie had handled LuLu's divorce a few years back and her settlement had allowed her to open the spa.

As we were being separated, Charlie blew me a kiss and said we would meet up later for our massages. LuLu directed me into the back area for my initial treatments.

"Charlie said your real name is Brooke. That is such a pretty name."

I had a hard time composing my words because of the pill and could barely respond. I mumbled some form of thank you.

"It has been a while since Charlie brought us one of her young friends. I think you are going to be the cutest."

It was a compliment, but even in my diminished state, her comment was kind of strange. Again I thanked her, but added, "I just want Charlie to be happy. She is very special."

"You are too Brooke, and we will help you become even more special."

"I'd like that."

"Before we get started I need you to sign all the legal disclaimers. It is all pretty standard for these types of treatments."

"I never had to sign forms at a spa before."

"We do a lot more than most traditional spas. As it says on the door, we are both a spa and clinic."

"Well I am here for the spa."

"True, but we use cutting edge techniques for things as simple as hair removal. This will also allow for expanded optional procedures should you ever want them in the future. Most of what we do is pretty benign, but we do have a Dr. on staff three days a week for more specialized treatments. Don't worry, we are not doing anything like that for you today."

"That's good, I'm fine with the basic stuff."

"Let's get started. Hillary will start with your waxing. The hardest things will come first. Charlie's instructions are to remove your bodily hair from everywhere but two paces. Just so you know, the first time is typically the most uncomfortable. It gets easier, and with each repeat time, and there is usually less to remove. Have you ever had a wax before?"

"No, I have managed to avoid that up until now."

"You are lucky that you do not have a lot of hair other than the thick hair on top of your head. Have you already been taking anything to reduce your body hair or are you just fortunate?"

"I never had a lot of fur. I don't even have to shave everyday."

"That's all good. It will make things easier."

I had no idea how uncomfortable having my hair ripped from my body could be. For a while I thought I was going to cry. I could see that my legs were beat red when she was finished. I could feel the smoothness, but it was more than offset by the tenderness. When Hillary finally said she was done with the waxing I felt a wave of relief through my system. She gave me a glass of water to calm me down a bit. The sedative was still working, but I was still in a bit of shock.

I was led down the hall to another room for my next session. I had no idea what was coming, but I was just happy the waxing was over and followed Hillary like a lamb. The next room looked more like a dentist office with an adjustable chair and some high tech instruments.

"What's this room for Hillary?"

"Clara will be here in a moment for your laser treatment."

"My what?"

"She will explain. It's just to remove a few hairs you wouldn't want us to wax."

My half groggy mind was starting to worry about more pain. Clara walked in sporting a big smile.

"You must be Brooke. How are you holding up?"

"Waxing sucks"

"Yes and you have to keep doing it. It gets easier, but you still have to keep coming back."

"What are you going to laser?"

"You requested to be smooth on your face and we can't wax there. This shouldn't hurt as much as a wax, but might also be a little uncomfortable. In the future it to will get easier."

I didn't really understand what the laser did, but I just assumed it would be like getting a very close shave. I managed the pain better during the laser treatment than during the waxing. Near the end I asked how the laser worked. It wasn't until she was nearly done that I learned this was basically killing the hairs at the root. The ones that were zapped would likely not grow back. She told me that with my sparse facial hair that after about three or four sessions I would be pretty much hair free.

My stomach turned-over after I heard those words. I had not expected any permanent affects from our playful spa sessions. Today's session was nearly over, but I would need to address this excessive procedure if we ever came back here. It wasn't like I ever sported much facial hair, but forever being perfectly smooth there was never one of my ambitions.

Clara announced that the hard things were all done for today. From here out it was pure pampering. I was happy to hear this pronouncement. After changing back from the robe to my sweats, I was led back into the main area for additional services.

I was directed to a very comfortable chair and my feet were placed in warm churning water. I was left there to relax for a few minutes. After about 5 minutes Charlie appeared and joined me at the next chair. Her hair had tinfoil and clips carefully placed throughout.

"So was your first wax horrible?"

"Not fun at all. I'm still pink."

"Now surely you now have a greater appreciation for what us girls have to go through."

"For certain, but I wasn't prepared to get lasered. I was told those hairs won't grow back."

"That's a good thing. You won't have to keep doing that."

"What if I want to grow a beard?"

Before responding, Charlie smiled at my comment as if that was ridiculous. "Why in the world would you ever want to do that? It would ruin your looks."

"I'm just saying. Now if I ever want to it will take even longer."

"You sure won't want to do that now. After today's treatment if you ever try, it will grow in patchy. You look much better without facial hair, beside shaving is such a bore."

"I wish I had known first. I guess not shaving has its benefits, but I should have made that decision."

"You agreed to become smooth all over. I was only scheduling things we talked about. Are we having trouble communicating. If we are not being honest with each other there is no point in us doing these things together."

"No, I guess I just didn't really think all this through."

"You can stop with this and even us if you are not happy."

"Charlie, I want to be with you more than anything. I'm glad we are here together."

"I am too."

Two Asian girls appeared in front of us and set up trays.

"What now Charlie?"

"We are going to get mani-pedis."

"I have never had one before, but I am not sure what the point is without the color."

"Choosing colors is fun, but a good mani-pedi also is important for maintaining nice looking hands and feet. Don't worry, I know having nail color at work might at first be hard, but taking care of them is important."

I felt safe that Charlie was not going to insist on such an extreme statement for me so I was safe to compliment this aspect of her femininity "You always have beautiful colors on your fingers, but unfortunately that is one treat I will have to pass on."

"It is a shame that you currently feel it would be too hard for you to sport an attractive color at work right now, that's why I told them to just give you a clear polish. But that doesn't mean we can't have matching toes."

"That's not really necessary. No one will see them anyway."

"You will know. And every-time you see your pretty feet you will think of us."

"What about people here?"

"They do this all the time... and are paid well to do it."

In less than an hour, I had red toes and extra glossy clear fingernails. My nails had been trimmed into an oval shape and my cuticles had beed trimmed way back.

"Is it time for our massages yet?"

"Almost. I need to have them finish up with my highlights."

"I'll just watch you."

"I think I will have them wash and condition your hair while you wait. The scalp massage will be nice."

"Ok, it has been getting harder to take care of since it has gotten longer."

"You need to take better care of longer hair. You have some split ends I will tell them to trim them off."

I found myself under a large purple cape in the salon with my now washed hair. The only thing besides my head that peered out from the cape was my red toes still in the pedicure slippers. LuLu did the honors of trimming off my split ends. Her trimming was very precise and when she was done I could tell that all of my hair fell to the exact same point brushing my shoulders. She had trimmed off a little more in some spots to achieve the perfectly even lengths and had moved the part slightly off center. Before releasing me from her care she grabbed a tweezer and pulled more than a few eyebrow hairs. She felt compelled to say how bushy brows don't look right on me.

I was fortunate to avoid the indignity of sitting under a hair drier. She blew dry my hair with a blower and a round brush. Most of the time she was doing this I was focused on the elaborate work being done on Charlie. I knew she had highlights in her always perfect hair but had no clue what she went through to get them. In was a little interesting to watch and the end result looked lovely as always.

When my cape was removed and I stood up, I got the first full effect of my minor trimming. My hair looked fuller and much more styled. The ever-so-slight shifting of my previous center part caused one side of my hair to partially hang down over my face. Like everything else about my experience here at the spa it made me appear a little more feminine. Combined with my altered eyebrows, I am sure that was LuLu's intent. It was not a huge change, but only added to my growing male insecurities.

I was done before Charlie so I sat on the couch near her styling station. I looked through the magazines, but they were all either fashion or focused on cosmetic procedures. I casually flipped through the pages of InStyle Magazine. Each time I flipped a page I noticed my glossy nails. I was sure they would get noticed at work on Monday. At this stage I figured glossy nails would hardly raise any eyebrows.

Finally, Charlie was finished with her hair treatment and it was time for our massages. We were lead into a private room with two tables. Both of us were instructed to strip and get under the thin sheets on our beds. This was the first time all afternoon that I was excited for what was to come. I had my naked Charlie only a few feet away and I envisioned two beautiful Swedish masseurs joining us in our romantic encounter.

Charlie had told me that all of the masseurs here were amazing and knew how to sensually stroke the entire body. Some calming music began through the sound system shortly before the door opened.

In came two athletic looking men that introduced themselves to us. I had expected a pretty woman for at least me, but instead we had two very musclebound men preparing to service us. It wasn't just that I was disappointed not having a female masseuse, but here I was completely removed of bodily hair with painted toes get a full body rub from a man. I had to wonder what he thought of me. My total lack of masculinity next to this physical specimen was intimidating.

There was little I could do or say so I just tried to enjoy the massage as much as possible. As it turned out I quickly forgot about the embarrassing contrast and truly enjoyed the experience. Charlie was right and I even found myself making low level murmurs when Kevin dug deep into sensitive area and released some of my built up tension. When we were finished later I almost forgotten that Charlie was in the room with me.

She brought me back to reality with the sound of her voice. "Somebody was totally enjoying the experience. I was getting a little jealous hearing you purr over there."

I had no idea she had heard me. I was also surprised by how much I had enjoyed it. "Didn't you enjoy your massage?"

"I always do, but today it was extra fun knowing how much you did."

Our Spa afternoon was over and it was one I would not soon forget.

"What now? Your place?"

"Very soon, but I could use a cappuccino right about now. There is a Starbucks at Old Orchards which is not far. I'd like to make one stop there anyway."

"OK, so long as this is one espresso drink I don't have to make."

We were off after Charlie settled up our substantial bill and arranged for generous tips. I really wanted to chip in, but my meager finances would hardly allow for this type of indulgence.

It was the first time I had been in a coffee shop in a long time when I had not been an employee. I ordered the same drink as Charlie. We held hands and talked about the afternoon. She had spent a fortune on me, yet she thanked me for making myself sexier for her.

"You do that for me, why wouldn't I do that for you? I feel sexy just being around you."

"You are so special and all mine."

"Yes, in every way."

"We are next to Bloomingdales and I want us to get matching lockets or something to acknowledge what we have between us."

"You've done so much already. I would love that, but that is too much."

"Let's just go inside. I have a friend Tania that works in the Jewelry department. Maybe she can suggest something simple."

"Did you handle her divorce too?"

"Actually yes, but I knew her and her family long ago. I do have friends that have never gotten a divorce."

"I'm sorry I was just kidding."

"I know. You look very cute right now trying to be sweet."

We were still dressed very casually in our sweats. My genie style bottoms were definitely not up to Bloomy standards. Inside we found her friend. The two hugged and giggled together in an embrace. Their excited conversation went on for couple of minutes before I was even introduced.

Charlie told Tania that she wanted to get us both something to reflect our relationship. She didn't want it to be gaudy and if possible to be something attractive on both of us. I made sure to say that It should not be very expensive since we needed two.

We looked at lockets for a necklace or bracelet, but couldn't find one that would be nice enough for Charlie to wear with her expensive suits, and not crazy expensive. Then we looked at various bracelets and found a couple that were simple and attractive. Charlie said they were OK, but she was not won-over by them.

Tania then suggested that she could just get me something classy that Charlie already owned. Then we would both have the same thing, but would only have to buy one. Charlie's eyes lit up by her suggestion.

"You are so smart. You have great taste and you always know what I like. That is the perfect idea."

I chimed in. "That make sense. Is there something of Charlie's that is very simple that would look OK on me."

"Let me think. Is there anything I have worn that you wanted to try on?"

I was quiet in response to her oddly worded question. I glanced at Tania to see what she thought of that comment.

"Well Charlie, you are always dressed so tastefully down to ever little detail. The first night we were together you weren't even wearing jewelry, yet you looked perfectly accessorized."

"My God Charlie, your Brooke is precious."

"Actually Brooke I was wearing Jewelry that evening."

"Really? I am usually very observant about how you look."

"Under my hair I had two gold studs in my ears. Very simple, but high quality."

"I guess I missed that under your beautiful hair."

"I bought those from Tania here last spring. Tania, do you still have those?"

"Yes yes. Over at the other counter."

I was pulled along to see the earrings that I had missed on our first date.

"I do love those earrings Tania. What do you think Brooke?"

"They do look classy. I am sorry I didn't remember you had them on."

"Tania, what do you think? I so trust your opinion."

Tania, gazed in my direction. She was looking me over for a moment before answering.

"Charlie, you are so right. Those would look fabulous on Brooke. With that cute face and flowing hair, the large gold studs would be just the right touch."

"Charlie, you're not suggesting the earrings for me? Are you?"

"Of course. I wore those our first night together. It would mean so much to me and they would look dynamite on you."

"Earrings! Not a lot of guys I know wear them and besides those are for pierced ears."

Charlie had a disappointed look on her face. "That may be true, but not a lot of guys are with me. I like you because you are special."

Tania interjected, "Brooke, if you like them, we can pierce your ears and you can wear them out."

I wasn't sure which scared me more; getting my ears pierced or disappointing Charlie.

"Don't you think they are a little large for a guy to have in both ears. I do have a friend who wears only one, but it's small and I have never seen him with two."

"Brooke sweetie, With you brushed over longer hair style, Hardly anyone but me will probably notice even either of them. Don't you think it would symbolize our relationship and bond."

I was in a no win position and both girls thought it was a great idea. I didn't want to dim the gleam in Charlie's eyes and once again allowed myself to be further chiseled away at my old self.

My body felt a bit numb when I looked at my newly branded ears in the countertop mirror. With my slightly altered hairstyle, thinner brows, hairless face and now earrings, I could very easily be mistaken for a woman. It wasn't that I found the image unattractive, but rather that it was me. I had been enjoying how Charlie made me feel, but her guidance was taking me very far down an unusual path.

"Brooke, when I first saw you behind the bar at Starbucks I thought you were cute, but each day together I am more attracted to you. I know some of our activities may have at first seemed risqué for you, but in the end don't you think it has all been worth it?"

I had little choice but to respond to her passionate statement, "Yes".

While I was still glazing at my image in the mirror, Tania asked Charlie a question that was not intended for my input. "Are you going to take Charlie shopping today in any other departments?"

Charlie was brief in her response, "Not today, I think this is enough fun for one day."

This time Charlie insisted that I gave Tania a goodbye hug and thank her for the help. Tania replied, "Any time. You can come by whenever you like, especially if you want to pick out some matching jewelry."

"Doubtful, but I appreciate it."

"You never know."

Charlie whispered in my ear as we were walking to the door, "I am ready to take home my silky smooth tart and make some real fun. Can you handle that?"

I smiled and simply said, "Take me."

_______________________________________________

I really appreciate all your comments.....

In the first three parts, the local barista at Starbucks comes to the rescue of his favorite patron and secret crush. They begin an unusual relationship that spans their very different worlds. The Barista begins to experience many pleasureful changes to his previously dull lifestyle and wardrobe.

___________________________________________________

Chapter 8--

All the way home in the car Charlie was expressing how wonderful I was going to feel with my smooth skin covered by nothing more than a satin nightgown. It seemed almost silly to even imply a desire to act more manly when we reached her home. I knew the pending encounter would be pleasant, but after today, I needed to resign myself to the expectation that with Charlie she expected me to be the the meek partner in our love-making and act mostly docile. Any attempt to insert control or defend my Y chromosome would be treated harshly.

Inside her home she made us cocktails and brought out some chilled chocolate strawberries. We wasted little time finding each others lips and making our way to her couch. She knew all the areas on my neck and ears to stimulate my entire body. I felt totally under her control and loved every second of it. After a period of time that passed in a blur we found our way to her bedroom.

We hardly missed a beat of our foreplay as we stripped off our clothes and only I was given a nightgown to change into. Charlie stripped down to only a silky pair of boxer shorts, while I slipped on the pink long nightgown. I was too aroused to even care about the wardrobe irony. We caressed, kissed and stroked each other until my body was nearly on fire with sensations. Charlie even massaged my non-existent breasts as if I were an actual woman. With my smooth skin and other changes I had a growing understanding of what it would feel like to be in a lesbian relationship with Charlie. I knew it was only role play, but the total emersion in the female style love making was a completely erotic experience. Charlie had previously made it clear to me that she was Bi, and in unconventional way I almost felt like her female partner.

The lovemaking followed a similar pattern as our last encounter. I was able to drive Charlie into ecstasy by going down on her orally. She had no interest in me entering her in the conventional way. In our last sexual encounter she had also satisfied me orally before concluding my orgasm with a dildo penetrating me from behind. Prior to meeting Charlie I had never so much as contemplated a rectal encounter, my first thoughts regarding the possibility of such an experience occurred as I was already in the process of receiving it. I still felt some guilt because there was no denying that I had exploded in sexual satisfaction when I first encountered her lubricated toy.

This time around Charlie simply manipulated my male appendage with her hands before aggressively flipping me over and once again impaling me with the sex toy. Charlie had strapped on the realistic looking device before impaling me with her multiple hip thrusts. I was turned on by the control Charlie exerted over me, but this time Charlie had not even made a passing attempt to orally reciprocate as a girl might attempt to satisfy her boyfriend. I did not resist her forceful move and quickly found myself squealing in satisfaction. As I rested feeling once again sore, a sense of satisfaction still flowed through me even though I had abandoned most of what was left of my masculinity.

I had no problems drifting off to sleep. My body's senses had gone beyond simply ecstasy and I was maxed out. Sleep was the inevitable conclusion. I slept like a rock for about 3 or 4 hours before waking from some strange dreams. My mind was immediately focused on my new found relationship status. I felt happy, lucky and confused. I had little experience in relationships, but the nature of our bond was so foreign and taking me deeper into the dark hole.

I knew that the gorgeous creature peacefully sleeping by my side made me feel special and loved, but in only a short time I had altered my daily lifestyle in ways I could not even explain to myself. Was Charlie bringing out aspects of myself that I had repressed or was I simply following her lead? Whichever it was, I had never felt such intense sexual gratification or ever the loving attention that I was receiving. I was not sure where I was headed, but currently sharing her bed felt right.

Despite lying awake in bed during the middle of the night I had not noticed that Charlie was no longer in bed. Once again she had gotten a jump start on the morning and had left me to sleep. When I discovered I was alone I knew I had to get up, but I felt so wonderful in her bed wrapped in my silky smooth nightgown covered up with her satiny smooth sheets. I felt like royalty, but would never be mistaken for a king.

This time I instinctively went into her closet and grabbed a silk robe before going on a search for Charlie. I sashayed down the hall in my lingerie on a hunt to retrieve my dream-girl. I took the long route to the kitchen to check out more of Charlie's home and because walking in the silky clothes was so enjoyable. At the far end of the hall was what appeared to be Charlie's home office. It definitely looked like a very functional work space and lacked some of the stylish touches of the rest of her home. It was designed with work in mind and had sparse distractions beyond the high tech computer setup. The only non-business items that adorned the room were two framed photos of attractive twenty-something women. I had never seen them before, but they looked professional like Charlie. I knew she did not have any sisters so I guessed they were past relationships. There was an empty frame next to them, and my racing mind speculated about a past affair that she could not bare to be reminded of. These thoughts were all pure fantasy and not really my business since I was snooping around.

I could only dream of living in a house like this. My parents did ok, but I would never inherit enough to even consider anything along the lines of Charlie's place. My work career was off to a slow start and at it's current pace only provided me with my basic living standards. If I was going to continue my relationship with Charlie it would have to be mostly on her nickel. Seeing how wonderful it felt on the other side of the fence made me contemplate my own past employment decisions. Maybe it was time to consider something more career oriented or at least something that paid more. Charlie's emergence into my life had me thinking about a lot of things.

I finally made it to kitchen and knew she was inside because my nose could smell the distinctive aroma of fresh coffee. I ran my fingers through my hair so that I would look good for Charlie. I had a big smile on my face as I entered the room expecting to find Charlie.

I found her, but she was not alone. Her friend Tania from Bloomingdales was sitting at the table with her. They both greeted me with giant grins. I froze in my tracks about 10 feet from them.

"Brooke dear, don't be shy, say hello to Tania. She stopped by before work to discuss a few things. Please join us for a cup of coffee."

"Yes Brooke, I am so glad to see you again so soon. Plant your pretty little butt over here at the table."

I wanted to flee. I couldn't believe that someone besides Charlie had seen me dressed like this. I had a hard time forming any words. "I am sorry to interrupt, I will leave you two."

"No no, Tania and I were done with our business. Please join us. She won't bite."

"Hi Tania. I am surprised to see you so early this morning."

"I just stopped by for a short while. I am sorry to invade your personal morning."

"It's Ok, I was going to be leaving soon anyway." I really had no plans to leave yet, but it seemed like the right thing to say.

"I will be on my way in a few minutes too. I have to be at Bloomingdales before they open to set up the displays."

"You work at a very classy store."

"It is nice. Charlie is going to have to get you in soon to pick up some chic clothes."

"Charlie has already done enough for me, but thank you."

"Honey, Tania is right. We do need to get you some stylish things of your own. We will just have to make some time in the near future."

"That's nice Charlie, what ever makes you happy."

"Brooke I see that both you and Charlie are wearing your matching earrings. They look lovely with your pretty ensemble. Doesn't satin feel heavenly in the morning?"

"Yes it does feel nice, it was the only thing here for me to sleep in."

"Of course it was."

I managed to maintain my composure until Tania left which was very challenging. After she left, I asked why she did not warn me that Tania was coming over.

"She is my good friend and already knew about the two of us."

"She must have thought it was strange to see me like this."

"Hardly, she had already mentioned to me after meeting you how cute you were. I told her not to get any ideas."

"Charlie, this is all so confusing for me, and has become surreal."

"If we are happy that is all that matters... don't over think things."

"I love what we have too, but..."

"But what Sweetie?"

"Well, the first one of either of our friends that have seen us together, see me dressed like this. I know we currently live in different worlds, but doesn't that seem strange?"

"Not really, but you are right. Are there some friends that you want me to meet?"

"No one specific, but it would be nice if I introduced you at work or if I even met some of your friends or colleagues."

"If that is what you want. Have you been keeping us secret? Are you embarrassed being with me?"

"No way. I just didn't want you to be uncomfortable in the Starbucks."

"Nonsense! Your friends are my friends."

"Thank you."

"You and I have not been been together all that long, but I will come up with an appropriate opportunity for you to meet more of my acquaintances."

We had a second cup of coffee together before I changed and went home. Charlie mentioned how grateful she was for the past 24 hours because she was entering a very busy stretch at work. She had some very high powered and intense divorce proceedings coming up and one of them was likely headed for a trial. She was very good at her job, but she did not think she would have much personal time over the next month.

Charlie told be how much I meant to her and that she was hopeful I would be understanding if we did not see a lot of each other during this period. She said she would sneak some time in here and there, but that was all she could promise for now. I was sad that just as we were getting closer that our time together would be limited. I just told her that I would try and stay flexible if she had any time or needed some comforting. In reality Charlie was the only real thing in my life outside of Starbucks.

Chapter 9---

Charlie and I did not see a lot of each other over the next month, which then extended to 2, 3, and then nearly four months. She always seemed busy with big divorce cases and her numerous duties managing the firm. We did see each other, but mostly it was for an evening cocktail or over a spa treatment and was never more than once a week. We did follow up a few of those drinks with some playing around, but our quality time together never seemed enough. Our infrequent sex typically followed previous patterns and I was gradually getting used to being entered from behind. I had pretty much accepted this as the norm for our sexual encounters and no longer even held out hopes for a more traditional position.

I became a regular at LuLu's Salon and Beauty Clinic. Charlie insisted that I go there every other weekend to keep my skin smooth, nails manicured and hair conditioned. About once a month we shared a massage, but mostly I was there by myself. LuLu took her marching orders from Charlie, so I was still treated like royalty and all of my treatments were pre-scheduled for me. I continued with the full body waxes followed by the Laser treatments. Beginning with the second treatment they also lasered a very small patch of hair that I had on my chest. By the time month four rolled around there was really no need for me to shave anymore. There were only a few odd hairs remaining and even those would be gone soon.

My hair treatments were mostly just maintenance, trimming and tending to the few split ends. I had previously left my hair very long, but now it was significantly longer than I had ever let it grow before. Even working in a Starbucks, I was starting to wonder if it was too long for a work place. Charlie always complimented me on how it looked and not surprisingly told me how sexy she thought long hair was. Not that the stylist ever asked me, I did not dare suggest to have it shortened.

Other than our time at the spa, and visits to her place, Charlie and I did not go out. Charlie still insisted that when I came over that I dressed more to her tastes, but at least I did not need to parade through restaurants dressed in the feminine selections that she always insisted on. Most of the clothes were soft sweaters, shimmery tops that were paired with matching slacks, but she did mix in a few maxi skirts and even once had me wearing a halter style one piece pleated dress.

At work my feminine slacks collection grew even larger. More than half of the bottoms were obviously women's pants to even a casual observer. My collection of lingerie and shoes also grew. I now wore a camisole daily that was color coordinated with my panties. Having my penis tucked under the gaff became almost second nature. Many of the slacks were long and now I had three pairs of shoes that had varying degrees of heels in excess of two inches. I began to wear pantyhose on days that I needed to wear the higher heels. Charlie even bought me a couple of padded briefs to wear with some of the slacks to give them a better fit. On the rare days I had both the heels and padded brief on, my derrière was very prominent.

My nails were also carefully groomed with a small amount of added length with oval tips. The clear polish eventually was replaced by a natural tint that had a hint of pink color. The color was not obvious, but I was always aware of it.

Between my altered grooming and the decidedly feminine fashion touches, I was treated by my co-workers more like one of the girls than a male co-worker. I never expressed any girlish desires at work, but rarely made any effort to defend my manhood. There was not much of an explanation I could concoct to justify my appearance. I considered on numerous occasions whether to stop with the avant-garde look or whether to tone it down, but I still had great hopes for me and Charlie. Even the small amount of quality time we shared felt so good that I was not ready to risk that.

On the few times I went to see my mother after work, I made a concerted effort to dress more manly. Even on those visits I still had on my gaff and panties, but I did not wear obviously girlish slacks. It was also the only time I did not wear my earrings. Despite that, my mother commented on the holes in both of my ears. When she saw me during the fourth month of my relationship with Charlie, she asked me what was up. She asked about my beyond shoulder length hair, my pierced ears, the noticeable weight even I had not realized I had lost, and the softer looking face I was now sporting. She said I looked younger, but wanted to know if everything was ok.

I told her I had met someone that liked me more stylish. I was stunned a bit when she asked if that new flame was a girl or boy. When I became startled she said all she wanted was for me to be happy. I immediately told her it was a girl, but I was not ready yet to introduce her. After the uncomfortable exchange we had a nice visit. Nothing more was said about my subtle changes until I was getting ready to leave. Mom asked if I needed help with my style changes.

"Honey, if you like I can go shopping with you. I am sure it is a little awkward for you to shop in some places. Having a woman accompany you can help looking for the special styles easier."

"Mom, that's OK I am doing fine. My friend Charlie has been helping. Is he also dressing 'Stylishly'?"

"Charlie is a she, and yes she is very stylish. I am sure someday you will meet her."

"Alright, but the shopping invitation is always open. I am sure the new experience would be enjoyable for both of us."

"Thanks Mom. I'll let you know."

Even my own mother was questioning my manhood. There was no longer any daily part of my life that resembled my pre-Charlie world. My altered personal image changed gradually and almost too easily.

At work I had introduce Charlie to a couple of my female co-workers. They were excited to talk with her, but I never felt they took our relationship seriously. They hit it off and mostly talked about how much of a cutie I had become since we began hanging out. In our conversations they mostly referred to her as my friend. I knew Charlie and I had something special and that was enough for me. Boasting about my stunning girlfriend was not in my nature.

It had been nearly 4 months since Charlie said she was entering her busy work stretch. I was happy during our sporadic times together but finally decided it was time to inquire about seeing each other more. Other than the girls at LuLu’s there were no acquaintances of Charlie’s that I had ever met. We had never gone out with any of her friends and I had never met any of her work associates. We had talked about her office and even some of her co-workers, but I never actually met them. With the way Charlie preferred I dressed in her presence, I had not pushed hard to change that and even repressed my desire to interact with others.

Maybe I was getting used to our routine and the androgynous fashion changes or just growing a thicker skin. Either way, I was getting anxious to be less secretive and isolated. I knew it might lead to some additional scrutiny, but I was willing if Charlie was.

It was during one of our very brief after work cocktails that I pushed the subject.

“Charlie, you mean everything to me and I would never want to jeopardize what we have, but I would really like to meet some of your friends. We see each other at my Starbucks and other than that, only about once a week. If we somehow had more mutual friends or our worlds crossed more often, then I know I would be happier.”

“Am I not making you happy?”

“Of course you make me happy. I want to also make you happy.”

“So what are you asking then?”

“I am not asking for anything specific, just thinking that it would be nice for us to find more things from our individual lives to share.”

“You know how busy I am.”

“Yes yes. I am just trying to make it easier for us to spend time together.”

“Most of my time lately has been spent on work related issues with only occasional gaps.”

“I am not trying to add any stress. I would do anything for you. I just wish there were ways for us to share other things in our lives that are important or just spend more quality time together.”

“Brooke, let me give it more thought. I know I said that before, but maybe you are right and we should find some ways to do other things. We will talk about it more real soon… OK?”

“That would be great. Thank you.”

We went another week before we had a rendezvous other than at Starbucks. It was a glorious evening that included dinner out at the same restaurant we went to on our first formal date night. Charlie was in a particularly good mood which I did not want to ruin by objecting to her fashion selection for me. I always relented to her envelope pushing androgynous selections and tonight she was no different with one exception.

Charlie had me wearing black leather pants that fit almost like tights. On each side was a long gold zipper which were challenging to zip over the hip and derrière pads that Charlie insisted I wear. My contrasting white sweater covered over the lace camisole, but not the decorative zippers. The leather pants extended to just above my ankles, which did little to cover up the open toed pumps that Charlie handed me. These were a very sexy pair of heels and without long pants to cover them they were unequivocally all girl. Charlie and I had continued to get matching toe colors and with these shoes they would be on full display. I wasn't even sure I would be able to walk in the pencil heels.

"Charlie you know how much I want to please you, but these shoes are so totally feminine. Couldn't I just wear some low heel clogs or flats?"

"Brooke, the shoes are what makes the look. I really don't think that a different pair of shoes would make a meaningful difference in anyones perception of you. However, it would take away from how sexy you look."

"I just think I'd be crossing over the appearance line."

"Brooke, you need to face truth. You have been crossing that line for a while and enjoying it."

"It's just..."

I was quickly cut off. "Are we going to fight, because if so, this is not how I want to spend one of my rare free evenings."

"If I brake my ankle you are going to have to nurse me back to health."

"I am sure you will be a natural. You have been every step of the way so far."

"OK then, let's go before my nearly bare feet become cold. I almost hope no one realizes I am a guy."

"Come here my lovely and let me give you a kiss. You are such a good sport. I will make it up to you later."

With the heels strapped to my feet I still was no taller than Charlie. The kiss melted away my last doubts. Before we headed to the door Charlie added one more twist to my ensemble. She painted my lips with the same crimson red lipstick shade that she was wearing. For a half second I began to protest, but at this point it seemed almost pointless.

"Brooke dear, this will help clear up any ambiguity people might perceive."

We were out the door with little pretense of a man and a woman dating. I may still have considered myself male, but that was not going to be the image I reflected for the evening. I also knew that I was better off not trying to act the male part under the circumstances.

The evening went without incidence. With Charlie as my wing girl we did get a lot of looks. I am not sure how people gendered me, but I knew having such a gorgeous woman at my side made it bearable.

Back at the Charlie's house we could not wait to attack each other in bed. My public deception excited Charlie and I could feel her enthusiasm. I even played along by begging her to come and get me. I completely took the vixen role and even found myself making feminine gestures in an effort to entice my pursuer. Charlie even called me her little babe at one point of our encounter. In the end I brought her to multiple orgasms with the tip of my tongue before she mounted me from behind and rode me wild with a new vibrating dildo. She made every effort to make my orgasm last by adjusting her rate and depth of my penetration. I kept panting "Charlie, Charlie, Charlie" as my sexual intensity reached it's apex before exploding.

I knew that our further exploration into roll play had lit a fire in both of us. I was totally satisfied but scared at the same time. Charlie's passion and desire for me increased the more feminine I became. I wanted to please her, but to what end. I knew I was not faking my enjoyment, but the roll play still had me confused.

Chapter 10--

I had to slither out of her house early in the morning to ready myself for work. I had accumulated so many of Charlie's slacks and lingerie that confiscating more of her things at this point seemed ridiculous. I had a closet full of her clothes and they took up almost as much space as my entire wardrobe. My collection of her shoes were easily more than my own stash.

I saw Charlie later that morning at Starbucks. When she made her way to my barista station she gave me one of her mesmerizing smiles. She leaned over the counter and whispered to me that she really needed to get me some of my own lipstick. Maybe even some daytime shades for me at work.

Her whispering tone was very seductive, but her suggestion that I consider wearing lipstick to work was unnerving. I just told her in an equally soft whisper that she was silly.

As much fun as we always seemed to share did not change the infrequent nature of our get togethers. When I saw Charlie in the store she would only say that she was working on making more time for us and that she would have an idea to share with me shortly. Nearly two more weeks had passed before she asked me to meet her on Saturday afternoon at the spa. She only said she wanted to talk to me. I already had the scheduled appointments that Charlie arranged for and would welcome spending some of that time with her. I was a little nervous that she would't tell me about what she needed to say. It even crossed my paranoid mind, since it had been so long since our last fun that she might want to break up with me. Charlie also mentioned that she was entertaining clients that evening in a skybox at Wrigley Field for a Cub game. I would have enjoyed going with her, but that apparently was not the plan.

I anxiously awaited Saturday. I had to endure my waxing and laser treatments before I even saw Charlie. We had a Mani-Pedi together before we had any opportunity to speak privately. Despite my worst fears, Charlie was not in a dour mood. If she was going to tell me that we were breaking up, it was not apparent in her mood.

"So Brooke, I have been thinking about what you said about socializing with others in my world and I think you are right."

"Thanks Charlie, I've been looking forward to that."

"I think I came up with a great opportunity to introduce you in low pressure way."

"What do you have in mind?"

"It will take a little effort on your part, but it will be for a good cause."

"What do you need?"

"I think I mentioned to you that I am Chairperson for the Dream Foundation."

"Yes that is such a wonderful cause."

"Well the third Saturday night in October we always have our big Gala."

"If you are asking me to go, I would love to. Is it a formal event?"

"I would like you to join me there. I think you would enjoy it. There's food, dancing and a silent auction. We raise a lot of money that one night."

"I will gladly buy a ticket. Maybe even bid on somethings."

"I don't expect you to buy your own ticket. Besides I already have a table. You can always bid on things if you like any of the items."

"I am excited to finally meet some of your friends and associates. You said it would need a little effort on my part. Do you need me to do anything special for the event? I would be honored to attend and help in any way I can."

"Since we moved the Gala to late October three years ago we have used the Halloween theme for our inspiration. The decor will include pumpkins and other seasonal items."

"That sounds fun, do any of the guests dress up?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"What did you have in mind?"

"I hope you are game. It would mean a lot to me and I am sure a lot of fun for you."

"I'm listening."

"I would like you to come as a Lawyer."

"Sure. I can look professional if you like."

"I think it would be the perfect time for you to go all out from head to toe."

"That should be easy enough."

I am not sure you completely are absorbing this. I want you to come as a woman attorney like me."

"WHAT!"

"Think about it. You have been experimenting with this idea for the last few months. This would be the perfect time for you to experience the full effect."

"You want me to come to your Gala dressed completely like a woman? Seriously? Charlie I am not sure I am ready to do something like that."

"I am glad you said ready instead of not willing."

"I know you are ready. I also know you will pull it off with panache and be a hit."

"It's one thing to go places that I don't know anyone and push the gender envelope, but another to go to a big benefit dressed that way."

"Brooke, first off, you probably won't know anyone there and secondly you will be with the Chairperson of the event. If that's not enough remember the Halloween theme."

"Even for Halloween that is a big stretch. I can't imagine anybody else would consider something so extreme. I could end up as the butt of your friends jokes."

"I remember last year at least one person did the same thing. That person came as a female paralegal. The year before someone came as a female accountant. I think you have the potential to out do them both."

"I will never live it down with your associates or friends. First impressions are hard to get over."

"For all of those attending from the firm I am the boss. They would NEVER laugh at you. Besides, that is why I want you to do it right. I told you it would take some effort. I am not just going to dress you up and send you out the door. When you make the first impression, it should be an impressive one."

"What are you suggesting? I am already dressing in your work slacks."

"This is one of my most important days of the year. I want every detail to look perfectly prepared. That includes you. I understand that this is a big jump from our past fun, but I would need you to be all in on this."

"All in?"

"The Gala is in three weeks and if you want to make the right first impression it will take some preparation. This may be asking a lot, but the week prior to the event I would like you to take off work and move in with me. The guest room would be all yours, but we would spend a lot of time together that week. We would get you the right clothes and accessories. It would also give you time to practice. When you finally make it to the Gala on Saturday you will have perfected your Lawyer image."

"You want me to move in with you and take off work? All this just for a costume."

"If you think you are doing this for a costume, people will see right through your presentation. I want you to do this for both of us and to hopefully experience more of what we have had together."

"I have not taken any vacation time in ages so that should not be a problem, but that Thursday is my father's Birthday and my mother and I have gotten together on that day since he passed away. I really can't miss that."

"We will just plan around that. I would not want to interfere with something so important to you. So are you in?"

"I like the idea of staying with you, but the rest is so over-the-top. I guess I will do it."

"Brooke, this is not an I guess kind of thing. I will have to adjust my plans too and you will have to be focused and committed. I don't want to deal with a reluctant boyfriend."

I think that was the first time she ever referred to me as a boyfriend. I was a bit reluctant, but this was going to be my chance to move in with her and show my devotion.

"Charlie, I will do my best."

"If you do your best, I know you will be perfect."

"So are we going to get a massage together now?"

"I wish we could, but I am going to schedule your special appointments now for two weeks from today and then be off to my Baseball game. I have to go because it is with important clients. I hope there are other woman there. You know how men can be at sporting events."

"What kind of special appointments?"

"Just the type of stuff you need to look pretty and more convincing."

With that I was once again alone at the spa. I was treated to an extra long massage today and was greeted by LuLu when it was over. She asked me how early I could get to the salon on that Saturday and I told her in the morning. She spoke to me in an extra friendly tone.

"Brooke, I am so happy for you. Charlie has brought friends here before, but you are the most special. Charlie obviously saw something in you and we have loved helping you to bring it all the way out. I really think you are going to make a very lovely young woman. Everyone here will be in your corner to make that happen."

When I had arrived at the spa I was concerned Charlie wanted to break up with me. I was now getting ready to leave knowing that I was going to be moving in with her and upping the ante on our gender bending games. I wasn't sure it was the best outcome, but I knew it was not my original fear.

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Chapter 11--

Outside of Charlie's visits to Starbucks, I did not see her until the last day at work prior to my week off. We did chat a few times, but there was no intimate times between us. Charlie had set up a meeting for me with someone I assumed was her tailor. She told me it was to get my body measured so she would have the correct sizes for when I moved in.

Charlie arranged for that meeting at the LuLu's incase I was nervous about it. I expected to meet some stereotypic looking man with a tape measure, but instead was greeted by an attractive woman named Roxy. Roxy was completely filled in on the unusual plans and enthusiastically took to her task. She measured me in every direction and from head to toe. She determined my woman's shoe size and jotted down other sizes that meant nothing to me.

Roxy sensed my uneasiness and tried to make me feel better. "You are going to look magnificent. You were lucky to be born with such naturally feminine bone structure that eventually no one will ever suspect you were ever a man. You are going to be so much happier looking in the mirror. Charlie told me all about your desire to look your best for the Gala and I plan to help you become the envy of every man at the event."

That was not my desire, but it really didn't matter. Roxy was hired by Charlie to help me get the proper fit and I was happier dealing with a upbeat woman than a traditional old male tailor that might have made me uncomfortable. Roxy indicated that Charlie was arranging a follow up for us to meet again on the first Saturday of my preparation for the fundraiser.

The day before I was to move in with Charlie I asked how much room I would have for my clothes and if she wanted me to bring over anything specific. Charlie told me not to bring anything. I knew that week was going to include a lot of dressing, but I wrongfully assumed I would have some boy time. I also wanted to have some of my stuff at her house incase Charlie's desire for me to move in extended beyond the Gala. I was hoping this was the beginning of our next step in our relationship.

I arrived at Charlie's house on Friday as planned. Charlie pulled me inside her foyer and planted a kiss on my lips. It was the ideal way to start our time together. I almost expected her to drag me to the bedroom, but that was not the case.

Following our brief moment of passion, Charlie was mostly all business. She showed me to the guest room which was at the opposite end of the house from Charlie's master suite. It was a very nice room with a decidedly feminine decor. It had a modest walk in closet, a poster bed and a modern style vanity. Next to the vanity was a full length three sided mirror. It was similar to the type you would see in upscale department stores. Charlie told me that in the top drawer of the clothing chest were fresh nightgowns, panties, camisoles, and gaffs. Everything else I need would be provided starting tomorrow.

It was a nice room, but I was hoping to spend most of my nights with Charlie. She seemed intent for me to know that this was my home base...not her room. I was surprised with her need to make that known immediately.

Following the room assignment we did share a cocktail and light meal around the fireplace. Every time I thought our shared passion was moving towards a sexual release our kissing would back off and the conversation would move us away from love making. It was only about 8:30 when Charlie told me I should probably get myself ready for bed. She told me that tomorrow would be a big day and I should be rested. My heart felt a little empty when she said that she hoped the bed in my room would be to my liking. There was certainly time for us to play a little, but Charlie was not in the mood for that. I did not want to start off my stay in a pushy way so I retreated to the guest room.

I was not really tired, but there was not much for me to do. Outside of playing around with my iPhone, bed seemed the only option. I changed into a nightgown from on top of the pile in the drawer and then just spent a few minutes exploring the rest of the bedroom. I looked through the remaining drawers of the dresser and discovered many additional items of lingerie including a wide selection of bras, some unopened pantyhose and other miscellaneous pieces. The bottom drawer had accessories including belts and scarfs.

On top of the dresser was a small chest that was loaded with all types of jewelry. The closet was equally full of clothing. The racks were full of garments and there were many pairs of shoes on the lower shelves. The person that Charlie said moved out had obviously left most of her wardrobe behind. Like Charlie's closet and room, most of the apparel looked to be high quality and meticulously organized. I felt a little like I was staying in some strangers room.

For lack of an alternative I slipped under the sheets at about 9:00. The clock on the nightstand began beeping at 7:30 the next morning. I was already awake, but still lounging in bed. A few minutes later Charlie spoke from outside my door and told me to shower, but not wash my hair.

When I re-entered the bedroom and found my bed made and some clothing awaiting me. The items were very soft and satiny, but the items were not much more feminine than anything else Charlie had selected. Over my panties and gaff I put the black pajama style pants and on top I slipped over my head the eggshell blouse with 3/4 length sleeves and crewneck top. It all was very simple and feminine, but not such that I would standout. I brushed out my hair before slipping on the simple wedge saddles at the foot of the bed. My toe colors actually looked nice as they peaked out from under the wide pant legs. I had great reservations about what I had agreed to, but for at least a few moments the clothing felt nice against my skin.

When I found Charlie in the living room she handed me an energy bar and a light coat.
"You are going to be at LuLu's for quite a while and should eat this so your stomach doesn't growl. They will get you some coffee and probably have some snack for you later."

"Good Morning Charlie. How did you sleep?"

"Not really enough. I went out for a while last night and should have come home earlier."

I had no idea she had left after sending me to bed. She also had not mentioned any other plans.

"I see. Any problems?"

"No, nothing special, just let the time slip away. Is my Butterfly ready to spread her wings?"

I just accepted the reference to being a her and tried to put on a small smile.

"As ready as possible, God Help Me."

"You will thank him later I suspect. I can't wait to see you later. I plan to pick you up when you are done so we can celebrate."

I was happy to know we would have fun together later, but surprised the spa day would not include Charlie.

"You are not joining me?"

"Brooke, you have a full day of treatments and people to see at the clinic."

"If I get my work done I may come over later for a touch up on my nails, but today is all about you. I hope it is everything you might fantasize it could be."

"Charlie, making you happy is my fantasy."

"That's sweet, but focus on yourself today. If anyone asks any questions, you need to tell them what kind of girl you see yourself as. Don't answer anyone's questions 'because you want to please me'. I have always seen more in you than you allow yourself to admit. When I see you later I want to see Brooke, not someone trying to please someone else. "

"I am not sure how I can respond to that."

"Relax and be yourself. If you like I can give you another pill to take with if you need help relaxing. I don't think you will need it."

"No, I should be fine."

"Everyone there will be catering to you. They are experts on this and will always be there to help you along."

"LuLu is very nice."

"Hop in the BMW pumpkin, my future princess."

"Cinderella I'm not... that's for sure."

"You may be right. Her fun ends when the party is over."

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Please! Please! Please! I really appreciate your comments.

In the first four parts, the local barista at Starbucks comes to the rescue of his favorite patron and secret crush. They begin an unusual relationship that spans their very different worlds. The Barista begins a gradual transformation into the world of feminine wonderment. His previously dull lifestyle and boring wardrobe get a total makeover with the assistance of his dream girl.

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Chapter 12--

Charlie walked me in to LuLu's like a proud parent with her child. She handed me off to the receptionist while assuring me that today was going to so special. The receptionist also greeted me with an odd attempt at encouragement.

"Brooke, we will get started momentarily. You are going to be so happy taking this big step. We will be in your corner all the way. Before long you will be even more amazed by the results."

I knew what I agreed to was craziness for a Gala and to please Charlie, but the level of encouragement seemed unnecessarily forced. I was in the dark as to what treatments Charlie had signed me up for, but in the presence of the smiling receptionist, once again I mindlessly re-signed a bunch of wavers. I had made my commitment so I basically wanted to just get it done and be over with.

Almost as soon as Charlie had disappeared I was led back to the side of the spa I had never seen. This side was more like a doctors office and lacked much of the plush salon characteristics. The aid put me in a sterile looking room and told me that someone would be with me shortly.

A few minutes later a very business like woman entered the room. "I am here to take your blood pressure and a blood sample."

"Excuse me. What's that for?"

"I am only the medical technician so you should ask the Doctor when you see her. This is usually just done to make sure you are healthy and for baseline medical records. It's very routine."

"When am I seeing a Doctor?"

"I am just a nurse. I can't answer that, but my guess is later after they check your blood results."

"I didn't even know they did stuff like that here."

"This is a clinic, not just a spa. We do many types of cosmetic treatments in the office. Nothing major, but things like laser, botox and minor surgical procedures are part of our services. It says on your record you already have done laser hair removal here. We probably should have started a more thorough medical file then."

I wasn't in that part of the office long before I was taken for my spa treatments. From the wax I had my hair washed and conditioned. Then I was taken to LuLu's salon chair, where LuLu was getting ready.

"Brooke, today I have the privilege to give you your first stylish cut. Your hair has grown out and looks very healthy. I am going to make it look more fashionable, but keep it manageable for you. As your feminine skills develop you can try more adventurous looks with it."

"Not likely, but manageable sounds good. It's gotten to be more work as it has gotten longer."

"Being pretty takes some work and many girls your age have even longer hair. I do not plan to make it short, so you still will need to care for it."

"I am in your hands."

LuLu went to work, but unlike my past simple maintenance cuts, she took her time. I was not allowed to watch in the mirror so I could later take in the full effect. She was very precise even though most of her snips did not result in much hair falling. There were a few cuts that resulted in long strands falling but not that many of them. When she felt sufficiently satisfied with how my still damp hair looked, a second stylist went to work.

The second stylist did not use scissors. She just wrapped some of my strands in tinfoil and treated them with chemicals. This actually took longer than the cut. With the foil still is my hair I was taken for a manicure and pedicure. My nails had gradually been allowed to grow longer and were now the longest they had ever been. The manicurist only rounded them, but did not shorten them. I knew I was getting the full girl treatment today so I just bit my lip when my nails were painted in a deep red shade. For the first time my hands were put in a microwave like oven. After just a very short period I was told to take them out. Missy the manicurist asked how I liked my no-chip color.

She repeated a similar process on my toes so that I matched. All I was told is that these were more durable.

Following the mani-pedi I was taken back to LuLu's station and the foil was removed. My hair was washed again and then LuLu worked with her brush and hand blower. When she finished I asked to finally see the results, but she said not yet.

"Before you see yourself we want to apply the some special base makeup Charlie said would make things easier for a makeup novice like you. She said you currently don't have a lot of experience applying makeup yourself."

"Actually none."

"Well we are going to do some micro-pigmentation, which makes it easy for an amateur to look stunning."

"You can do stuff here that makes it easier when I am not here? That sounds impossible."

"Not at all. You still need to put on your own makeup to look your best, but some base tinting helps with the hardest parts."

"Anything to make it easier."

I was treated to yet another specialist that worked on my eyes for longer than it took to get the mani and pedi. When she was done on my eyes and lashes she also treated my lips. I knew I was going to get makeup today, but was surprised how long it took. They had not used any powders or foundations, so I was shocked how long it took.

When the asian girl had finished I asked her why it took so long. She told me that with these pigments you must be very careful and exacting. You would not want to make any errors or apply the wrong amount. She then went on to explain this was long lasting makeup. Unlike regular makeup this stays on when makeup remover is used. It was not as permanent as a tattoo, but would last at a minimum 2-3 weeks. After that I would have to have it redone.

My heart sank when she said that, as this gig was only supposed to go on for about a week. She was gone before I could compose myself and ask how to remove it.

LuLu came over to see the handiwork and just smiled.

"Can I please see what has come of me?"

"If you insist. I was going to wait until you were done, but I guess it won't hurt for you to see how beautiful you have become."

Together we walked over to her mirror and I slowly gazed at the reflection. I barely resembled my former self. It was definitely me, but my image was completely female. My hair had been turned into a layered blunt cut long page-boy style including curled under straight across bangs. My hairstyle had gone from a long androgynous style to a very fashion forward woman's cut. It was a trendy look, but not one that could be mistaken for a guy's style. If that was not enough, the semi-permanent eyeliner, mascara and lip tint gave my face a seductive allure. The noir die was not overly dark, but the eyeliner was distinct and effect was unmistakeable.

There was no way that my appearance could be covered up to look manly. I had been transformed for the time being into a woman.

"I don't look like me. I look like a fully made up lady."

"You still could use some makeup to look date ready, but you do look hot. If you want to play the banshee look down, you could pull your hair into a high ponytail and with those cute bangs you will appear less city-chic and more the girl next door type."

They did not get my concern. I did look fabulous, which was beginning to sink in, but this was not like a piece of Charlie's clothes that I could just remove. I was going to have telltale signs of this adventure well beyond the week.

I certainly found my image to be spell-bounding. I would have considered my looks attractive on another woman, but it was hard to accept that was me. I tried my best to just accept that for now I was a pretty gal. I couldn't think of what else could be on the docket, so I just asked.

"Next up you need to get dressed. Roxy is waiting for you in the office."

I was wearing the clothes that Charlie had sent me off in, but knew that Roxy would have some new things for me since she took all the measurements.

Roxy greeted me with an approving smile that was becoming the norm at the salon.

"You are quite the doll. I see LuLu and her team have not lost their magic. You are the finest transformation that I have had the privilege to assist with."

Her statement gave me pause, but she clearly was impressed with my new look.

"So what lovely clothes have you brought for me? Charlie is clearly enamored with your work. She always looks great, so I guess you would also call me a fan. Unfortunately for your fashions, I am not built like her."

"That's mainly why I am here. Charlie did send along an outfit, but my job is to improve on your frame so it fits properly. I don't make outerwear."

"I'm confused. I thought you were a tailor."

"In a sense I am. I specialize in foundation clothes and lingerie. I am going to give you some shape. Instead of adjusting the clothes to fit the body, I tailor the body to better fit the clothes."

"How's that?"

"Time to find out. Strip down to your panties."

In a matter of minutes I had the realest looking pair of breast attached to my chest with an adhesive. These were custom made for me and had an almost invisible seem. Roxy dusted a little makeup along the seam which further blended the "C" cup sized breasts to my chest. She also packed me up a container of the skin tone powder for future touchups.

The weight of these forms were significant, but they held solid even without a bra.

"These are heavy, I can't believe they don't fall off."

"Don't worry about that. That adhesive is extremely strong. Do not try and take them off yourself. I have a special solvent which can be used in a week or two as your body's natural secretions begin to loosen them. I will re-attach them down the road if or when that is necessary."

There wasn't much of me that even faintly resembled a man. Looking at myself in the mirror I hardly felt like one anymore.

Roxy had a suitcase full of additional items to further enhance my figure and sex appeal. She had me try on 5 different styles of bras, some camisoles, panties and butt and hip pads. She also had me put on a waist cincher which did little for my already narrow waist. Finally she pulled out a full corset. After pulling the strings to a very uncomfortable level, my straight shape had been re-formed to more hour glass proportions. I begged for her to remove it or loosen it, but she said the pain would pass or become more tolerable in time.

That was the last item in Roxy's arsenal and all that was left was to get dressed.

Charlie had kept my debut outfit simple but still sexy. I found myself in a black leather A line skirt and a white silk blouse. I also sported modest heeled patent leather slip on pumps. The look accentuated all of my new curves and finished off my new style very tastefully. If this girl had visited my old Starbuck store she would have commanded a great deal of attention. What started as some playful fun with Charlie had led me to a surreal new me.

After a quick text message from Roxy, LuLu returned to see their new creation.

"Baby you are gorgeous. You are going to break a lot of hearts."

"I think my own is missing a few beats... is Charlie here yet. I need some food and a big cocktail; no make that two."

"She is on her way, but you still have to see Dr. Renau first."

"I hope she is a shrink. I think I am going to need one."

"She does provide counseling among her skills. I am sure you will make a good impression."

I had lost most of my inhibitions at this point, but I did feel strange seeing a doctor after completing my total transformation. My blood may be healthy, but what would she think about my head.

Dr Renau was already aware of my new look before I even introduced myself. She did not seem surprised in the least.

"Brooke, I am glad to meet you. You certainly make a beautiful young woman."

"I appreciate your thoughts. I am still adjusting to all of this."

"It is good that you realize that. Adjusting to your changes will take time and some patience. Are you happy?"

The Doctor was probably one of Charlie's many friends or former clients taking an interest in my makeover so I wanted to project a positive attitude. I also remembered that Charlie did not want me to come across like I was doing this for anyone but myself. I did not know why I needed to speak with the Doctor, but then very little of any of this made sense.

She had a very relaxed atmosphere about her and started the conversation with some general small talk. We talked about my job at Starbucks, where I grew up, family and eventually even a little about relationships. Neither of us specifically used Charlie's name, but everything was kept upbeat.

After finishing our random discussions Dr. Renau changed directions to my chart and some more direct and personal questions.

"How does it feel to present yourself fully as a woman now?"

"It has been a lot of work. Until recently, I would never have thought all this possible."

"Do you like what you see when you look in the mirror now?"

"I am amazed. This has been beyond any expectation I had."

"But are you happy?"

I had to pause for a moment and reflect on my earlier conversation with Charlie. She thought it was important that I feel and express that this was for me.

"I definitely have been happier in recent months. I have done things that surprised even me, but they have led to great pleasure. So I guess that is a yes."

"Looking at you it appears you are fully committed. Do you think you are mentally ready to see this through to the end?"

I was scared about what the coming days would feel like and the Gala was a complete mystery, but I knew I could do it.

"The past few months have helped me mentally prepare for all this. Back then I don't think I could have done this, but now I think I can handle almost anything. My friend has encouraged all this and now I am ready as I can be. I am pretty sure I look passable, so I will just not give people reasons to think otherwise."

"You have a good attitude. Not everyone taking on such a challenge are that optimistic. It should help you when you go through inevitable difficult moments."

"I didn't have to go down this path, but ultimately I hope it will be just another step and maybe even lead to a stronger bond in a relationship."

"Since you started dressing on a regular basis, have you been sexually active?"

I thought that was an overly personal question, but since it was a doctor I felt some extra level of confidentiality.

"I have had the best sex of my life. I think it has a lot to do with I am so happy."

"Brooke, you sound very well adjusted. Usually I recommend a series of psychological appointments for candidates that I meet here, but for now I think you are handling things exceptionally well and should be OK. I will still recommend a colleague for you to chat with if this gets overwhelming. I also will want to see you periodically at my other office or here at the spa to check on your overall health. Your blood test came back very clean so I think you are good to go."

"That is great Doc. So are we done?"

"As soon as I start you on your "juices" you can head out."

"Juices?"

"I want to start you out with a strong blocker and then prescribe you daily supplements to replace those. As good as you feel and look now, you will notice improvements pretty quickly. The longer you stay on them the better the results."

"Is this like a cleanse?"

"I have never heard someone call it exactly that, but in a way yes. The blockers stop your body from producing undesirable bodily excretions and the pink pills replace those unwanted cells with ones that enhance your whole body. I have had great success with patients your age both physically and in how you feel."

I had never taken a blockers or supplements before, but the doctor certainly thought they would help. Maybe it would even make sex better, if that was possible.

I received two shots directly into my rear cheeks.

The doctor then provided me an envelope with the prescriptions and a 7 day supply of the daily pills. She also said there was a note in the envelope that she signed that I could use at the DMV if I wanted to get a new ID or at work if anyone had an issue with my altered appearance. A doctors note was not going to make returning to my job at Starbucks much easier, but I thanked her none the less.

"There are things we can later discuss to increase the results that you obtain from the medications, but I think this is enough for today. As much as you desire the immediate improvements, you need to be patient; Remember day-by-day."

As I left the doctor's chamber I was still perplexed as to why a checkup and supplements were part of todays activities. Maybe the stress of the makeover was too much for some people, but specialized supplements couldn't hurt.

I was finally finished with the activities at LuLu's and readied myself to meet up with Charlie. With all that I had gone through to please her, I knew she would be thrilled. When I came up front she was sitting with LuLu and Roxy drinking coffee or possibly tea. My entrance was greeted with some friendly applause.

I felt like a contestant in a game show or beauty pageant. My mere presence excited my audience. I received hugs from not just the two of them, but also from some of the other gals at the salon. It was nice to get all of the support, but I think I might have preferred to have had this Gala preparation to be more stealth.

Charlie's hug was the longest and she gave me a kiss on my cheek. It was a very friendly greeting that two old friends might enjoy.

"You are beautiful Brooke. Don't you feel dreamy?"

"Thank you, but this corset is painful and I still sting from the injections."

"Dr. Renau already started you on the mones? You must have made quite an impression. I guess we have even more to celebrate."

"Mones? Never heard that expression."

"Just slang for some of her girly scripts."

"The corset Roxy squeezed me into is a torture device. How do woman wear these?"

"These days not that many wear them unless they are trying to look their sexiest best. You need some figure training to catch up to the curves you still lack. You won't always need one of those, but for now it makes you look like a million bucks. Right now you look 100 times better than Caitlyn Jenner did when she wore one on the cover of Vanity Fair."

"All this must have cost a fortune. You have spent so much on me that I can't pay you back for. I want to do my part, but my Starbucks check does not leave a lot for this type of spending. You know I want to look nice for the Gala, but all this is over the top."

"I do understand that. I wish you could have had an opportunity to indulged yourself before we even met. I'm just happy that I have been able to watch you blossom. You were meant to look like this."

"I don't know about that. I do like how the makeover turned out, but some of this will be hard to remove when this is over."

"Brooke, you can't think like that. Right now you are a gorgeous woman and you have to accept that. Start thinking more like one."

"I know you are right, but I can't even imagine what my co-workers would think if they saw me now."

"We should go over there and find out. I bet they would scream in delight."

"I'll pass on that idea. I am just worried about down the road."

"I have some ideas about that too, but let's not worry about it for now."

"What should we do now Charlie? Is it time for our celebration?"

"Soon enough. I am taking you out for dinner and then we are going to one of the hottest and most exclusive night clubs in the city. You are going to experience what it feels like to command lust."

"I only want your attention Charlie."

"I do appreciate that, but you also need to explore your newfound status. I won't let anyone bite you, unless you decide you want it."

"Hardly. Couldn't we just do dinner and go back to your place?"

"Some of my friends are meeting down there for your debut, including Roxy, LuLu, and Tania. You need to get used to being a woman. A little nightclub attention will help eliminate any manly remnants you might still have. It's going to be fun. Just relax and trust me. Have I ever steered you wrong?"

I was not sure how or if I should answer that. I had allowed myself to gradually get deeper into a feminine appearance and now I was completely entrenched. Charlie was clearly thrilled with my changes and now she wanted me to enjoy life like I was one of the girls.

"I was hoping tonight would be just us."

"Don't be silly. Think of today as your re-birth day. It would be a waste not to go out and celebrate your first day as a woman. You look so good I doubt I will be able to keep you for my own much longer."

"I may look convincing as a woman, but I only am interested in you Charlie."

"You not only look convincing, but now that you got the Doctor to load you up with the hormones you really need to start accepting that you are a woman."

"Hormones! I didn't ask the doctor to give me any of those.What are you talking about?"

"Don't be coy Brooke. You made such a strong impression on Dr. Renau that you were ready, that she shot you up with an anti-androgen and pumped in your first dosages of estrogen. She wouldn't have done any of that if you had shown any hesitation or reluctance to your changes. She is very professional and will only begin a transition once she is convinced her patient is 100% ready."

"I thought those were just vitamin boosters that would improve my sex drive."

"They will improve your sex drive. You know how much I enjoy sex."

"I think I am going to be sick."

"The drugs have a way of doing that until your body adjusts, but it doesn't usually start the first day."

"My body adjusts? I need to sit down."

"Sure baby. It will be a while before the noticeable physical stuff starts, but you should start to feel the benefits soon. You are going to have to be patient with your transition."

"What kind of physical stuff?"

"You are young enough to get most of the pharmacological benefits. Little stuff like softer skin and slower body hair growth should come quickly. Depending on your genetics the body shape changes could be only a little or if you are lucky much more substantial. Is your mom small or large on top?"

"She's not a big woman, however she is pretty busty. What's that got to do with this?"

"Your breasts most likely will not be as big as your mom's, but will probably grow to about a size smaller than her's if you keep up with the meds. After your mones get a chance to do their work you can probably have the doctor do some magic to help out nature. Some day I suspect you will want the Doctor's help to feel complete."

"This can't be really happening. I'm a guy!"

"First off, I like you more as a woman. Secondly, look at yourself. Does that look like a guy?"

"But..."

"No real man could ever look like you do now. Cheer up, I like you better this way and I am sure it will do wonders for your popularity."

"I just wanted to be with you."

"You have been with me and you still are. Think about how much more fun your life has been as you followed your heart down this path. It will only get better."

"But I like woman."

"So do I, but now you will have even more options."

"I don't want more options."

"Be honest Brooke, who has been squealing in delight every time they have had a cock inside of them? You haven't even attempted to enter me since our first date."

"I thought that's what you liked."

"I have enjoyed our playing around, but even a bi girl like me likes to have a man take charge now and then. Most guys are real jerks, but the feeling of having a man deep inside me can be mind blowing. I think we share that passion."

"I would have done that if you wanted me to and I will."

"We both wanted to do for each other what we thought they would like. With you our girly time was nice. I like what we have shared. I can't imagine you anymore trying to pretend to be a man in bed. Pretty soon that won't be possible anyway. I wouldn't fret, sex is only going to get better for you."

"This is all beyond comprehension. How can I go from one day as a guy to the next as a girl?"

"Just accept who you are. You probably were always this way and only in the past few months have you began to realize it. It's called a transition for a reason. It takes time. You are too focused on the sex part of being a woman. It's going to be a lot longer before you get the total benefits on that. Being able to spread your legs and have someone enter you is only a small part of being a woman. I knew when I met you that you were not like most men. Stop pretending and embrace who you are."

"How can I face my friends, co-workers and my Mom?"

"You said your Mom already noticed some changes. Did she criticize you then?"

"No, but this is so much more."

"She probably already knows. She will love having a beautiful daughter. You will see."

"I can't just show up at work like this."

"You certainly could. Your co-workers probably expected this at some point. I have a better idea anyway."

"I am afraid to ask!!!"

"You know I hate it when you give me attitude like that. Maybe you should just catch a cab and deal with this on your own."

"Sorry Charlie. It's just so much has happened. What was your idea?"

"Remember, nobody likes a Bitch."

"I really am sorry."

"Ok then. With your business degree and experience in managing co-workers, I know we could get you a much better paying job at my law firm. You would start as an Executive Assistant."

"What is that?"

"First off, the pay and benefits will be much better than at Starbucks and with your skills you will have an opportunity to grow. You will learn a lot about the practice of law and will develop into an important part of our legal team. Our assistants, para-legals and Legal Secretaries practically run the office."

"How would I be able to work at your firm with the way I look now?"

"We would have to get you some additional work appropriate clothes. My office is not a casual place so you would have to dress like any other professional woman."

"You want me to come to work like this full time?"

"Of course. My office is a professional environment and you would have to respect that. We do not discriminate, so your transition would be fine. As a matter of fact, you would not be the first person to transition at the firm. That's un-important, but so long as you follow your appropriate and legal protocols on the job, everyone will support you. As Managing Partner I will see to that and be able to keep an eye on you. I am sure you will like that."

"You have already spent huge bucks on me. Between the clothes and clinic I am scared to think how much. Even with all the nice things you have bought me, I probably still don't have enough to cover all the clothing and other necessary expenses I would run up in the near future."

"I will have my company draw up a loan agreement for you that you can pay back from your paychecks over the next year. I would lend it to you myself, but if you work for my partnership that would not be appropriate. We are a law firm so we are pretty strict about personnel rules and potential conflicts."

"That makes sense."

"I think you would like working there and despite your current apparent shock, I think you would fit in nicely."

"I will think about it."

"What's to think about? Do you really want to work at Starbucks forever?"

"True. It's just that I have so much to absorb."

"We are celebrating tonight. Let's make it an even better celebration."

"I suppose you are right. There is just so much to think about."

"If you say yes, I will start the wheels turning."

"Since I will see more of you, how can I say no."

"Is that a yes?"

"God help me...Yes!"

__________________________________________________

Chapter 13--

Charlie was not kidding about starting the wheels turning. In the car as we were leavings LuLu's she called her office Human Resource Director and left a message about my pending employment.

"Brooke, I think you should start the first Monday after the Gala. You will get to meet some of the people at my firm that evening in a relaxed social environment. You are off all this week and that should give you time to make your final preparations for your new career. We can shop for some work clothes, supplies and get you updated identifications. Fortunately you already have such a pretty and perfectly suited girl's name."

"You know Charlie you have always misspelled my name. The guy spelling does not have an 'e'."

"We will have to get that legally changed then. We wouldn't want anyone to get your sex wrong when they saw your name."

It was ironic that Charlie had been misspelling my name over the past few months and now she planned to have my records changed to match her past errors. Charlie had no interest in having me explore whether this major lifestyle shift made long-term sense, rather she had her foot on the gas peddle. She rattled off all the things I needed to do over the next week which she had obviously already thought through. I was to inform Starbucks on Monday that I was moving on. She wanted me to go over there in person, but I was still uneasy about seeing my soon to be former co-workers, looking as I did now.

At Charlie's home she let me relax for a bit as she went up to her office. She took the materials that Dr. Renau gave me and disappeared for a while. I almost passed out on her couch from the flurry of activity and mental anxiety. My mind had been racing and I still was sorting through my new reality. I need to accept the current and future changes, but I was beginning to no longer question it. Charlie had convinced me that she saw the woman inside me, and on the outside I had to admit I liked how beautiful I looked. So much had happened so fast, but maybe it was for the best. Beginning a new career at a successful Law firm was also a step my life probably needed.

Charlie returned to the living room with a bottle of Champaign and a stack of papers.

"Let's get the paperwork out of the way and then we can toast to your future."

"What is all that?"

"Monday morning I will take care of all the legal issues with you working as a woman and correct your miss-spelled name. I also drew up a loan agreement so you can buy everything you need this week. You are going to want to look your best at work and will need lots of new things to fill out your wardrobe for your personal time. A judge friend of mine slipped me onto his docket so we should be able to get you a new driver's license Monday afternoon. After we get you your new ID you can complete your new employment agreement and get on our health care plan. We cover all your special medical needs as well as all surgical procedures.

"Surgical Procedures?"

"Let's not focus on any of that now. Dr. Renau will help you with all things medical. She will help you transition more comfortably and balance your medication."

I signed all the papers and we drank a glass of Champaign.

"I have a present for you."

Before I could answer she reached behind the door and handed me a Donna Karan deep blue cocktail dress to wear for dinner and the club. Maybe I had completely given in, but my immediate reaction was to hold it up to my body and say, "This is the most beautiful dress I had ever seen."

"You are going to break hearts in that dress; first we need to change you into some evening makeup."

"I hope I don't break your heart."

"Tonight I will help you with your makeup, but you are going to have to learn to do this yourself. The semi-permanent makeup you received at LuLu's will make it easier for a while, but you need to be able to refine your look. Maybe I can get one of LuLu's artists to give you some lessons."

When I had left the salon I looked like an attractive woman. As I stood with Charlie by her front door preparing to head out, I felt like a 'tart'. I didn't just look pretty, I looked like a girl trying to command attention. This was definitely a 'look at me' image.

Charlie looked spectacular as always in a black V-neck halter dress. I had a hard time taking my eyes off her and she knew it.

"Brooke are you ready to have the tables turned? You are going to have every guy and maybe even a few woman gawking at you just like you did every morning with me."

"Not sure, but going there with you means I am taken."

"You are taken when someone gives you a ring and you except."

During the drive downtown Charlie coached me on how I should behave. It was clear she was not planning on treating me as a date, but rather a girlfriend out to prowl with. She even gave me tips on how to act around people that I liked the attention of and those that I had no interest in. She certainly was an expert on the subtleties of relationships. I was taught when a smile was appropriate or when looking at someone or making eye contact was advisable. As she talked about little things like a hair flip or different posture positions, I could not help but think about Charlie's actions around me.

"Brooke you need to learn the proper social skills if you want to be successful and find happiness. You can practice some of what I have been talking about on me at dinner, but when we get to the club later, the sharks will be circling. You are out to have fun, but us girls have to watch out for ourselves and each other."

Charlie gave the key's to the valet at Gibson's and we entered the restaurant with our arms locked together. Immediately I could feel the eyes drilling in on us. I felt like prey that had been dropped into a cage. I tried not to look directly into any of the staring eyes, but despite Charlie's coaching my brain had a momentary freeze up. The men all had the same smiles plastered to their faces and many acknowledged our presence with a slight head nod when I scanned in their direction. I could finally relate to the daily experience that Charlie had to cope with. My first inclinations was fear and anxiety and only after a while did any sense of flattery make it's way into my consciousness.

"Charlie, everywhere I look someone is honing in on us. Are we on fire or bleeding?"

------My New Clubbing Look

"You are both beautiful and funny. When we first talked you asked me what it was like always having men hitting on me, now you really get to know what it feels like. Every so often you meet a nice guy, but most of the time it is just lust. You'll get used to it and better at dealing with it. For now just accept it."

I was glad we started the evening off with just the two of us at dinner. The restaurant was large and noisy, but at least it was just us at the table. I gradually began to relax and talk with Charlie. She looked like a million bucks, but I was much less focused on her beauty than I was in the past. Our conversation was mostly about me. Any reference she made to men did not include me and I was now on the girl's team.

About half way through dinner, the waiter informed us that two men at the table two rows over wanted to buy us a round. Charlie, smiled at me and asked, "Are you ready to meet some guys?"

"No way, I'm here with you and not interested."

Charlie instructed the waiter. "Thank them, and tell them maybe next time. You can also let them know we will be at Club Desire later this evening."

"Charlie!"

"You are going to have to loosen up. You are a girl now and stop pretending anything else. You may still like girls, but someone as pretty as you is going to be getting a lot of male attention. At some point you are going to have to feel that out. My guess is the feeling will be a good one. I certainly remember the way you squealed when my toy entered you. The real deal will only be better."

"Charlie I am only into woman. I have never ever been with a man."

"Let me understand something. When we had sex, you satisfied me just like a woman would satisfy another woman and every time I brought you to orgasm it was by pretending to be a man with a strap-on. I played the male role. If we were just pretending to be two girls, I would have come down on you just like you seemed to enjoy doing on me."

"You are twisting things. I just wanted to make you happy. I thought that's what you wanted."

"You sound like a devoted wife. You may still have some attraction to other woman, but if anything, I think you are closer to being a heterosexual woman than a potentially gay man. You need to rewire your superficial thinking. If you enjoy the company of men it is not a gay thing. You are almost all woman now and being with a man for you is closer to traditional."

"You want me to be with men? I thought we had something special between us."

"Brooke, you will always be special to me. You must know that. You have made me very happy and were there for me when I needed you. I have tried to return the favor. I want you to be happy. You deserve happiness and I have helped guide you to a place where you have a better place to find it. We will always be good friends and maybe even occasionally more."

"So you are saying nuptials are not ever going to be in our future together?"

"Brooke, you make me smile throughout my whole body. Truthfully, I know I am Bi, but someday I still hold out hope to meet one of the few great guys out there and get married. Even though it is now legal everywhere I do not not see myself marrying another woman. Maybe we can share nuptials as bridesmaids for each other. I know I would like that."

My whole world was changing and Charlie had not minced any words in spelling it out to me. Some of what she had said had crossed my mind, but the way she matter of factly put me into my new place, left little wiggle room to push back. I had allowed myself to be transformed both physically and mentally and this would have not been possible without some deep seated acceptance. Her words had upset me, but I had no argument to deny them.

"I feel numb all over."

"It's probably the cocktail. I will have to make sure you don't drink too much."

There was no turning back. I had accepted a job as a woman for which I totally looked the part and I had even begun the program to chemically transition to female. If there was going to be an epiphany moment it was now. I was a woman and would be living a woman's life. Where that would lead I was less certain, but at that moment I first allowed myself to not think of myself as a man in a dress, but rather as a woman.

Chapter 14- The Epilogue.

The story could easily continue, but we all know where Brooke was heading. Over the coming hours, days, weeks and months Brooke became more and more of the woman she now accepted was her destiny.

At Club Desire Brooke danced with the woman in her group as well as a few of the male patrons. With each new partner Brooke washed away any lingering doubts and began to understand the power she possessed over the male gender. Being desired was a wonderful feeling, but also a bourdon that could get her in trouble.

The evening was a long one with a few to many beverages. The limo dropped Brooke off at Charlie's place, but she was returning alone. It was probably a good thing considering her state.

--- Brooke's mom was surprised but not upset by Brooke's rapid acceptance that she was a woman inside. She had previously thought that her child might have been losing his direction as he grew into a man. For Brooke's mother, the stunning physical transformation made the gender change easier to process and quicker to come to terms with. While they had always been emotionally close, the lifestyle shift provided a great opportunity for additional bonding.

--- The new job was not exactly what was anticipated, but Brooke quickly became comfortable in the new environment. The 'Management' opportunity more closely resembled a Secretarial role. At first, Brooke worked as a floater, before being promoted to 'Secretary' and assigned to a junior lawyer. While office manager may initially have been the ultimate job goal, the real golden ticket would be to be named Executive Secretary to a Managing Partner. Achieving that promotion would take time, skill and a little feminine charm.

------The Smile I Flashed When I Got My First Promotion

Brooke had flashed a little of that charm at the Gala prior to starting the new job. She had attracted some heavy attention from a couple of the lawyers at Charlie's firm. Charlie had advised Brooke to tread lightly about starting a relationship with a co-worker. It was not expressly prohibited, but was not allowed where one employee maintained a supervisory relationship over another. Brooke also understood that also applied to Charlie and Brooke. They could remain very good friends, but Brooke was effectively now a single girl.

--- At the new job, Brooke met two other co-workers that had experienced a similar path to womanhood with the help of Charlie. There was Leah who was a senior paralegal that did research for most of the attorneys. When Charlie first met Leah, she was a first year lawyer at a competing firm and her name was Lee. The rumors were that they had a torrid relationship that ended up causing Lee to lose his job at the other firm. He was totally depressed but moved in with Charlie on her insistence. Charlie helped him strip away his depression and by breaking down his need to be the alpha dog. In time Leah emerged from his funk as a woman and was hired as a paralegal. Leah and Charlie never dated after she joined the firm and started working, but she remained a valued employee of the firm ever since. She is now engaged to an attorney at her old firm.

There was also Anna that had previously been married to one of Charlie's divorce clients when he was known as Andrew. Andrew's wife had inherited a small fortune which oddly enough accelerated the demise of their marriage. Andy had been a CPA accountant at a mid-sized firm, but when they hit easy street his work and life decisions disintegrated. He stopped caring about work and was very close to losing his job. The bigger problem was that he began to drink more and started sleeping around.

His wife Ginger contacted Charlie. Despite all of his shortcomings she still did not hate him. She knew she could not remain married to him, but still wanted him to turn his life around and not end up in a gutter somewhere. Charlie put together a plan to set him up with an irresistible bait, a hidden photographer and some woman's lingerie in a carefully set of kinky trap. Once caught in the net he was helpless to resist his wife's demands without fear of exposure. Little by little with some coaching from Charlie, she turned her philandering husband into a much more docile sissy. Charlie has always denied that she did more than some general guidance on the matter, but somewhere along the line Anna had been gradually introduced to Hormone Replacement Therapy which had resulted in corresponding physical changes.

Anna and Ginger did eventually make the divorce official, but Anna had fully emerged before that. As part of the settlement, Ginger put a piece of her inheritance into a trust for Anna that could be used for anything needed to help Anna with her transition or for her to receive outright if she worked full time for five or more years or got re-married (this time to a man). As a favor to Ginger, Charlie had hired Anna as a bookkeeper in the firms billing department. It was an entry level position, but would provide an opportunity for Anna to prove herself.

----

In The End:

It took some time for Brooke to get fully comfortable in her new place in life, but now she has even gotten accustomed to turning some heads when she made an occasional stop at her old Starbucks for a triple shot skim Late'.

________________________

I WOULD VERY MUCH APPRECIATE ANY COMMENTS ON THIS OR ANY OF MY OTHER STORIES. IT PROVIDES ME MOTIVATION TO WRITE AND IMPROVE THE PLOT LINES AND QUALITY.

THE PROM STATEMENT: Chapter 1
By
Nina Adams

In the heat of debate, Clarence makes a Prom
Statement that would change his life forever.

----------------Standing Up For Some Ideals---------------------------

Springtime is when the powers of nature are in their greatest glory. The frozen landscape slowly shifts to the vivid greens and majestic colors. Amazing changes materialize from the nearly dormant parts of nature. The days grow longer and the ultraviolet lights emanating from the warming skies rejuvenate our souls.

This past spring I experienced the changing seasons in more ways than I could ever have imagined. My life bloomed in ways that nearly defy explanation. I barely resemble the young man that began this metamorphosis on a cold New Year’s Eve in Evanston Illinois. Nature or as some would contend the twists of fate, have unusual ways of taking shape.

My plan was to spend New Year’s Eve at a party being thrown by one of my school friends in chorus. I was never the most outgoing person, but enjoyed singing and was a senior member of the high school chorus club. My silky smooth voice was one of the few distinguishing things about me. I was one of those kids that floated in the background that the majority of my classmates did not know existed. I was not exactly an oddball, but other than singing, I rarely stood out. My grades were very good and I was one of the youngest senior students, due to the fact that I had skipped first grade. I think being young and small in physical stature, probably contributed to my socialization issues.

I had grown probably as tall as I was going to get and was still just shy of 5’7”. With my slight build I just blended into the student body without much notice. I was already planning to attend the University of Illinois in the fall and had already received an early admission to their liberal arts school. I figured a big school like the U of I would allow me to find a true calling and besides, my deceased father had gone there during his college days.

My father had died when I was only three and left my mother a pretty sizable insurance policy. He was a doctor at Evanston Hospital and my mother was a nurse there. That is how they met and he died tragically in a car accident after a long shift at the hospital. Even fifteen years later, my mother has not completely gotten over his death.

I did not have any siblings, as a result of my dad’s accident. I’ve been told they wanted to have one or two more children, but it wasn’t to be. I was named after my great grandfather Clarence. I never really liked that name and my few close friends sometimes called me Clay. My mom still called me Clarence or sometimes Clary. It was an old-fashioned name and I always wished it had been something different. I would rather it had been a name more like my best friend Max.

As I mentioned earlier my story began on a very stormy New Year’s Eve in Chicago. My friend Max and I were planning to go to the New Year’s Eve bash at one of our mutual chorus club friend’s house on the lakefront. There were going to be at least 30 people there and they had an indoor pool, which was going to be the setting for the party. It was going to be a fun change of pace for the cold winter that had set in. Unfortunately, the brutal North wind unleashed a nasty snow and Arctic chill. Over the 24 hours leading up to the party we had over 12 inches of snow, followed by plunging temperatures. The party was canceled.

My mom invited Max to join us at our house for a nice dinner and maybe a movie or two. My mother always liked Max and he only lived a couple of blocks away. Max was my friend all the way back to elementary school and like me was a pretty good student. We were also both lacking a few social skills. We were also an odd looking set of friends, since he was just under 6 feet tall and outweighed me by a truckload. He had really sprouted in high school, while I barely grew.

Spending the evening at my house with my mother was not my dream evening, but it was better than staying home alone. Mom made a festive dinner with crab legs, baby potatoes, and garlic bread. The dinner was more fun than I expected and the three of us exchange some lively conversation. We debated the sorry state of politics, many different social issues, and best and worst parts of high school. I usually took the idealist or liberal view, and my mom usually took a more conservative or traditional view on the issues. Max generally agreed with me, but was careful not to step on my mother’s toes.

I probably should’ve kept my mouth shut, but I chose to mention the prom as one of my least favorite things about high school. I had not gone as a junior and did not anticipate finding a date for the senior prom. It was not that there weren’t any girls that I could take, but I didn’t currently have a girlfriend and the girls that I had a crush on most certainly would not have had an interest in going with me to the dance.

My mother was not happy with my thoughts on the prom. She said that when she was in high school the prom was the highlight of her year. Everyone worked hard to make the Prom the perfect evening. Planning for it began as soon as the school year began. Some of her classmates even worked with their mothers to make their own dresses. She was clearly upset by my cavalier attitude towards the affair.

In a misguided effort to make my point, I brought up the recent story about a girl named Constance whose school refused to let her bring her girlfriend to the prom. The story had gotten so much publicity that she had over 300,000 friends on Facebook. The school went so far as to cancel the prom, rather than let her bring her girlfriend to the dance. Most of the students did not care if she brought another girl, but a few vocal parents and a backward school board, resulted in to the dance cancellation. It created so much publicity, that I bet other urban school systems would probably think twice about cancelling their prom under similar circumstances.

My mother argued that the prom was a traditional affair that had been celebrated for decades and that all of the traditional pageantry was part of what made it so special. She was not upset about the two girls having a relationship, but rather, that they did not conform to the traditions of the event. I had a hard time grasping her argument about traditions, and pointed out that because of discrimination, so many students would not get to experience those traditions even if they wanted to.

I was stubbornly firm in my support in favor of Constance. I even pointed out that Constance really loved her friend and was in no way trying to mock the prom. All she really wanted to do was enjoy it like anyone else.

I related to my mother that I could appreciate her desire to be at the formal affair, but like so many others I had no one I really wanted to splurge on. Max agreed, “I would love to see what it is all about, especially all the pretty girls dressed to the nines.”

My mother made a small frown at his last comment. She made the point that it was still nearly 4 months away and that we should reconsider the possibility of attending. It was my response to her last argument that got me in hot water.

“Maybe Max and I should go together. We could see what it is all about and make a political statement all in one. I never really stand up for what I believe and I think this would be a good time to make a strong and bold statement. I am a senior and I think it is about time that I stood up for something. Constance had as much right to be there, as any of her classmates. Heck, if we went together nobody would probably notice us there anyway.”

“Clarence is that your way of telling me you are gay?”

“No mom! I’m just saying that it should not be reserved for just traditional couples, this is a new century.”

“I think two boys attending together would be assumed to be gay. Is that what you want?”

“Mom I love everything about girls, in fact, I would love to see a few of my classmates looking more like prom queens, than the androgynous way they usually dress at school.”

“You didn’t answer my question. Do you care what people would say?”

“I do care what people say, but nobody pays that much attention to me any way. I believe two people should be able to attend the Prom no matter what their orientation is.”

“Max, how would you feel about going to the Prom with my son?”

“I never really gave it much thought… Clay, would you like to be my date?”

In a sarcastic voice I did my best falsetto, “Big boy, I would love to go with you.”

The fun was lost on my mother. “Are you too serious about this? Do you really want to do this?”

“If you two are serious, I will not have you ruining the evening for others. You will have to act appropriately, and be as traditional as possible. This is not a joke. I understand if you want to change your minds, but if you are serious about this you will need to act in an appropriate and traditional way. Once you decide, either way, I expect you to stick to your choice and see it through.”

“We said we would do it. We will stick to our guns. This is an important issue mom. We are very committed to making this Prom statement.”

“Clarence, I need to give this some consideration and sleep on it. I also cannot speak for Max’s parents. I will discuss it with his mom and give the whole thing some thought. Later, if his parents and I agree to it, we will do a little advanced planning.”

“Mom, you don’t have to plan. If we do it, it shouldn’t be that complicated.”

“The Prom is a big deal to me. Having only 3  ½ months would be hard to plan for a real daughter, it will be much harder for you.”

I sort of heard what she said, but did not question her. We agreed to pick up the conversation over the following weekend. That was the end of the Prom discussion for the evening.

The rest of the evening we watched a movie, played some Scrabble, and finally watched the ball drop in Time Square. My mother insisted that we all hug each other after wishing each other a happy new year. When I hugged Max, for some reason I thought the hug lasted just a bit longer than a casual embrace.

-------------------What Did I Get Myself Into?-----------------

The remaining two days of school break were very relaxing and seemingly too soon, school was back in session. We had some finals the first week back, so I was pretty focused on studying. I did not give it much thought when my mother invited Max and his mother over for dinner on Friday. I never did get a good explanation of why Max’s dad did not join them.

It wasn’t until that evening that I began to wonder if this was related to our unusual pledge to attend the Prom together. I still thought it was a bold social statement and an important precedent, but I was a little uncomfortable about discussing this again in front of Mrs. Rosen. My assumption was correct and when it was time for dessert we gathered around the fireplace and Mrs. Rosen opened the discussion. It was very clear from the get go, that the two of them had discussed this in great detail.

Mrs. Rosen and my mother were completely on the same page on virtually every aspect of the discussion that followed. They both went to great lengths to tell about their proms and how much effort they put into them. They talked about special preparations including clothes, grooming, and that they even learning to dance properly for it. Both were adamant about how couples were to look. The men dressed in tailored tuxes, polished shoes, neatly groomed, and even smelled like men. The women were dressed in gorgeous gowns and looked like bridesmaids. They went into such detail that I was sure they were laying out the ground works for telling us we could not go.

When they felt they had sufficiently painted us a picture, they ask us again if we still felt like this was something we wanted to do. It was almost like they were baiting a trap.

“This is such a special evening and it is very important to Max’s mother and I. We both feel it was one of our most memorable nights of our lives. If you two still want to go together, you will have to follow the traditions and put yourself into it completely. No doing it just to make a point. You will attend just like any other couple. Is this something you are willing to focus on? If not, you can pass on the affair and that is fine.”

Max I looked at each other and we both nodded in the affirmative.

“If you go through with this it will be something that will not just make a bold statement, but could change your view on many things.”

“I know mom, but like Max and I said we are willing to dress up, polish our shoes and be non-disruptive. We are committed to going and are willing to do it properly. I am sure I speak for Max, but we absolutely want to make a bold Prom statement”

“Clary, I am not sure you completely understand what I am saying.”

“ It seems simple enough. We will behave, dress and act appropriately.”

“Clary, if you two are going to go together, one of you is going to be in the tux and the other one is not.”

At that statement, both Max and I froze for a moment with our jaws slightly agape.

Mrs. Rosen broke the silence. “Sarah and I have discussed this, if you two really want to attend one of you will dress and behave gentlemanly, and one of you will take on the other role.”

Almost in unison, Max and I started babbling, “What…? You can’t expect one of us to wear a dress…? This is a joke…? You are not serious…?” After we vented for a minute my mother quieted us down.

“We completely understand if this is too much to ask, but if you are going to proceed, this is how it will be. You two can select which role you would take. Max’s mother and I would assist you the rest of the way.”

Even in leaving the choice of roles up to us, it was obvious, being 5 inches shorter and built like a toothpick, which role I would be stuck with.

“Mom this is unfair.”

“You don’t have to do it.”

“I know, but this was something we felt was very important.”

“Like we said, you do not have to go through with it.”

“Why can’t we just both wear tuxes?”

“Beth and I agree, if you two are going, and as you claim not as a gay couple, then you should experience it like a traditional couple”

I did not completely get their logic, but they were firm with their resolve.

“Mom what would be involved in this charade that you are suggesting?”

“It’s not a charade. One of you would prepare to be the demure one and make every effort to be as completely perfect as possible for the Prom. That would include, clothes, grooming, and anything else Beth and I feel is appropriate. If you move forward with this, we will not put up with any defiance or lack of cooperation. This is an expensive commitment, so if either of you back out, you will both pay us back for all of the expenses. If you are uncooperative, you can just clear out your senior trip fund and pay us back immediately. Like we said, if you do not want to do this, now is the time to speak. You will both be in this together.”

“Mom, Max and I are going to go up to my room and discuss this among ourselves. We need a few minutes to think about this and decide if this is really something we should do. It seems unfair, and we need to think about it.”

“That’s a very good idea. I am glad you’re not making a rash decision and are giving it proper thought. Go upstairs and take as long as you think you need. We will stay down here and have some coffee.”

Up in my room, Max and I did not even know what to say or where to begin. They had really raised the bar on our social statement. It all started as a support for gay and lesbian rights and also just an attempt to do something a little bit out there. While I believed in the rights of the transgendered as well, this little statement of ours might take on new unintended meaning. I was a little surprised that our mothers would even consider this as an option. If one of us showed up at the school looking like a drag queen, it would certainly damage the pageantry of such a sacred event to them.

Max did not help the situation by almost immediately suggesting that I might make a cute girl. We had not even had the discussion of which one of us would take each role. I suggested he go as the girl and he just laughed.

“We both know, that if we go through with this, you are going to have to play the part of the girl. He would look beyond preposterous if I dressed up as a girl and you were my escort. That part of the conversation we can save a lot of energy on. You even have long hair that you need to put in a ponytail to keep out of your eyes. I am not saying you look like a girl, but you have a good start.”

“Thanks Max, I really appreciate that you think so little of me.”

“I’m sorry if that came off wrong, but if this is going to work, we both know which role you will have to play. It may be harder for you, but remember I will still be your date and need to support you all the way.”

“You are already talking about this like we have decided to do it. I am not really prepared to parade myself around a school function in a dress. I may be small, but I am no sissy.”

“Our moms really gave this a lot of thought. I find it very odd that they really would want us to do this. This may actually be just a challenge for them to test whether we really have the guts to stand behind our convictions. They may not even let us do this, even if we agree to move forward. I certainly can’t imagine me taking you to the Prom if you looked like some silly caricature of a girl. Before that would happen, I am sure they would put a kibosh on it.”

“Max you may be right. They may just be testing us to see how strongly we really feel about this issue. If we went downstairs and told him we decided to do it, they may even just tell us ‘NO’ right there on the spot. Then again, they may let us twist in the wind for a while and play along until we give in. Either way, I think they might look at this as a challenge to us and our ideals.”

“Clay, then again maybe it’s not a challenge and they are serious. What then?”

“Max, our mothers love us too much to let us truly embarrass ourselves. They have given this great thought and I don’t think they would do anything that might hurt us.”

“It sounds like you are willing to go forward. Am I hearing you right?”

“If I do this, you have to do whatever you can to protect me and be cooperative. I know you are my friend, but I am going to need all the support I can get from you. If our parents ask you to do something for me I do not want you to hesitate at all. With any luck, this whole fiasco will be a non-starter from the get go.”

“Well I guess little buddy we ought to go downstairs and break the news. I bet they will be a little surprised that we were willing to go through with it.”

“At least the Prom it is not for almost 3  ½ months. I will try not to worry about it for a while. Let’s go downstairs and break the news. ”

I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE ALL FEEDBACK--- MY STORIES ARE PURE FICTION, BUT ARE BASED UPON ACTUAL EVENTS IN MY FANTASIES….

THE PROM STATEMENT: Chapter 2
By
Nina Adams

In the heat of debate, Clarence makes a Prom
Statement that would change his life forever.

-----------------The Hole Gets Deeper------------------------

Our mothers were genuinely excited to hear our decision.

“Well, have you decided who will play each part?” My mother could barely keep the sly smile off her face when she asked the question.

“Yes mother, I will be your little Prom Queen and Max will have me home before the chariot turns back into a pumpkin.”

I thought I was pretty funny, but neither of them was laughing.

“You never know, when we get done with you, he may not want to.”

I could feel a little chill go down my spine when I heard her attempt at humor.

“Okay mom, you have had your little fun. Now let’s all forget about this for a while and you can stop with the teasing.”

“That’s fine, I have a lot to do before we can get started. Don’t worry your pretty little head for a while, we will get the ball rolling.”

“What do you mean ball rolling? The Prom is not for 3  ½ months.”

“Now Claire, not only do we have to get you everything you need to be presentable, but you have a lot to learn about being a girl. You are not going to just show up and be able to present yourself as a young lady. You have a lifetime of things to learn and a very short window to learn them. We will do our best to teach you, but it will not be easy.”

“What’s with Claire? What do you mean by all of this teaching stuff?”

“You are going to have to learn not just how to look like a girl, but also how to respond like one. If you had been born a girl I was going to call you Claire. Whenever possible, I think it best that I call you that now. By the time the Prom comes around you will feel more comfortable with it. It is such a pretty name and I hope you like it.”

“I can’t believe this is already starting. Please don’t call me that.”

“Now Clarence, you agreed to be cooperative. This is what we were talking about. If you want to just hand over your senior trip cash, then just continue to complain. We will not put up with this, so when I ask you to do something, I expect you to do it and not complain. It may take a while, but I bet before long, you will begin to enjoy this. Remember the Prom was one of the best nights of my life.”

“Whatever, we will see.”

Shortly after that, Max and his mother left for home. I felt defeated even though I had stood up for my convictions. I really did not know what was in store for me, but I most certainly was not looking forward to it. Being called Claire was one thing, but I knew at some point she was probably going to make me wear a dress. With the Prom so far into the future, I was hopeful that day would be far off.

The next couple of days were relatively uneventful. I could see my mother looking at me a little differently and she practically spent the whole day Saturday on the telephone. On Sunday, she went through my closet and got rid of some clothes that no longer fit me well. She even got rid of some clothing that still fit me, but that she did not like. She used the excuse that spring was around the corner and I would need some new clothes anyway. She even went through my underwear drawer and purged almost any pair that did not look almost new. I was left with only three or four pairs of jockeys. She also managed to dispose of some of my shoes. I was left with my basic white gym shoes, my favorite black Dansko clogs, and a pair of yellow crocs.

I was thankful that I managed to make it through the weekend without further incident. I could not get the Prom out of my head, but for the moment she had not talked to me much about what she had planned for it. I actually felt relieved to get back to school and get my mind off my strange nightmares. At school on Monday I spoke with Max and he seemed unaffected by the turn of events. He was his usual friendly self, but never brought up the whole Prom situation. I guess for the moment I really didn’t need to talk about it anymore. There would probably be time for that later.

After school on Wednesday I learned that I got one of the main solo parts in the winter chorus concert. We would be singing a series of songs from the hit show Glee and I would have at least one of the major solos. I worked hard for this and was very excited to tell my mother when I got home. In Chorus, I had sung many solo lines before, but this would be my first lead solo for a whole song. I was finally going to get an opportunity to step out of the background.

I got home from school before my mother got back from the hospital. She usually beat me home, but she had recently been promoted and given major supervisory responsibilities over other nursing staff. She still did shifts as an emergency room nurse, but now she had additional responsibilities. It was a little extra work, but a prestigious promotion and paid her quite a bit more money.

When she came through the door I wasted no time in telling her of my good fortune. She could see how thrilled I was and congratulated me with a kiss and a long hug. She brought home some carryout salads from her favorite Italian restaurant called Hole in The Wall. We rarely ate carryout so I asked her if she was going out later.

“Claire dear your aunt Sharon and cousin Rachel are going to come by at seven o’clock to help me plan for your spring Prom.”

I could feel my heart drop. I was almost in too much shock to respond. A moment ago I was dancing on the clouds and now I wanted to crawl under a rock. This was beyond horrific. Not only had she spoken with her sister about me, but, she had drawn my cousin into my personal hell. Rachel was only two years older than me and had graduated high school just one year ago. This was getting more embarrassing by the second.

I always found my cousin Rachel one of the most mesmerizing girls I had ever known. She was just about the prettiest girl I had ever seen and now this. I always felt strange around Rachel because I found her so beautiful. She was gorgeous in every way and even dressed with class and style. I always had trouble talking with her before and now she was going to be here discussing my outlandish pledge. If I wasn’t already regretting my decision, I certainly was now.

“How could you tell them about this!”

“Honey, your aunt is co-manager at David’s Bridal Boutique. Not only can she be helpful, she can get us a discount on anything we buy there. It was her idea to include Rachel.”

“I can’t face them, especially Rachel. She is going to think I am weirder than she probably already does.”

“Aunt Sharon said Rachel jumped at the opportunity to help. Remember she went to the Prom last year and works part-time at the bridal boutique. She will be able to bring some of Mrs. Rosen and my traditional ideas up to date. You should be grateful for her input.”

“What are they going to do now? This thing is not for over 3 months.”

“Tonight we’re just going to get together to put down some basic ideas and a timeline. We will probably do a little brainstorming about what needs to be done. You probably don’t even need to be around for most of the discussion.”

“I don’t want to be around for any of it.”

“Now Clarence, we talked about this. You better cooperate or expect to be punished. Do we understand each other?”

With that we sat down to eat our dinners. I hardly ate anything and asked to be excused to my room. She said she would call me down after our guests arrived or when they needed me.

Up in my room I just sat on my bed. I didn’t know how to react. I thought about calling Max, but other than complaining, I really didn’t think he could be much help. My mind was spinning. What could they be planning or brainstorming about? Maybe they just wanted to have a laugh at my expense. And how could Rachel be involved? We weren’t exactly close, but she never seemed to be mean to me or have anything against me. A few minutes after reaching my room I heard some people come in through the front door. It had to be them.

I did not want to face them and I was not going to go down unless my mother called me. I continued to hang in my room trying to not think about it. I tried doing some school reading, but my concentration was horrible. I was up in my room for about a half-hour, but got more restless by the second. The curiosity was starting to get to me. I wanted to know what they were discussing, but I did not want to join them or face them.

I decided to try and spy on their conversation. My plan was to turn the TV volume up in my room so they would think I was watching something and then listen from part way down the staircase. It was a good plan, but with the TV blaring from my room, I could barely hear any of the discussion. I thought about sneaking closer, but I did not want to be caught.

It was clear from what I could hear that they were still talking about me. All three of them were intensely involved in the banter. I could only make out bits and pieces of the discussion. I think I heard them mention things like proper fit, appointment, from work, Max, and scheduling. It was hard to follow the trail of conversation, as it seemed to keep jumping around. When I heard one of them get up I scurried back to my room.

It was probably a false alarm, but since and I couldn’t figure out what they were saying anyway, I just stayed in my room. About 20 min. later there was a knocking at my door. I nearly jumped off my bed when the pounding startled me. I turned the TV down and yelled, “Who’s there?”

“Honey, please open the door. I need to talk to you for a second.”

I reluctantly opened the door and with a long face asked my mother what she wanted.

“We have been working hard downstairs to make sure your big night is a special one. Before they leave we need you to come down stairs in your robe. You can wear a pair of shorts if you want but please do not wear a T-shirt.”

“Mom, what’s this about?”

“It’s just to show your aunt and cousin how big you are.”

“Why do I have to strip down? They’ve seen me before.”

“Clarence, please just do it and don’t make us wait.”

With that she just left the room and went downstairs. As much as I wanted to just lock myself in my closet, I figured I might as well get it over with. I put on my robe and a pair of gym shorts and slowly made my way down the stairs. I was greeted by giant smiles from Rachel and Aunt Sharon.

“Hello Princess, Rachel and I were so elated to hear about your bold social statement and are behind you 100%. We are committed to helping you make it a perfect night.”

I wanted to puke.

Quickly Rachel interjected, “When my mother told me about your plans I almost couldn’t believe it. But after I thought about it for a while I had to agree that you are totally right about your conviction. We both agreed that you should do this and we want to help you do it right.”

“I really don’t need any more help. Mother seems to have it under control.”

“Now Clarence or should I say Claire, you are going to need all the help you can get. Your Aunt and Rachel the perfect people to lend a hand.”

“What kind of help?”

“It’s not like you can snap your fingers and go from a boy one day to being escorted to the Prom the next. You have so much to master and will need all of us to avoid looking silly.”

“Fat chance of that.”

“What have I said to you? I will not have that tone. You need to be thankful that they are willing to help.”

I looked at my relatives without looking directly into their eyes and mouthed a soft, “Thank you for your help.”

“Aunt Sharon and I are going to work on some of the big picture stuff like clothes, presentation and attitude. Your cousin will tutor you on some of the finer details of being a teenage girl. If you just relax you will find this so much more fun.”

“I still don’t understand why I need so much planning.”

“By the time you show up at the dance looking like the beautiful young lady that I know you will be, I think you’ll understand that it was all necessary.”

I could feel the pit in my stomach tightening.

“Okay then, can I go back to my room?”

“You are wearing only shorts so that Aunt Sharon can take some measurements. In order to properly fit you, we need to know your exact body measurements.”
Aunt Sharon pulled from her purse a tape measure that she had borrowed from the bridal shop. She started wrapping it around me from almost every angle and on every part of my body. She wrote down her findings on a form that clearly read David’s Bridal Boutique across the top.

When she was finally done, she looked at me and proudly said, “You are so lucky to be this thin. Most of the brides that I fit would die to be so thin. The only things you lack are a few curves. But it is always easier to add a few curves than to take them away.”

I had not really thought that much beyond the concept of wearing a dress. Padding as she put it was not something that had crossed my mind. I just smiled and nodded.

Mom looked at me and in a firm voice said, “Claire that’s all we need you for tonight. Young lady, you can excuse yourself if you like.”

I turned and dashed up to my room and closed the door. About 10 min. later I could hear our guests leave. I just laid on my bed in near tears until my mother returned to my door. She softly knocked and before I responded came in.

“Honey, I know this all seems so confusing to you right now. It is a little confusing to me too. When this whole idea was suggested, I was at first upset about it. But when I looked at you, I could see that this was something important to you and that you really did want to go with Max to the Prom.”

“He’s just a friend.”

“Quiet dear, I know he is your friend, but I think he felt just as strongly about this as you. The more I thought about it, the more I thought your little social statement was a worthwhile idea and one that would be good for you to make.”

“I’m no longer as sure myself anymore.”

“I know this is not all going to be simple, but to do what is in your heart and sticking to your convictions is rarely that easy.”

“Why did you have to bring everyone into it already?”

I needed to talk with my sister to make sure it was the right thing to do. It was mostly my idea, but my sister always is helpful to me when I need some objective thinking. When I spoke with her about it, she was very supportive and helped me realize how much was involved and how little time we actually had.”

“I still don’t get the time thing. The Prom is not until near the end of April.”

“She told me that a lot of the other girls had already ordered their dresses. In your case you have never even worn one.”

“Mom!”

“It’s true. Do you remember how beautiful Rachel was last year for her Prom?”

“Of course! She wore that long silky powder blue dress and those tall white spiked shoes. Her hair cascaded down both sides of her gorgeously made up face. She looked much older than 17. I thought she was the prettiest thing I had ever seen.”

“I see you remember her gown well. If we are going to make you beautiful it is going to take a lot more work than it was for Rachel.”

“Mom, I am not going to look like Rachel.”

“Don’t be so sure. I think with proper effort you will look lovely.”

“I am a boy. I don’t want to be lovely!”

“It’s better to be lovely than to show up looking like a boy in a dress.”

“I guess you are right about that. This is going to be so embarrassing.”

“It will only be embarrassing if you let it. Just let us bring out what is inside of you.”

“Inside of me?”

“You need to let the soft side of what is inside of your soul out. Don’t fight it.”

“I am still not completely sure.”

“Honey this is for you and Max, but I have to admit I will probably enjoy some of this too.”

“You want to see me squirm?”

“No dear, because your father died so young, I never had a chance to have a daughter. At least for a while I may get to experience some of that. I think getting you ready for the Prom will be fun for me.”

“I am glad for that. I will try and cooperate, but remember I’m just a boy. I am not really a girl.”

“Thank you honey. But Claire, you need to try and forget that last fact.”

It was nice to have had this personal discussion with my mother about what I had committed myself to. I could see that she had thought this all through and for whatever reasons, was anxious to see it to the end. Clearly, there was going to be much more to this than I originally thought, but I still had almost no clue about what was might lie ahead. I still felt uneasy, but I was going to try and be cooperative and follow their lead. I fell asleep thinking about Rachel dressed so magnificently in her Prom attire.

To be continued……

I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE ALL FEEDBACK--- MY STORIES ARE PURE FICTION, BUT ARE BASED UPON ACTUAL EVENTS IN MY FANTASIES….

THE PROM STATEMENT: Chapter 3
By
Nina Adams

In the heat of debate, Clarence makes a Prom
Statement that would change his life forever.

In this chapter Claire’s preparations get a kick-start.

------------------------A Foundation For The Future---------------------

We all gathered in the family room with most of the boxes sitting in the middle of the floor. Rachel sat right next to me on the loveseat to provide me with support. I was going to try and bite my tongue and just accept my fate.

“Claire, I know this is all going to be so foreign to you, but I think we have enough to get you started. We really do not know how best to begin, but we figure that you needed to start feeling comfortable dressing in a more feminine way around the house. The three of us will then work with you to refine your skills. By the dance you should be more than ready.”

Before they could continue, I interrupted my mother, “Rachel and I all ready talked about this and she promised to help me, but I don’t want you to tell anyone else about all this. If my school friends found out I would be the laughing stock.”

“Honey for now, we are just going to focus on time away from school. Max is the only school friend who needs to know anything about this.”

“Okay, show me what’s here so we can get it over with.”

“Your mother and I have put together an assortment of clothes and other things so you can come home from school each day and change. We have some casual things and other clothes if you feel like being dressier or more stylish.”

“Why do I have to do this each day? Can’t I just do this when you stop by?”

“You don’t have to do this every day. If you have school activities or special plans, you don’t have to wear these things unless you want to. However, until you get more adjusted, we all agree that you need to spend as much time as possible learning how to act properly. Also a lot of the clothing is not that different from your current wardrobe. What you have on now is a perfect example.”

“Where is this all going to be stored?”

“Your mother has already made a lot of space for you in your room. We can probably make some more space later as you might need it. We will all help you organize your room so that you can find what you need.”

“Claire, let’s start with this first box. This box contains things that you will probably need every day. The box contains lingerie, foundation items, intimates and some new sleepwear. You will need these items for under your new pretty things.”

She then took everything out of the box and laid the items into separate stacks. There were more panties, with different styles and colors. There were bras, which I had a hard time not staring at. Also included were socks, tights and some items I did not recognize. Finally there was a small pile of satin like items, which apparently were sleepwear.

“Mom, that’s a lot of briefs and I don’t have any need for a bra… look at me.”

Rachel dug into one of the other boxes. She pulled out a set of jellylike blobs. “I suggest to our parents that you shouldn’t be too big on top, so we got you a ”B+” set. Down the road if you want to be more daring, we can get you a larger pair.”

“What are all these other things?”

“We have hip pads, a waist cinch and a full corset. These items will give you better shape when wearing some of the clothes. Of course, the corset will also help with your posture as well. There are a few other things, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves.”

“Rachel dear, why don’t you hand your cousin the pink bra over there and those inserts. Claire, please take off your top and try the bra on.”

“Can I do that later?”

“We want to see how it fits.”

Rachel then showed me how to put on the bra and hook the clasps. “It’s best if you hook them from behind. If you do it in front and spin the bra around it won’t last as long.”

She slipped the forms into the cups and then smiled at me. “You’re on your way girl.”

My aunt was only partially pleased; she kept staring at me with her observant eyes.

“I do so many fittings at the boutiques, so I am happy that I got your size right, but the rest of your body looks like a pole.”

“Sis, what do you suggest?”

“If we want some of the nicer clothes to look good on her, we’re going to have to do a lot of work on her shape.” Each time she clearly emphasized ‘her’.

“Sharon dear, I told you, we need to focus on just clothes now. I’m not ready for those other more aggressive ideas yet.”

“Mom what other ideas?”

“Nothing dear, aunt Sharon is just getting ahead of herself with things we don’t have in the box. Let’s start by trying the hip pads and corset now”

“I don’t know how to put those on.”

“I wouldn’t expect you would. Go to the bathroom and take off your slacks and pull your legs into this padded panty. Before you get it up all the way, pull your privates back between your legs. This foundation item is very elastic and should hold everything in place. When you are done, come back out and we will help you with her corset.”

“I don’t want to come out in only underwear.”

“Honey, it’s only us girls and your aunt and cousin do fittings all day long.”

In the bathroom I did as they asked and the pads held everything firmly in place. Before re-entering the room I glanced at myself in the mirror. It was the first time I got to see the effects of the bra. I was now flat in my groin and curved in my chest area. My hair was nearly dry and draped over my head. The image was more than a little feminine; I looked like a teenage girl, maybe a tomboy, but definitely a girl. I was both scared and fascinated at the same time. I could feel myself getting aroused. It was not very comfortable with my erection pulled back between my legs. I took my time before going back to the women.

I could see on all of their faces that my new image was intriguing to them. I could also see that they noticed my slight uncomfortable bulge.

“Well at least now we have some hips and a butt. I think the corset should really help now.”

Rachel then wrapped the white device around my midsection. Together we hooked it up in the front. When we were done, she went behind me and started pulling on the strings. It quickly became uncomfortable.

My mother stopped her from making it too tight. “Rachel make it snug, but we can tighten it a little more as she becomes more used to it.”

With all of these items on, I could see my aunt beaming. “Claire, that is so much better, you’re going to be absolutely gorgeous.”

I could see my mother looking at me in a strange way. She was quiet and almost tearful.

“What’s wrong mom? I am trying to be cooperative.”

“It’s not that Claire. I never expected to feel what I am feeling right now. You look so pretty. I am okay with this, it’s just emotional for me.”

“Mom let’s try a dress on Claire, instead of the boring slacks and T-shirt.”

A couple of minutes later I was standing in front of them in a blue pullover linen dress that reached to mid thigh. I was also wearing tall black boots with 2-inch heels. Rachel brushed my hair out and led be back to our parents.

They were awestruck. They had me turn around a few times to get the full effect. I guess with all the smiles and encouragement I was getting more relaxed with them seeing me in this attire. I knew that what I was doing was kind of bizarre, but I was starting to get over the initial shock.

Sharon looked at my mother and commented, “Even without makeup, jewelry or hair, she makes an attractive young lady. She will only become more beautiful.”

“Rachel then shouted, “Mom can I try the blonde wig on her?”

“Sure honey, but I don’t think it will look good on her.”

“She pulled out of one of the boxes a mid-length blonde wig. The bleach color was a major contrast to my dark brown hair. The wig was not really any longer than my own hair, but was much wavier than my hair. She pulled my hair back and slowly stretched the cap over my crown. She fluffed it out and giggled.

“What’s so funny?”

“You look like a different person. There is no way that anyone would recognize you. Even your mother wouldn’t know it was you if she didn’t know you had a wig on. It’s cute, but the style is really for someone older. You need a more youthful look. It’s fun though to see the effect. I wish I could give you some dangling earrings to wear with it. I guess that will have to wait. Go show them.

I took a quick peek at myself in the mirror and almost swooned. I looked like a girl at school that I knew from homeroom. I always thought she was kind of cute, but maybe it was just in my head, but I thought I looked as nice as her.

Aunt Sharon pretty much mirrored the thoughts of Rachel, “you look so different, but the style is not right for you. Your face is thin, so you need more body on the sides. If you want to dye your hair blond I am sure you would look spectacular, but your natural chestnut brown is such a pretty color. I guess we’ll have to talk with the stylist before we decide.”

Her comment about the stylist brought me back to earth. “What about a stylist? This is for dressing at the house. I can’t go to a stylist.”

“You already make a lovely niece, but your hair needs body. Your mother and I go to Lulu’s and she is a magician. I am sure she can give you a look that works for Clarence and Claire. She’s not likely to cut that much off so you can always pull it back like you typically do now. We will make sure she understands what you need.”

I was very unsure about expanding on any of this, especially outside the safe confines of the house. I also did not want any other people to know what was going on. Getting my hair trimmed in a salon did not seem like a very good idea to me. This was all happening so fast.

“Can I go change now? I think this is all I can handle for one day.”

“Honey, I don’t want you to change. When you are home you need to get comfortable this way. If you want to have Rachel pick out something else for you, then that would be okay. She will help you put away the rest of your new things. And don’t forget to thank her for all of her help.

“I have to stay this way all day?”

“We talked about this, until you get totally comfortable this way, it is necessary. Besides you look very nice. If you like, later you can invite Max over to show him how well you are doing.”

“No way, he will think I am crazy or worse.”

“He’s going to see you eventually. You two are in this together, so I am sure he would be happy to come over and show his support.”

“That may be, but I am not ready to face him yet.”

“Suit yourself, go with Rachel and put your new things away.”

Rachel emptied everything onto my bed and floor. I couldn’t believe how many clothes there were. There were of course, a bunch of dresses, but in addition there was a ton of everyday casual clothing. A lot of it was not overly girlish and actually very androgynous. She put all of my new lingerie in with my boys under things. There was only one clean pair of my underpants in the drawer and she nearly filled it up with girl stuff.

We stuck some of the sweaters on my closet shelves and hung all of the dresses on the closet rods. I had three new pairs of shoes to go along with the tall boots I was already wearing. There were two pairs of casual everyday shoes and a strappy pair of dress shoes with a pencil thin heel. That pair had at least 3-inch heels. I had no idea how anyone could walk in those. The remaining slacks, jeans, and tops found miscellaneous homes scattered around my room. Some went into drawers and others hung in the closet.

The end result was that I had as many girl's things as boy's. There was no possible way I could let any of my friends into my room. Not having any sisters, I couldn’t comprehend of any way to explain the clothing away. Life was going to be very challenging until the Prom. At least there were some new clothes that I could wear that weren’t all that feminine.

My cousin and Aunt Sharon left us mid-afternoon. Shortly after that my mother asked to see me in my room. She checked out where we put everything and moved a couple of the items to other locations. When she was finished we had one more girl-to-girl talk.

“Claire, we have gotten you a lot of really nice things and I expect you to take care of them. We can re-arrange things if we need some space later. Monday, I have a floor sample vanity being delivered from Dania’s furniture. After it arrives, we can lay out and store some of your cosmetics as we figure out what you need.”

“A vanity! This is all supposed to be temporary, where are we going to put it?”

“Well you never use your desk. Most of the time you do your work on your bed or downstairs. We can put your desk in the basement. If necessary, we can move it back upstairs down the road.”

“Why do I need a vanity anyway? If you ever want to make me wear lipstick, can’t we just do that in your room?”

“That kind of silly statement is exactly why you need your own vanity. Rachel and I will give you lessons and you will need to practice-practice-practice. You need to perfect your skills, before your big dance. We will get started on that in a few days.”

“I can’t wait.”

“Don’t be sarcastic with me.”

“Sorry mom, it’s just all so much for me to absorb at once.”

“That’s why we needed time and I don’t want to push you too hard.”

“It seems like so much already. My room is full of so many new things. Do you really think I need all this?”

It will take a while to see what you really need and like. We can fill in the holes later. Some of these things are everyday items that can replace some of your dated old things with.”

“You mean the casual things for after school? I saw some of that stuff. I guess those things are okay.”

“Yes dear, those are nice, but some of this you can wear during the day. Jeans are jeans, slacks are slacks, and nobody can tell the difference without seeing the labels. It will be your secret. I’m not suggesting you were a dress to school, but jeans and a blue sweater will be an improvement on your current get up.”

“I can’t wear girls clothes to school. People will laugh at me.”

“First off, I bet no one notices, and besides you always say no one notices you at school anyway. Initially, the only things you will wear will be the neutral styles and androgynous items. If you get laughed at or it causes you any problems, we will deal with that then. You don’t even have gym class anymore, so you’d don’t have to get dressed in front of anyone. Stop worrying.”

“The corset is getting very uncomfortable, can I at least take that off.”

“How about you stay like this until dinner and then I will help you change into something more casual. At that point, you can switch into the waist cinch. It will be more comfortable and less restrictive. I want you to wear the corset whenever possible to help with your posture and body shaping.”

“Fine, I guess I can make it a little longer. What now?”

Why don’t you help me finish folding the laundry and then you can go relax in your room.”

The rest of the day was much more laid back. I changed into jeans and the top I wore in the morning. The big difference, however, was that I still wore the hip pads, waist cinch and brassiere. With my hair not in a ponytail, my appearance clearly leaned to the female side of androgynous. I finished all of my schoolwork in front of the fireplace with my mother. I was very tired from the emotional roller coaster and turned in early.

On my bed was a two-piece pajama set. It was pale blue with a tank top style on top and long silky legs. It was not part of the clothing that we put away, but was neatly folded on my bed. It was obvious that my mother had put this out for me to wear tonight. I picked them up and could immediately sense their silky smooth feel. I was tired and ready to crash so I resigned myself sleeping in them.

I removed all of my new things and carefully put everything away. As I slipped on my silky bottoms, I noticed the Victoria’s Secret label. I immediately had memories of flipping through one of their catalogs. I had always found the women clad in their sexy lingerie very erotic. Now here I was pretending to be one of those women. The combination of the sensuous feel of the material and the thoughts floating through my head began to get me aroused. I was afraid of my mother possibly coming in and seeing me that way, so I jumped in my bed and under my blankets. I stared at my ceiling in disbelief for a few minutes until I finally fell asleep.

When I awoke the next morning I could remember a restless night of sleep. I had fallen asleep quickly enough, but I woke a number of times during the night. I could not remember my dreams, but remember that Max was in at least some of them.

Before I climbed out of my bed I wondered what might be in store for me again today. I wondered if my mother would insist that I continue to dress so femininely. I figured she would at least want to know that I wore my new pajamas. As I climbed out of bed I began to panic. I could see that I had created an obvious mess in my pajama bottoms. During the night I had apparently experienced an intense sexual pleasure at some point during my sleep.

There was no way I could go downstairs like that. I wanted to show my mother that I was cooperating, but I could not go downstairs for Sunday breakfast in my pajamas with that mess. I figured my best alternative was to change into some of my new clothes to show her I was still trying.

I removed my pajamas and put on a fresh pair of panties along with the hip pads, cinch and a white brassiere. I inserted my breast forms and stood for a moment in front of my mirror. I had to admit that my enhanced body shape was quite amazing. I felt almost pleased that I had such an attractive figure. I knew it was not all me, but to my eyes it looked quite natural. I am not sure what possessed me but I shook my head so my long hair would fly around over my shoulders. It was the first time I had acted so girlishly without the prodding of a relative. I quickly caught myself and headed to my closet to find something to wear.

I grabbed a pair of what appeared to be blue jeans and a green sweater. First, I put on the sweater to cover my foundation. The sweater was very different than a boy’s sweater. It was not tight, but it contoured to my new shape. It was also extremely long. It was not a dress, but it definitely reached to the bottom of my butt. Before I had a chance to put on the jeans my mother yelled for me to come down to breakfast. I quickly shifted to sliding on the jeans. I found that these were not really jeans. They were made of soft denim, but they were actually a type of tights. They did not have a fly like a true pair of jeans. They match the sweater, but the combo was a lot more girlish than was my intention. I did not have time to change, so I slipped on the Mary Jane loafers and went down to breakfast.

When I entered the kitchen my mother did a double take. She looked me over with a pleased look across her face. It was only then that I realized that my hair was still loosely draped over my shoulders.

“Claire you look so lovely, I think you did a wonderful job picking out an outfit.”

“Thanks mom. I didn’t feel like wearing pajamas to breakfast. Is this okay?”

“Of course. I am so glad you are already getting comfortable in your new wardrobe. Your hair looks much healthier today, but really needs some body. After breakfast we will see if we can do anything with it.”

The conversation over breakfast was pleasant and not that different from our normal conversation. Every so often she would tell me to sit a little different or talk a little different. The physical coaching was easier for me to absorb than the language tips. She had me using more words like lovely, dreamy, and cute. She had me slow down my speech and even tried for me to use a slightly higher pitch. My singing voice already had an unusually high pitch for a boy, so this was not all that difficult for me to master. It was the word choices that were hard for me to grasp. She said it would take some time, but she would give me tips whenever she could.

After breakfast I helped clean the kitchen. I also volunteered to do a load of laundry. I figured I could slip in my soiled pajamas without drawing her attention. Mother, commented how pleasant I was acting this morning. She went so far as to say that she liked some of the side benefits of my personality change.

A short while after we had completed our tasks she suggested that it would be a good time to play with my hair a little. I expressed no resistance and asked her what she had in mind.

“I don’t want to cut anything, because I want that to be done professionally. Until you took the initiative to make your bold social statement, I was not real happy that your hair had grown so long. Now I look at your tresses with such possibilities. Your hair is so long that you will now be able to wear it in many different styles. After your hair gets some shaping and you put on a touch of makeup, you will be as attractive as any other girl in your school.”

“Mom, that is nice of you to say, but remember, I am not a girl. This is only to make my point.”

“Well you’re going to have to get used to being attractive. The boys, including Max, are going to find you very enticing.”

“You are making me nervous again, and besides when Max sees me, he will probably want to keep his distance.”

“I bet he loves your new look and even tells you that.”

“Well, he’s not going to see me like this for a while.”

“That’s fine. After you practice a little more and get your hair trimmed, you will project an even more radiant appearance.”

“I am in no hurry.”

“Let’s try and add some body to your hair. I am sure that will help. Follow me into my bathroom.”

Inside the bathroom she dampened my hair. She parted my wet hair straight down the middle. She then took out a curling iron and explained to me how it works. She wanted me to be able to do everything she was going to show me, on my own. She proceeded to wrap my hair around the iron and soon enough, I had dozens of cascading soft curls.

I was fascinated to see the change she created in my plain boyish face. She had not cut one hair, but now my hair looked almost like the blonde wig, but now in a chestnut brown. Mother easily picked up on my interest with the new look. She interrupted my preening in front of the mirror with a small Q-tip looking brush. She then began to stroke a pinkish red lip-gloss onto my lips. The color highlighted my lips and brightened my whole face. I was now staring at a teenage girl that reflected very little resemblance to my former self.

Inside I could feel myself getting excited again. I was not sure why I found the reflection appealing. Was it because she was a pretty girl or was it that I was happy that the image was actually me. I only knew that I found unexpected pleasure in the reflection and that I needed to keep that thought to myself.

“I think the curls and lipstick look very nice on you. What do you think, Claire?”

“I guess they look alright. How will I get rid of the curls before school?”

“Don’t worry. These will not last. If you wash your hair they will disappear. Tomorrow after school you should try this by yourself.”

“If that is what you think best, then I will.”

The rest of the day I got schooled on everything, including every aspect of my behavior and movements. She kept correcting me on my use of language as well as how I moved and carried myself. I did not realize how different boys and girls did things until she started coaching me on all of the subtleties. She had me hold my arms with my elbows in and palms out. She shortened my stride and adjusted me on how my hips should move. She even got me tilting my head when I was happy or smiling. It was a full day of relearning how to move and talk. I had only picked up some of the skills, but it was amazing to me how much I had changed practically overnight.

The activities of the day almost seem like a game and I had enjoyed getting the occasional compliment from my mother. At the end of the day I took a shower and without prodding put back on my now clean pajamas. I was still more than a little scared and confused about what was ahead, but for one day it had not been totally horrible.

-----------------------Back to School----------------------

On Monday I wore my old jeans and one of my Coldplay T-shirts. Under my manly façade was a pair of my new panties. I could see a little disappointment in my mother’s eyes when I came down for breakfast.

“Claire, I thought you would wear something new.”

“Mom, the Prom is so far away and I need to be careful at school. Dressing like a girl at home is one thing, but I do not want to look like a sissy at school.”

“We picked out a lot of things that should be fine for school. They are nicer than your old clothes and a boy or a girl could wear those neutral styles. Tomorrow I want to see you wear at least one new thing.”

“Maybe tomorrow mom, but today I have an exam and chorus practice after school. I need to be focused on school today and not thinking so much about my appearance.”

“That’s fair, but when you get home I expect you to put on your new things, including the corset. I want you to make a lot of progress before the weekend.”

“What’s so magical about this weekend?”

“Nothing dear. You just need to have goals. It will make the weekend more relaxing for you if I don’t have to coach you as much.”

“Okay mom, I will change when I get home.”

“Don’t forget to try and put some curls in your hair.”

School was pretty uneventful and I think I did very well on my exam. During chorus practice I got the opportunity for the first time to practice my new solo. After going through what I had over the weekend, standing in front of my chorus friends singing a solo seemed a relative piece of cake. I was not nervous about it at all.

Max asked me how my weekend had gone. I had a very hard time explaining to him why I had basically just hung out at the house. I was too embarrassed to tell him the truth about what I had been doing at the house. At some point I would probably have to confess to him, but I was hoping to put it off as long as possible.

He mentioned that a couple of new movies would be opening over the next weekend and wondered if I might like to go to see one. It sounded like a great idea. It would allow me to get out of the house and possibly avoid dressing for the whole weekend. I suggested we go on Saturday, but I did not tell him it was so I could get a break from dressing during the middle of the weekend. We did not pick out the specific movie or time, and figured we would do that later.

He mentioned to me that his mother was going to take him to get fitted for a tux soon. He said his mother did not want him to rent one, but rather to buy one so it would look more stylish and fit better. He laughed and said our parents were apparently very serious about this whole Prom statement thing. He asked me if I knew when I would be going to get fitted for my new outfit. I didn’t have to lie, because no one had actually brought up that topic as yet. I thought about telling him about my activities, but I thought better of it.

When I got home I did exactly as my mother had requested. I made my way up to my room and stripped off all of the boy clothes that I had worn during the day. I soaked my hair at the sink and wrapped a towel around it. I proceeded to put on the hip pads, corset and one of my brassieres. Putting on the corset by myself was a little more challenging. My aunt had shown me how to properly pull the strings when I was doing it by myself. Start at the bottom, and pull across your body. I had a hard time tying the strings, but eventually I got the task done. I selected a maroon pair of corduroy pants and a white peasant style blouse. After slipping into the clothes, I proceeded to try and curl my hair. My mother made it look easier than it really was. After a while I got better at it, but when I was done it did not look as nice as when my mother had done it.

I stood up and looked at myself in front of the full-length mirror. I looked nice but something was obviously missing. I remembered that yesterday my mother had put lipstick on me. I went back into her bathroom and found the lipstick from yesterday. I stroked it across my lips with some frustration. The first couple of times I tried to do it, I ended up looking like a three-year-old. By my third attempt, I was able to do a reasonably good job. I returned to my room after I had finished. When I looked at myself in the mirror this time I felt good about what I had accomplished. I am not sure what possessed me, but I grabbed two of the silver bracelets off my dresser and put one around each wrist. They were basic silver bands, but I thought they looked like they would match the style of the peasant blouse.

I spent the next hour doing my homework and every so often I glanced at myself in the mirror. I was excited to show mother how I had done when she returned from the hospital. When she saw me, I could see a pleased look on her face. However, she never really made a comment about my clothing. She asked me about my day and how the exam went. It was almost as if the way I was dressing was nothing out of the norm.

Shortly before we sat down to eat dinner she did comment that she thought the bracelets were a nice touch. She mentioned that silver drop earrings would have looked nice as well. I mentioned that I did not see any earrings in my room. She mentioned that it was probably because all of Rachel’s earrings were for pierced ears.

During dinner she mentioned that she had made an appointment for me to get my hair trimmed at Lulu’s Salon up in Highland Park. “Your hair is so long and I think it time that Lulu take a look at it and clean up some of your split ends.”

“Do I really have to go there already? Can’t we just wait until closer to the Prom? I will do a better job of taking care of my hair.”

“Don’t worry your pretty little head. She is the best and I am sure you will love what she will do for you. I have been going to her for almost 10 years and she is practically family. I discreetly talked to her about your wonderful plans and she said she would help in every way possible.”

“You already told another person what I was doing. You have to stop telling people. She will probably blab it to all of her customers.”

“I know Lulu and there is no way she would tell anyone.”

“What if I see some of my friends in there? How can I go to a salon?”

“Honey this salon is up in Highland Park. I am sure that most of the kids around here do not go all the way up to Highland Park to get their haircut. Lulu’s is also a bit pricey for most of your friends from school. It is an upscale salon, and besides you would almost certainly only see other girls in there. I will suggest to her that she cut your hair in the back room where there are only a couple of styling stations. Is that better?”

“I guess it’s better than having it done somewhere around here. What time do we have to be there?”

“Your manicure and pedicure are at 10 a.m., so I guess she will probably start cutting your hair around 11 or 11:30.”

“You didn’t say anything about a manicure or a pedicure.”

“You really don’t have that much to work with on your hands and feet, but you need to begin taking better care of them. After they clean them up, you can begin to let your fingernails grow a little. It’s a lot like your hair, to have nice hands it takes a little bit of work.”

“Any more surprises for me?”

“No, Claire, everything seems to be under control.”

We spent the rest of the evening much like we did over the weekend with her coaching my every movement and critiquing my use of language. I was gradually getting more proficient and after a while it didn’t seem that I had to think about it as much. The better I got at acting like a girl the less strange it felt to me. This same routine went on for the next three days. By Thursday it felt almost second nature. Only on occasion did my mother need to interject things that I was doing incorrectly.

On Tuesday I wore one of the new sweaters that belonged to Rachel. It was a very basic black with a V-neckline. It was extremely soft and I actually liked the feel of it. I did not receive a single comment from any of my friends and I continued to stay invisible to the bulk of the student body.

On Wednesday I added a pair of blue jeans that also belong to Rachel. They had a boot cut and I wore my Dansko clogs with them. On top I wore a long sleeved yellow T-shirt. The only real difference in the top was that the opening had a more oval shape to it. My change of style pretty much went unnoticed. My friend Max was the only one to ask if the clothes were new. Before I could answer, he said I looked nice.

By Friday, my anxiety over wearing the androgynous looking clothes began to melt. My biggest difficulty was trying to walk and talk like my old self. Every now and then I would find myself moving more like Claire, than Clarence. It was almost like I had to think about acting more macho. One time during chorus practice on Thursday one of my friends started complimenting me on my singing and I instinctively smiled and tilted my head a little bit. He looked at me a little strangely, but did not say anything to me.

After school on Friday I walked home with Max. We agreed to go to the movie on Saturday night at the local theater. We decided to see the movie Country Strong starring Gwyneth Paltrow. We thought we would enjoy it because it included a lot of singing and dancing. It was not exactly a typical guy movie, but we both enjoyed music so much. He was going out with his family Friday night for dinner and I basically planned to hang out with my mother at home much as I had done all week.

When I got home I wasted no time changing into some of my new clothes. I had gotten pretty good at putting on the corset and after having worn it for a full week, it did not seem quite as uncomfortable. Since it was Friday night I figured I might as well curl my hair again and look a little more stylish. I put on a long red sweater and a pair of black tights. To complete the look I put on my tall black boots. With my lipstick and curled hair I knew I looked pretty good. For some reason I wanted to look a little prettier for my mother since it was Friday. Normally on Friday my mother made it home before me, but today I had plenty of time to get myself ready. When she came through the door she apologized for being late. I came out and greeted her and told her it was no big deal. She was surprised to see that I had already changed.

“Sorry, Claire, I was hoping to get home before you. I want us to head up to Northbrook Court to check out the once a year big sale at Neiman Marcus. I see that you already changed your clothes. I was going to help you pick out something that you would be comfortable wearing out in public over your new intimates. But now I see that you have already curled your hair and look so nice. It would be a shame for you to change. This would be a very good time for my little butterfly to spread her first wings.”

“Mom, there is absolutely no way I’m leaving the house looking like this. I have no intention of dressing up like a girl in public. I put on these clothes for you, so we could spend an enjoyable evening here at home.”

“Claire, this is a really big sale and there are a few items I want to check out for myself. This will be fun for you and just think of it as an adventure. You have gotten so comfortable in your new role, that I am totally confident that it will be the same for you out at the mall. I can pretty much guarantee you that none of your Evanston friends will be spending their Friday night up at Northbrook Court. This is the next step in getting you comfortable for the dance.”

“I’m not ready to go out in public yet. People will be able to tell that I am a boy.”

“I will bet you that nobody can tell. If somebody figures out that you are a boy without us telling them, I will add $100 to your summer funds. I will even add $50 to your summer funds if nobody can tell. But if nobody figures it out, then tomorrow you have to wear a skirt or dress all day. I think that’s a very fair challenge.”

“You’ll give me money either way? That seems pretty good, but I still don’t think I’m ready to go out.”

“You are more ready than me. I am the one who has to go change. All you need is a coat to cut the winter chill. Give me 10 min. to get ready and we can catch a bite to eat after we get there. Relax this will be fun.”

As we made our way up the Edens Expressway I felt an uncomfortable chill going up and down my spine. My mind was racing with thoughts of running into somebody I might know. It would be impossible to explain why I was dressed this way. Even if somebody would understand my motivation for the Prom, it would be difficult to explain this away three months before the event. I felt a certain level of doom as we pulled into the parking lot.

We parked at the East End of the mall right near the entrance to Neiman Marcus. My mother sensed my anxiety and reassured me that I had nothing to worry about. I stayed very close to my mother as we made our way into the store. I kept looking around to make sure there was no one there that I recognized. It only took us a minute and we were in the middle of a crowded women’s department. There were racks and racks of clothing and accessories. While my mother looked at a few things for herself, it was clear she was mostly looking at things for me. As we looked through the racks, we were approached by a sales lady that asked us if we needed any assistance. I kept saying we were just browsing as my mother piled up more and more things that she considered purchasing for me.

When she felt she had accumulated a sufficient number of garments, she looked at me and said it was time to try them on.

“I can’t try them on here, that wouldn’t be right.”

“Claire, I’m not buying all of these outfits without you trying them on first. I will go into the changing room with you, but we need to see which ones fit and which ones look nice on you. I don’t want to hear an argument.”

Somewhere in the past week or two I had lost my backbone. I followed her into the changing room and began the process of trying on more than a dozen different items. One time when I came out wearing a chiffon dress one of the sales ladies commented how well it accentuated my beautiful figure. It was a beautiful short dress, but I couldn’t imagine any occasion that I would need to wear it.

By the time we were done I had two more dresses, a dressy pair of slacks, a silk tunic, and two more tops that my mother thought were appropriate for school. I thought they were too feminine, but she overruled me. We moved from the clothing department over to the shoe department. There I acquired a much more feminine pair of clogs than my old Danskos. These were a glossy dark midnight blue shade, with a slightly higher heel than the ones I used to wear. She also picked out for me a grey pair of dance flats that she said would be nice with jeans for school. They look like girls slippers, but my comments seemed to go unheard.

I thought we were done shopping as we headed to the mall to get a bite to eat. Before we could leave the store we paused for a few minutes in the cosmetics department. Mother pretended to be looking at some eyeliner for herself, and soon we were assisted by one of the specialists. For a minute or two, my mother sat in the chair as the woman assessed what she might need. When my mother got up she suggested that I sit down next.

I could see the lights go on inside the cosmologist’s eyes. I was like a fresh palette waiting to be filled. She looked at my face from every angle and asked me if there was any special look I wanted to achieve. I sat there in mostly silence, as I had no clue how to respond. Not surprisingly my mother was quick to fill the void.

“My daughter, Claire, has always been a bit of a tomboy. Tomorrow I will be taking her to get a little more style with her hair. I really don’t want her wearing a lot of makeup, but it would be nice if she had a few things to make her look a little more mature. Nothing cakey, but possibly something that might bring out her eyes and facial features a little bit.”

“I think I know what you mean. She has very pretty features even without wearing any makeup. I can suggest a few things for daytime wear. There are a few other items that would look great on her for eveningwear or possibly out on a date. If you have a couple of minutes, I would like to show you.”

“That would be wonderful. Claire, please pull back your hair, so she can try a few things on you.”

“Not too much please. I don’t usually wear makeup.”

“Do not worry, if you have on the right makeup, it really doesn’t look like you’re wearing that much.”

“Claire, pay attention to what she is doing, you might learn a trick or two.”

In less than 10 minutes my face went through a minor transformation. She lined my eyes on both the top and bottom, thickened my eyelashes with some mascara, dusted my eyelids with a hint of blue, and highlighted my cheekbones with a rosy pink. She replaced the lipstick that I had been wearing with a lighter shade of red. She worked on my eyebrows a bit, but suggested that a little shaping would make a greater difference than her cosmetic highlighter.

My mother stood calmly as she worked everything onto my face. When she was finished, she pulled out a few additional types of eyeshade and blush that she recommended for the evening. Pleased with my changes, my mother told her to ring up all of the items. It was only then, that I got a chance to see the effects.

With each change in my appearance, it became harder and harder for me to see my old self. With the makeup on, I was hard-pressed to tell that it was me staring back at myself. This was not a boy trying to pass himself off as a girl, but rather, a cute looking teenage woman. As I looked at my pretty face in the mirror I knew passing, as a girl was no longer an issue. Even my close friends from chorus, would unlikely be able to see through my deception. I felt completely emasculated.

I felt much more confidence in my appearance as we headed into the mall to grab some food. We walked through the mall and made our way inside the Claim Company. Inside, we each had a bowl of soup and shared a salad. My mother pointed out to me that it was important that I watch my figure. I really never had a problem with weight in the past, but life had changed so much in the last few days.

While we were eating our food, I noticed a couple of guys sitting at a nearby table that kept looking at me. I knew they were not from my school, because they were wearing high school colors that were not ours. I wasn’t sure why they kept looking at me, but one of them seemed to be smiling at me.

“Claire, I think those boys fancy you. I guess that is something you’re just going to have to get used to. You should be careful how you respond, because I do not think you are ready to handle the attention.”

“My God, do you think they know I’m a boy? Am I that obvious?”

“Honey, admit it, you make a very attractive young lady, and they just find you pretty. You should feel good about that.”

“I’m a boy I don’t want other boys interested in me.”

“Well right now, I really don’t see a boy at this table, nor to those boys that are looking at you.”

“Mom I’m ready to go can we leave now?”

Back in the mall my mother insisted that we do a little more window-shopping.

“Claire, I don’t think we really need many more things today, but I really want to know what types of things you like or don’t like. I want you to tell me what you think of some of the window displays. It will give me a better idea in case we want to get you anything else.”

Over the next 45 minutes or so, we walked through most of the shopping mall. At first, I was very tightlipped about commenting about woman’s fashions, but eventually I began to loosen up. At first I would say something like, if I was a girl, but before long I simply expressed what I liked or didn’t like.

“You seem to like things that are definitely feminine, but not showy or risqué. You certainly seem to be more of the “girl next door” type, rather than the attention getter.”

One of the few stores that we actually walk through was called 21 Forever. Most of the people inside the store were girls my age. It had a lot of trendy clothing and was loaded with all sorts of accessories. I ended up getting a wide belt that my mother said would look nice over one of the sweater dresses. As we left the store my mother pulled me into Claire’s Store.

“Honey, this store is named after you. Isn’t that cute.”

“Mom, what do we need inside here?”

“Let’s just look around for a few minutes. They have very inexpensive jewelry, so see if there’s anything that you like.”

While I was looking at bracelets and hair accessories, my mother was talking to one of the clerks. I rejoined her after a couple of minutes and asked her if she was ready to go. Before she could answer, she asked me if I preferred gold jewelry or silver jewelry.

“I never really thought about it that much mom, but I think I lean a little more towards silver. Gold is nice, but I think I like the way silver glistens. ”

“That is what I thought you would say. Have a seat here dear.” The clerk picked up the silver studs on the counter in front of my mother.” This will only take a minute.”

“Studs! I can’t get my ears pierced. That is so permanent and people will notice.”

“If you wear nice earrings, hopefully they will. If you stop wearing earrings the holes will fill in naturally. It is not permanent. Lots of boys have pierced ears, and beside your hair is so long, I really doubt anyone would notice. Even if they do, it is fashionable. You’ve come so far already that I don’t want to hear another word.”

“Is this going to hurt a lot?”

The store clerk interjected, “It will only feel like a pinch and would be over very quickly.”

Before I had a chance to fathom my predicament, I was adorned with two silver studs. As we made our way out of the store I couldn’t help but feel this was one of our planned stops for the evening. We worked our way out to the car to end our girl’s night out.

On our way home my mother boasted, “I told you no one would think you were anything but my daughter. You did wonderfully and I hope you had a nice evening.”

“Some of it was fun, but you have taken this so far so fast that it is getting me scared and confused.”

“I’m trying to give you confidence. If you are more convincing, then you will be less nervous and enjoy the experience a lot more. You seem to be adjusting to being Claire with very little difficulty.”

“It scares me that I am so convincing as Claire. As Clarence, nobody really noticed me. Now dressed as Claire, I am drawing attention to myself without even trying.”

“Just relax we will figure it out together. Try and think like Claire and not so much like Clarence. If you do that it will not be so confusing.”

I put away my new apparel and laid my cosmetics on top of the vanity that had recently replaced the desk in my room. As I was getting ready to turn in for the evening, my mother brought a jewelry box into my room, which was full of a dozen or more sets of earrings. “I was waiting to give these to you as soon as you had your ears pierced. For the next couple of days at a minimum, you need to keep the studs in your ears. Soon enough, you can select from these to match whatever you are wearing. There are probably at least two or three pairs that are basic enough that you could get away with wearing at school. That will be up to you, but at least the option is there.”

I looked into the box with both an appreciation and a slight feeling of distress. I thanked her for the gift and put it on top of my dresser. My mother then showed me how to correctly remove my makeup. Finally I got ready for bed and curled up under my blankets and passed out.

------------------------------------

I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE ALL FEEDBACK--- MY STORIES ARE PURE FICTION, BUT ARE BASED UPON ACTUAL EVENTS IN MY FANTASIES….

THE PROM STATEMENT: Chapter 4
By
Nina Adams

In the heat of debate, Clarence makes a Prom
Statement that would change his life forever.

In this chapter Claire experiences the full effect of preparations and the process begins to have a profound impact on Claire’s psyche.

-------------------------------A Trip To The Salon----------------------

On Saturday morning, I came down to breakfast in my new pajamas.

“How is my sleepyhead? Are you well rested, because we have a big day ahead?”

“Is there any way I can talk you out of taking me to the salon today? Last night was just about as much as I can take and having my hair trimmed at a salon seems so over-the-top. With my new pierced ears, I’m afraid almost anything else will make me look like a sissy. Whatever Lulu does, could make me look too girlish.”
“Lulu knows the whole situation. No matter what she does, you will be able to adjust it for school. I am sure it will be more androgynous than feminine. She will probably just clean it up a little bit and give it some body. Don’t worry, I will remind her of what you need.”

“Can I wear a pair of my old clothes so she knows I need to be able to look like a boy?”

“Honey we made a deal last night. I am adding $50 to your summer funds and today you promised to wear dresses or skirts all day long.”

“I didn’t think you meant to the salon! I can’t believe you want me to go to the salon dressed like a girl. I didn’t think that was part of the deal.”

“I said all day and you agreed to it. You will feel much more comfortable getting pampered there dressed like all the other patrons, rather than some out of place boy. You will draw much less attention to yourself if you are dressed appropriately.”

“Lulu is probably going to laugh at me.”

“I will help you get ready so you look just as nice as last night. We will pick out something that makes you look very pretty, and I will help you get your makeup just right. We need to get started soon so we can get there by your 10 AM manicure appointment.”

When we left the house later that morning I was dressed in a very stylish short dress, along with tights and my tall boots. It was a very simple gray dress with short sleeves and was made of a cráªpe material. It was a casual look but with a stylish feel to it. With a touch of makeup on, I was pretty certain nobody would recognize that I was a boy. Hopefully my mother and Lulu would be the only ones who knew my secret.

When we entered Lulu’s Solon, mother asked me to sit down while she made arrangements. The woman behind the counter glanced at me a couple of times and I heard her say they would be ready for me shortly. Mother then told me that she would return later to get a manicure while I was getting my hair trimmed. She was going to run a few errands, but that they knew what I needed and they would take care of everything. This was the first time that I would be left alone dressed as a girl in a public place. I felt very vulnerable at that moment. It wasn’t long before they called me in to start my very first manicure and pedicure.

The pretty manicurist who only spoke a little English began with my hands. From what I could understand from my attempts to talk to her, I think she was originally from Thailand. I had never had a manicure before and did not realize how much was involved. There was not that much for them to cut off, but she made an effort to round off the tips. She trimmed the skin around my nails and pushed back my cuticles. She rubbed oil into my skin and even buffed my nails to make them very smooth. Before she was finished she painted a clear base polish on each of my nails. After the base coat, she took another clear looking polish and spread that on my nails. When I looked at that coat closely, I realized that it was clear with just a hint of pink. Not a significant amount of color, but I could tell that my nails look slightly rosier. She then painted an additional coat of a clear polish on top of the pink. My hands were then put under a dryer for a few minutes.

After about 5 minutes, the same young manicurist brought me over to a different chair and put my feet in a soaking bath. I then looked at my dry nails. My hands looked very beautiful, but they were no longer boys hands. The coloration was very mild, but the finish on my nails reflected a glossy sheen. All I could think was that no boy’s nails were never that shiny. My mother was nowhere to be seen, so I had no one to complain to. While she was working on my feet, I was thinking that at least no one would be able to see them. At school my shoes and socks stayed on my feet and I no longer had any required gym classes.

The process was very similar on my feet to what she did with my hands. When she felt she had sufficiently cleaned up my toenails and the skin around them, she once again began the three-step process of putting polish on my toenails. I really was not watching that closely until she was almost done. On my toes she had not put on the transparent pink, but rather, a true pink. There was no question that my toes were now a deep dark pink shade. Anyone looking at my feet would immediately be drawn to the polish. I kept reminding myself that no one would see my feet. They put a special pair of sandals on my feet with toes spreaders, to allow the polish to dry properly. It was while I was waiting for Lulu to get started on my hair, that my mother returned to the shop.

“Mom they put a color on my feet and hands!”

“They look perfect. Your hands were such a mess before, now you need to take care of them better. No biting of your nails and try not to do anything that might damage the finish.”

“But mom they are pink!”

“I picked out those colors and I think they are just precious. I wish I could have given you the bright pink for both your hands and feet, but unfortunately, I’m not sure you’re ready for that at school yet.”

“Yet! I’m not sure I can wear polish anywhere.”

“I think they’re almost ready for your haircut. I am going to have another quick word with Lulu before she gets started. I will remind her that anything she does needs to be flexible and appropriate for you at school. I told you she’s a magician and you will love it when she is done.”

The next thing I knew I was getting my hair washed by one of Lulu’s assistants. She didn’t say anything to me, but I loved the massage she gave to my scalp. It helped me relax and prepare myself for what was ahead. She dried my hair with a towel and led me over to Lulu’s styling chair.

I felt pretty calm as Lulu approached me from the side. At first I did not know it was Lulu, until she introduced herself. She was definitely not what I expected. My mother, who was in her early 40s, had been going to her for over 10 years. In my mind I had assumed that Lulu would’ve been much older. She was probably in her early to mid 30s, but looked younger. She was extremely attractive, but also had a classy style about her. She had a very unique Bob’s style haircut that sort of curled under more on the left side. She was still twice my age, but not too old that I didn’t think I could relate to her. She was very enthusiastic as she introduced herself to me.

“So you must be Claire. Your mother and I have been discussing your adventurous plans and I think this is a wonderful idea. She told me all about you and how well you have been coming along. From what I can see, she was absolutely right. I hope we can become friends, as I help you through your transformation. I really respect what you are doing and know how much courage it must take. She tells me that your aunt and cousin are also assisting you and providing some guidance. That instruction is going to be very important, because looking like a girl is going to be the easiest part for you.”

“I am sure you mean well, Lulu, but I don’t want to look too girlish when I leave your salon. My mother just wants me to feel more comfortable when I dress this way, but the reason for this unusual idea, is not for a long time. I need to be able to look like a boy when I go back to school.”

“Well then, I guess making you a bleach blonde is out of the question… Just kidding. I am going to give your hair some shape and a lot more body. I would like to bring out the chestnut color a little bit, but maybe I will leave that for a later appointment. The first thing I will need to do is trim a little here and there to give it the proper length to highlight your features. I will then give it a soft perm, which will provide some waviness, and create more volume on the sides. If you don’t want to wear it that way for school, you can always pull it back with a scrunchie and it will not look that much different than before.”

“As long as I can pull it back, I guess it is okay.”

“I am sure that you will really like it and I bet your boyfriend will love it.”

“I don’t have a boyfriend! It’s not like that.”

“Did I hear wrong? Your mother told me that you were doing this so you could go to the Prom with a boy named Max.”

“He’s not my boyfriend. He’s just my friend and we are doing this to make a statement.”

“He’s a boy and he’s taking you to the Prom. You can call him whatever you like, but I think it is very special. I also think it is great that you are making such an effort to look as pretty as you can for him.”

“I am not trying to make myself look as pretty as I can for him. This was my mother’s idea.”

“She did not tell me that she was forcing you to do this.”

“She’s not really forcing me, it was Max and my idea originally. She’s just guiding me.”

“That’s good to hear. So you and Max are going to the Prom, because you wanted to. I will do whatever I can so that your big night will be memorable. For now, I am just going to give you some casual styling. When the big day comes I can give you something a little fancier to suit the mood. Just sit back and relax, you can even close your eyes for a while if you like.”

Lulu began snipping away at my hair at a rapid pace. She was cutting so fast that I almost expected her scissors to overheat. The funny thing was that even with all of the snipping, there was very little hair that was being cut. It was mostly the tips, with a little more off in just a few spots. The actual cutting part of the appointment did not take that long. When she was finished cutting my hair it was still damp and she rolled most of it up onto curlers. They curlers were very large and I felt silly with them rolled up in my hair. She added some smelly chemicals to my hair and sat me under a dryer for a while.

It was around this time that my mother came over to see how I was doing. Lulu told her that I was very sweet and that she was enjoying styling my hair. Mother asked me how I was doing, and I told her okay considering the circumstances. She told me that after today I would feel so much more comfortable with my appearance.

When my hair was just about dry my mother and Lulu led me back to the chair. While I was sitting in the chair, Lulu prepared some sort of chemical and put it on thin strips of paper. Before I had a chance to ask what it was, they stuck the paper onto the edges of my eyebrows. A few seconds later, I felt a painful pulling on my forehead. They had waxed my eyebrows down to a thin arch. I was not told that they planned to do this and I was not happy about it. It was very painful and now my eyebrows looked too thin for a boy. I was now fearful that the earrings and thin eyebrows would be impossible to explain at school.

She plucked a couple of additional hairs that did not come out with the waxing. Lulu then began to undo the rollers and brush out my hair. My back was kept to the mirror until she had finished the job. When she nodded to my mother that she was finished, my mother took out a very small brush and painted a little highlighter onto my now thin eyebrows. It was then that they rotated the chair around so I could see my new look.

When I first saw myself, I could not believe my eyes. My hair cascaded down from the center of my head forming loopy curls to just above my shoulder level. As I turned my head I could feel the bounce in my new tresses. This look was 100% all girl and I looked quite stunning. With my new eyebrows and all of the other makeup I was wearing, the image was beyond astonishing. I felt overwhelmed by what I saw and did not know how to react. It was more than a little scary that I was the girl in the mirror, but I was also taken by how beautiful I had turned out. As a boy, I was very small and plain, but at this moment, I looked like a very desirable girl. I was at a loss for words and a little lightheaded.

My New Hairstyle

“Claire, you look so beautiful. Your aunt Sharon and cousin Rachel are going to be so excited when they see you. You’re going to have so much fun now that you look so perfect. I think we are all done here, so you should go and thank Lulu and give her this tip. I will go and make your next appointment. On the way home we can pick up a few groceries and the two of us can have a nice lunch discussing anything that’s on your mind.”

I felt so different as I left the salon than when I had entered. I now had hair, eyes, hands, and feet that looked so decidedly female. Dressed in my stylish gray outfit and the high-top boots, I no longer questioned how my appearance might be perceived. In such a short time I had changed so much. The physical changes were clearly affecting my psyche. I felt pretty and the feeling was very pleasant. My mother had succeeded in changing me in so many ways. The Prom was many weeks away, but in many ways they had already changed me into the girl they wanted me to be. I could not imagine how my image could be any more convincing than it was at this time.

After a quick stop at the grocery we made our way home and pulled into the driveway. The closer we got to home the more nervous I got that one of my friends or neighbors would recognize our car and see me sitting with my mother. It was nearly 2:30 in the afternoon when my mother and I sit down at the table to have a bite to eat. In all appearances we were mother and daughter. Mom asked me if I enjoy my new appearance and changes.

“I never thought I would feel or look this way. It all feels so strange and pleasant at the same time. I know I am a boy underneath all this, so I really should not like it. I never expected it to go this far.”

“Claire I see very little of that boy underneath. You need to let yourself start thinking like Claire and stop worrying about being a boy. You look so pretty, so just enjoy it a little bit.”

“Mom this all started because of something I said, but I can’t help thinking that you led me down this path. Is this what you wanted?”

“I’m not sure why I so strongly felt you should do this. When you made that first suggestion about going to the Prom, it just made me think about what would make you happy. I will always love you no matter how you want to live your life, but I thought this experience could be very enriching. You started it, and I gave you a great big push, and now its your turn again to find out where you want to end up.”

Before I had a chance to respond to her comment, there was a knocking at the front door, followed by the sound of it opening. “I know you’re home, I saw your car go by my house.”

I was frozen in my tracks. Max had just entered the house and would soon be entering the kitchen. We had been friends for so many years that he typically just knocked before he entered. I was cornered in the kitchen with no way to get out.

My mother looked at me and said, “Claire, now I think you’re ready to meet him.”

I stood up from the kitchen table, just as Max entered the room. I am not sure who was more shocked, Max or I. His jaw was agape and his eyes as big as grapefruits. I was unsure what to say to him, or how to cut the ice-cold chill, so I asked him, “Hey Max what’s up?”

“Hey Max, What’s up?”

Max looked me over from head to toe. He was clearly startled, but his puzzled look quickly turned to a big grin.

“Is that really you Clarence? What’s going on?”

My mother cut in, “That is not Clarence, it is Claire.”

“Okay Claire, why are you dressed like this?”

“You should know Max, we made that stupid prom deal and my mother is having me practice.”

“I just can’t get over how real you look. You look like a hot girl, and are so damn cute. I kind of figured you could pull this off, but I have to admit you even look better than I expected.”

“I wasn’t ready for you to see me like this. My mom, aunt, and cousin have been in a rush to get me ready. This is really the first time that I have looked so complete.”

“Well they did a really good job. If I didn’t know who you were, I would want to get your number.”

“You already have it and if I recall, you’re taking me to the prom. You can stop drooling and don’t get any funny ideas.”

“I just can’t get over it, you look so amazing.”

“What are you doing here anyway?”

“I’ve been trying to text you all day. We made plans to go to the movie tonight. You agreed to go to the eight o’clock Country Strong show, don’t you remember?”

“I completely forgot, and I did not have my phone with me when my mother and I were out. Sorry.”

“You were out looking like this? That is so cool.”

“My mom took me to get my haircut. I did not have much choice.”

“It looks nice.”

“As you can see, I won’t be able to go to the movie with you tonight. I promised my mother I would stay like this all day today, so I am just going to hang out here. If you behave, we can watch some TV or something here.”

Throughout the conversation my mother was pretending as if she was not listening to us. However, when I told him that I could not go out, she chose to interject.

“Claire, I think it would be wonderful if you and Max went to the movie. You need the experience and Max is going to be your date for the Prom. You need to practice being in the presence of a boy and Max is the perfect one to take you out. As part of the pledge, he’s required to do whatever is necessary, to get you two ready for the big night.”

“I can’t go with him, we would run into lots of our friends at the movie theater. There is no way, I can do that.”

“I’m not good enough for you, Claire?”

“Max you know what I mean. I don’t want anyone to see us together. I would never be able to go back to school.”

“I guess it would be kind of bizarre if we ran into some of our friends. But I think it would’ve been fun otherwise.”

“It almost sounds like you really want to go out with me. You’re starting to scare me.”

“What’s the big deal? We are going to do this eventually anyway, and don’t you trust me?”

“It’s just so hard for me to accept all this. But for tonight it really doesn’t matter, since we're not heading over to the theater together.”

My mother just wouldn’t let it lay. “I could drive you to up to Northbrook Court and you could see the movie there. None of your friends would go all the way up there, so it would be just the two of you. You could even have a bite to eat at Stir Crazy or one of the other restaurants at the mall. It would be fun.”

“Your Mom’s got a great idea, come on, Claire let’s do it. I’ll even buy your movie ticket, like on a real date.”

“I don’t know, I’m not sure this is such a good idea.”

“Honey, I think you should do it. You look so nice today, so it would be a shame if you spent the evening here at home.”

“I really did want to see the movie. I guess I’ll do it, but, Max you have to promise to help me. I don’t want to embarrass myself or have anyone else embarrass me. You promise to be on your best behavior?”

“Yes, Claire, I promise to treat you very nicely. Let’s go there at about six, so we have time to eat and maybe hang out at the mall a little bit.”

“I will drive you two and you can call me when the movie is over.”

“Max, I will see you later, I need a some alone time, this day has already taken a lot out of me. We will pick you up later and don’t dress like a slob.”

“I will try and look nice for you and hopefully you will do the same for me. Claire, I look forward to seeing you later.”

-------------------------Off to the Movies-----------------------

I couldn’t believe I was actually going out to a movie with Max, dressed as his date. He was my good friend, but now we were going to hang out as a boy and a girl. I was not certain how I should act in his presence, especially out in public. My mother told me that the only way to do it, was to try and think like a girl. “Let Max hold the doors and have him act like a gentleman.” If I tied to act like my old self it would look strange. It was important for me to try and act or behave as much like a girl as possible. I knew she was right, but it was still tough for me to accept.

I rested up in my room for a while, before I got ready for dinner and the movie. My mother insisted that I change into a different dress that she thought would be appropriate for a first date. I did not get her logic, but at this point, a dress was a dress to me. She picked out a wrap around dress with three-quarter length sleeves, which had a hem that was a little bit longer than the one I had worn during the day. Instead of my high-top boots, she suggested I wear my strap heels. The heels were about the same height as on my boots, but they were much narrower and I found them challenging to keep my balance on.

Dressed for First Date

I felt very vulnerable as I prepared to leave and pick up Max. I knew I looked nice, but I lacked experience in the dating world. It wasn’t like Max and I were a true date, but I had very little experience on regular dates. I had only gone out with a few girls and never really had a regular girlfriend. If we were going to pretend to be out together, I had very little experience to base it on. I just figured, I would stay near Max, so I wouldn’t have to interact with many other people.

When we got to Max’s house I phoned him so that I would not have to get out of car. When he answered, he insisted that I come in to say hello to his mother. She knew what was going on and told Max that she wanted to meet Claire, before we would be seen out in public. I think she was concerned that we might draw some inappropriate attention to ourselves. As much as I did not want to go in, I dashed inside the house to meet Mrs. Rosen. My mother followed behind.

Mrs. Rosen had me take off my coat to provide for her the full effect. She told me that I look absolutely lovely and that Max was right, that I made a very convincing young lady. To my embarrassment, she told Max to be appropriate with me. She pointed out that I had very little experience with men on dates and that he needed to treat me with respect. She said, “this is a first date, so don’t get too frisky.” I was a little concerned by what she meant with her last comment.

Our mothers, both made comments about how cute a couple we made. I just wanted to get out of there and get to the movie. As we were leaving the house Max reached out and grabbed my hand. I wanted to pull away, but I figured, that holding hands would be normal for a boy and girl our age, out on a date. I almost didn’t realize it until we arrived at Northbrook Court, that Max had held my hand all the way there in the car.

We put our name in at the restaurant and they told us there would be a wait of approximately 15 minutes. We walked out into the hallway to kill some time. We were strolling along hand-in-hand glancing into some of the nearby shops. They gave us one of those electric pagers to let us know when our table was ready. Max did not seem the least uncomfortable holding onto his best friend's hand. It was almost as if, I was a new person and he was trying to impress me.

We did not talk about our usual subjects. He was more curious about how I was feeling and if I liked my new self. His curiosity seemed very genuine and there was no negativism in his questioning. He told me that I came across as quite natural. I took that as a compliment.

I told him that it felt nice in a strange way to know that I made a reasonably attractive girl. “I never drew much attention as a boy, and it was kind of fun to know that I could draw some attention as a girl.”

He looked at me, and was very sincere, when he told me I had his attention. Almost instinctively, I tilted my head a little and smiled. The pager went off, interrupting our slightly flirtatious conversation.

During our meal, I told him about all of my experiences this past week, including Friday night at the mall and my salon appointment. He enjoyed hearing all of the details and said all of the effort was worth it. He said he couldn’t wait to take me to the Prom. I was not so sure, but I played along with him.

When our meal was over we strolled over to the movie theater and found a couple of seats near the rear. We sat through six previews before our movie began. Just before the start of the feature film, Max put his arm around my shoulder. I gave him a surprised look, but did not make him pull it back.

The movie was just okay, but we enjoyed the singing. Parts of the movie were depressing. I had a hard time paying close attention to the plot as my mind kept wandering to Max’s arm on my shoulder. It felt very reassuring, but I kept reminding myself that I was a boy and so is Max. My mother had told me to let my feelings go and try and think like Claire, but it was still very hard for me to get out of my mind that I was a boy. I could tell that each time Max glanced over in my direction, he was not thinking of me as a boy.

When the movie was over we both needed to use the bathroom. I almost walked into the men’s room with Max without thinking. Max stopped me and turned me towards the ladies room. It was my first time that I had ever been inside of a girl’s bathroom. I had to wait for a toilet, which took longer than it usually would have in the men’s room. Before I returned, I freshened my lipstick and fluffed my hair. I guess I was becoming a little more vain.

Max wasted no time in reaching for my hand. His grip seemed firmer than before and there was a little more swing in his arm. We took our time walking out into the center of the mall. Max asked me if I wanted anything from the Starbucks and mentioned that his mouth was so dry. We each ordered an iced passion tea and we both giggled about that when we told the order taker. We sipped half our tea before we decided to call my mother to pick us up. We had actually had a fun night and even though it was late, we were not in a hurry to get home.

It would take about 20 minutes for my mother to arrive so we finished our tea and slowly made our way to the exit. We waited in the vestibule looking out for my mother’s car. It was a little chilly in there and I told Max that I was cold. He looked at me and told me that my presence was keeping him warm. I did another one of those silly little head tilts when he leaned over and kissed me squarely on the lips. I did not move and I looked up into his eyes. I think he took my silence as a sign of my approval. This time he kissed me again as he pulled me tight against his body. Unlike the first kiss, this time I was kissing him back. I felt myself getting aroused and didn’t want him to stop. I could not remember ever kissing a girl like that.

We were holding both hands looking at each other, when I heard my mother honk. I was hopeful that she had not been there when we were kissing, but the closeness of our proximity was certain to put some thoughts in her head. She asked us how we enjoyed the movie and we told her we had fun, but thought the movie was just so-so. As we had on the way to the movie, Max held my hand all the way home.

When we got to his house, I thanked him for a nice evening and good conversation. We smiled at each other as he left the car and headed up to his front door. As soon as he entered his house, my mother turned to me and asked me how my first date went. I told her it went better than I expected and that nobody suspected me.

“How are things between you and Max? Was he a gentleman? Did he treat you like a proper girl?”

“Yes mother to all those questions. He was very nice and treated me just like I was a real girl.”

“I saw you to holding hands while you were waiting for me. Was that all you were doing?”

“Mom! We were holding hands so we would look like we were on a date. I told you he was a gentleman.”

“Okay okay, did the two of you set a second date?”

“No mom, but maybe we will do it again.”

“Well as soon as we get home you should probably head off to bed. Your cousin and aunt Sharon are coming over for brunch to see your new hairstyle and the rest of your changes.”

“Tomorrow can I wear some pants? I wore skirts all day today and even real girls don’t do that all the time. I will dress nicely, but I would like to be a little more casual.”

“Claire, you can wear whatever you think is appropriate. I will not always be there to help you pick and choose.”

It was an amazing evening that had changed me in so many ways. I had been enjoying many of the new experiences thrown at me by my mother, but for the first time I began to wonder what I really wanted. As much as I enjoyed my interlude with Max, I was still confused by my emotions. Monday I would be going back to my old self at school, which at this moment hardly resembled the way I looked or felt. For a brief time, I really wished I had been a real girl. I was suddenly in near tears by the emotional roller coaster that I was feeling inside. Did I really prefer being a girl, or did my makeover, and the circumstances just emotionally carry me away? I don’t remember ever questioning my sexuality before and now I felt very unsure. The confusion reached an emotional crescendo shortly before I fell asleep.

To be continued…..

I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE ALL FEEDBACK--- MY STORIES ARE PURE FICTION, BUT ARE BASED UPON ACTUAL EVENTS IN MY FANTASIES….

THE PROM STATEMENT: Chapter 5
By
Nina Adams

In the heat of debate, Clarence makes a Prom
Statement that would change his life forever.

Chapter 5 of 7:

---------------Help With Feeling More Like a Girl--------------

I was amazed the next morning to see how well my hair had held up to a restless night sleep. With just a few strokes of my brush, my hair regained its bouncy fullness. Liking my reflection, I did my best to try and outline my eyes. It looked so bad that I just washed it all off. I was frustrated that I did not know how to do something as simple as outlining my eyes. Because of my frustration, I decided to dress in just jeans and a red sweater. I still looked very feminine, because of my body shaping and new hair styling, but I decided not to dress more fashionably.

I worked on my chorus solo alone in my room. As I practiced the lyrics, I kept imagining myself up on the stage singing the song as a girl. I was fantasizing about becoming some sort of female pop star or contestant on American Idol. I always enjoyed singing, but until I had my new attractive female persona, I never really thought that much about pretending to be famous. I was being drawn further and further into the illusion.

I practiced for about a half-hour and memorized the lyrics. I think the my current rendition of the song would have looked and sounded girlish, even if I had not been dressed as I was. I knew that for the actual show, which was almost 10 days away, I would have to tone down some of my body movements, and voice inflections.

I joined my mother downstairs for some tea before our guests were to arrive. She said I looked nice, but I could tell she was disappointed in my choice of apparel. Her enthusiasm for showing me off to our guests, with all of my recent changes, outweighed any minor disappointment in clothing selection. She told me Rachel was particularly interested in seeing me and sharing in some girl talk.

When they made their way into the house, they quickly cornered me in the kitchen. They expounded about how much better I looked and that I was becoming so completely natural. Rachel was first to comment about my new earring studs and my delicate eyebrows. Aunt Sharon pointed out how professionally Lulu had restyled my hair and that she had given me a very sweet and attractive appearance.

“You are going to have a hard time keeping the boys away from your lovely daughter Sarah. She is going to be a real heartbreaker.”

“Sharon, I think she is already taken. You should’ve seen how she had her friend Max mesmerized on their date last night. It was so cute.”

“Mom, he’s my best friend. That’s it.”

“If you say so Claire. You looked so beautiful last night in your lovely dress and with your new makeup.”

“I wish I could’ve seen you. It must’ve been precious.” Rachel added.

“Please stop. You are all making me feel stupid. I am being a good sport and you don’t have to make me squirm. I’m cooperating, but don’t make it more than it is.”

“Okay Claire, but your Aunt and Rachel are just excited to see how you’re coming along. They’re not trying to be mean, they are saying these things out of love. Please cut them some slack.”

“I’m sorry, this is still hard for me. Can we just have some brunch?”

With that we ate. I really did not eat much as my appetite had been shrinking with all of the corset wearing, and recent emotional anxiety. The conversation became only slightly more muted, and it still mostly revolved around me.

My Aunt informed me, that the following Saturday, I would be coming down to the bridal boutique with her and Rachel. Rachel worked at the boutique part time, and was planning to go off to design school in the fall. She worked at the boutique to make a few extra dollars and to learn about dress design and fashion. On Saturdays, she normally worked there from 10 AM until 4 PM. My Aunt Sharon planned for me to spend that entire time there getting more familiar with fancy ball gowns, and so I could try on a few Prom alternatives.

I was no longer panicked about being out in public as Claire, and only expressed a mild resistance to spending so much time at such a sacred bastion for women. I knew I would not see any of my guy friends there, and odds of seeing female classmates at a bridal boutique 15 miles away, was pretty slim. When she talked about me trying out alternatives, I could not get out of my mind the vision of Rachel in her heavenly dress. After finishing brunch, Rachel and I were excused so that we could have some one-on-one time.

“Claire, your Mom and Aunt want me to help you with your makeup. Before I leave today, you’re supposed to understand at least the basics of what to wear and how to apply it. Most girls your age already know most of this, so you have some catching up to do. I’m not too worried, because you seem to be catching up on everything else so quickly.”

I blushed at her last statement. “I’m just trying to do what you all want, that’s all.”

“I think we all want the same thing, and it is obvious in your progress.”

“I tried putting on some makeup this morning and failed miserably. I looked like the bride of Frankenstein.”

“That’s a good sign. At least you were the bride!”

We both laughed a bit at the joke and it certainly broke any tension left in the room.

Over the next hour and a half she showed me how to apply all of my different makeup and some tricks for special effects. She would apply one side of my face and have me do the other. I was not sure I was absorbing it all, but I was learning quite a lot. By the time we were done I knew I could do a reasonable job of making myself presentable. I felt pretty good about my new skills, even though I wasn’t sure I really needed to be an expert on all of this.

Rachel seemed to enjoy our time together. She did not have a sister and I think it was fun for her to pass on some of her considerable skills. She treated me entirely like a girl, as if my boy side never had existed. I played along since we were having such a nice time together. The only time I ever got defensive or close lipped was when she started inquiring about Max, and when she was joking about boys. She would talk about them like I had never been one, or like they were the opposite sex.
___________
“My mother bought you these special devices for school to help you adjust to your back-and-forth routine.”

With that comment Rachel pulled out of her purse two black strap-like items, that she informed me were gaffes. “These will hold your boy parts between your legs and give you a smooth look in front no matter what you are wearing. You tuck your thing in between your legs into the natural cavity and put this over at. It’s kind of like your padded brief, but without the padding. You should wear this under your school clothes.”

“You want me to be flat in front at school?”

“Do you get checked out a lot down there? Only you will know and that’s the point. You can wear some pretty panties over them and it will make you feel more secure.”

“At school I am a guy, this is crossing the line.”

“I’m not telling you to wear a skirt. Remember we’re trying to help you adjust and you need to cooperate.”

I took the gaffes and said I would try one later. We then finished up on my cosmetic lessons. After I had done a complete makeup job on myself that she was satisfied with, she convinced me to change into something with more style to go down and show our parents. Standing in front of Rachel decked out in a sexy short dress, jewelry, and makeup; I was almost able to forget I was ever male.

“It’s just not right that you look so fabulous and you’ve only been a girl for a matter of days. Just think of all the time you wasted in the past.”

“You say that like I’m going to stay like this. I am doing this for the Prom, so I can make my statement.”

“Do you still remember what your statement or point was? Stop kidding yourself, you like this, and wanted it. When you go to the Prom it will be to express your right to go as a girl. You will be fighting for yourself and not just a cause.”

She had me so confused, and I wasn’t sure how to respond to her statement. Part of me, maybe a very large part of me, was enjoying the pampering and attention I was getting. When I was dressed this way, I was starting to like it, but it was still a tug-of-war with the person I grew up as.

I did my little fashion show for our parents and they complimented me on my new look and makeup. My Aunt said that she could not wait to dress me up at the boutique. “You are going to have the greatest time trying on all the gorgeous gowns. You are going to look like royalty.”

I was beginning to think she was right. I would have been lying if I weren’t curious to see how I might look in a formal dress.

“This time of year is our busiest season with all of the summer weddings and spring Proms. If you like it there, I may be able to give you a part-time job at the boutique at least until the summer peak season is over. Your mother says you are trying to save some money and I could probably use some extra help.“

The weekend had been a whirlwind. I had taken the dressing to a whole new level. I’d gone out on a date with my best friend and we had kissed each other like star-crossed lovers. I ended the weekend looking and acting like I had been a girl all of my life. It had been the most unusual weekend of my life, but as I got ready for bed I started to get spontaneously emotional again.

I am not sure what set it off, but I found myself crying as I was changing for bed. I rarely cried before, but I was crying and not even knowing why.

My mother heard me in my room and came in to see what was wrong. She held me and I just started crying even more. After a few minutes, I settle down and tried to discuss with her what was bothering me. I was not completely sure, but I knew that the internal struggle I was feeling was starting to overwhelm me.

“Mom, I am getting even more confused by how I feel. Part of me really likes being Claire and part of me keeps telling me it is wrong. With each day I get more comfortable, but I just can’t get over the conflict. I know I’m a boy and it is hard to drive that out of my mind, even when I am fully dressed as Claire.”

“I understand it must be hard, but honey you seem so much more confident and happy when I see you strutting around as my lovely daughter. Am I wrong?”

“No Mom, it’s just that I wish I could stop having all of those boy thoughts when I am like this. It’s okay at school, but the rest of the time it just makes it so hard. I don’t know if I can put those thoughts out of my head. It’s just the way I am wired.”

“I think you have done wonderfully so far. You are already more like a girl at this point than I expected. I think you wanted this more than you originally let on.”

“Maybe, but I don’t think I realized it back then. Now I think I am enjoying it, but I just can’t fully let myself go.”

“If I could help you with your conflicted wiring would you want those boy feelings to go away for a while?”

“Huh, I don’t follow you. I still have boy urges that pop-up at times when I wish they wouldn’t. I don’t see how you can help me with those urges”

“It’s your boy hormones. You may feel happier as Claire, but your hormones are making you feel mixed up. I have been reluctant to help you with that to this point, but maybe we should discuss it.”

“What do you mean? You can’t change who I really am.”

“I think we are still in the process of discovering who you really are, but there are some things we can do to help with those internal feelings.”

“Like what?”

“I can give you special supplements from the hospital that will affect your urges. There are blockers that reduce your macho feelings, and other drugs that help enhance your female ones. They basically turned around your hormone flow.”

“That sounds pretty radical.”

“It is a significant step in your transition. It doesn’t work overnight and I’m reluctant to go this route unless you want to feel completely like a real girl. Your Aunt suggested this at the beginning, but I first wanted to make sure this is something you really wanted.”

“There is still a lot of time between now and the Prom. If I’m going to be spending most of my free time as Claire, I think a pill might be worth it.”

“It’s more than that. They usually only allow boys to take these supplements if they plan to be girls full-time. There can be some side effects and if you stay on them too long, some of the changes might not go away.”

“What kind of side effects?”

“In addition to the psychological changes, it will cause some physical changes if you stay on them long enough. You will probably gain some weight in the girly areas. If you stay on them long enough, it can have the opposite effect on some of your male areas, including muscle mass.”

“I hardly have any muscle mass, but I can’t show up at school with tits.”

“Breasts Claire! That takes time, but there could be a little swelling before too long. This is not like an aspirin, after only a few months the effects may become permanent.”

“The Prom is not that far in the future. I could stop then.”

“You could, but you might not want to.”

“I am enjoying this a lot more than I expected, but I bet by the time the Prom rolls around, I will be anxious to go back to being Clarence.”

“Don’t be so sure. I hardly see any of Clarence left now. Max won’t want Claire to go away either.”

“I am not gay, Mom. I told you that before. It’s just that when I am dressed like this I just think I react a little differently.”

“I know you are not gay, not that there is anything wrong with that. Any feelings you may be having are in a way very traditional. If Claire was interested in another girl then you might call that gay.”

“This is getting too confusing and I am tired. Tomorrow Clarence has to go to school.”

“Good night dear.”

-------------------Change of Style for School------------------------

I woke up a few minutes earlier than usual on Monday to get ready for school. With all the changes that had occurred over the weekend, I wanted to make sure I was presentable for school. I did not want to show up and appear dramatically different than on Friday. Max might look at me differently, but I did not want other friends to think I had gone weird.

I selected some of my more gender-neutral clothes to wear over my gaffe. It took me a while to figure out how to put the gaffe on. I laid on my bed and tucked my penis as far back as I could. I was even able to push my testicles sacs into the natural cavity between my legs. I pulled the gaffe up and it securely held everything in place. I slid a pair of panties over the top and got up off the bed. When I looked at myself in the mirror, I felt a chill come over me. My lower body took on a very feminine shape. I pulled my tight black jeans up my legs and the illusion was still obvious to me. My crotch was flat and the pants fit my groin area like a glove.

I put on a green oversize sweater that helped cover my reshaped triangle, and it somewhat relieved my concerns. I put on my Dansko clogs and walked over to my vanity to work on my hair. Walking in the gaffe was more difficult. I had to adjust my stride down, which even further accentuated my more feminine mannerisms. I stared at my image in the vanity and played with my hair until I was satisfied. I needed to securely fasten a band over my ponytail so that my new hairstyle would not draw attention. Unfortunately, in drawing back my hair, there was no way to cover my thinned eyebrows or pierced ears. I also hoped no one would notice my glossy polished nails. I would try and pass off my changes as an attempt to just being more fashionable or edgy looking. I just kept telling myself that I was invisible to the student population anyway.

My mom dropped me at school and I quickly slipped into the throng of students. I felt very conspicuous and throughout the day I was constantly aware of my appearance. At chorus practice I did get a few comments about my ears and also a couple of comments about how I had been dressing more stylishly. At least nobody said I look like a sissy or bizarre.

At chorus I had my first follow-up chat with Max. He started our conversation by calling me Claire and telling me I look nice. Fortunately no one was in earshot and could hear his comment or see my embarrassment.

“Don’t call me that here. I am trying to survive this whole thing and you are supposed to support me.”

“Sorry, but I couldn’t resist. I was anxious to see you today and see how far you might go. All weekend I could not get your image out of my head.”

“You’re just so horny. Remember this is just a costume.”

“Get real. I am not sure what it is, but I know you felt the same thing I did Saturday night. Tell me I am wrong.”

“I felt something too, but we just got carried away with this Prom thing.”

“I am ready to get carried away again. How about Friday?”

“Let me think about it; I am doing my best to not freak out. My mom and I talked last night about how far this has gone and how I can try and get through it. I had fun Saturday, but I will let you know later.”

“Fair enough, but I really want to see my hot girlfriend again soon.”

I just walked away after his last statement.

It took me until Wednesday at school to get over my paranoia that everyone was staring at me. We had a full rehearsal for the chorus concert, which would be the following Wednesday evening. I thought I sang my part pretty well, and received some good-natured slaps on the back. Ms. Angela the chorus director gave me a slightly perplexed look when I finished my rendition. She commented that I sounded great, but added that I’d gotten much more dramatic. I wasn’t sure what she meant by that, but she didn’t tell me to change anything.

Later that evening after dinner my mother sat down with me in front of the fireplace. “Claire, I have been thinking about our previous discussion about feeling more completely like a girl. Is that something you still want?”

“Yes. I wish I didn’t have the internal tug-of-war, especially when I am dressed as Claire. I feel like two people.”

“So is Claire the one person you want to feel like?”

“I am spending most of my time dressed as Claire, so I guess my answer would have to be yes.”

“I brought home the supplements from the hospital that we discussed. I had one of my doctor friends prescribe them for you. I had to discuss your desires with him and he wrote up the scripts on the condition that you would make an appointment to see a specialist sometime soon.”

“What did you tell him about my situation?”

“Only the truth Claire. I told him that you were spending most of your time as a girl and that you wanted to feel more complete. He said you would need to follow-up with him or the appropriate medical counselors. He agreed to the meds now, because he said the earlier you start with them, the better the long-term effects.”

“It will be so embarrassing talking to a stranger about this. Do I have to?”

“At some point you will, that is, if you really want to take these drugs.”

“If I thought I could make it to the Prom without them, I would probably skip them. I really want to be able to feel more like a girl, since I’m spending so much time this way.”

“Last chance to skip them!”

“I’m all in Mom. Give me the pills.”

“Claire, pull down your hip pads.”

“Why?”

“The first supplements are shots. These are more effective and last longer. Each day you will take two sets of pills and I will give you a supplement shot periodically.”

“Wow, that sounds so intense.”

“It’s not easy to be beautiful.”

As the warm fluid entered my bloodstream by mother said, “Goodbye Clarence, hello Claire.”

“That wasn’t so bad.”

“You may feel a little nauseous in the morning for a few days, but it will go away. It will probably take a few days before you notice any of the positive effects.”

“Thanks Mom. This will make the next few weeks so much easier for me.”

The next morning she was so right. I threw up twice before my stomach settled down. It took until about 9:30 AM before I felt better. When I finally showed up at school with a note indicating that I was out for a doctor appointment, I almost had to laugh. Who would believe that I was experiencing nausea from taking female hormones?

The step I had taken was a major one. Allowing myself to take medication that could have lasting impact on me was probably foolish. All I knew was that I have been growing to like my new persona with each day and that I wanted to feel as perfect as possible for the remaining time I had as Claire. I knew the whole experience would have a profound impact on me, and that it would probably last well beyond the Prom.

My high school career had previously been nondescript, but now, it was probably going to be defined by the splash I made in my last semester. With this knowledge settling in, I was coming to realize that how I dressed and behaved at school should not matter. I did not want to be thought of as weird, but I had my right to be expressive or intentionally more androgynous. The thought of coming out of my invisible shell was kind of liberating. So far my gender bending clothing styles had not drawn that much attention, so my courage to dressing more stylishly was building.

Thursday at chorus I told Max that getting together Friday night would be fun. He was quick to make certain it would be with Claire. “That’s great. I got my Mom’s car for Friday, so if you are more comfortable, we can go back up to Northbrook or Highland Park and see the Hall Pass or The Adjustment Bureau.”

“I would like that. Maybe we can have some more “Passion Tea” after the show.” With that we smiled at each other. There was a not-so-subtle undertone to our discussion of getting together again.

After classes we walked home from school together. I couldn’t help but feel different walking home with him, than during the dozens of times before when we had walked home. There was no handholding, but about halfway home I took the band off my ponytail and shook my hair so that it resumed its fullness. I think I was less surprised by my boldness than Max was. He looked around a little, before he told me how much prettier that made me look.

When we got to my house, I know he wanted to kiss me again. I just looked into his eyes. “Don’t worry, Claire will be back tomorrow.”

I quickly shot into the house and up to my room. I changed into a teal baby doll styled dress, with some dark purple tights underneath. I worked on my makeup until I felt satisfied that I looked like a typical high school senior. Staring at myself in the vanity, I had an urge to go out again. It was enjoyable fixing myself up so perfectly, but I was slightly saddened that my evening would be spent at home.

My mother was very pleased with my appearance and over dinner sensed that I had gotten more comfortable with the concept of spending most of my time as Claire. She said my date with Max Friday night would be fine with her, but to remember Saturday I was working at the boutique.

I worked on my homework for about an hour after dinner. When I had finished, she asked if I wanted to go over to Aunt Sharon’s for some dessert. She said that Rachel would be there. I was anxious to get out and was kind of excited to show Rachel my makeup progress.

“Let’s go.”

At Aunt Sharon’s, I no longer felt like a guinea pig. I was just one of the girls. Aunt Sharon commented on my appearance, but not like before. Her positive tone no longer carried any caveat related to the fact that I was a boy. In her mind this was the real me.

Rachel was a little less subdued. She grabbed a hold of me and gave me one of those hugs that only girls do. She almost screamed with her approval of my appearance. She also wanted to know everything I was feeling and how far I had gone at school. I was nearly floored by one of her comments. “So I hear you have started transitioning.”

“What did mom tell you?”

“You started your Hormone Replacement Therapy, so you could be a real girl. I heard right, didn’t I?”

“Well I am taking the hormones, but I just want to feel more authentic for the Prom.”

“Authentic? That’s a good one. It won’t be by the Prom, but soon enough you will be as authentic as me.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Like what? You already have a boyfriend, you are going to the Prom, and you look like a knockout. You are now on HRT, girl it doesn’t get any more real than that.”

What she said was all-true. I just never really fully accepted it until I heard her blunt statement. I began to get tearful again. Rachel held me as I released my stream of tears.

“I like being Claire, I just never expected this. Why is this all happening to me?”

“Don’t fight it. You are more a girl now than you ever were a boy before. You may not realize it, but until these past few weeks you never seemed that happy. Now you are coming out of your shell and experiencing life all over again.”

“It’s just not normal.”

“Don’t start that. We’re just helping you match up your appearance with the girl inside. It may take more time, but eventually you will fully understand that.”

“I’m still a boy to virtually all of my friends and to everybody at school. They will all laugh at me. I’ll never be able to tell them how I feel.”

“It will not always be that way, but your real friends will accept you. Some may already suspect something. High school will be over before you know it, and a whole new life awaits you after that.”

“I think you are right, but for now I just want to get through the next few months.”

“Agreed. Tell me about your boyfriend…”

I felt better after spilling my emotions with Rachel, and admitting that this may be more than just a phase. I really wished it were summer so I would not have to keep switching my appearance.

If there had been any doubt in my mind about what I wanted, it was erased during my date on Friday night. I dressed myself up as attractively as I could without looking overdressed. I wore a little extra makeup to look as seductive as possible. I wanted to feel as totally feminine as possible. The look in Max’s eyes when he saw me, confirmed to me that I had achieved the desired results.

Before we even had a chance to exit his car at the theater, we had resumed our necking episode. It didn’t change much during the movie as we spent much of the time interlocked together. I think I was acting extra vampy to expunge my thoughts of my birth gender. Max was just being the same horny Max that I always knew; only now I was the apple of his eye that was turning him on. By the end of the evening and I had spent more time kissing him than I had spent kissing over the rest of my life combined. I could no longer explain my passion by getting carried away in an emotional moment. It was something I really enjoyed.

Max gave to me his silver pinky ring at the end of the night to signify that we were going steady. I told him that I would wear it whenever I could and I would put it on a chain and wear it under my blouse at school. It was the first time I had ever gone steady with anyone.

To be continued…

-------------------------------------------------------

I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE ALL FEEDBACK--- MY STORIES ARE PURE FICTION, BUT ARE BASED UPON ACTUAL EVENTS IN MY FANTASIES….

THE PROM STATEMENT: Chapter 6
By
Nina Adams

In the heat of debate, Clarence makes a Prom
Statement that would change his life forever.

Part 6 of 7:

-------------My Day at David’s Bridal Boutique----------------

Saturday brought my first visit to David’s Bridal Boutique. My Aunt was co-manager and leading bridal consultant. She knew every style for brides and their bridesmaids. She had a reputation for knowing which styles would look good on virtually all figures. Rachel also had a good instinct for this, but was less knowledgeable about all the available alternatives.

I wore a bright white long sleeve satin top, which had a one-button clamp at the back of the neck. It was matched with a dark gray pencil skirt, sheer black nylons, and my strappy heels. I accessorized with petal earrings, and a delicate silver necklace. I wore Max’s ring on the middle finger of my left hand. It was still too big, but that finger was the only one that was even close to keeping it secure.

My look was both professional and very feminine. I knew I would be trying on dresses at the boutique, but I also wanted to look like I worked there, during the times I would be assisting Aunt Sharon and Rachel. My Aunt seemed pleased with my choice of clothes and said I look like a consultant in the making.

I was introduced to some of the other top consultants when we arrived. I think it was a bit of a game for them, but everyone made a guess as to my dress size and style preferences. They all seemed interested in seeing me model some of the dresses, including wedding gowns. Everyone was so friendly and I could tell they really respected my aunt.

I had never been inside of a wedding boutique before, and was surprised to see so many gowns on an almost endless quantity of clothing racks. A majority of the dresses were white, but there were many racks of colorful gowns and bridesmaid’s dresses. Aunt Sharon said that I would do my dress shopping near the end of the day after I had a chance to see customers modeling some of the alternatives. My job was to hang by her side and lend a hand or two when called on. It did not sound that difficult, but I managed to stay very busy while soaking in the experience.

As the day wore on I was getting anxious to see myself inside some of the dresses. I needed a dress suitable for the Prom, but I kept visualizing myself in some of the wedding dresses. In my mind wearing a gorgeous white wedding dress was the ultimate expression of being a woman. My Aunt caught me a couple of times staring longingly at some of the dresses. She even said after my second loss of concentration, that later I could model a couple of the wedding gowns if I still wanted to. I just smiled back at her.

Towards the end of the day the customer flow at the boutique began to slow down. There were still three groups trying on dresses, but my aunt finally had some time to talk with me and have me try on some dresses. She asked me how I visualize myself on the big day and if I had seen anything I particularly liked.

“Aunty, are you talking about the Prom or when I get married?”

She couldn’t stop herself from releasing a delightful little laugh. “I see you are already thinking ahead, and I think all girls should, but for now, I was asking about the Prom.”

“Sorry Aunt Sharon. I saw so many beautiful dresses that it was too hard to pick out just one.”

“Were there any styles that you especially liked?”

“This may sound silly, but I’ve never been able to get the image of Rachel on her Prom night out of my mind. I think it was the first time I remember wondering what it would be like to be so beautiful.”

“That’s a very good observation and a great place to start. Her dress was part of the Levkoff line. Those dresses were designed for bridesmaids, but they also work well for a Prom. I have always loved their simplicity and ability to bring out the sheer beauty in a woman. They are very sexy, but with classic style details. Rachel was also drawn to their dresses and had a hard time choosing from them. I bet we can find one of those dresses that will work well for you.”

“That sounds scrumptious, I’m in your hands.”

Over the next 45 minutes, I tried on seven dresses that my Aunt had picked out for me. Slipping into the dresses felt like heaven. Each one was more beautiful than the last and I felt like a princess each time I got to parade around in one. It was not just how they looked on me, but they also caressed my body and stimulated me. When I looked at myself in the mirror I knew I looked fabulous, but I wanted to pick the dress that flattered me the most. Everything had gone much further than just wearing a dress to the Prom; I now wanted to look as beautiful as any girl in attendance. With my Aunt and my family’s help, my dream may not be that far-fetched.

I narrowed down my choices to one of the long style dresses and one of the shorter models. I would’ve been happy in almost any of them, but I think the two, were my favorites. My Aunt said she would hold those two on the side, so that I could later do a fitting with my mother present. I was happy that I would get to put them on again sometime soon.

This was the long styled dress that I liked.

I thought we were done, when she said there was one more dress she wanted to see on me. She led me back to the changing room, which had a white wedding gown hanging on the rack. “Claire this one is just for you. I saw how you had been looking at this dress earlier, and I thought it would be fun to see how it might look on you. Frankly, I think it will look much better on you, than the bride who tried it on earlier.”

I was too excited to question her about trying on a wedding dress and quickly began to take off the bridesmaid dress that I was wearing. I needed help putting on the flowing gown and Rachel had to clip it up a bit in the back. It wasn’t enough that I was wearing this dress, but Rachel also put a small veil on my head. My sensations were in overdrive. I could almost sense what a real bride might be feeling on her wedding day. I took small steps and made my way out to the show room.

I was able to see myself from multiple angles in the full-length mirrors and preened for myself in a near state of ecstasy. It was all for fun, but for that moment, I wished it had been for real. Rachel took a couple of photographs, so she could show my mother later. She also thought I might like to have a copy for myself. I had a hard time denying my total and utter approval.

Relaxing in the Wedding dress my Aunt had me model for fun.

I was walking around the room transfixed on my image when I heard Rachel speaking with a familiar voice. Hearing that voice I came back to earth and turned to look at Rachel. She was speaking with my homeroom teacher, that Rachel also had as one of her teachers the previous year. Ms. Anderson was getting married in July and was in for an early fitting. I heard Rachel say that she worked at the boutique with her mother as preparation for going off to design school in the fall. Ms. Anderson, looked in my direction and without immediately recognizing me, commented how beautiful a bride I was.

“Thank you Ms. Anderson.” No sooner than those words came from my lips that my body went into panic mode. Why had I called her by her name?

“Your welcome. Do I know you? Were you one of my students?”

She walked over to me and gave me a much closer look. She still could not figure out who I was. “I am really sorry, but I cannot remember your name. You look very familiar and you don’t look like you have been out of high school very long. Please what is your name?”

I was at a loss for words and unable to speak. Rachel attempted to come to my rescue. “Oh this is my cousin Claire. She is not really getting married, but she just came in to look at Prom dresses and I talked her into trying on a wedding gown.”

“Don’t I also have one of your cousins in my homeroom class? That still does not explain how Claire knew my name.”

I could see the light go on inside of her head. She started to look at me a little more closely. Her expression went from curious to a slightly perplexed. “Clarence is that you?”

The next thing I knew, I was laying on one of the lounge sofas, with my feet elevated. Sitting across from me, was my Aunt, Rachel, and Ms. Anderson.

“Claire, you fainted. You are lucky that Rachel was able to catch you before you hit your head. One second, you were attempting to speak with Ms. Anderson and a moment later you were passed out on the floor.”

Ms. Anderson’s expression was now much more reassuring. “Your family has filled in some of the details and explained to me your intention of going to the Prom. I just can’t get over how pretty you look right now. Having seen your little fainting episode, I assume this cannot be that easy for you. I must say, you certainly make a very attractive young lady.

You know Claire, that sooner or later, I will not be the only one at the school that knows your secret. You should know that you are not the first boy at the school that has had gender issues and you might want to come in for some counseling. When you show up at the Prom, everyone will know, if they haven’t found out already by then.”

“I’m only dressing outside of school, so hopefully it won’t be an issue. I would appreciate if we can keep this between us.”

“I am sure we can do that for now, but I want you to come in periodically to see me, to make certain that everything is okay for you at school. If I sense a big problem, I may have to insist, that we bring in a professional guidance counselor.”

“Fair enough. Can you help me get up?”

“Sure Claire. I still can’t get over how stunning you look. You put the rest of us brides to shame.”

I was beginning to get color back in my face and her comments probably added a little blush to my cheeks as well.

The day had been absolutely amazing. The experience would have been fabulous for any girl, but for me it opened my eyes to a new higher level of femininity. Those who entered the boutique were all looking to make themselves as beautiful and sexy as they possibly could. For me to have that opportunity was an out of body experience and pretty much beyond belief. In only a blip in time, I had gone from an invisible boy to a want-to-be girl in a wedding dress. The truth was stranger than any possible fiction, and I was living it.

The three of us met up with my mother for an early dinner at Koi Japanese restaurant in Evanston. I told her all about my day, the dresses I tried on, and the whole scene of running into Ms. Anderson. She could tell that I had enjoyed my day and was not overly upset about running into someone I knew. She was concerned about me fainting, but thought that the medication may have contributed to my low blood pressure. I showed her the wedding dress picture on the digital camera screen, and I could tell that seeing me in a wedding dress was very emotional for her.

While we were eating dinner I became aware that some guys in the restaurant were scoping Rachel and me out. The first time that this happened to me, I was very uncomfortable. This time it felt more flattering and on a couple of occasions, I returned the gaze. Until this whole thing began, I don’t think I ever had an interest in men, but now it somehow felt strangely normal.

It had been a wonderful day and by the time we got home the adrenaline in my system was beginning to wear off. I was a little tired and I watched some TV in front of the fireplace. After channel surfing for a little while, I came upon a show called ”Say Yes To The dress”. It was all about brides looking for the perfect wedding dress. The show almost perfectly mirrored what I had seen on my first day at the boutique. It was nice to just kick back and watch it from a distance. I looked ahead on the television channel guide to see you when the additional episodes of the show might be on, and set the box to record them. I wanted to learn as much as I could so that I could be more helpful down the road.

Sunday was devoted to a lot of schoolwork and a few things around the house. On Wednesday we were having the big chorus concert and I had to get ahead on my homework, so that I would not be under pressure. Early in the afternoon, mom asked to see me in my room.

“What do you need mom?”

“I think we should make some more room in your closet.”

“It has gotten a little crowded in there with two sets of clothes. I could move some of my new things into the guest bedroom, if you think that would help.”

“I was actually thinking that we ought to give to Goodwill more of the clothing that you don’t really need any more. You have been wearing your new wardrobe almost exclusively, and I think it’s time, that we get rid of some of the things that you don’t need anymore. It will also help you with any of the remaining tug-of-war that might be going on in your head. We can keep a couple of things, but for the most part, I think the rest should go.”

“Can’t we just put those things into the guest bedroom. What if I want those back after the Prom. I really like the new me, but getting rid of those things seems so drastic.”

“Claire, by the time school is out, I really don’t see you ever going back to being Clarence. You are becoming completely feminine and you need to face that. There is enough androgynous apparel to get you through the rest of the year, until you can more fully express yourself. When the weather gets warmer, we will get you some appropriate summer clothes as well. It won’t be long before you feel wearing those old clothes is uncomfortable.”

“What if I change my mind about all of this? It could happen.”

“I really doubt that, and if it does, we will deal with it then.”

When we were finished there was almost nothing left of my former wardrobe, only a couple of T-shirts and one pair of jeans. While we were weaning my clothes, she told me that she would be redecorating my room over the next few days. She had a painter coming and had ordered me some new furniture. My room was getting a makeover just like I had received.

Come Monday, I had to go back to being Clarence. The weekend had been so much fun and now going back to my former self would be much harder. I had to dress down so that I would not look so feminine and I had to remember to tone down my recently developed mannerisms.

I pushed the envelope a little in selecting my clothes. I wore my boot cut designer jeans, and a black cowl neck sweater. It had very long sleeves that extended a little longer than typical sweaters. The sweater did not scream girl, but not many guys would be comfortable in that style. I wore my patent leather blue clogs, which were barely noticeable under the boot cut slacks. I really wanted to wear max’s ring, but I did not want to get him into trouble. I also wore my ponytail up just a little bit higher than usual and a little bit tighter. I certainly had achieved an androgynous look, and could probably be mistaken for a girl. It was acceptable attire, but just barely.

Underneath my clothing, I was wearing my thong again, but this time I added the waist cincher to give me a more defined waist. My fashion statement did not go completely unnoticed. A few of my friends asked me what was up. Nobody was real mean, but I did get some strange looks from good friends. It was pretty much what I expected and I was almost surprised that I did not get even more negative comments or looks. The only problem I had was that my breasts were very itchy underneath the sweater. I had been wearing a bra for the past few days and this was the first time that my chest was exposed to a shirt or sweater. By the end of the day, they felt pretty irritated.

I related my day to my mother over dinner including the discomfort I was experiencing around my nipples. I really did not notice any difference in them, but she thought the increased sensitivity, may be related to the hormones I was taking. She suggested that I wear a seamless bra under my clothing while at school. At a minimum, she suggested I wear a camisole that could provided some support. I was a little nervous about her suggestion, but at this point, nothing seemed out of the question. After dinner, we made a quick trip to Macy’s and bought me a couple of new bras and some additional camisoles. These bras were to be worn without my inserts. They were basically training bras, since I had very little to go inside of them at this point. They were barely noticeable underneath my top, so I thought I might be able to get away with them. I kind of liked the idea of wearing them, even when I was in boy mode.

Back at home, I finished up my homework and spent nearly 30 min. on the phone with Max. I did not completely fill him in on the extent of my changes and pending transition. I did let him know, that I was really enjoying being Claire, and would be spending as much time as possible exploring that part of me. He was very excited for me and not in the least surprised. We talked about the concert on Wednesday and he said, “It’s too bad you can’t wear a skirt and sing your part as Claire. Your part would be perfect for either a boy or girl to sing. You would be a real showstopper, if you could somehow do it as Claire.”

“I wish I could. Unfortunately, we both know that is not possible. At home, I have enjoyed singing my part even more, when I am dressed in something sexy. It would be fun, but Clarence will just have to fill in for me.”

“Too bad, I prefer to have Claire around.”

Tuesday and Wednesday at school were pretty much nonevents. I wore my new bra, which securely protected my sensitive nipples from the rubbing of my clothes. Just knowing that I was wearing a bra under my clothing, made me feel much more girlish even when I was trying to pass for a boy. The concert Wednesday was scheduled for 7 PM. I had to get there at six, along with all the other students who would be performing. Everyone wore a white top and either black slacks, or a black skirt. As much as I wanted to wear a skirt, I dressed in my slacks. I was dressed pretty much like all of the other guys, with the exception of my bra underneath my white polo shirt. The shirt was fairly thin, and it was the first time that I was a little bit nervous that somebody might see the outline of my lingerie.

I had my hair secured with a black rubber band and I wore some clear lipstick to keep my lips from getting too dry. The lipstick added just a hint of gloss, but no color. My chorus friends, all wished me luck and were particularly friendly before the first curtain went up. My big solo was the third song and would come about 20 minutes into the concert. When my time would arrive, the song would begin with only me being visible to the audience. The stage would be dark and a spotlight would shine down upon me. I would sing for about a minute and a half, before the lights would go on and everyone else in the chorus would join in. My solo was the longest one of the concert.

The first two songs went perfectly and the audience really seemed to be enjoying itself. In between songs everybody seem to be smiling and having a great time and giving high fives and hugs. Ms. Angela the chorus director, asked me if I was ready to go on. I gave her a thumbs up, just moments before three of my chorus mates came over to pat me on the back. Almost in the same motion as I was giving my thumbs-up, I felt a small flick in my hair, and my rubber band shot halfway across the room. My hair cascaded over my head just as the curtain began to go up. There was no turning back and I had to begin my song.

I had practice the song many times, and was not nervous, but for a few seconds, I became just a little flustered. I regained my composure five or six words into my solo and from there my adrenaline carried me the rest of the way. I knew I was enjoying myself up on stage, but when the song was over, it was all a blur to me. I really did not know how I had done, but I could certainly hear the audience applauding. When I looked over to Ms. Angela, she was both applauding and shaking her head at the same time. In between tunes, I asked Max how I had done and he told me I was amazing. He told me the only thing missing in my rendition was the skirt that we had joked about on the phone. He told me that Claire had a lot of talent. I thanked him, but warned him again, to keep quiet about my alter ego Claire.

“Okay Clay, but anyone who saw you on stage this evening, would have assumed you were a girl. Your voice, your inflections, the way you moved your body and of course your hair, showed no sign of a boy named Clarence. I think you stepped out of the closet tonight. Some of your friends, may have given you a little push by cutting your rubber band, but I’m not even sure that made much of a difference.”

“Why did they do that?”

“A bunch of the girls in chorus were discussing you before the concert began. They were talking about your many changes and how much more social you had become. There was a great deal of speculation and some of the guys joined in. I never said a word. When you showed up this evening, a few of the girls noticed your brassiere strap. They got to talking, and thought it would be in your best interest to help you express yourself more on the outside. They got a couple of the guys to agree to pop your rubber band just before you went on stage. I think their plan worked, because you were a knockout on stage. It’s a shame you didn’t wear the skirt after all.”

I was stunned by the turn of events. I now knew that school would never be the same. My little secret was soon to be very public. I did not have that much time to think about it, as we were back on stage. In light of the conversation, I chose not to put another rubber band in my hair. When the concert was finally over I was the center of attention. A bunch of the guys wanted to know what was up, but even more surprisingly, the girls all wanted to talk with me. I received invitations from at least three different girls to come over and study. That had never happened before and I didn’t even know how to answer. Before I had a chance to reunite with my mother after the concert, Ms. Anderson cornered me backstage. She told me how wonderful I was, but based upon my performance among other things, it was time for me to come and see her and set up something with the professional counselor. I told her I would see her the next morning at school.

Mother told me how proud she was of me and that I had sung divinely. She also mentioned that her little caterpillar was now a butterfly for all to see. I knew what she meant, and all I could do was just put my hands up in the air and smile.

I hardly slept at all that evening, with my mind racing about what might occur at school on Thursday. I was concerned about getting some ridicule and what might transpire in the meeting with Ms. Anderson. She was very sweet, but there was a very professional tone to her request to see me the next day. I went in early, so that I could have some quiet time with her. I tried not to dress too provocatively and wore a basic pair of corduroy slacks and a cashmere sweater. Even though I had raised the bar the previous evening, I did not feel it appropriate to push it now and make a bigger scene.

Ms. Anderson was very friendly when I entered her office about a half-hour before the opening bell. Having seen me dressed as a blushing bride, she certainly had a good perspective on my current behavior.

“I am not a professional psychologist, but your recent behaviors seems to be much more than a little experimentation or phase. You clearly are transgendered and have a desire to be a girl. I would bet there are other students in the school with some similar feelings, but none are as committed as you. From what I can see, this is not anything deviant; you really want to be a girl.”

“I would be lying to you if I told you that I did not like my changes. I have felt so much happier since I began to accept my feminine side. Lately it has been hard for me to feel any other way.”

“I suspect the girl I saw at the boutique, will someday have a need for a beautiful gown like she was wearing. For now we are going to have to figure out what is best for you here at school.”

“I don’t follow. I didn’t think my current apparel was causing any problems.”

“It’s not. However following last night’s performance and now common knowledge of your not so visible clothing choices, you are going to be drawing a lot of attention. I doubt that was your intended plan, but the bell can not be un-rung.”
“I was hoping to get to the Prom before making a statement. I guess that’s not possible now. What do you suggest?”

“First I made an appointment for you and Dr. Robin’s at her office, at Evanston Hospital. She is a board certified psychiatrist that specializes in gender dysphoria. If your Mother gives us approval, I will run you over to her office for a two o’clock appointment this afternoon. She will discuss your feelings with you and hopefully provide you and the school some guidance and insight.”

“I’m going to a shrink? Can the school do that?”

“No, we can’t force you to do that, but I believe we all will get a lot out of it, especially you. If you don’t want to go, we may have some problems with you and the other students that we can not help you with. It is in your best interest.”

“How can she help the school?”

“I’m not totally sure, but she has dealt with similar situations before, and the principal has agreed to take her advice on this issue.”

“I guess I will see her then. Should I see her as Clarence or as Claire?”

“As I look at you sitting in front of me, even without makeup on, I don’t see a lot of Clarence anymore. You can go as you are. I will call your mother and if she approves, I will take you right after fifth period. Please come back to my office than.”

“Okay I will. I really appreciate your understanding and it is good to have a friend who seems to be so accepting.”

“You’re welcome and I will be here if you need me.”

I had never been to a psychiatrist or psychologist before. The office had five doctors listed on the door and only one assistant working at the reception desk. I had to fill in some forms and wait about 15 minutes before Dr. Robyn could see me. There were two other patients waiting to see doctors and everyone was very quiet and kept to himself or herself.

When I went in Ms. Anderson said she would come back to pick me up after my two hour appointment. I couldn’t imagine what I would be doing for two hours, but I just said, “Thanks, I’ll see you later.”

Dr. Robyn, or as I now call her Jen, had a very relaxing way about her. I thought I would be getting drilled about my dressing and behavior, but the first hour or so she just got to know me. The discussion was very friendly and I somehow managed to talk about family memories in a way I never had before. We talked about my mother, my father, and about how I felt growing up. The subjects included friends, chorus, and even dating.

It wasn’t until the second hour that we started to explore my new expressive self. She especially wanted to know how dressing as a girl made me feel.

“It’s not just the clothes, I just feel I relate better as a girl. It’s not that I don’t like boys, I do, but I now can see that I never really fit in much as a boy. My interest and personality are more in sync now. It doesn’t feel like an act anymore, it now feels so natural. I would never have said any of this a year ago, but now my life just feels like it has so many more possibilities.”

Dr. Robyn mostly listened, but every now and then steered me in areas she wanted to know about. The time passed quickly and I actually felt refreshed when it was over. She thanked me for being so frank, and said she would be speaking later to Ms. Anderson, the principal, and most importantly my mother and me. She also suggested that we continue talking for a few more sessions to get more adjusted to my latent feelings. She set up a follow-up time for the following Wednesday at 4 PM. We agreed to meet at that time on Wednesdays, until the end of the school year.

I had a lot to talk about with my mother when I got home from school that day. She knew about my appointment and had chatted with Ms. Anderson for a while during the morning. She was anxious to hear about the appointment and how things went at school. I told her that most of the feedback I got at school was positive, with only a couple of guys calling me names. When I was walking down the hall, I heard somebody call me a faggot, but when I turned around I was unable to see who said it. Beyond that, most of my friends basically asked how I was doing. I could see a couple of my friends, trying to check out whether I was wearing a bra again, which of course I was.

I had really liked Dr. Robin and she had made me feel comfortable with my unique situation. She was not judgmental and appeared to show genuine interest. I also mentioned to my mother that I would be having follow-up appointments with her, if that were okay.

“Claire I had a brief conversation with Dr. Robin a short while after you left her office. She said that you were a sweet young lady and she looked forward to helping you work through your feelings. She mentioned that she would call us later this evening, so that we could all talk briefly on the phone together. She wanted to tell us what she was going to recommend to the school, before she called them in the morning. She felt it was important, that we speak first, in case anything she was going to recommend something, we might be uncomfortable with.”

“What is she planning to tell the school? She never told me anything like that. I wonder if I should be worried?”

“She did not tell me her recommendations, but she told me that it would not be anything that you should be worried about. She said she was in your corner, and would try not to create any more obstacles.”

“When does she plan to call?”

“She said it would probably be somewhere between 7:30 and 8 PM.”

“It’s only 5:30 now, I am going to go crazy waiting to hear what she has to say.”

“Let’s have a little dinner and try and relax a little. I wouldn’t want to see any worry lines on my beautiful daughter’s face.”

“Mom! Stop teasing me. I’m not that hungry, but I guess we better eat something.”

We were lounging in front of the fireplace when the phone rang. I almost jumped off my seat, as I was so anxious to hear what she had to say. We each grabbed a cordless phone, so we could both be in on the whole conversation.

“Claire, as I told you earlier, I am going to want to see you in my office to continue discussing your emotional state. My preliminary finding will probably not come as any surprise to you. I believe you are transgendered and a very good candidate to begin a full transition to becoming a woman. This is not an overnight process, even if it seems so much as happened so fast. Psychologically, physically and legally, it takes more than a year before certain aspects of your life can be unalterably changed. I don’t want to get into all the details at this time, but you will need to live full-time as a girl for at least a year, before certain things can occur.”

“So beginning this summer, you think I should live full-time as a girl? I hope I’m hearing you right.”

“No and yes.”

“Huh?”

“I do think that you should begin to live full-time as a girl, but I am not recommending that you wait until the summer. You believe you are a girl and if you stay as a boy at school, you will become very unhappy. I am going to recommend to the school, that you be allowed to come to school as Claire. Your records will indicate your name as Claire, and you can begin to adjust to the school culture of being a girl.”

“I am not sure I can do that. I would be scared to death, showing up in a dress and all.”

“It is going to be difficult at first, but you have already come so far, and most of the students will not be surprised if you go a little bit further. It is important for you to fully accept who you are and not be ashamed of it. It may change a few friendships, but you may add a few more. You could wait until after school has finished for the year, but I think it is a great opportunity for you to learn to adapt to being a woman. Many transgendered people wait until they are older to make these decisions and it is always much harder for them to adjust. You are fortunate, to know what you want at a young age, this will benefit you later in life.”

“Do you think the school will have any problems with what you are suggesting for Claire? Will they allow her to return to school that way?”

“I have dealt with this in other school systems and I believe they will take my recommendations and allow Claire as much freedom as possible. We will have to show that she is getting proper follow-up psychological and physical care and that she is completely committed to this. I am going to slightly adjust her medications and also make an appointment for her to get a complete physical. Ultimately, there will be surgical options, but at least until the summer, we will stick with medications.”

“So when are you going to talk to the school about your recommendations for Claire. What do you need us to do?”

“I will be calling over to the school first thing in the morning. I suspect they will want to meet with all of us as soon as possible. If you like I can arrange to have you meet the principal following classes.”

“I am sure I could leave work early tomorrow and get there by three o’clock. If you could set it up that, that would be great.”

“I will phone you to confirm the appointment.”

“What should Claire do to prepare?”

“I do not think she needs to do anything prior to the meeting. She should dress and behave no differently than she has recently. If all goes as it should, then come Monday she can begin to assimilate to her new gender. There will be some legal, and school record issues to deal with, but I will provide you with a blueprint on what to expect over the next year. “

“Just like that, on Monday I am Claire full-time? Holy crap!”

“It is what you want, isn’t it?” Dr. Robyn responded.

“I know it is, but this is been such a fast overhaul my life. I just recently realized that this is who I am.”

“That is why you need to live full-time as a woman, before you can make some of the changes unalterably permanent. I don’t suspect you will have a change of heart, but it has happened.”

“How do I tell my friends?”

“I would wait until you have met with the school, then I would call your closest friends and tell them yourself. The news will likely travel fast, but for your close friends it will be best if they hear it from you directly.”

“Mom, are you happy about my choice.”

“Claire, you know I am. I had sense this was in you for a very long time, and obviously have had a recent hand in bringing your true feelings to the surface. I hope you’re not mad at me for doing that.”

“I love you mom and always will. I guess we will now have new activities to share.”

“It will be fun, honey.”

“Thank you Dr. Robin. I appreciate everything you have done for me and I can imagine I will need your help even more to get used to all of this.”

“I will await your call tomorrow and be at the school with Claire in the afternoon. Thank you.”

“Thank you both and good luck Claire. You are a very nice person as well as a sweet young lady. Bye now.”

To be continued…….

I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE ALL FEEDBACK--- MY STORIES ARE PURE FICTION, BUT ARE BASED UPON ACTUAL EVENTS IN MY FANTASIES….

THE PROM STATEMENT: Chapter 7
By
Nina Adams

In the heat of debate, Clarence makes a Prom
Statement that would change his life forever.

CONCLUSION CHAPTER

--------------------------Claire’s First Day of School--------------------------

As expected, the principal called my mother to a meeting at the school Friday afternoon. In addition to the principal, the attendees included Ms. Anderson, my chorus teacher, and the school nurse.

For the first part of the meeting my mother met with the group without me. The discussion lasted about 30 minutes, before I was allowed in to join them. I would later learn that Ms. Anderson was a strong advocate for me during the conversation.

Principal Grimes addressed me first.

“Clarence, your situation is a first for our school and we have never planned for this type of contingency. We often need to get involved in sexual orientation issues when they cause difficulties for individual students, however we have never had a student that requested to change teams, so to speak. Are you sure that is what you desire to do? This is a very major request.”

“Principal Grimes, I would be lying if I told you I am not at all scared, but I know this is a path that I need to take. I am Claire, and I no longer feel comfortable being Clarence.”

“You know that no matter how much we watch over you, there will be students that don’t accept what you are requesting. Some insecure students will probably attempt to make your life difficult. We can only do so much. We will support you, and we do not want the situation to be disruptive.”

“I wouldn’t be here if I really didn’t think it was absolutely necessary. I do not want to cause a scene or be the center of a controversy. I just want to be me.”

“Okay then. We will have to make some adjustments here at school, but beginning next week you have our authorization to attend as Claire. It’s possible that some parents may have an issue with this and we will do our best in dealing with that. You will likely get plenty of attention, but if this turns into a circus we will have to reconsider the situation. Are we clear?”

“Yes, crystal-clear. I will try and blend in with a minimum of fanfare. Thank you.”

“Ms. Anderson has volunteered to be your school point person for issues that may arise. For the next couple of weeks I would like you to check in with her before school every day. If you need to use a restroom for any reason, please use the one in the nurse’s office or see Ms. Anderson to use the one in the teachers lounge area”

“Thank you Ms. Anderson. I appreciate everything you are doing for me.”

I left the school knowing that I had turned another page in my unusual saga. I think my mother was more excited than even me. I was happy, but I also felt numbed by the realization that I was now a girl for all to see.

“Claire, this is going to be a busy weekend. Besides your work commitment at the boutique tomorrow, we have to find time to fill out your wardrobe and for you to call some of your friends on the phone.”

My first call was to Max. He was very happy to hear from me and I was pretty sure he was going to be happy to hear the news. In some ways he had been enjoying my experience as much as I had. I assumed that he would find the news wonderful. I was a little dismayed that he did not take the news in a completely positive way. His words and his tone of voice reflected a somewhat restrained viewpoint. He said he was happy for me, but I could sense some reservations. Until now, I think for him it was more of a game. He knew how convincing I was, but I could tell he was somewhat stunned that I would never be going back to being Clarence. He said he would support me all the way, but I expected more, since I was now going to be the girl he so desired.

After I hung up the phone, I had a hard time trying to figure out why he was not more thrilled. Maybe it was that his best friend had come out to the world, and he agreed to take me to the Prom. I guess in his mind, he was thinking how it might affect him. Whatever the reason, I was a little disappointed in his response.

I called a couple of my other chorus club friends and broke the news to them. I received a couple of cools and wows, and they both said they were behind me. They were appreciative to be the first to find out. By the time I had called my third friend from chorus, he had already heard the news. It was clear to me that by the time I went to school on Monday, virtually anyone who knew of me would know what was going on. When I realize that my friend Hank already knew, I told him to pass the news long.

While I was making calls from my cell phone, Rachel called me on the house phone. She got her mother to shorten up our work schedule for Saturday, so that Rachel and I could go over to old Orchard shopping center and pick up a few new things for me. She even said her mother wanted to pay for the first new outfit that I bought as a gift on my re-birthday.

The whole weekend went by like a blur. Spending the day with Rachel at the boutique and the mall was spectacular. Knowing that this would be an open-ended adventure just added to the pleasure I was feeling. When we were at the mall, I spotted a few guy friends from school, but I don’t think they knew who I was. They looked at Rachel and I, as just two hot chicks doing some shopping. There was no question that I was feeling all-girl, but it still seemed a little strange to know that those guys were attracted to me. I had certainly crossed the line with Max, but it was still an area I needed to explore more of my feelings.

On Sunday my mother and I also did some shopping, but mostly for more practical items, like feminine bathroom products and some cosmetics appropriate for school. By the end of the weekend I had everything a girl my age should need. I even laid out the clothes I would wear on my first day of school as Claire. I decided to wear some stylish slacks with a vest and my wedge styled Mary Jane shoes. I also planned to wear a small amount makeup, so that there would be no doubt I looked like a girl.

I got up early to get myself ready and to leave enough time to see Ms. Anderson before the first bell. It was probably a good thing that I got there early, because I received quite a few stares as I made my way into the school. Most of the students who looked at me chose to say very little. There was one jock that I knew, and all he did was shake his head back and forth. There was nothing ugly immediately said, but my first impression was mostly a cold shoulder.

Ms. Anderson gave me some papers that I needed to take home for my mother to fill out, but most of our time was spent just making sure I was ready for the day ahead. Her positive attitude made me feel better. After everyone had settled into their chairs in homeroom, Ms. Anderson made an announcement to the class that I was now to be referred to as Claire. It was mostly informational and if any of the students needed to talk about it, she encouraged them to see her after class.

The same ritual was followed in most of my other classes and by the afternoon it almost seemed unnecessary. A few of my closer friends came over and talked to me, but most of those conversations were very superficial. Everywhere I walked through school I received roving eyes, but few words. It was clear to me by the end of the day that my warmest response came from the girls I knew, both in chorus and in my other classes. Some of it may have been curiosity, but a few of them genuinely welcomed me into their world. I even made a study date with a girl I knew from chorus for Tuesday after school. Nina had I had only been casual friends in chorus; but I appreciated her reaching out to me when I needed a friend. We decided that after school on Tuesday we would go to the library together.

My mom was anxious to hear about my day at school and I filled her in on mostly good news. It was a stressful day, but all things considered I managed to get through it. I knew I had a rough road to travel and that there would be many bumps ahead. I hoped that each day would become a little less stressful and that I would not be such a center of attention. I just wanted to be another girl and not some freak. At first I thought it might be better to keep a very low profile, but that was the old Clarence thinking, and not the new Claire. I decided to try and be a little bit more social.

My relationship with Max continued to be strong, but he seemed more cautious about showing me affection around our schoolmates. He remained very friendly, but seemed very careful not to reflect that we were an item. I was a little disappointed, but I also knew he must have had a lot going through his head. I didn’t push him hard, because at this point any support was good support.

I had a great time with Nina at the library on Tuesday and I could tell I had a new friend. She asked me a bunch of questions, some of which, I did not know how to answer. She seemed to accept me for who I was and not some weirdo. She also seemed to have a pretty good pulse for what some of the other kids were thinking. She pointed out a few kids to avoid and also mentioned a few that were very cool with what I was doing. We agreed to continue getting together and she said she would have my back. When we were done for the afternoon I gave her a big hug.

With each day I became more accustomed to my new self. I could also feel the effects of the hormones circulating through my body. Within four weeks my sensitive breasts began to ever so slightly swell. I think there were other physical changes, but they were not so obvious. As a result of the hormones and the tight physical constraints of my foundation ware, my remaining manhood was beginning to shrivel. It was not dramatic, but it was not that big to begin with.

I continued to see Dr. Robin and she helped me with the many issues I was experiencing in my transition. We talked about my immediate concerns as well as what to expect down the road. I enjoyed our one-on-one because nothing was off limits. I knew that anything I would say would be between just us. I asked her if she had had other cases like mine, and she said no two-transgendered individuals are exactly alike. We all seem to share certain desires and passions, but most of our stories are very different. She admitted, that my rapid realization was unusual, but that she believed that I had probably just been repressing it during my earlier years. It was obvious to both of us that Claire was more outgoing and happier than the Clarence that preceded her.

Max and I continued to get together on the weekends and about three weeks before the Prom, our classmates found out that he would be my Prom escort. When we originally made our pledge to go to the prom together we knew it would be difficult. Despite that, I don’t think either of us expected it to go quite like this. As soon as people knew that we would be attending together, some of the pressure was deflected over to Max. He received more than a few disparaging comments, including some about his sexuality. He knew the comments would be coming and to his credit he remained firm. The dance was just around the corner and we were on the home stretch for our Prom statement.

The school had received a few calls from concerned parents, but the principal had managed to keep it from becoming a circus. One set of parents even said I should be kicked out of school. There were only a few more weeks of school, which probably helped maintain the school’s resolve.

I spent every Saturday at the bridal boutique with my aunt and cousin. I think it was my favorite part of the week. I loved being around the beautiful dresses and spending time with my cousin. I had finalized my gown pick for the prom and my aunt had it altered to fit me perfectly. I knew I looked like an attractive girl at school, but I was so excited to show myself off as a thing of beauty. It wasn’t enough just to attend the Prom; I wanted my prom statement to look and feel perfect.

The night of the big dance my mother cried when she saw my finished product. Lulu had styled my hair for the occasion and every inch of me had been prepped and polished. My makeup was flawless and my manicure and pedicure matched my look to perfection. These past few weeks had resulted in an amazing transformation, but now, I just felt like a girl getting ready for the Prom. It was a special feeling that a girl would only experience once. For me it was probably more special, but I finally knew how Rachel must have felt last year. My mother took a few pictures so I would never forget the moment.

Max picked me up right on schedule and gave me a white flower corsage that smelled divinely. The look in his eyes as he first gazed upon me was absolutely priceless. The look in his eyes was that of total approval. He could not take his eyes off me, and his massive smile radiated from his face. That reaction made all of the preparation worthwhile. Max looked handsome in his custom black tux. He had a color-coordinated cummerbund to match his bowtie. To anyone looking at us, we were a traditional couple with great style.

I remember the feeling entering the grand ballroom at the Renaissance Hotel. I turned many a head, but not because of my birth gender, but rather for my graceful beauty. I took great pleasure in seeing so many leering eyes. I was happy to be there with Max, but I felt like a queen with all the positive attention. I received many compliments from my new group of girlfriends and even ended up dancing a few extra tunes with some of my guy friends from school. It was a perfect evening that even exceeded my expectations. A group of us went out for a late-night after-hours virgin cocktail which was a fitting cap for a beautiful evening. I was on cloud nine when Max brought me home at about 1 am. The good night kiss sent chills down my spine and left my heart racing at a million miles an hour.

My prom statement had reached its crescendo and my metamorphous was now virtually complete. What started as a moral debate had ended as a new and improved lifestyle. I had bloomed into full splendor from a long dormant seed. A greater passion for life pulsated from the woman in me that had emerged.

____________________________________

Epilogue:

The remaining few weeks of school moved along slowly, but I would not have traded in that time for anything. It was the first time in my life that I felt special. The day that I graduated was a proud moment for me and for my mother. She got a great picture of me smiling as I received my diploma and they read off my name “Claire Alexi Adams.”
Only about one year has past since passed since my magical Prom. I am now a freshman in the school of Art and design at the University of Illinois in Urbana. I still am a very good friend with Max, but we are no longer dating. That was probably more my fault as I was just learning about the amazing possibilities in my life.

I still love music and I am the lead singer in an alternate rock and pop band on campus. We just cut our first demo CD and a couple of our songs have become very hot on the Internet. I am hopeful that we will hit it big, but in the meantime I am excited to be studying fashion design.

The hormones have taken over my bloodstream and my body has gone through quite a change. I am still on the thin side, but my hips have widened out and I have a very natural C cup pair of breasts. I hope to complete my journey over the summer and my mother and aunt are making all of the arrangements.

Rachel is also down here at school and we are roommates. Though she is only my cousin, she seems more like my twin sister.

The future holds so many possibilities.

The End

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I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE ALL FEEDBACK--- MY STORIES ARE PURE FICTION, BUT ARE BASED UPON ACTUAL EVENTS IN MY FANTASIES….

This is the story of two college guys that are challenged to slowly add female aspects to their lives by their girlfriends. The gradual changes end up taking them much further than either of them ever expected.

THE CHALLENGE by Nina Adams

IN THE BEGINNING
I do not know where to begin my story. I am sitting here in front of my sister’s vanity mirror looking at myself and cannot believe that the image is actually me. Today, I am going to be Maid of Honor at my sister Sasha's wedding. That would not be so unusual, if it were not for the fact that I was born a boy. In fact, a year ago, I was living the life of a typical college sophomore at the University of Illinois. So much has happened this past year that I don't even know where to begin.

I think it is best to start in high school when all of my friends referred to me by the name of Michael. I was a fairly athletic student with typical male hobbies and activities. I played on the school tennis team and soccer team. Both of these activities kept me in very good shape. I had a girlfriend from the neighborhood named Jana and we were about as close as any boy and girl could be. We had known each other since we were about seven and in the last couple of years had taken our relationship to the next level. We were both good students, and our parents loved the fact that we were going out together.

My mother was divorced and we lived in a big house in Highland Park. She was divorced from my father when I was about five years old. She caught him cheating and kicked him out of the house. Mom came from money and did not have to worry very much about finances when my father and her got divorced. Having only one parent in the house, I was very close with my mother. I rarely kept a secret from her and probably talk to her more than most boys talked with their mothers. She was very protective of me and always wanted the best for me. I always had nice clothes and pretty much anything else I really needed. I wasn’t spoiled, but we lived a pretty good life.

As I mentioned, I have one sister, Sasha. She is two years older than me and was always one of the most popular girls at school and in the neighborhood. We were pretty close too, but because she was older and a girl we did not do a lot of things together. I think I always envied how popular she was, but it wasn’t like I didn’t have any friends. Jana and I were very close with Rita and her boyfriend Nick. The four of us, always hung around together and became quite a foursome. As it would turn out, we all ended up going to the University of Illinois together. Getting into the University was not easy, but since all of us got in, I think the bonds between us became even stronger.

I did not have any tendencies towards girl things other than in the normal way. Or at least I don’t think I did. I can only think of a few, pre-college day dressing activities that really stood out. I remember when I was about seven or eight being a cowgirl for Halloween. I had wanted to be a cowboy, but the only costume we had was my sister Sasha’s cowgirl outfit. My mom thought it would be very cute on me and since it was for Halloween she did not see any harm in it. I really didn’t want to wear it, but after I had it on for a little while it didn’t really bother me. The only real difference was the leather style skirt instead of britches.

My next memory of being in girl’s clothes was when I was about 13 and I got caught in the rain. We were visiting my aunt’s house in Glencoe and my cousins and I got caught in a very heavy rain. My clothes were soaked to the bone. When we got in the house my aunt and my mother insisted that we get on some dry clothes. My aunt, had a son, but he was much smaller than me and there was nothing of his that would fit me. Even his shoes were too small. My aunt didn’t think twice about getting some clothes from my cousin Mindy’s closet for me. I was dressed in a yellow polka dot girl’s jumper with a white nylon shell blouse that had one button at the top in the back as a clasp. I was even made to wear a pair of my cousin’s cotton panties since everything I had was soaked. I was given a pair of Mindy’s Mary Jane shoes to complete the outfit. I was completely decked out in girl’s clothes, but at least I was not made to wear a dress or something even more feminine than this outfit. I ended up wearing this outfit at my Aunt’s house for the rest of the day and was even forced to wear it home that evening. Fortunately we never left the house or the backyard so no one else saw how embarrassed I was. Like my first time as a cowgirl after a while I do not think I noticed what I was wearing. In fact, this outfit actually felt kind of nice but there was no way I was going to let anyone know that.

My only other pre-college dressing experience that I can remember was during my junior year of high school and I was encouraged to do it by my girlfriend Jana. It was during homecoming week and the school was having lots of activities and all sorts of school assembly entertainment skits. She convinced me to join five other boys in dressing up as cheerleaders and to do some campy cheers for the school assembly. It was something that had been done almost every year as part of the school spirit assembly for homecoming. We were all dressed up in cheerleader outfits complete with skirts and sweaters. We were even given pompons to complete our look. My friend Nick was also convinced to join the troupe.

It was all for fun, and at that time I didn’t really think much about it. The only problem with it was both Nick and I ended up being too good at pulling off the cheerleading skits and maybe a little to authentic. The four other boys, looked just like boys dressed in cheerleading outfits. That is, they looked nothing like girls. Nick and I on the other hand, actually looked pretty good in the cheerleading outfits. Jana and Rita borrowed wigs for us and even put some makeup on us to complete our costume. When we were out on the floor doing our routine, I was later told it look like two girls and four boys leading cheers. Nick and I even got wolf whistled at by some of the guys in the audience. I think they were trying to make us feel even more awkward than we already felt at the time. A couple of the real cheerleaders came over to us after our routine and asked Nick and I if we would like to do a few cheers with them. It was a little more than we could take and we declined their offer. I could tell that Jana and Rita were very much enjoying our little embarrassment.

I WAS DRESSED AS A CHEERLEADER

Fortunately, that was our last experience as cheerleaders or any other gender bending high school escapade. Jana managed to take a few photos of us while dressed as cheerleaders, I guess she did it so we would never forget that moment. Or at least never let us forget that moment. Looking back today, I am sure that seeing us dressed as cheerleaders had in some way influenced Jana and Rita’s encouragement of our current situation.

The four of us were very close, but we were also very competitive. We would bet on just about anything we could. Most of the bets were just for pride with very little monetary gain for the winners. Sometimes we would bet for something like movie tickets or dinner at the mall, but it was usually just for fun. Some of these bets, included sports like tennis, and also included card games, trivia games and especially games with dares. Sometimes these games of dares would get a little out of hand. None of us drank or did drugs or had any other really bad habits. But as I said, some of these games would get a little out of hand. A couple of these games dared the other couple to cross the line a little bit. It was one of these games, when I had my first beer. I was 16 and I didn’t like it at all. It was the only beer I drank before I went off to college. Most of these games were fun and usually not too weird.

Our freshman year at the University was pretty non-eventful. I was a Liberal Arts major, because I still did not know what I really wanted to do with the rest of my life. Jana on the other hand was enrolled in pre-med even as a freshman, she new she wanted to be a doctor someday. Nick was also in the liberal arts school and was thinking about majoring in theater or the arts. Rita was planning to major in psychology or sociology. She was very good with people and wanted to take advantage of that in her major. As freshmen, most of the courses we all took were pretty generic. We all had to take basic math, rhetoric and sciences. We were all very focused on our classes and studying, and doing pretty well with our grades. Our adjustment to college life had gone pretty smoothly.

We all lived in the same dorm, which was coed and located on the southern part of the campus. Boys and girls could not share rooms but at least we were allowed to live on the same floor. Nick and I roomed together and Jana and Rita roomed together down the hall. The arrangements at the school were pretty good, but the food in the cafeteria was horrible. I think during my freshman year I lost close to 15 pounds and I think Nick may have lost about 10. It wasn’t like we were that big to begin with but now we were pretty thin and almost wispy. I was about 5’8” and down to about 135 pounds. Nick was only about 5’7” and probably didn’t weigh anymore than me. Back in high school we were both much more athletic, but now in college we were much more focused on our academics.

Jana and Rita looked as good as ever. Both were about 5’6” to 5’7” tall and weighed about 125 pounds. We were very lucky to have such beautiful girlfriends. I think sometimes because we had been together so long we took our relationship for granted. Still I don’t think there was anything that the two of us wouldn’t do for Jana and Rita. It was probably that amazing relationship that was partially responsible for our unusual journey that began our sophomore year.

The summer between our freshman and sophomore years was very good one. I worked part-time in the concession stand at the movie theater at the mall. My Uncle was the general manager of the theater. It was actually kind of fun, because I got to see a lot of my old high school friends. I worked five days a week, but it was never for more than about four or five hours on any shift. Nick worked at the Borders bookstore in downtown Highland Park. The girls both worked as summer camp counselors through the park district. We all had plenty of downtime to hang out over the summer. By the time the summer was over, all of our batteries were recharged and we were ready to get started with our second year of college.

It was during new student week prior to the beginning of classes that was the start of the strange events that would follow. We were all just hanging out on the quad just laughing and having a really good time, when we started debating all sorts of odd issues. One of the strangest conversations we had, was who had the most friends that were gay. I am not sure what got us on this topic or what difference it made, but we started listing all of the friends we knew that were gay. There were a couple of friends that we thought might be gay, but no one knew for sure.

From that strange topic we somehow made our way over to feminism. The girls contended that we hardly knew anything about feminism. We strongly disagreed, and said we were very sensitive to the many issues that feminists faced. The girls laughed and Jana said we didn’t know the first thing about what it was like to be a woman. Nick and I laughed, and shot back they were making too big a deal out of it. We probably should’ve kept their mouth shut on this topic and then maybe we would not have gotten ourselves into such deep trouble. Jana and Rita almost immediately took on a much more serious tone. I could sense, that we had picked a bad subject to debate.
Jana and Rita decided to go for a little walk. They said they wanted to think about some of the things we had said and would finish the discussion later. I think we had hit a very sensitive chord with them. We hoped that after a little time to cool down, maybe the subject would just blow over. Nick and I just hung out listening to our iPods and napping. Nearly 2 hours had passed before the girls showed up to greet us. They seem to be in a much better mood and even gave us very affectionate kisses upon their return. As it turns out, they had not forgotten the conversation even if we had.

We all left to get a bite to eat. It was over a slice of pizza, that the challenge was made. The girls thought that a little education on feminism would be good for us. They also thought that knocking us down a couple of pegs would probably be good for our egos. They wanted to find out how far we would go to learn a little bit about feminism. Would we be willing to experience even a little about what it felt like to be a woman. We weren’t even sure how this was possible, seeing as we were red-blooded American males. The girls had other ideas. They had thought this through quite a bit and had come up with a most unusual challenge.

Rita laid out the challenge, and while we were listening we weren’t sure if she was joking or not. I am also not sure, if they really expected us to truly consider the proposal. The challenge was basically as follows. For each weekend throughout the school year we would be given one new aspect of femininity that we would have to make as part of our daily life. It would only be for the weekends, but each weekend they would add one challenge to the past weekends challenges. We were very confused by what they meant at first, until they laid out the first couple of challenges. The idea of the challenge would be to gradually add feminine aspects to our otherwise male existence. I think they thought by doing it slowly we would be more likely to give up, then if they asked us to bite the bullet and put up with all of their challenges for just one weekend.

They said that they would have a new challenge every weekend, which would run from Saturday morning until we went off to classes the following Monday. We were still a little confused, until they told us about the first two challenges. The challenges were meant to be very subtle, but over time we would certainly feel the effects. The first challenge, which would begin in two days on Saturday, was that we would have to wear panties under our clothes. Cotton briefs would be acceptable, but they had to be girl’s panties and could not be basic white. So as not to embarrass us too much, the girls said they would volunteer do the` shopping. They said we could do our own shopping it if we wanted to, but they would be willing to do it for us.

Just so that we understood where this was all going, they let us know what the second week’s challenge would be if we made it through the first weekend. The second weekend, we would have to shave our legs. Not that we had much hair on our legs, but the light hairs would have to be gone that Saturday morning. They also threw an extra twist, that we could not get a haircut or clip our nails without their permission. Both Nick and I had moderately long hair, but nothing really that unusual. My hair was light brown and covered my ears, but only down to about my neck. I probably could’ve used a haircut, but my hair was really not that long and pretty typical of students at the University. Nick’s hair was a dirty blond shade and was probably just a little bit shorter than my hair. The girls had obviously thought this thing through and really wanted to find out if we had the guts to go through with it.

As soon as they had laid out the challenge, I asked them what’s in it for us. The girl’s first answer was that it would be good for us. We laughed, saying being embarrassed is never good. On that point, I think the girls agreed with us. Most of our past bets have never really been about the prize for winning, it was usually simply about the thrill of winning and rubbing it into the noses of the losers. This strange challenge, was something a little bit more. If we were going to take their challenge, Nick and I were going to have to do all of he hard stuff. If we went through with it and met their weekly challenges, we felt the girls would have to do something for us. We were not even sure how long this challenge might last or how crazy it might get. The girls suggested, that we would run the challenge for the first semester of school and if we could make it to winter break, we would be entitled to some form of payback. If both of us could not make it to winter break, we would have to do something for the girls.

The girls really wanted to make sure that the two of us were in this together and therefore made all of the challenges dependent on both of us completing each step. If somehow we made it to winter break having completed all of their challenges, the girls thought that we could devise a new challenge for the spring. Frankly, we were not thinking that far ahead. After much debate, it was decided if we took their challenge that the losers would have to do all laundry for the winners during the following semester and would have to pay for dinners every Saturday night throughout that semester. Nick and I were given one day to decide if we were up for the challenge. We rarely backed down from challenges, but this one was quite unusual and deserved some overnight consideration.

When Nick and I got back to our dorm room that night we sort of looked to each other for guidance. We were not sure where to start the conversation. Clearly we were both very uncomfortable with what would be ahead if we were to accept the challenge from our girl friends. If we wimped out, the girls would win and forever remind us of that. If we took their challenge, God only knows what we would have to endure over the coming weeks. Nick was the first one to open his mouth, “How bad could it be?’’ I responded, “You know the girls, this could get pretty serious.’’

When we thought about it, we realized we knew very little about what could be in store. We really didn’t know much about girl stuff and therefore very little about what the girls might ask us to do. In a way, we were sort of admitting that they were right in the first place. The last thing we wanted to do was admit that, or at the very least let them know that. We knew the girls really loved us, so anything they might force us to do, probably would not hurt us. The girls would probably want to have a little fun with us, but hopefully in a sort of loving way. When we thought about it that way it made us a little less scared of accepting the challenge. We decided to sleep on it and make the decision in the morning.

I remember having some very weird dreams that night. Dreams are sometimes hard to remember, but I do remember being a girl in my dreams. I was walking around trying to convince everyone that I was not a girl and I was their old friend Michael. Everyone was laughing including Jana, Rita, and my mother. I think I remember crying and I don’t remember what happened after that. When I woke up the following morning I was more than a little restless.

Nick told me about some of his strange dreams as well. In his dreams he was a cheerleader again, but this time he was part of the real girls team. He was doing cheers with the other girls on the cheerleading squad. He said his dream even went further, and that he had a boyfriend on the football team. He was more than a little embarrassed relating his dream to me, but under the circumstances we were both more than a little freaked out by this challenge. Based upon how uneasy we both were that morning, we should’ve called it quits right then. After we had a little breakfast and a venti Starbucks, our uneasiness had drifted away.

Nick and I had one final discussion on the subject, and decided that if we were going to go ahead with this the girls had to throw in a little bit more. Since we were the ones that were being challenged, the girls had to do something for us along the way. First, we did not want to do anything that we did not think the girls would not also do, if we asked them. That way we could be assured that the girls wouldn't do anything really Goofy or way over the top. Secondly, the girls would have to take us out to dinner every Saturday night as long as we continued the charade. We figured that was the least they could do, while we were jumping through their hoops. Finally, so that we wouldn't be too embarrassed, we would make them promise not to tell any of our friends or their friends what we were doing. With these assurances, Nick and I would be willing to take their challenge.

That afternoon we met up with the girls at the Quad like the previous day and made our proposal. The girls acted only a little surprised that we had considered their proposition. As I look back at it now, somehow I think the girls expected us to take their challenge. They considered our modifications to their original proposition and were not completely happy by all of them, but reluctantly agreed to them. I am not sure to whom they would've wanted to tell or if they had any strange requests that now they could not make us do, but they seem content to go along with it. In fact, the Saturday night requirement that they would have to take us out to dinner, seemed to please them. They even said as a requirement of the bet, that every Saturday night we would go out to a place of their choosing and that we would be treated. If the girls didn't take us out, they lose the bet or if we didn't go with them, we lose the bet. It was agreed and the bet was on!!!

To our surprise before we headed back to the dorm that night the girls gave us each our first present. We were given a three pack of girl’s cotton panties. The package included one pink pair, one yellow pair and one blue pair. Since we had been with the girls all afternoon since the agreement, the girls must have bought these panties prior to us agreeing. When they handed them to us they both laughed a little bit saying that they would have just returned them had we not agreed. But they were pretty sure that they wouldn't have to return them. After they gave them to us, they said that there would be an inspection the next day. There was no turning back now.

They gave us a kiss on the cheek and then welcomed us to the girls club. For the rest of the year every weekend we would be honorary girls. They said they planned to treat us more like girlfriends than boyfriends on the weekends for the rest of the year. We did not like the sound of that, but we were assured that it was only a part of the game. The last little surprise twist that they dropped on us had to do with our names. As honorary girls, our names, Nick in Michael would not do. On the weekends, Nick would be referred to as Nicole or Nikki. Jana told me that on the weekends from this day forward I would be known as Michelle. Nick complained, saying this was going too far, but the girl said that we had to feel completely as girls in order to understand feminism. Truthfully, we had already forgotten what had caused this challenge to be proposed in the first pace and at this point were too talked out to debate. I guess their was some logic to their argument anyway. At this point it really was not that big a deal, but it seemed that their purpose in giving us those names was just to humiliate us a little bit more.

Nick and I headed back to our room feeling dejected, like we had already lost a little bit of our pride. This whole thing had gone much further than we expected it to, and that it hadn't even really begun. We were already nervous about what would happen in the weeks ahead. Neither of us said anything else about the whole subject until we got up the following morning. Living in a dorm is not like living in an apartment where you get a lot more privacy. We would have to be very careful, so that no one else would see that we were wearing the panties or anything else that might come our way. Fortunately, we had closets that locked. We would just have to be a little extra careful when some of our floor friends were around. On Saturday morning after taking our morning shower we experienced our first part of the challenge. Nick chose to wear a yellow pair from his package and I selected a blue one from mine. We slipped them up our legs and commented that they didn't feel all that bad. They were actually softer than our jockeys and fit us pretty well. There was no fly for us to use, but that was no big deal. The panties were made by Haynes, which also made men's underwear. These were clearly not men's briefs, but unless somebody saw us with our pants down, no one would know. The first challenge was pretty easy, and truthfully felt pretty good. Nick even commented, “That they should make men's briefs out of the same soft type of cotton.”

When we met the girls for lunch on Saturday the first thing they did was greet us with our new names Michelle and Nicole. I think that was to get us into the mood and to let us know what might be ahead. The girls took a peek at our waistbands to make sure we were wearing our new briefs. Satisfied that we were wearing our girl’s panties they congratulated us on our first step towards understanding feminism. The rest of the day was pretty relaxed and the girls took us out for veggie burgers and salads. We wanted regular burgers and fries, but the girls insisted that we order a veggie burger and a house salad because we needed to watch our figures. We didn’t make a big deal and enjoyed watching them pay the check. When Sunday rolled around, it was no big deal putting on a fresh pair of panties.

That Monday was the beginning of the new semester of classes. The focus shifted from having lots of free time and the challenge to getting back into academics. The week flew by until Friday evening when our girlfriends handed us each a Lady Bic razor. We were told that our legs had to be hairless from the tip of our toes all the way up to our privates. We didn’t have to shave our little triangle area, but our legs had to be completely free of hair. They said if we preferred we could use a product like Nair but for now shaving our legs seemed like the best way to get the job done. Rita explained, “It’s a ritual that all girls have to do at some point or another.” As much as they wanted our legs to be free of hair, I think the experience of shaving them was part of the challenge.

We didn’t want any one from the dorm to see us shaving our legs. If we did get caught shaving our legs, we planned to just explain it off by saying that we’re planning on doing a lot of biking and many bikers like to have their legs free of hairs. It was a pretty lame excuse and I’m not sure how well that might have worked. We slipped into the shower area late Friday night, when we didn’t think there would be as many people in the bathroom. I think we both learned to appreciate what women go through to shave their legs. It took longer than we expected and was not that easy. I even nicked myself down near my ankle. Neither of us had that many hairs to begin with, but it felt a little strange not to have any hairs after we were done shaving our legs. Though people probably wouldn’t even notice that we had shaved legs, they certainly felt different to us.

The girls commented how nice our legs looked and even mentioned how great they would look with a nice pair of high heels. We gave them a dirty look and just let their comment pass. It was already mid-September, and the fall weather was already starting to lose some of its summer warmth. We wouldn’t be wearing shorts much longer, so having to shaved legs was not going to be a very big concern. It was kind of strange, just like having worn cotton panties for the first time, having smooth legs really was not all that bad. So far, the two challenges actually felt kind of good and more importantly, no one else could tell. Nick and I both were a little concerned about what was a head, but we decided not to talk about it very much so we wouldn’t raise our anxiety level. Much like on the previous Saturday night dinner, the girls treated us to a healthy and very light dinner. They were paying the tab, so we chose again not to complain.

School was going very well and we are all studying very hard. Despite the strange challenge that was going on between us, my relationship with Jana was never better. We were together as much as possible and had a great sex life. She seemed to enjoy seeing me naked with only my panties on. It was probably a little kinky, but we both had a lot of fun with it. She particularly liked to cuddle with me more.

Week three brought us our first surprise. We had no idea what the girls were planning for us but knew we would find out on Friday evening. The weekly challenges were supposed to be very subtle, so we tried not to be too scared. On Friday evening we were the recipients of our first manicure. The girls gave us each a very basic manicure that cleaned up our nails and gave them a slightly more oval curve. Our nails were not very long, because Nick and I were smart enough to clip our nails before the challenge began. It didn't leave the girls that much to work with. When they were done filing our nails, they gave us a double coat of clear polish. The girls told us that lots of guys have had their nails done and wore clear polish. That did not make us feel any better and our nails would be very obvious to anyone who really looked closely. This was the first challenge that we really didn't enjoy.

All week long in class I couldn't help but stare at my hands. I guess my hands looked nicer, but only if I was a girl. It felt strange when I looked at my hands, because it felt like I was looking at someone else's hands. It really wasn't too bad, but whenever I took notes in class I would find it a little distracting. Nick told me he felt the same way and found he kept his hands in his pockets more then he would have otherwise. All week long, the girls had to keep telling us to take our hands out of our pockets. They told us we should be walking with our elbows in, and our hands out. When we tried that, we realized it was a much more feminine way of holding our arms. We would sometimes hold them like that when we were with the girls, but most of the rest of the time we would hold our arms like we normally did. It's kind of funny, as guys, he never really thought about how our arms were positioned, but as girls we were much more conscious of how our arms hung from our shoulders. The girls suggested that down the road maybe we should go in for a more professional manicure. That Saturday, we went out to a very romantic French restaurant. The only twist on dinner that night was that Jana had made the reservation under the name Michelle. When we checked in, I told them that my name was Michelle. When the maá®tre d’ gave me a strange look, I told him my parents were French. He smiled at me and that was the end of it.

Week four brought us our first challenge that could not so easily be explained. Again it was something subtle, but also very girly to us. The girls gave our feet a manicure, but this time they painted our toes a bright red. We were pretty much done wearing sandals for the season, but anyone who saw our feet would probably have a good laugh at our expense. We would have to be very careful when we took a shower at the dorm, so that no one could see our feet. We wore closed toed slippers to the shower and made sure we didn’t go in when it was too crowded. Seeing our shaved legs and pretty toes was starting to make me a little odd. It had been about two weeks since I had last shaved my legs so I had to do that again. These female rituals were starting to affect my psyche. Technically, we could have taken the polish off Sunday evening but then we would have had to put it back on ourselves again the following Saturday morning. It just seemed easier to leave it on and try not to have anybody see it.

The girls were clearly having fun with all of this. They kept asking us how we enjoyed our pretty hands and pretty feet. They said it was like teaching a young girl to be a woman. They also said that we were very good students. Up until this point we had been a little bit apprehensive about the challenges, but had never really considered backing down. The next week’s challenge was the first one that we really complained about. We even said it wasn’t fair, because it was sort of permanent. Week five brought us to the mall to get our ears pierced. A lot of our friends had the one pierced ear, usually the left one. But the girls insisted that we get both of our ears pierced. Again, they told us that lots of guys do it, and if we didn’t like having pierced ears that the holes would fill in slowly when the challenge was over. That didn’t make us feel any better. We put up quite a stink until we got to the store. When we got into the store we meekly let them pierce our ears, so that the clerks did not think that the girls were forcing us to have our ears pierced. The girls bought us each a couple of pairs of earrings. The first one had a very basic gold stud, which we would wear for the first week or two. The second pair was clearly more feminine with a small silver hoop. Our hair had been growing pretty long, so we were hopeful that nobody would really notice our ears peaking out from under our hair.

I felt like I had been branded a girl. This challenge now felt like something that wouldn’t just wear off. It was not something you would do to someone for a quick laugh over the weekend. It was something that would be with you for a long long time. Back then I wondered why the girls would want to do something so permanent. They commented how wonderful we looked and that they really liked them on us. Instead of telling us how handsome we looked with them, they told us how pretty we looked. It was around this time that we noticed the girls were starting to call us by our female names a lot more. When we were in the store, Jana said to me “Michelle, Do you see any other pairs that you would like?” I wanted to just disappear.

We were now about six weeks into the semester and my appearance was really beginning to change. I had dropped at least a couple more pounds and my hair was getting fairly long. Combine that with my polished nails and earrings and I was starting to take on a somewhat feminine look. I really wanted to get a haircut so that some of the other changes would not seem so dramatic. Nick was feeling the same way and I had to admit he was looking more and more girlish. Clearly, our appearances were beginning to change. The girls were being very careful watching what we ate and trying to teach us more girlish manners. They were working on both our physical looks and our psyche.

The week six challenge was an easy one. We were already shaving our legs, so the girls insisted now that we remove the rest of our hair on our body except on the top of our head and around our private area. We gladly accepted this challenge because we assumed at this point that it would be no big deal. This meant that we had to remove the hair from our arms, chest, under our arms and anywhere else we had stray hairs popping up. Neither of us was very hairy to begin with, so it would be easy to comply with. This was a pretty easy challenge since no one would notice unless of course they saw us completely naked. Friday night I slept in Jana’s room with her, while Rita slept back in my room with Nick. Jana and I made love that night like never before. She told me she was so turned on by my smooth body that it was driving her crazy. How could I complain when we were having such passionate fun.

Being smooth all over actually gave me a rush. My clothes somehow felt different and I was much more sensitive to the different materials I was wearing. I remember rolling over in my bed and wrapping my body in my soft sheets. I had the sheets tightly encasing my hairless body and thinking how wonderful it felt. The experience was so arousing that I found myself having an accident on my bed. I could not believe it but I was getting turned on by some of the sensations of this challenge. As much as I enjoyed the feeling, I was not going to let Jana or even Nick know what I was feeling. I didn’t know what was happening to me and I was feeling a little guilty.

The week was moving along quickly with some midterm exams in calculus and biology. When Friday rolled around I was exhausted from all the studying and from the near all night study session on Thursday evening. I knew that we would be learning our next hurdle on Friday and was really almost too tired to care. We met up with the girls at five o’clock in the union building cafeteria. I was not in the best mood, mostly from being so tired. I got both Jana and Rita upset when I snapped, “what hellish torture do you have in store for us this week?” The girls were pissed off by my tone and the nasty content of my complaint.

Rita shot back “that they had been easy on us and that we seem to all have enjoyed the experience so far.”

Jana was noticeably upset and piled on “if it was such hell that we could just quit and go back to being chauvinistic pigs.”

A few more barbs were exchanged, before Nick cut in and told everyone to take a chill pill. Nick broke the painful tension by comparing the discussion to a catfight between four girls. It was just enough to cool all of our jets and bring a small smile to our faces.

I took the temporary silence is an opportunity to apologize to Jana. I explained my remark off, by telling her how tired I was. I said, “The only thing I really wanted to do is go home and hit the sack… the sooner the better.”

Janus smiled back at me with a very sincere, yet mischievous look. I looked at her and said “what?” She smiled back and replied, “then you will be able to take advantage of your next treat even sooner than we planned.” The girls reached into their backpacks pulled out gifts for us. We each were handed a thin white box from someplace called Sonoma. The boxes had a small bow and some pale yellow ribbon on them.

“What’s this?” I quickly responded.

“This will help you sleep a little better.” Said Jana

“Open it, open it!” An excited Rita chimed in.

Nick and I wasted no time opening the boxes to see our new gifts. When I saw what was inside I was a little confused and somewhat startled. Nick was first to pull his full-length black satin nightgown from the box.

He laughed and said “he could not wait to head back to the dorm and see Rita in it.”

Rita just smirked and slyly quipped “yeah right, you know that is for you not us.”

Nick looked like a deer in the headlights. He carefully put it down and then back in the box.

“You don’t really expect us to wear these, do you?” Shot Nick.

“We would look like total dorks in these.” Nick continued.

Jana cut in “you will love the way they feel on your smooth bodies. You should be thrilled for the opportunity, besides only the four of us will probably ever see you in them.”

“Probably?” Screamed Nick.

I had said very little throughout the crazy scene. I looked at the nightgown and thought about the evening earlier in the week when I was wrapped up in my bed sheet.

About the only thing I said was “if we have to…”

The girls said they had also gotten matching ones for themselves in red. Rita said “we could exchange ours for red if we preferred.” Neither of us responded to the comment.

The girls were meeting up with a few of their classmates for a girls night out and left the two of us to our own new treasures and fates. We knew it was way too late to turn back and like most of the other challenges maybe we were making too big a deal of the most recent hurdle. Psychologically it might be hard to wear the nightgowns, but then again, no one besides us would know.

I was planning on heading back to the room and going straight to bed. Under the circumstances, I suggested we go out and have a bite. Dinner led to a couple of drinks and it was after 11 before we made it back to the room.

When we got back to our room we both showered to get and to get the bar smell off of our skin and prepared ourselves for bed. Knowing that we would be wearing our new gift we took our time getting cleaned up, probably not too unlike what a girl would go through getting ready for bed. We were both very slow and very methodical.

It was time to crash, so we locked our doors and checked it twice. We slipped into our new nightgowns almost effortlessly. I was not sure if I should have worn my panties under it, so I decided to wear nothing but the gown. It tickled my smooth skin all the way down. It took me less than a heartbeat to get aroused by the feeling. My obvious state did not go unnoticed, and I was not the only one to feel the effect.

When I saw Nick in his nightgown I was stunned. Throughout this experience I had never really thought of him in a really girlish way. However seeing him with his gown hanging over his slim body he actually looked quite pretty and delicate. For the first time I saw his blond hair brushing his neckline and from behind I would almost certainly have assumed he was a real girl. That thought sent strange chills down my spine. I was too scared to look at myself in the full-length mirror that hung from the back of my closet door.

Nick turned around and started staring at me. His look was creeping me out. I asked him “what are you thinking?”

He looked at me and said “hey Michelle are you dating anyone these days?” He chuckled a couple of times and felt compelled to mutter, “just kidding.”

He mentioned how absolutely amazed he was that I looked so fabulous in the gown. I told him I felt the same way about him and his gown. Were both in such a shocked state that I’m not even sure who flicked the lights off.
As tired as I was, I still think it took me over an hour to fall asleep. My body was going crazy all over because of the silky sensations. As a result, I had a hard on that just wouldn’t go away. With no privacy in a shared dorm room, I just laid there until I finally passed out.

The next morning I headed over to the library to study and meet up with Jana. At about 11 o’clock she showed up with a big grin on her face. She smiled at me and asked how I slept. I lied and told her it was a restless night. She said she couldn’t wait to see me in my gown later that night. I was not so sure, but said I wanted her to wear her new nightgown as well. She smiled at me and said it would be so much fun.

Saturday night we went out for stir-fry food and a movie. The girls took us to a chick flick called Maid of Honor. It was about a guy that was the maid of honor at his true love’s wedding. It had a lot of gender jokes, but nothing like what we were going through. Jana joked that Nick and I would have made much better bridesmaids than Patrick Dempsey did in the movie. “We would have been much more believable and a lot prettier,” quipped Rita. The girls were definitely trying to play with us. It probably was not too difficult either, because I found myself thinking about being a maid of honor throughout the film. As silly as the movie’s premise was, my psyche was quite fragile.

After the movie we had a nightcap at the pub next to the theater and then retreated back to the dorm. Jana ordered me to shower, shave all over, and bring the nightgown back to her room when I came. Nick received similar marching orders from Rita.

When I got to her room, I assumed we were going to just hit the sack. I was excited for that, even if it meant modeling the new gown. Instead when I got to her room, she said we need some girl time together. She had me slip on my black nightgown and gave me a sweet but short kiss after I put it on. Over the next hour or so we redid each other’s nails and she spent a good 10 minutes brushing and playing with my hair. We talk about mostly girl stuff like fashion, gossip, and our feelings.

By the time we made our way to the bed I was very relaxed and feeling pretty good. Jana looked gorgeous and quite sexy in her red gown. We embraced and fell to the bed. It was a sea of satin and I was ready to explode way too soon. She could see how turned on I was and tried to slow me down. She had suggested that before I could enter her that I should satisfy her like a woman. She spread her legs and pulled her gown up to her waist. With my head between her legs she had me bring her to an orgasm twice. Only then did she turn to satisfy my hunger. She rolled over on top of me and pretended much like she was making love to another Woman. She kept whispering “Michelle, oh Michelle!” finally she moved down to my legs and sucked me until I exploded. When I did, I squealed much like she did. I had never entered her, but it was still very passionate sex. Were curled up together and fell asleep in each other’s arms.

I was not sure what was happening to me, but with each challenge, I seemed to be changing more. Each time a challenge was proposed, I accepted it with much reluctance. But with each challenge, I seem to be enjoying them more and more. I would have thought something was wrong with me, but in each case, Nick seemed to be enjoying it also. It was for this reason that I didn’t think anything was seriously wrong with me, and I felt less guilty about the whole thing. Jana certainly was having fun with it and I knew she knew I was sort of enjoying it as well. I never came right out and said that, but because of some of my lack of resistance, she must have picked up on. To this point, it seemed like just some kinky fun. It was mostly something between us, sort of our little secret.

Nick and I only had to wear our nightgowns over the weekend. On Monday through Thursday we could go back to wearing whatever we wanted. On Monday, I wore an old pair of flannel pajamas, like I usually had. I remember going to bed and commenting to Nick that they felt fairly rough on my skin. With no hair on my body, the course material of flannel, felt sort of rough. Nick agreed, but said very little other than that.

On Tuesday evening, I turned in a little earlier than Nick. When it was time to get undressed I was torn as to which pajamas I was going to wear. I could not believe that I was actually considering wearing a nightgown on a night when I didn’t have to. I really enjoyed how it felt on my smooth skin. I quickly put on the nightgown and turn the lights off. I slipped under my blankets as if I was hiding from Nick and the world. Nick came back to the room before I was asleep and could see the top of my nightgown slightly sticking out from under the blankets.

“What’s with the nightgown buddy?” Said Nick not caring if I was sleeping or not. I really didn’t have a great answer for him, but I said something to the effect that with no hair on my body, my regular PJs felt uncomfortable. He either bought it, or didn’t care. He did not wear his nightgown that evening, but a couple of nights later, Nick had his on. I wasn’t going to change back, but I felt less guilty knowing that Nick had followed my lead.

That Friday, Jana and I went out to dinner alone. She asked me how I had been doing and if I was holding up okay. I did not like keeping any secrets from Jana, so I told her some of my true feelings. I held back a little, so as not to seem, like I was having too great a time with it. But I did tell her, that it had been sort of fun and that some of the girl stuff actually felt kind of good. She said, she could see some changes in Nick and I, and for the most part, that they were very good. She said she also liked the subtle changes in our personalities. I asked her what she meant, but she couldn’t put her finger on it, other than to say she felt closer to me.
Over the past weeks, the girls had unveiled the new challenges when they were ready to. For some reason, maybe curiosity, I inquired early Friday evening, what the new one would be. Jana said “that since I had apparently enjoyed the evening gown so much, that I needed something to remind me of that softness all day.” She pulled out of her backpack a couple of bags and placed them on the table. One was from Macy’s and the other from Victoria’s Secret. She explained that it was time for Nick and I to upgrade our underwear to lingerie. We needed to feel even more girly under our daily clothes.

I do not understand, we are already been wearing cotton panties.”

“That is a good start, but you both are special girls and needed to experience some nicer undergarments”.
In the bag from Victoria’s secrets, were three matching sets of panties and camisoles. Unlike our cotton panties, these were silky smooth, just like the nightgowns. At their top and along the edges of the panties were some very dainty lace edgings. She told me that a camisole was much like an undershirt only infinitely sexier. And in the bag from Macy’s were a whole bunch of different types of leggings. There were a couple of pairs of waist high nylons, a couple of knee high pairs, some very femininely styled socks, and a pair of tights that ended at the ankles. I asked her about those immediately, and she said they were very stylish. Even more so than wearing just panties, this ensemble would be a constant reminder of our gender bending ways.

She told me how proud she was that I had been cooperating so nicely. I remembered that the one time I complained, she almost bit my head off. The girls had obviously been giving each of these steps great thought. Each one was just a gradual addition to the previous week’s challenge. Had they jumped ahead a couple of weeks, we might have balked. But the way they had been staging the challenge seemed to make it go with less resistance. I accepted the two bags from Jana and thanked her. I do not think I had thanked her for any of the previous gifts or should I say challenges. They had obviously spent a fair amount of time picking out the items for the two of us. She knew what sizes to get, and always seemed to pick out things that I might have selected, if I had been picking out things for her.

I was concerned that with the new camisoles that they may be visible through my shirts. She did not seem too concerned, and said that was part of the fun of it anyway. She then added, “Maybe it’s time to get you a few new shirts.” I was pretty sure I knew what she meant, and told her I was in no rush. She smiled at me and said, “ I think we will all know when the Michelle is ready to look a little nicer.”

The weather had definitely turned cooler and most of the time I was wearing heavier clothes, which fortunately would cover my new fineries. She wanted me to go into the bathroom and put on the items right then and there, but I told her it could wait till we got back to our rooms. Jana was a little disappointed, but still very excited that I had taken her gift and not complained even one little bit.

Throughout the challenge I had wondered if the girls really felt we would go through with the whole thing. At the beginning, the whole thing seemed quite outlandish. With each step and each new wrinkle, we had been digging ourselves into a deeper and deeper hole. The whole thing could have put a wedge between us, but it seemed to be drawing us closer and closer together. Some of that bonding was clearly sexual, but some of it was more like just friendship bonding or should I say girlfriend bonding. Jana and I had a great thing going. I did however wonder, what would possess a girl to turn her boyfriend into more of a girlfriend. Maybe Jana and Rita were Bi. Someone once told me that all girls are Bi to at least some extent. At the time, I blew off that notion. I was now feeling maybe there was a little truth to that. Whatever was their motivation, they certainly were enjoying seeing us experience a little girlhood.

I was clearly losing a little bit of my male mojo. The moment I put on my new lingerie I became aroused. Jana had me model it for her that night and giggled as soon as she saw my erection. She walked up to me and gave me the most passionate kiss I had ever experienced. She hugged me and dragged me over to my bed. We fell over onto the bed like a fallen tree. I think she kissed just about every part of my body before relieving my throbbing organ. We were having so much fun together, that she knew I would do almost anything for her.

There was only about two weeks left in the semester prior to Thanksgiving break. We would all be going home to spend the holiday with our families. I was a little concerned that some of the subtle changes in me might be too obvious. It was all for fun, but the family might think it was a little weird. Even if I could cover up some of the externally obvious changes, like longer hair, my hairless body, the long polished nails, and of course the pierced ears, someone could still notice my new undergarments. I was going to have to come up with a strategy for Thanksgiving, but so far, I hadn’t figured it out yet.
Nick was going through much of the same internal conflict that I was going through. We had not discussed it that much, but he was clearly becoming more and more feminine. His hair was much longer and now seemed at least as long as mine. Both of us were in desperate need of a haircut. There were of course the obvious changes in clothing and female hygiene that we were both experiencing, but beyond that, he seemed to be much less masculine. His posture seemed to be different and for some reason he seemed to be moving a little different. Maybe I was doing the same thing, but it was easier to see that with my friend Nick. His relationship with Rita seemed very strong and they hung out as much as possible. During our freshman year and earlier in the semester Nick and I spent most of our free time together. More recently, Nick would spend his free time with Rita and I would spend my free time with Jana. This was okay, but I did enjoy my time with Nick whenever we had it.

During the middle of the week I expressed my concern to Jana about the Thanksgiving holiday coming up. Maybe I was looking for a little sympathy or possibly some idea how to get through Thanksgiving with a minimum of fanfare. She said she would discuss it with Rita and give it some thought. She told me not to worry and that everything would be fine. I trusted her implicitly, but had no idea what to expect. She said every challenge had been subtle when compared to the previous week’s challenge and future ones would be no different. It was only two weeks to Thanksgiving, so not to worry. I would have been worried, even if there had been no new challenges, and I am sure that Jana could read that on my face.

“Only two more challenges before we go home and only six more weeks and we win the semester bet,” I related to Nick on Thursday morning before we went off to classes. He said he wasn’t sure if he could make it to the end of the semester, let alone Thanksgiving. I told him we were in this together and would somehow survived together. He was scared about going home for the holiday, because he was not sure how his family might react to seeing the way he looked now. I was planning on going home that Friday right after classes ended, but he said he was not going to go home until the Monday before Thanksgiving. He was going to use the excuse that he had a lot of work to get done, but the truth is, he wanted to put it off as long as possible before his family saw him. I certainly understood where he was coming from, but I really wanted to see my family and needed a break from campus.

We were still getting together every Saturday night as we had laid out in the challenge. This coming Saturday, would be our last dinner together, prior to break. The two Saturdays over the break would be the only weekends that the girls would not have to take us out. So we planned to have a nice celebration together on Saturday. The girls were going to take us out to our favorite Italian restaurant and we would go dancing afterwards at our favorite club called “Chances R.’ With the holiday right around the corner.
On Friday afternoon all four of us were hanging out at the union building after classes. Rather than wait till the evening, the girls thought it would be a great time to layout our next challenge. The girls felt obliged to discuss the next challenge prior to telling us what it was. They said we had been good sports all along and they knew that the holiday was around the corner. They didn’t want to ruin the holiday for us, so for the holiday they did not want to do anything that was too far out there. We were relieved to hear this, but a little skeptical. They reminded us how in our first challenge we wore panties and could barely tell the difference. They explained that a lot of girl’s clothes are really no different than boy’s clothes. Sometimes the sizing is different, sometimes the fabric is different, and of course sometimes the styles look a little different. They went on to say, so much of what we wear is really uni-sexual. We were not sure where this was leading.

It was then, that the girls said, that we needed to start upgrading our wardrobe. We really did not like the sound of that and asked in what way?

Rita was very quick to say, “In a very subtle way.”

“In what way?’ I asked.

Janet took this opportunity to cut in “you guys have lost so much weight, that your pants are practically falling off. We thought, that this would be a great time to buy you some new pants and slacks.”

Rita chimed in “pants are pants and the ones we picked out for you will clearly fit better than the ones you are wearing right now.”

They were probably right about the pants we were wearing. They were pretty worn, and probably at least a couple of sizes too big. I’m not sure how much in total weight we had lost, but a few of our pants were nearly falling off. As it pertained to our current pants, we would have had a hard time arguing. We were more concerned with what they had picked out for us. Until now, all of our new apparel was for under our clothes or only to be worn at night. Now they were suggesting that we wear girl’s clothes on the outside. We thought this was very unfair, especially with the holiday right around the corner.

Jana said they had bought us each three pairs of new pants and that on two of them they claimed most people would be very hard-pressed to know that they were not boy’s pants. On the third pair, she added that they were only a little bit more feminine and also not obvious to everyone.

The first pair were new Blue Jeans. My pair was a size 8 and came from the Guess store. That had some sort of squiggly design on the back pocket, but otherwise looked a lot like jeans I normally wore. The second pair of pants also was very jeans like, but was black and made of a more stretchy type of denim. Jana expressed “that since we were so skinny, these were our skinny jeans.”
The last pair of slacks was a lot dressier and also black. These slacks were much fuller in the legs and made of a much softer material. They were not made of the same satin like material that we had become accustomed to with our undergarments, but in their own way they also were very smooth and silk like. They seem to have more material than they really needed in the legs and I could see no pockets on them. Rita pointed out that they were very comfortable and the legs hung straight down from our waste. She said they were a little dressy, and would be perfect for going out Saturday night.

I lifted them up and they almost seem like a long skirt. I did not see how they could be mistaken in any way for boy’s pants. Janet told us we would love them and reminded us that it each step of the way we eventually enjoyed their little challenges. The other pants she pointed out would not look or feel any different than our old pants, but only fit us better. Over Thanksgiving, they said we would not have to wear the dressier slacks. This did not make us feel that much better. Rita even said that since the regular pants were hardly a challenge, then at least we could give it a try and wear the dressier pair once for them. I somehow hoped that they would not fit, but so far during the challenge, the girls managed to get our sizes perfectly.

Nick and I looked at each other and said we would do our best. The girls seemed to perk up and said we would all have a great time on Saturday. We are not so sure, but then, we were not so sure many times previously during the semester.

They asked us to go into the men’s room put on our new blue jeans. Nick and I were in no mood for arguing so we meekly complied. We came out with our fancy new duds on and the girls gave us a very quiet applause. The jeans fit us almost perfectly. We didn’t want to admit it, but they looked much better than the pants we had on before. It was almost as if they had been made for us. We thanked them and headed back to the dorm.

The girls walked ahead, which gave us a chance to chat a little bit. We both agreed that these pants were not so bad and if we could make it through Saturday, we would only had one more challenge prior to Thanksgiving. We were resting a little bit easier knowing that there was only one more surprise before we headed home for the holiday.

When we got back to the dorm the four of us had a quick bite in the cafeteria. The food was, as usual, very bland, but at least it was free. After eating we all went up to the girls room to hang out. The girls had some wine spritzers in the fridge, so we planned to just relax and kick back. Rita popped her iPhone into the sound-deck to create a little atmosphere in the room.

It was nice doing nothing for a change. We had all gone through midterms and all were grateful for some R. and R. We shot the breeze complaining about classes, the cafeteria, and any other crap we had on our minds. After a couple of drinks the girls turn the subject to fashion. They started probing us as to our likes and dislikes. The focus was totally on the female side of the clothing ledger. They wanted to know what we thought was pretty and were indirectly trying to educate us on women’s clothes. They pulled some of their clothes out of the closet as if they were doing a show and tell presentation. Since we were all so relaxed, the learning experience seemed so unforced.

The evening took a most unexpected turn. All four of us ended up spending the night in their room. We all wore our nightgowns and stayed up very late. It was kind of like an all girl slumber party. There was no sex play, but we were all very snuggly and often curled up together. The strangest thing was that I found myself at one point lying next to Nick. When Rita got up to get some water it was just the two of us in the bed and Nick’s body was clearly plastered against mine. When I first noticed the change of partners I was a little shaken, but after a momentary flash of fear, I felt oddly okay with it.

Nick was lying behind me and we were both on our sides. We were pretty tightly pressed up against each other, partially because the bed was only a twin and also because their were so many pillows on it. Nick’s arm was resting on my shoulder. I thought the booze and the girl’s night experience had desensitized me to the obvious unexpected turn of events. I had never even considered my good friend as anything other than a best friend. However, here I was curled up with him on a bed in a girl’s dorm room. When Rita returned, with a bottle of water she slipped into the other bed with Jana. Nothing was said between us about the twist of circumstances, but we were all aware of the change of bedfellows. There was very little additional conversation before we all drifted off to sleep. Nick and I ended up sharing the bed for the night. No real advances had occurred between us, but I would never have imagined that I might share a bed with another guy.

When I woke the following morning I was laying directly up against Nick, face forward. We were not hugging, but each of us had an arm over the other in an affectionate embrace. I was staring at my friend and trying not to move a muscle. I could not figure out how I got here and what if anything it meant. I looked over at Nick and at this moment he looked to me to be more girl than boy. It was more than just the physical ambiguity, but also the way he was responding. I lied awake for a few minutes, just staring and thinking about the crazy situation. As I stared at Nick, I kept visualizing him as being a girl. It was during one of my spacey dream states that Nick opened his eyes. He saw me just staring at him with my arm around him. He paused for a few seconds, then a small smile formed and he gave me a small peck on the cheek. It caught me by surprise, however I did not recoil. Almost instinctively, I asked Nick how he slept. I was talking to him not unlike I would have spoken to Jana after spending a night together.

Jana and Rita seemed to still be sleeping across in the other bed. I thought this would be a good time to exit. I slowly began to unravel myself from Nick. Neither of us seemed overly anxious to separate. Just before I got up I looked down on my friend and stared into his eyes and gave him a soft kiss across his lips. I had not thought it through, but at the moment it felt just right. As crazed as my action was, Nick clearly enjoyed my advancement. When I started pulling away, he put his free hand gently around my neck, and pulled me back to him to give me a slightly longer and more passionate kiss.

I quietly slid myself out of the bed. When I sat up I heard the girls finally waking with some morning groans. I said I was going to shower and head back to my own room. I slipped on my clothes from the previous night and glided out of the room. I felt almost like I had a mild morning hangover even though I really had not drank that much. I think it was the sensory overload my mind and body had experienced that was causing my impaired mental state. I took an extra long shower time to get my head back on straight. I just stared down at my red toes not really caring if anyone might notice. This whole game had taken me places I never expected and if anyone had commented about my painted toes it would've seemed almost insignificant.

I brushed my teeth and hair and then made my way back to my room. I put on my new black jeans, which fit me much closer up and down my legs. They were stretchier and clung to the shape of my legs. Other than being somewhat tight in the crotch area, they felt okay. I didn't give much thought to how they might actually look on me. My mind was still racing from the seemingly surreal events, so I was not completely thinking straight and not focused on my appearance.

I went down by myself to the cafeteria and had some toast and some bitter coffee. When I returned to the room Nick was in there changing. He looked at me with a sideways grin, but no direct eye contact. Our conversation was very muted and skirted the real substance of what was on both of our minds. I told him he could meet up with me at the library if he wanted to. I then texted to Jana where I would be heading. I was in no frame of mind for any deep conversation. She texted me back, "Catch up with you later… love Jana."

I spent the whole morning at the library alone with not even a peep from my friends. It was about 12:30 PM when I went back to the dorm to have some lunch and see if anyone was around.

I dropped my backpack in my empty room and walked down to the girl's room. Jana was in there alone working on a paper. She was genuinely excited to see me and after opening her door gave me a big hug. She said she did not come to the library, because she thought I might like a little personal time. I accepted her answer and went inside to be with her.

She was careful what she said, but asked me basically how I was doing. Without admitting that I was slightly mixed up, I gave her a rhetorical answer "fine." She shot back, “If I don't want to talk then what was I doing in her room?”

I was going to say something I might have regretted, before I caught myself and told her I was not myself. I told her that cumulative weekly effect of the challenge had started to make me feel different. I could not put a finger on it, but then I was trying to figure out what was really happening to me. She was sympathetic to my turmoil, but said I should just relax and go with the flow. She said that I was so lucky to be experiencing things most men never have the opportunity to and that it would make me a better person.

I told her that I was okay, but that I was getting emotional about the recent events. I did not say anything about the kiss, but I really didn't have to, since Nick and I had basically slept together.

She sat next to me giving me a short but sweet kiss. She rubbed my shoulders and explained to me that she knew that somewhere along the way Nick and I would hit that point that we might feel overwhelmed by conflicting emotions. She told me to accept the feeling without guilt. It was easier for her to say, than for me to do.

I told her that while I enjoyed the opportunity to experience some decidedly female times, I was having trouble being my old self the rest of the time. She told me to forget my old self and accept the new more rounded person I had become. I was not sure what I really wanted, but for sake of discussion I said I would try.

We went to have some lunch and then went back to the library to study. Before we left for the library she had me put on her UGG boots. She said they went much better with my nice jeans. The jeans actually had to be worn inside the booths since the pants were so snug. The boots were probably a size too small, but felt pretty soft inside. We were planning on meeting up with Nick and Rita later in the day for our fancy dinner out.

We had a productive afternoon at the library and before we headed back, Jana asked if we could stop in town for a few minutes. Our stop was really a stop for me. Our first stop was at the shoe outlet. She picked out a pair of UGGs for me. They looked much like her pair that I had been wearing, but they had a white furry band at the top. I was not expecting this additional challenge, but she said I really needed them for the winter. She then turned to a dressier section of the store to find a low-rise black leather boot to wear for the evening. She picked out a black leather pair with a 2-inch heel and a zipper on the side. They only rose slightly above the ankle, but she said she really liked them because they could be worn with almost anything. She asked me my opinion of the shoes and I said I thought they were pretty and a good choice. She then grabbed the box and said I should try them on before I bought them. Until then, I thought they were for her and only then realized the truth. I momentarily balked at the suggestion, saying that I didn’t need another new pair of dressier shoes. She was adamant, explaining that they would go great with my new slacks. She said I needed some nicer shoes for the evening. I gave her an “I give up” pout and then reached for the box and tried on the shoes. They were a little narrower than my other shoes, but the sizing was fine. I paid for the two new pairs of shoes and wore the new UGGs out of the store.

We made one last stop before heading back. We dashed into the Walgreens and bought a set of hair scrunchies and a couple of small berets. Jana said that my hair was getting so long that it needed to be controlled more. I was silent as she made the selection and paid for them at the cashier. We were finally done shopping and on our way back to the dorm.

It was nearly 5 when we got back. I told her I was going to relax in the room for a while before dinner. She told me that would be okay, but I should shower and wash my hair and meet up with her in her room by six o’clock. She planned for us to get ready together. She asked that I bring my new slacks, shoes, and the silver-grey sweater that she had bought me for my birthday the previous March. I told her I would oblige and see her later.

I returned to my room where I found Nick brushing his hair. He had already showered and was sitting at his desk stroking his hair with a new hairbrush. He was told by Rita that he needed to take care of his hair better and brushing it at least 100 times would make it look better. When I walked by him I could tell he smelled different. He must have been wearing a new cologne or more likely perfume. I liked the smell and the scent smelled fresh and slightly sweet. It was a nice smell, but I chose not to comment on it. If Nick had experienced a day anything like mine, he was probably not in a sharing mood. Nick was certainly forging ahead with the challenge. I wondered how our little moment together might have affected him.

I told him my plan to meet up with Jana in her room. He informed me that Rita would be coming over to our room around the same time to get them ready. Obviously, the girls had coordinated the evening’s plans. I decided to rest for a short while before showering. While I lay on my bed I could not stop watching Nick stroke his hair over and over. Two months back, I would never have expected to ever see that sight. He looked very relaxed doing it, and ever so often cocked his head to the side to see how his hair was flowing. His hair looked much shinier than normal.

Just before six I made my way down to Jana’s room. When I knocked, Rita opened the door and said “goodbye” to Jana. She had a bag full of stuff in her hand when she disappeared down the hall. Jana told me to make myself comfortable at her desk while she finished putting on some makeup. She was glad my hair was still damp. She mentioned that she wanted to blow dry it and give it little more shape and more body. I was somewhat apprehensive having her work on my hair and help me get ready, but I knew Nick was experiencing a similar ordeal.

She had me dress in my new slacks with my laciest lingerie. She also had me wear nylons, which until this night I had avoided. She even had to show me how to properly put them on.

When she saw how the lingerie and nylons looked on me she had a small frown on her face. She spouted, “That just will not do.”

I asked her “what’s wrong?’

“My penis was ruining the effect!”

“It doesn’t detach and despite her best efforts would have to stay.”

She then instructed me to remove the panties and nylons and lay on my back. This suggestion may be nervous but I complied. She slid a black thong like item up my leg to my thighs. She then pushed my penis back between my legs while carefully and gently tucking my testicles up into my body cavity. She then slid the thong down to hold everything in place. She then instructed me to put everything back on.

My groin area now resembled Jana’s. It felt strange walking around the room and looking at myself in the mirror. She said that she bought the gaffe off Amazon and was not sure when she was going to give it to me. She said it would provide me a little “cleaner” look. With it on I found myself walking with a shorter stride, which Jana thought looked more feminine. She then had me put on my slacks, sweater and new shoes. Maybe it was the way the heels changed my posture, but from the neck down I looked pretty feminine. If I had even small breasts, the look would be all girl. I was relieved at the challenge never included that item. I felt that at least in a dark restaurant, I could still pass for a boy.

She told me to sit down at her desk so she could work on my hair. My hair had grown quite a bit since the beginning of the semester. I was having a hard time keeping it out of my face, especially when it was windy out. I probably would have worn it in a ponytail if not for the fact that I was wearing earrings. I like having some of my hair covering my ears to avoid comments.

Jana started working on my hair with a brush and a blow dryer. She seemed to be having fun brushing my hair in every direction. After a while, she started mainly brushing my hair from underneath while using the dryer. It felt like she was pulling down on my hair as she curled the brush. She did this on my sides and in the back. This process went on for about 15 minutes. Before I had a chance to see myself, she changed my earrings to something she said were more appropriate for the evening. They were a pair of her earrings and I could tell they weighed more than the studs I was wearing before.

When she was finished, she let me walk over to the full-length mirror to see the effect. When I saw myself in the mirror my heart started racing. The person staring back at me looked almost foreign to me. She had parted my hair down the middle and gave me a giant wave that curled under all the way around my head. Whereas before, my hair had very little body, now it looked almost rounded with much more fullness. It certainly looked like I had more hair than before. Even with my hair covering my ears I could still make out the new earrings, which were dangling sterling Silver teardrops.

The combined effect of the new hairdo and the clothes that I was wearing would certainly make it hard for me to pass for male. At best, I might be considered androgynous, but more to the girl's side of the ledger. I stared at myself in the mirror while turning my body and head a few times to convince myself it was me. The clothing and hair adorned my thin frame and made me look almost attractive. The hairstyle seemed to frame my face nicely. I was amazed, how much differently my face looked with the new style. I was not wearing any makeup, but my face looked so much more delicate. I was very confused looking at myself, because I found the image appealing.

Here I was getting myself ready to go out to dinner looking nothing like myself. This would be the first time, venturing out into the real world, where the challenge would be with me with every stride. The changes were not about just feeling different, now it was about looking different as well. I was scared that I might receive some ridicule from someone who might think I was strange. Jana seemed unconcerned; she said the only thing I would have to worry about is how I would react to a complement. I had gotten dry lips from looking at myself and thinking about what was ahead. Jana gave me some Chap Stick that was cherry flavored. I spread some on my lips, only to discover that it also had a clear shimmer to it. At least it didn’t have any color. This was all a very big step and I don’t think I could’ve taken on anything more.

Jana suggested that I take the Chap Stick with, incase I got dry lips while we were out. I took the stick, but I didn’t have any place to put it. I asked Shana if she could carry it for me, but she suggested something else. She gave me a small purse so that I could put my Chap Stick, wallet, and keys inside. I didn’t like the idea of carrying a purse, but I did not have anywhere else to put my things.

Jana said it was time to go and we should walk down to pick up Nicole and Rita. Just before we left the room she gave me a small sprits of perfume. It was just a couple of drops from her Chanel, but it was very distinguishable. I always liked the Chanel on her, so she thought I might like it on myself. I prayed that I would not see any close friends while going back to my room or during the evening. I had not thought through any logical explanation so I planned to just hang close to Jana.

I unlocked my dorm room without knocking. I did not want to hang out in the hall any longer than necessary. When I walked in, Nick turned around in a somewhat startled way. He was probably on eggshells just like me. I was stunned to see my friend looking so pretty. His hair had been combed out in a way only a girl would wear it. It was parted down the middle, but it had an uneven part almost as if it had been braded down the top. He was wearing an off-white sweater that had an oval neckline. The sleeves only went down about three quarters of the length of his arms. On his right wrist were about five or six gold wire bracelets. Nick was also wearing a new pair of shoes. They were wedging in design and probably no more than about 2 inches in the heel. What stood out most about the shoes is they appeared to be patent leather. They were very shiny and had an almost pointed toe.

The two of us had endured the almost complete erasure of our masculinity. I would never have imagined that this challenge would ever have gotten to this point. Here we were going out to dinner looking so ultra feminine. Depending on how we walked and talked we would probably most certainly be mistaken for girls. I was not sure whether would be better to be mistaken for a girl and blend in or to try and act like my old self.

We grabbed a cab and headed to downtown. When we arrived at the restaurant the maá®tre d' asked, "Ladies would you like a booth or a table?" Rita asked for a table, she said later, that it was because it would be better for showing off our new looks. The girls were certainly enjoying themselves and giving us as many pointers on how to act and to carry ourselves. Jana even explained how we should look at men. If we wanted to flirt, we should look at them one way and if we were just checking them out, we should look at them a different way. I didn't understand why she was explaining that to us, but she said it was part of being a girl. After she said that, I was sure some guys at the bar were checking us all out. As a guy, I never remember anyone ever checking me out. Now on my first evening out dressed primarily as a girl, I was getting the once over.

Dinner was good considering the bizarre activities we were participating in. Most of the conversation was between the girls and us and not between Nick and myself. We probably looked at each other 1000 times or more, but we rarely engaged in conversation. I really wanted to know how he felt, but this just wasn't the right place to inquire. We both really looked the part and listened very intently when the girls gave us advice. Early on in the challenge, we were more resistant to their comments, but now it seemed like a game plan for getting through the experience.

We finished up dinner and the girls asked us if we were ready for dancing. I could not imagine being in a dance club looking like we did. Jana said we would have a great time and we would not be out late. The dance club was only two blocks away so we chose to walk there. We ended up taking a longer route to the club, because the girls wanted to work on the way we moved. They made us walk in a much more ladylike way with 1 foot in front of the other and a slight sway of the hips. They reminded us how we should hold our arms with either our wrists slightly bent or our thumbs pointing slightly outward. They had us keep our posture upright and our hips slightly forward. After finally getting the hang of it we headed into the club.

I told Jana that I definitely needed a drink, preferably something strong. She went up to the bar and ordered four cosmopolitans. So here I was looking so girlish, sipping on a cosmopolitan, on the edge of the dance floor. Jana wasted no time pulling me out onto the dance floor. Even dancing in girl style cloths felt different. I tried to mimic the way Jana danced and I found myself copying other girls out on the dance floor. It really wasn't that hard, but it was a new learning experience. We danced a couple of songs and I saw Rita and Nick out there as well. Earlier in the evening I built up a lot of nervous tension, but being out on the dance floor seemed to make me feel more relieved. Something about being on the dance floor let’s you loosen up a bit.

We took a little break from dancing and made our way back to our bar stools. I think it was the first time in a while that I laughed. I was finally enjoying the evening and not focused on the circumstances. It was nice having a drink, listening to some good music and just letting loose a little. Rita and Nick worked their way back to us and also were clearly enjoying the club. After a while we did some more dancing and I even went dancing with Nick. That seemed pretty harmless, since there is really nothing that odd about two girls dancing together. Nick and I returned to our drinks and waited for the girls to finish up their dancing.

Nick and I were just hanging out sipping our drinks when two guys approached us. They asked us our names and I nearly choked on my response. Before answering I looked around the room for Jana and Rita. In a faint voice, I said my name was Michelle and this was my friend Nicole. The guys tried to be charming, but we kept looking around for help. They asked us to dance and since we had obviously just been dancing, we really didn't know how to tell them no. So there we were out on the dance floor with two other guys. I was grateful that the song had a pretty good beat so that we would not have to dance together too closely. It felt so strange to be the object of some other man's desires. In a way it was a complement, but it still felt very awkward.

I saw the girls returned to our area, so as soon as the song ended we told the guys that we had to get back to our friends. We told them that we had promised to hang together and that we would be leaving shortly. We thanked them for the dance and scurried back to our girlfriends. Both girls were smiling from ear to ear. Jana asked me, “How does it feel to have your first conquest?”

I gave her a dirty look and said “what were we supposed to do?’

Rita asked "do you two want to invite them over to the table?"

"I think it's time to get the check, I've had enough fun for one evening" Said Nick.

The girls didn't push it and agreed it would be a good time to go. They knew that there was only so much we could absorb in one day. The challenge was meant to be a gradual and subtle adjustments and if they push too hard, it would not be any fun for anyone. This seemed to be a good place to end the fun for one day. We quickly went back to the dorm. I ended up spending the night with Jana, while our two friends slept together back in Nick’s and my room.

That evening clearly marked a shift from some playful small challenges to a desire by the girls to see how truly feminine they could push us. It wasn't enough for us to have some girly characteristics, but they really wanted us to experience life on the other side of the fence. I kept thinking it was all part of the game and things would get back to normal when it was over.

I do not think Jana ever really treated me much like a true boyfriend again. That is, she still treated me with love and caring, but the shift was to that of a girlfriend. We still were lovers, but the sex was more woman-to woman than man-to-woman. We had great passion together, but the style and nature of the activities certainly had shifted.

On Sunday morning Jana had me put my hair in a ponytail. A lot of guys wore ponytails, but mine was put up higher on the back of my head and with a black scrunchy. For effect, Jana also pulled out a few strands of my hair in front to hang down on both sides of my head. When she was done she stepped back, smiled, and said I looked ‘cute’. I exhaled a little extra after her remark.

I wore my skinny jeans and one of Jana’s blue T-shirts over my Vicky's underwear and I made my way back to my room. I needed my backpack and books to do some studying. Rita had left the room before I got there and Nick was just getting dressed.

I noticed when Nick greeted me that he had a little remnant of lipstick on. I would normally have assumed it was Rita’s, but it was not the same shade she had worn the previous evening. Before we left the room I held my finger up to the corner of my mouth, so Nick would know that he had something on his lips. He glanced at the mirror and quickly wiped his mouth clean with a tissue. He said, “thanks.”

We skipped the cafeteria and stopped at Starbucks on the way to study. Nick complemented me on my hair, which caught me by surprise. Did he really think it looked good, or was he just trying to make me feel better? Either way, it made me more aware of how I looked. The turnabout evening was over, but we were still both looking and acting different. Even the way we walked had changed. Our sway may not have been as pronounced as the previous night, but our gate was much clearly more ladylike.

Nick and I made our way to the union building. There was a room in the back that had a few tables and a bunch of vending machines. We thought this would be a good place to study, because it was not our regular study place. With the way we look, we really didn't want to run into people that we were familiar with. In the vending room we would just be a couple of students that probably nobody knew.

Nick looked so much more demure than the friend I grew up with. My old friend was an outgoing and somewhat aggressive lad. The friend sitting across from me at the table seemed almost shy and more introverted. His hair was beautifully brushed and on one side pushed back behind his ear. His gold studded earring almost glistened as I scanned his face. He still had a small scent of Rita’s Chanel perfume emanating from his body. He was wearing one of Rita’s white turtleneck blouses that had a small zipper in the back at the top. If I did not already know his true sex I might have been confused.

We talked about classes and the school football team, and even world events. After chatting for a while we started talking about girls. It wasn't your typical guy talk about girls though. Instead of talking about how hot certain girls were or babes we would love to get into the sack with, it was more about how they dressed or looked. Nick commented about a girl two tables over and her hair. She had her hair perfectly parted with a braided section in the back. Parts of each side were pulled up over her head and clasped with some sort of butterfly clasp. Parts of her hair hung down to the sides. Nick seemed fascinated by her hair. He asked me how long I thought it took her to put her hair up like that each day. I had no idea and never really had given it any thought.

I found myself making comments about what some of the girls in the vending room were wearing. It was as if we were critiquing the girls in the room. We hung out there for about three or four hours and finished up the work we needed for Monday. There was a guy sitting alone at the table near the door who kept looking at me. I didn't know who he was so I assume he didn't know who I was or at least hoped he didn't. One time I looked over in his direction and he gave me a small smile. I was a little freaked out by it. I wondered whether he was interested in me or just thought I looked a little bizarre. I felt a little like I did dancing at the club with those strange men. I was sure he was going to come over and introduced himself so I asked Nick if we could leave.

We only had a few days left of school before we would be heading home for Thanksgiving. I would be leaving after school on Friday and Nick was still planning on holding out till Monday. The events of the weekend made me think a lot about how Thanksgiving might go. Some of my changes would not be easily masked. The girls we're going to give us one last challenge before we left. It would be tough enough getting through the holiday without some new challenge to overcome. Much like the previous week I spent a lot of time with Jana and not so much with Nick. She seems so intent on perfecting my mannerisms and posture. On Tuesday she even started working on my voice inflection. She had me slowing down my speech and trying to adjust my tone and pitch. I was spending so much time with her that I rarely had time to act like my old self. It was almost like a crash course before heading home.

Friday arrived and we were all excited about having a week off from school. We all had morning classes that day, but would be free for the whole afternoon. It was decided that we would all go out to lunch for one last meal together. At lunch, we would learn of our last challenge prior to break. The girls had been so careful with our diet all semester long that if nothing else our families would be commenting on how much weight we had lost. For our last meal we went to a contemporary restaurant that had a great salad bar. We had managed to develop appetites that were better suited for girls.

We noticed that when we went to lunch the girls did not have any backpacks or packages with them. Only Jana had a purse and it wasn’t really that large. We figured whatever the challenge might be it would hopefully be small. After eating I prodded them to give us the news. The girls told us we would be grateful for this newest challenge, as there would be nothing obvious about it. They even said it would be our easiest challenge so far. They picked this weekend for us, since we would be going home and they wanted it to be easy for us this week. We were getting very curious and impatient.

The girls opened up Jana’s purse and handed each of us a flat container and said “open wide.” We took the containers and opened them. Inside, laid out in row were 28 pink pills.

“What are these?” I asked

“They are for your complexion and to help slow down the growth of your body hair.” Jana answered

“In a way they are vitamins made for women. Rita and I, take one every day and think the two of you ought to also. They will make all the other things you have been doing a little easier.”

Nick asked, “What’s in them?”

The girls did not want to lie to us, so they came right out and told us what they were.

I was stunned, “You want us to take birth control pills?”

We were told that they would help us look a little softer and slow down the growth of our body hair. The other effects would not be that great unless we stayed on the pills indefinitely.

Rita interjected, “The pills may even make us feel more comfortable in our new clothes. After a while, some of them may even fit better.”

I was not sure I liked the sound of that, but we only had a few weeks to go before winter break anyway.

Nick and I excused ourselves to go to the bathroom. It was a trick the girls often pulled on us. We needed a moment to discuss this newest challenge without the girls present. Fortunately we were the only two guys in the bathroom so we had some privacy to chat. Neither of us liked the thought of taking something that might lead to some physical changes as a result. We were not into drugs so putting something foreign into our bodies was not something that we would normally want to do. We were happy that the week’s challenge was not something that would be noticeable (at least now), so it would be an easy thing to do over the break. If we chose not to do this and asked for something else, maybe they would pick something that would be more difficult for us to hide when we went home. It was not an easy choice and something we were not completely comfortable with. We figured, if we could just make it through to Christmas the pills could not have that much of an impact on us.

When we returned to the table, we reluctantly agreed to take the pills. The girls told us to take the pill at the same time every day. They suggested it would be a good idea to take it in the morning in case we forgot. They told us to open wide and take our first pill now. We did and put the container into our pockets. What have we done… was all I could think.

This is the story of two college guys who are challenged by their girlfriends to slowly add female aspects their lives. This challenge takes them much further than they every expected.

THE CHALLENGE by Nina Adams
Part two:

HOME FOR THANKSGIVING BREAK:

I was sitting on the train wondering what I was going to tell my mother about some of my noticeable changes. Jana was snuggled up against me on the bench looking out the window. It was Friday, so I was dressed for the challenge, but I made myself look as manly as possible. I had on the blue jeans and had a sweatshirt covering my lingerie so it would not be visible. I had my long hair in a ponytail, but unlike during the week, I had all my hair pulled to the back. I wore a rubber band to hold the hair rather than a scrunchy.

Despite all my efforts, some of my changes could not go unnoticed. My nails were very long and had clear polish on them. My ears were now pierced. My hair had grown at least 3 inches and had been pretty long to begin with. I was down to about 130 to 135 pounds on my 5’8” frame. I had no hair on my body accept for on the top of my head. Though I made my best efforts to walk and talk in a manly way, my mannerisms had subtly been changed. Underneath all the visible changes, were my new lingerie and gaffe. At night, on the weekends, Jana still expected me to wear my nightgown. It would be almost impossible to conceal all of this while I was home.

I decided that honesty would probably be my best policy. My mother and I were very close and did not keep meaningful secrets from each other. I would tell her about the challenge and maybe just leave out a few details. I would make it sound more playful and not mention that I had taken a birth control pill. She might even get a laugh out of the whole thing. I figured it would be easier to confront the whole thing then to try and hide it. When we were about a half an hour from Chicago, I told Jana how I was going to handle everything. I told her that I was going to tell my mother about the challenge rather than try and conceal it.

“Are you sure that’s what you want to do? What do you think your mom will say or do? Will she be okay with it?”

“Mom has always been understanding and never overly critical of my activities. She may have some questions or give me her opinion of the whole thing, but I doubt she’ll get real angry.”

“Do you think she’ll get mad at me?

“ Jana you know she has always liked you, and I am sure she will not be mad at you. If she is upset at all, it will be at me for getting myself in the situation.”

Jana looked me in the eyes and said “she would do anything for me and only wants the best for me.” She then laid her head on my shoulder and tried to get a few minutes of sleep.

My mother and Jana’s mother were waiting for us at the Amtrak station. It had been about three months since we last saw them and we ran up and gave them a hug. My mother was so excited to see me that for a moment I do not think she noticed the new me. Our mothers had driven to the station in separate cars, since my mother had spent the afternoon in the city with my aunt. After only a couple of minutes of small talk we made our way to the cars. When we got in the car, mom finally did a once over on me.

She asked me how things were going and how the train ride was. She asked a few more basic questions before asking me what was going on. She had noticed virtually everything, including the fact that I was wearing lingerie under my sweatshirt. She said she felt it when she hugged me. If I thought, I was going to put off explaining the situation, I was wrong. We were not even out of the city limits, before I was giving her the details of the challenge. She seemed a little concerned, but I wouldn’t call it angry. She wanted to know what things we had done and how I felt about it.

I told her about all of the challenges with the exception of the most recent. I didn’t embellish on how the girls were treating us and on some of the special lessons they seemed to insist on teaching us. She really wanted to know how I felt about having all these things done to me. It was very difficult for me to talk to her about this, but I told her some of it felt a little strange and some of it wasn’t that bad. She seemed to accept this and told me that she was proud of me for not backing down. I told her that Nick was going through the same thing as me and that is why he really didn’t want to come home until Monday. She was sad to hear that he was staying there because he felt embarrassed.

She told me Sasha was really excited that I was coming home. She said she would have a talk with her about the challenge so that she would not give me any trouble. She even said, “That since we are now about the same size, that maybe I could borrow a couple of her things.”

I was not thrilled by my mother’s last statement, but she was probably right. Sasha was about 1 inch shorter than me and now only a few pounds lighter. Mom was certainly not going to put her foot down and stop the challenge. Her last comment, made that clear. By the time we got home I was no longer worried about the challenge and my family. I would be able to relax and enjoy the time off.

When I got home Sasha was not there. Mom told me that she would be home later in the evening. She was with her boyfriend Alex. Sasha met Alex when they were freshmen together at Northwestern. They had dated all through school and they would be graduating in the spring.

After unpacking, I went downstairs to help mom with dinner. She had me cut up some vegetables and wash a few dishes. Before she would let me help, she had me put on an apron. I always enjoyed helping her in the kitchen, but this was the first time she insisted I wear an apron.

We were almost done making dinner when Sasha walked in. I did not hear her come into the house so when she walked into the kitchen she surprised me. I almost jumped out of my dainty socks. I spun around to her standing 5 feet from me. She was just staring at me. I must have looked even more feminine to her with the apron wrapped around me.

Her first words were “Michael you… you look different!”

“Hi sis, good to see you too.”

“Michael is that you or are you Michaela?”

“Very funny, it’s not what you think.”

“How do you know what I am thinking?”

“Let me explain.”

When I was done filling her in, she seemed almost excited by my plight. Mom told her not to give me trouble or a hard time. She promised not to tease me and even said she would be helpful. Whatever that meant.

When we were in private later she told me I looked nice and that she liked my new look. She even mentioned that while growing up she often wished I were her little sister. So even if, only for a few days, the results of the challenge would be kind of fun for her. I thought her attitude was acceptable, all things considered, and told her I was okay with it. Though it was probably a mistake I told her Jana called me Michelle not Michaela.

She giggled, “Got it Michelle.”

When we were all hanging out in the family room later she started calling me Michelle in front of mother. Mom told her not to tease me, but I cut in and told mom that is what Jana called me on the weekends. Seeing as it was Friday night she also started calling me Michelle. I probably should’ve kept my mouth shut, but everyone was having a good time.

At bedtime my mother came into my room. She said she wanted to see me in my nightgown. After kissing me goodnight, she asked me again if I was okay with what I was doing and the whole experience. I told her that it was difficult at first, but some things like the nightgown I had gotten used to and in some ways was enjoying.

Before leaving my room she held me and said she needed to give it all some thought and sleep on it. She also suggested I sleep in since she had a lot to do and had a very full morning tomorrow. With everything I had been going through of late, sleeping in would be a real pleasure.

I slept until nearly 11 Saturday morning and woke to an empty house. I went down to the kitchen to find a note from my mother saying she would be home after lunch. I made some coffee and had some cereal.

At around two o’clock she returned. She brought in a few packages, which she swiftly brought up to her room. After freshening herself up she joined me in the family room where I was channel surfing on the TV. She brought in a couple of fresh cups of coffee and sat down.

She asked me to turn the TV off for a few minutes so we could talk. She wanted to do some catching up and discuss the plans for the week. I flipped off the set and grabbed my saucer. She wanted to know how I was doing at school and how I was coping with my challenges at school.

I told her at first it was not that difficult, but now with longer hair, nails and some of the new clothes it was very difficult around the dorm. I found my self sneaking in and out and wearing hats much more. I also ate out more to avoid the cafeteria. She chuckled a little saying it did not look like I had been eating much at all.

She probed me more on my feelings. I was not sure where she was going with this. I asked her what she meant.

“I want to know if you felt comfortable with your little changes. Are you enjoying this? Do you want to stop now? Really, I just want you to be happy.”

“Mom, you are the best. I am not completely sure how I feel. At times it has been a little scary and somewhat uncomfortable, but at other times I have even enjoyed how it made me feel. Not trying to be macho can be liberating. Does that help?”

“School still has four full weeks after break are you prepared for where this challenge may lead you?”

“What do you mean?”

“ I think you know. You already looks so sweet, in four weeks you will probably look as pretty as your sister!”

“Mom!”

“I’m serious, there is not much that can be done to you now that will not make you look even more girlish. You have great facial features and are so thin, with little help you would look beautiful.”

“Are you telling me I should quit and end the challenge?”

“No, I am just saying that from this point forward, if you continue, you must be prepared to go all the way in.”

“I am not a quitter, but I never really thought about it that far. I knew this might get kind of awkward or a little bizarre, but I never envisioned myself taking it to that extreme.”

“Honey, if you plan to finish this, you are going to have to be completely open-minded and basically think of yourself as a girl.”

“But mom… Some of the things that Jana will ask us to do might not be for a few weeks.”

“Honey, at this point any challenges will push you cross the gender line and you will want to avoid confusion. You will feel more comfortable if the remaining challenges are coordinated and more closely grouped together.”

“I think I understand what you mean what I am not sure about this, and besides Jana is controlling the changes.”

“That won’t be a problem, I have a ready spoken with Jana and she was appreciative of my ideas and help.”

“What kind of help?”

“While you are home we can pick up a few new things for you and maybe I can show you a thing or two.”

“Do you think I should continue?”

“It doesn’t matter what I think, But I have noticed a little sparkle in your eyes since you were home. You seem comfortable being Michelle.”

“Mom, this is not just about me. The challenge was for Nick and I. If I plan to go the distance, Nick is supposed to do so also. He didn’t even come home from school yet!”

“I spoke with Mrs. Jones this morning. She knows everything now. She has already called Nick and he will be home on the afternoon train. She said he was so relieved that she now knew and was not upset with him. She told him it would be fun to have a daughter instead of a son for a while.”

“You really have been busy this morning.”

“Yes I have. I have made a few other calls and even some appointments for both Nick and you.”

“What kind of appointments?”

“Fun stuff. Some things to make you feel more comfortable with the changes and to have some fun girl time.”

“Like what?”

“A little shopping and spa time to start.”

“I don’t really need much, Jana has been taken care of that.”

“You need a few things to look and feel more appropriate. I want you to have everything you need so your learning goes without a hitch.”

“I guess that is all okay if you think so…”

“For the rest of the holiday break I am going to treat you like a daughter and call you Michelle. If the rest of school is going to be manageable, you are going to have to learn a lot the next few days. No complaints. Do you understand?”

“Sure.”

“I mean it! No questioning things… Understand?”

“Yes, I will do what ever you tell me to.”

“Good! Let’s go up to your room and see what you have.”

She was surprised how little I had. “It’s only for weekends, mom.”

“Well honey, moving forward is going to be much more difficult to keep switching back and forth so you are going to need a lot more things. For the moment you can borrow some of your sisters clothes.”

She picked out one of my sisters cashmere sweaters and had me put it on. “Now Michelle, I want you to come into my room.”

She rummaged through her desk and gave me a gold charm bracelet and told me to put it on. She then switched out my earrings for hoops style. I thought she was done for the moment when she told me to come into her bathroom and sit on the closed toilet. Her bathroom had mirrors on all of the walls.

She worked on my hair for a few minutes then put a large purple barrette on one side of my face to hold up my hair. She then told me to watch closely as she reached for her makeup kit.

I started to flinch, she then looked me straight in the eyes “no complaints! Besides, I am only giving you a little daytime highlights.”

She took a pencil and framed my eyes. Then she used some powder around my eyes and on my cheek line. She then added a touch of mascara and some light peach lipstick to her work. When I saw myself in the mirror my heart dropped.

I looked so much like my sister that it was freaky. That was no boy in the reflection, rather a cute young college coed. I didn’t know what to say.

“You were going to need to learn how to do this yourself young lady. I will not be around all the time to help you with it.”

I was a little stunned. I kept looking at myself in the mirror with an odd sense of fascination. More than a small part of me was turned on by the pretty reflection in front of me. I knew I should have been repulsed, but I was kind of proud how attractive I turned out.

“I think you look all right, but you need some special care and a haircut. I made us all appointments at Lulu’s salon for Monday afternoon. Nick and his mother are also going. You are getting the works. Normally Lulu’s is closed on Monday, but because we are all going she is opening the shop that afternoon just for us. Lulu is doing me a very big favor.”

“Tomorrow we can go and get you a few things to tide you over. After you look more appropriate we can get you some nicer clothes for school.”

“I have nervous butterflies about all of this. I guess I am in your hands.”

“We need to spend some time this weekend teaching you how to act more like a girl. I also want you to start thinking like a girl. I plan to critique your movements and even how you speak. You also need to learn how to put on makeup. Sasha volunteered to give you lessons this evening.”

I had a light lunch with mom and she even gave me pointers how to eat more ladylike. She adjusted my sitting posture, slowed me down and had me taking much smaller bites. When we finish cleaning up I stopped in the bathroom and for whatever reason it all started hitting me. I stared at my feminized self and even began to cry.

Mom came in to see what was wrong. I told her I had a wave of a motion about my changes and got kind of overwhelmed. I never intended to be taking things this far and while I liked how I looked I was a little scared. She held me and told me everything would be fine. “These are all new feelings for you and soon you will feel even more comfortable with it.”

I spent the rest of the day around the house trying to adjust to my new circumstances. The point of the whole challenge was for Nick and I to understand women and feminism better, well we certainly were learning more than we ever bargained for.

Sasha spent nearly 2 hours with me Saturday evening teaching me about makeup and she even showed me some basic application techniques. The lesson included skin care, daytime makeup, evening makeup, and trashy makeup. At one point she used the example that this makeup was good for just hanging out or going to the library, but when I am out on dates I will want to change my overall look. I gave her a dirty look when she mentioned "dates", but she said she was just trying to make a point.

Sunday was pretty much the same as Saturday, but Jana stopped by. She was so happy to see me and commented how great I looked. I could sense she was pleased that I was still moving forward with her challenge. We hung out for a couple of hours and I filled her in on my new knowledge. She said Monday was going to be so much fun.

Monday morning mom got me out of bed earlier than I expected. She said we had an appointment on the Southside of Chicago before our spa day. Mom dressed me in some stretch styled pants that almost look like tights and an oversized sweater. I almost looked like I was wearing a dress.

We took the short drive to the city and pulled into the parking lot of a place called Sally Ann's corset shop. Before we made our way through the door I could tell it was a women's lingerie and specialty clothing store.

Mom asked for Sally Anne and said she had an appointment. Sally came out from the back and greeted us. Mom said that I was here for a fitting and needed to have a more presentable figure. They chatted in private for a couple of minutes, before Sally asked me to go into the changing area and take off my clothes.

When she entered the room she took some measurements around my whole body she returned quickly with a skin tone colored bra. I had managed to avoid a bra to this point. I have enjoyed the feeling of the camisole, but had not yet been asked or forced to wear a bra as yet. Sally wrapped it around my chest and snapped it in the back. I felt pretty silly with it on since I didn't have any real breasts. A moment later she returned and slipped two heavy jelly filled mounds into the cops.

She smiled and said "much better, don't you think?"

I gave her a wide-eyed look back, but said nothing.

I could hear Sally Saying to mom that a "C" cup would give me the right look. Mom agreed and told her I would need bras for different style clothes. Sally said it would be best if she attached them before finishing the fittings.

Sally sprayed some type of adhesive to the mounds and proceeded to glue them to my chest. These were very realistic looking breast forms and the seams were not very visible. I could feel the weight on my chest and was happy to try on the brassieres as they gave me some support and made them more comfortable.

I also tried on a couple of waste cinchers and a stiffed boned corset. The corset was uncomfortable, but with the new set of breasts the corset gave me an amazing figure. Mom bought everything. I left there with new curves that would be impossible to hide. We bought some additional glue and solvent to remove and to reattach the new breasts. Mom said that today I did not have to wear the corset or cincher because we were going to the salon.

The oversized sweater definitely looked more like a dress now that I had so many curves. We stopped for a light lunch before heading straight to the salon.

We arrived at the salon at almost the exact time that Nick and his mother arrived. I was surprised to see Jana there when we walked in. Lulu and two of her assistants were there to greet us. She had us strip down to our underwear and put on a robe. I was very embarrassed to do this with my newfound prominences. Nick’s eyes bulged when he saw my bra.

"Wow those look so real. You grew breasts."

"Stop kidding with me. My mother took me for these this morning. I am not used to them yet." I was not sure if Nick was shocked by my new features or possibly jealous, either way he kept glancing at them.

We were told that they wanted to get the tough stuff over first. Before we had a chance to inquire they were preparing us with wax on our legs and body. This was a most unpleasant experience. Jana was quick to say not all parts of feeling like a girl are fun or easy. Girls have to work at it. We were raw all over when they finished the waxing job. They rubbed some lotion in, which made us feel a little better.
Next up was a haircut. In the past when I got a haircut it took no more than 10 or 15 minutes. This process however, took over an hour and a half. First they washed our hair and then put some sort of smelly solution into our hair. They then began snipping with very small scissors. After they finished cutting they worked with some sort of strange ironing device on my hair. I was not allowed to see myself during the process. Mom and Jana wanted me to see the full effect all at once.
When Lulu had finished cutting my hair one of her assistants came by to work on my eyebrows. She began plucking them, which was very uncomfortable. She said they needed a little shaping and would look much nicer with my new hairdo. It seem like she had pulled 1000 hairs out before she was done. I still had not seen the effects of their work.

Another one of the assistance came by to work on my makeup. I was surprised that they were doing makeup on me. She told me that it was a special treatment that would last longer than typical makeup. It was strictly for around the eyes. It was called semi-permanent make up. It would give my eyes a little better definition, but still very subtle. If I wanted to really dress up my eyes, she said I would need quite a bit of additional makeup. It was really helpful, for when I did not have the time to fix up my eyes. They would just look a little nicer when I had no makeup on. It was called semi-permanent makeup, because it was meant to last for at least a few weeks. I told her that I did not need it to last a few weeks, because I was only dressing this way for a short while longer. She giggled a little then, said “why would I want to go back to being a boy when I was such a cute girl.”

So that I would see the total effect she added some regular makeup to my face when she was done with the special makeup.

The last thing we were all going to get was manicures and pedicures. Before those began, I was allowed to see myself for the first time. They walked me over to a full-length mirror and I nearly swooned. It did not look like me at all. I looked totally like a college coed from head to toe. There was no giveaway as to my true gender. I didn’t merely look like a girl; I look like an attractive girl. I spun around a couple of times to get the full effect. I like that I looked very good, but was scared that I look to real.

I focused in on my head and was amazed by how they had transformed it. My hair was cut into what I was told was a long bob. I had bangs across my face that was curled under and pretty much straight across. The rest of my hair had a very even length to it. It was slightly shorter in the back than in the front. They had given it a lot more body and added a few highlights to it. It all seemed to flow from the center of my head. With my pencil thin eyebrows there was not a thing that was masculine about my face. I would have no trouble passing as a woman, but I had no idea how I could possibly pass as a man. I guess when the challenge was over I could have my hair cut again, but it would take a long time to get my brows to grow in.

It was then, when I saw my buddy for the first time. My jaw almost fell off . He looked pretty enough to be a cheerleader. His hair had been dyed a more traditional blonde. He too had gotten the eyebrow and makeup transformation. His hair had a beautiful body wave through it. It was parted slightly to the right side of his face with a cascading wave of hair that crossed over his forehead onto the other side. The waves of hair flowed all across his head and ended almost perfectly on his shoulders. I never realized how nice his hair looked, but now it looked unbelievably good. No one would believe that Nick and I were boys, and the makeover had done the trick.

They started working on our feet and hands. Jana and Rita had done manicures on us before, and topped them off with clear polish. This was much more complete. It was the first time during the salon visit that I felt kind of like I was getting pampered. I was soaking my feet and hands and this felt really nice. My fingernails were then only slightly trimmed but given a more oval shape to them. They were then given two coats of deep red polish and some sort of clear polish over them. My toes were done to match.

We had been at the salon all afternoon and I was kind of getting hungry. My mother paid Lulu for all of the afternoon services. I had walked into the salon as a plain Jane and was leaving as a sexy Michelle. It was all a bit overwhelming. My mother made a phone call to Sasha and told her to meet us at Mia Francesca’s for a celebratory dinner. I really did not want to go out looking the way I did. I asked my mother what the celebration was for and she said it was for the birth of her daughter Michelle and her friend Nicole.

I was so nervous in the restaurant for a lot of reasons. Looking and feeling the way I did was something I still was not used to. I was also concerned that the restaurant was too popular with a lot of my friends and their families. What would I say if I ran into somebody I knew there? Mom said, "The way I looked none of my friends would recognize me, and that if anybody did notice us and they would be amazed how nice we looked." That was not very reassuring.

When Sasha greeted me at the restaurant I could see the excitement in her face. She looked me over and told me I looked fabulous. She said that if her boyfriend was there she would have to keep an eye on him around me. She said my new look was a big improvement. I knew she was just complimenting me, but it was as if she felt this was going to be the new me. She also complemented Nicole on her stunning makeover. She continued to joke with us and asked us if we knew which sorority we planned to join. Neither of us commented, but it did get me thinking about life back at school. Living in the dorm, even for only four more weeks was going to be very difficult. I didn't want to think about it much then, but it got me thinking.

I felt fortunate that dinner went smoothly and we did not have to engage in conversation with anyone at the restaurant. I did see an acquaintance from school, but he did not know my family and apparently did not recognize either Nick or myself. I was a little nervous throughout the meal, praying he would not come over to our table.

When we arrived home I was psychologically drained. I was resigned to the fact that at least for the next few days my life would be all girl. With my new look this would be pretty easy. All I would need to do is become more comfortable in the role and work on my mannerisms.

Before bed my mother reminded me that we were going shopping for some new school clothes to complement my new look. I slept until I was told to get up just past the 10 o’clock. I took a long shower and couldn’t help but enjoy the feeling of my totally hairless body. The waxing a eliminated all the stubble and made me smooth all over. The oddest feeling was the water running off my attached breast forms. I found myself getting aroused in the shower.

On my bed and my mother had laid out some clothes for me to wear; a basic pair of dress slacks and a purple satin long-sleeved T-shirt. She also had me put on a pair of black low square heeled pumps with about a 2-inch heel. They had a strap that went around the ankle. I recognized the shoes from Sasha’s collection.

When I was dressed my mother joined me to work on my hair and makeup. She did it in a very instructional way. She wanted me to be able to do it as well as she did. When we were done she put my wallet, makeup, and a brush into one of Sasha’s black leather purses. After a quick bite we were out the door.

On the way to old Orchard shopping mall she made a detour to her doctor’s office on Skokie Blvd. I asked why we were stopping and she said her doctor was kind enough to squeeze in a visit. I did not think much of it until we were inside.

My mother checked in and then we waited for nearly 20 minutes. My mother filled in a medical chart while we waited. Finally, the nurse came out and called for Michelle Johnson. I immediately looked at my Mother, “What’s this all about?”

“With everything you are going through I want you to stay healthy and not harm your body.”

I sort of understood her logic, especially when I considered the birth control pills I had been taking for the past few days. Together, the two of us went into one of Dr. Marigold’s patient rooms. I think this was one of the most embarrassing aspect of the challenge so far.

When we got into the room we had a couple of minutes before the doctor came in. My mother said she made the appointment after Jana confessed to her that she had me on THE PILL.’ My heart sunk, I wondered what my mom must have thought about that. She said that I should not be taking someone else’s prescription drugs and that Jana agreed anything like that should be under medical supervision. I had no idea what I was going to say to the doctor.

Dr. Marigold came in with a medical chart my mother had filled in. She took a very long look at me, “You must be Michelle. Your mother told me all about you over the phone. She explained to me about the transition that you have been going through at school this year. I can see that you have really put your heart into the becoming a woman. You certainly look like a lovely girl. I can imagine it has been very difficult for you to fit in at school.

At that moment, I was more thinking about how I was going to fit in the rest of the semester.

“Your mother tells me that you are very serious about going through this to the end. I am sure that you have given this a lot of thought; otherwise I doubt you would have been taking someone else’s medication. I think it was a very good idea that you came in today.”

I was never very comfortable with the idea of taking those pills. Jana had said the effects on me would be very mild, but I still did not like taking someone else’s prescription medicine, especially medicine meant for a woman. I did not know how to defend my decision to take the pills, so all I said to Dr. Marigold was that I did not think they would have much effect on me.

“She said taking this type of medication should be under doctor supervision and that birth control pills were not healthy for a genetic male. If I wanted to achieve the intended affect, she could provide me with the proper medication.”

I was not sure what she meant by the intended affect, since Jana had merely said it would be good for my skin and slow my hair growth. I had agreed to take them since school would be over in about six weeks.

Mother looked me in the eyes, "If you want to go through with this, it would have to be Dr. Marigold’s way, not with Jana’s pills."

I had no rebuttal to that. I shouldn't be taking anything to begin with. At that point all I wanted to do was get out of the office and get through these last few weeks.

"I understand mom, I am sorry for taking those pills. I only have been taking them for the past five or six days."

The doctor cut in and said she wanted to examine me. She had me sit on a very unusual chair that also served as an examination table. It had stirrups for my feet. I had to take my slacks off and she felt all over my private areas. I wanted to crawl under a rock.

When she was done she said I looked pretty healthy. She asked one more time if I was sure about what I was doing.

"I guess."

"Honey, we are in the doctor's office. If you are not going to go through with this, this is the time to speak up. It's not a time to be uncertain. It is a simple yes or no question."

"Okay then, it is a yes."

Dr. Marigold said that she would prepare the appropriate medication and be right back.

When she left the room my mother gave me a big hug and said "Honey, there is a whole new world out there for you."

A few seconds later, Dr. Marigold returned to the room. She said she had prepared a combination of medications that would work much better than the birth control pills. She asked me to rollover. Once I did I felt a very uncomfortable prick to my rear end. Slowly I felt a warm sensation there. When she was done she told me I could get dressed.

She handed me a bag of sample pills from the cabinet. She told me to take one pill a day after I had some food in my stomach. She had me take the first pill while I was in her office.

She wrote out a prescription so I could refill the pills when I ran out of samples. I ask what they were.

"Michelle, the shot was a very large dose of slow releasing female hormones. The pills are also a different type of hormone that will help you develop properly. You may feel a little nausea in the morning for a few days. When you come home from school at Christmas break I want to see you to check how the meds are working."

I could not believe it. I now have female hormones flowing through my body. What have I done?

"How will I know if they are doing anything?"

"Oh you will know. You should become much more sensitive in certain areas and soon see some redistribution of some of your fatty areas. I am sure that will be just what you are looking for and really enhance your figure."

"Is this stuff permanent?"

"As long as you continue, but I will probably need to give you another booster shot in about 60 days. We can begin to work on any other changes you want after that."

I was going to be living with this beyond the end of the semester. I was stunned that my mother had agreed to let the doctor do this to me. This had gone well beyond the challenge’s game plan, now my mother was making me as girlish as possible.

We headed out to the parking lot and into our car. I asked mother if she understood that the medications would be having such a large impact on me. I was surprised that she let or should I say influenced the doctor to give me those pills and injections.
“Of course Honey, it seemed very clear that this is what you wanted. Since you have been home, you have been throwing yourself into becoming a girl. This just seemed like an important aspect of your transition. Nothing that has been done, cannot be reversed, if this is not what you really want. Even without the meds you seem to be very comfortable in this new role. Let's just see where it leads."

With those comments, we were off to the mall. Our first stop was at Nordstrom's. She had me trying on clothes from virtually every section of the store. Before we left the store, I had four new pairs of slacks, three casual skirts, seven new tops, a brand-new winter coat, one very formal dress, had four new pairs of shoes. We could barely carry everything out of the store into our car. We had spent more money on clothes for Michelle and then I had spent on clothes for Michael in the past two years.

We put those clothes in the car and headed back to the mall. She bought me more lingerie at Victoria secrets and a few more items at Gap and the Limited. At Bloomingdale's she bought me enough makeup to last a lifetime. Our last stop for the day was at a store called 21 forever. We bought a few accessories there and a couple of very short skirts. I now had a very complete wardrobe for a girl my age.

It was nearly 5 o'clock when we got home from our shopping spree. My feet were sore and my head was still spinning. While we were making dinner, Jana called and asked me if I wanted to go to a movie. My mother overheard the conversation and suggested I go with her.

I really wasn't anxious for anyone to see me this way. At the movie theater I was more than likely to run into people that I knew. It just didn't seem like a real smart thing to do. My mom said I had to get out socially to get more comfortable in my new situation. With some reluctance I agreed to go with her. Jana said she would pick me up at 7:30.

We had some dinner with Sasha and filled her in on the day’s events. Even she was a little surprised by the extent of changes that had transpired. She was very happy for me and we seem closer than we had ever been before. After dinner she helped me pick out something to wear for the evening. She had me put on a cute blue blouse, a short skirt and some mod tights. She said it was very attractive, but appropriate for a movie and weeknight evening in town.

When Jana picked me up, I was surprised to see Rita and Nicole in the backseat of her mother’s Audi. It was good to see my friends, but I was still nervous having anyone see me so completely decked out. I could immediately see that Nick was dressed much like me. He looked like some guy’s dream date.

We both complemented each other on our appearance. Neither of us wanted to fill in the other on the extent of our transformation. I never kept secrets from Nick, but I was not ready to spill the juicy details of my doctor visit and shopping spree. I could see from Nick’s new outfit that he was also further along in this unusual path than I had expected.

At the theater we went and sought Avatar for the second time In 3-D. It was strange, but this time I found myself identifying with Neytiri the female Na’vi protagonist. She was a beautiful and brave member of her clan and eventually falls in love with Jake who was an outsider and potential threat. When I saw the movie the first time I liked her character and was attracted to her. Now, I found myself identifying with her.

When the movie ended it was pretty late, but Jana and Rita insisted that we go to Starbucks for a short while. They convinced us by saying it would probably be closing soon anyway. It was only about one third full and we found a couch to lounge in. I was sipping my late’ and noticed some guys across the café looking at us. I did not recognize any of them.

I tried not to look in their direction but I could feel them looking right at us. After a few minutes the three of them came over to our area. The tallest one of the three sat down across from me and introduced himself to me. He said his friends and him saw us at the movie and wanted to know if we liked it. I almost froze up as he clearly was coming on to me.

Aaron introduced his friends, but had targeted me for his attention. He was polite and not to forward, so we all conversed for about 10 minutes. The café’ saved us from more when they announced that they would be closing for the evening. Aaron caught me by surprise by asking me if I might be free Friday night. I smiled at him and told him I was only home for Thanksgiving break and would be going back to U. of I over the weekend. He did not back down and said he we could just have a casual dinner. I said I would have to think about it. Then he asked for my number. I did not want to give it to him so I gave him my number with the last two digits backwards. I thought I was safe when Jana corrected me on the number. I gave her a wide-eyed stare and told him again that I was home with family for only a short time.

In the car I turned to Jana with an angry look on my face and asked her why she gave him my real number. I certainly did not want to go out on a date with a guy and besides; Jana and I was a couple.

Jana got somewhat defensive. She told me to look in the mirror. “ Michelle, right now you are a lovely girl and I want you to enjoy this time and start thinking of yourself that way. Spending some time with a guy will help you truly know what it feels like to be a girl. Remember that is what the challenge is all about. Think of it as a learning experience. Going out on a date and having somebody treat you very nicely could be very enjoyable.”

“But I can’t go out in a date with a guy. What if he figured out that I was not really a girl?”

“Michelle, unless you go to bed with him on the first date, I don’t see anything that would give you away.”

“But Jana… You and I are dating! Even if I were willing to go out on a date that would not be right.”

“You are going through an experience right now that very few people ever get to enjoy. I am sure that inside you have a lot of confusion, but for the near future, you are going to have to adjust to life as a girl. That means learning to be around men and responding as a woman.”

“So you want me to go on dates with men?”

“You know I love you and always will. More than anything, I want what is best for you. I am not a jealous sort and I want you to be happy no matter the circumstances. I started you down this path or at least gave you the first shove. Where it leads will be totally up to you. It would be wrong, if I encouraged you to be an attractive woman, but would not let you experience any of the pleasures that go with that. I am not telling you to date men, but I am also not telling you that you shouldn’t.”

“This is all so crazy. It was like you and my mother are trying to squeeze all the manhood out of me.”

When I got home, I dashed up to my room and jumped on my bed. I was so upset and even began to tear up a little. Maybe it was the hormones, but my world seemed to be crashing down upon me. Running up the stairs in my heels must have woke up my mother. She came into my room to see me laying on my bed crying into my pillow.

I told her what had happened at Starbucks and what Jana said to me in the car. She held me and told me not to worry. She told me that Jana was probably right. Under the circumstances, I needed to act and behave more like a girl. So long as I was Michelle, Jana would have to be more my friend then my girlfriend. She said she always liked Jana and felt that she was very understanding. Like Jana my mother did not see the problem with me dating men. I was hoping she would put her foot down, but in light of everything that my mother had done with me, her reluctance should not have come as a surprise. I kissed her goodnight and got ready for bed. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and we invited Nick and his mother to join us for the holiday.

When I woke in the morning I thought I was going to throw up. The doctor said I might be nauseous in the morning, but that was an understatement. My nipples were sore and it felt like I was having hot flashes. I spent a few minutes hanging over the toilet before lying back down. There was no way I was going to have breakfast. Anything that would’ve gone down my throat would not have stayed down long.

An hour or so later I felt better. I came in and helped Sasha and my mother prepare the house for Thanksgiving and stuffed the turkey. When the house was ready and the turkey was in the oven I went upstairs to prepare myself for our guests. After showering I fixed up my hair and makeup. It was the first time I had completely done it on my own and I think I did a reasonably good job. I picked out a red pair of corduroy slacks and a silver-gray peasant blouse to wear over it. I wore a pair of Mary Jane slip on shoes to complete the look. I was dressed very neatly and not too dressy.

My cell phone rang before I had a chance to go downstairs. I did not recognize the number and answered it. It was Aaron. There was not much I could do since I had already answered the phone. He asked how I was doing and how my Thanksgiving was going. He made a lot of Smalltalk before getting to the point. I could tell he was really interested in me. After talking to him for a while I became more comfortable chatting with him. He seemed like a nice guy and if I had met him while I was dressed as Mike, maybe we could have become friends. Before our conversation was over he asked me if I would have dinner with him. I thought about what Jana and my mother had said, so I agreed. He suggested a little Italian place called Hole in the Wall. I loved Italian food so it was set. I would see him Friday evening.

A few weeks back I was your average College guy and now I was dressed head to toe is a girl going out on a date with another guy. It seemed I was more popular as a girl then I was ever as a boy.

I told Sasha of the call when I got downstairs. She practically jumped up and down three times. She was so excited about my first date. She wanted to know more about Aaron and if he was cute.

"How do I know what cute is?"

"Come on you know what I mean. What is he like?"

"He is okay. I would say he's about 6 foot tall with very dark hair. He looks like a guy."

"This is going to be so much fun for you. Your first date! Remember, you are a girl now, so don't be too aggressive."

"You don't have to worry about that. I am just having dinner and then coming home."

"If he's buying you a nice dinner, you are probably going to at least give him a goodnight kiss."

"Get real! No Way! We are just going to talk and that's it."

"Did you tell mom yet?"

"No, do I have to."

"Of course you do, she is also going to be very excited."

A few minutes before our guests arrived I told my mother about my Friday evening plans. She seemed all right with it and said she hoped I would enjoy it. "It's only a first date, so don't be too nervous."

Nick and his mother came over about four o'clock. It was hard to think of Nick as anything but a Nikki or Nicole anymore. And there was very little left of my old friend Nick. Nikki looked lovely. She had on a sleeveless burgundy dress that was very form fitting. Nikki said they had picked it up at Anne Taylors. Nikki was also wearing patent leather shoes with a high narrow heal. She had on dangling gold earrings with a matching bracelet. I think she had some sort of breast forms like mine. When she took a step I could see a natural bounce in her breasts. She was probably a little over dressed, but she looked beautiful and convincing. Obviously we had been going through similar experiences since we’ve been home from school.

I wonder if anything would have been different had either Nick or myself had a male figure in the house to discourage the changes. My mom was divorced and Nick’s father had died long ago. I had a sister, but she had done nothing but encourage me along this path.

Nikki and I spent a lot of time that evening talking about just about everything. We were even able to laugh about what had happened to us. It certainly made it easier knowing that my best friend could relate to what was happening to me. I am sure he felt the same way.

After dinner, Nikki asked if Aaron had ever called. I told him he had and that I was would be having dinner with him on Friday. I expected him to be appalled, but instead Nikki asked if Aaron’s friend had asked about him. Strangely Nikki was a little jealous that I was going out on a date. I told Nikki I would ask Aaron if he said anything.

On a more serious subject we discussed what we were going to do when we got back to school. There would be no way for us to hang out in the dorms looking like we did. Nikki said our moms had chatted about that, and were working on a plan. His mom told Nikki not to worry.

When they were leaving I gave Nikki a hug and a gentle kiss on the cheek. I would never have done that with my old friend Nick. He told me to have fun Friday evening and he wanted to hear all the juicy details.

We took it easy most of the day on Friday. Sasha insisted that I go to the mall with her to do a little holiday shopping. The Friday after Thanksgiving is always the traditional kickoff for Christmas shopping. She thought it would be fun for two sisters to shop together for the first time. Most of the time we spent in women’s clothing stores. She started a game where we would both try on the same dress and see which one of us it looked better on. Sasha was a very beautiful girl, but we both had to agree a few of them looked better on me. I think I spent more time smiling that afternoon then I had since I had been home from school. We were only out for a couple of hours but it was a great time.

Sasha insisted on helping me get ready for my date that evening. She picked out my clothes, which included a very feminine skirt that seemed to bubble out at the bottom. She matched it up with a low-cut ultra soft sweater that accentuated my cleavage. I wore one of her necklaces and a pair of her earrings that looked really nice with the outfit. She did my makeup and made it a little dressier than I was used to. It was more makeup than I had ever worn and I had to admit I looked pretty hot. I still was not sure about going out on a date, but if I was going to go out, I wanted to look my best.

Aaron picked me up at 7:15 to take me to dinner. I could tell when he saw me that inside he was drooling. I wanted to look attractive, but at that moment I felt like I was a lamb going out for slaughter. He said I looked amazing and that he was so happy I would go out with him that night.

We had a very nice dinner and spent more time talking about him than me, which was probably a pretty good thing. He graduated a year ago from Iowa and was working in his father’s packaging business. He apparently had a pretty good business mind and was being groomed to take over the business. I enjoyed talking with him though we had very little in common. He was a gentleman throughout the evening and made me feel very comfortable and relaxed. We have a very long and slow dinner, which included dessert and an after dinner drink.

I reminded him that we were only going for dinner and that I needed to get home. He made an effort to see if I would go to a music club with him for one more nightcap. I told him again that we had agreed that it would be just dinner. He said “okay” and began to drive me home via a very indirect route. When we got home he rushed around the car to open my door and walked me to the front door. I thanked him for a nice evening and before I had a chance to turn and go into the house, he leaned over and gave me a gentle kiss on the lips. I had not expected that and did not know how to respond. It was not a long kiss, but it probably lasted two or 3 seconds. All I could say, was I had to go. I quickly scurried into the house.

My sister was grinning from ear to ear as I entered the house. She wanted me to speak first, but couldn't contain herself.

"Well how was your date? Did he sweep you off your feet? Is he a good kisser?"

"STOP! Quit teasing me. Dinner was good and that was it."

"It must've been very good. I saw you on the steps."

"Were you spying on me? He surprised me and I didn't have time to react."

"Sorry Michelle, It just looked like you were really enjoying it."

"It was all so surreal. Dinner was nice and I was not too uncomfortable, but Aaron was so into himself."

"Guys are like that a lot."

"He was an okay sort, but we really didn't have much in common to talk about. At the end of the evening he caught me by surprise with the kiss."

So he's not Mr. Right, but it was your first date and kiss. Did you enjoy it?"

"I just told you the evening was okay."

"No I mean the kiss."

After a long pause, "It was not like kissing Jana, I really enjoy kissing Jana. I really didn't feel much."

"Well at least you didn't feel yucky... That's a start."

"A start?"

Saturday we spent most of the day together as a family. I had this same conversation with my mother in the morning. It was a relaxing day and I was becoming more comfortable in my new persona.

We would be going back to school on Sunday and I was scared to show up as Michelle. I was much relieved when mom called me into the family room to discuss some changes for school.

"I have spoken to the school and told them that you were going through some personal issues that were difficult to adjust to. For the spring semester you will be moving into an apartment that is a couple of blocks from where you live now. You will not have to stay in the dorm. There was not much they could do for the rest of fall session however, so I got you a special rate and you are going to stay in the Holiday Inn suites until the semester ends. It may not be as convenient, but I think you and Nikki will be more comfortable there."

I was so grateful that I would not have to stay in the dorm anymore. All I would have to do was pick up my stuff in my old room and get out of there. Mom said she would drive us back to school Sunday morning so we could have the car to move our stuff.

It was nice not having to go back to the dorm for the spring semester, as some of the physical changes might carry over for a while. It would just be easier to live with a little more privacy.

I called Nicole only to find that she was out with the Rita doing some clothes shopping. Things were looking up a bit.

BACK TO SCHOOL:
When we arrived back at school on Sunday we had quite a lot of luggage to bring to our new room. It was a one-bedroom suite with twin beds and a little kitchenette. We unpacked our new clothes and hung it in the closet. We headed over to our old dorm room to get the rest of our stuff. We wanted to get in and out of there early before most of the kids returned to school. Our mothers helped us pack up most of our clothes and the rest of our things to get them out of the room. I didn't notice at the time, but our moms put most of our boy clothes into plastic bags to bring back to Highland Park. Only a few of our gender-neutral T-shirts made their way over into our new room. Our wardrobes were now entirely female.

We had a late lunch with our mothers before they headed back up north. We were now going to have to adjust to school as Michele and Nicole. The next five weeks would be like none other in our lives.

We actually enjoyed living in our new suite. We got daily cleaning service and the room was nicer than the dorm. The adjustment to school was not as difficult as I had imagined. Almost all of our classes were lecture style classes with very little one-on-one with teachers or their assistance. We were pretty free to be ourselves or should I say our new selves.

The only real downside was that we saw a little bit less of Jana and Rita. They still lived in the dorm and it was more difficult for us to get private time with them. They spent a few nights over in our new room, but with all of us there it was more like friendship then anything sexual. Our relationships seemed to be shifting more towards really good friends than that of lovers.

There were many times when we were studying or just out with the girls that we attracted the attention of some guys. Nicole and I we're starting to get used to it. I saw Nikki flirting a couple of times, but never said anything. Our girl friends had encouraged us at every step of the way and even seemed to want us to interact with more guys and said it would be okay if we wanted to date. When we were guys they never would have let us date other girls, but now they were encouraging us to develop new relationships. We were very confused by the new attitude of the girls. They seem more concerned that we were adjusting to living as girls than to any sexual relationship. We both miss that aspect of our friendship, but under the circumstances did not know how to act more aggressive

The last four weeks of any semester are always the most difficult. With term papers and final exams the focus always has to be on academics. Nikki and I used this opportunity to concentrate on school and not so much on our current lifestyle. We also did not have as much time for social activities as in prior weeks.

It did not take long for me to notice the effects my new girl pills was having on me. My body hair, which was light to begin with, was now becoming very soft and growing very slowly. It was almost translucent. More disconcerting to me was some obvious swelling in my chest and around my hips. I was still wearing my attached breast forms, but with the swelling I was getting even larger up top. I realize that there might be some swelling from the drugs, but it was more and faster than I anticipated. I was getting used to having cleavage but I was concerned that the swelling might last well beyond the end of the challenge. I could see that Nikki's body was also showing signs of change.

I think the drugs were also having an impact on me psychologically and internally. I was becoming more emotional and less concerned with holding onto any macho edge. I also found that when I was around girls on campus my interest in their fashion and style was blinding me to any interest in them sexually. I was getting a little nervous that the drugs and lifestyles were really messing with me mentally. I had been pushed into this situation gradually, and now it was becoming too natural.

The last of our final exams were now completed and winter break was finally arriving. We were exhausted by the marathon studying sessions that had just ended and were looking forward to some R. and R.

When Nikki and I finished our last finals on Tuesday afternoon we went out to celebrate. We called Rita in Jana and we all met up at Kamm’s for beer. We were all in good spirits and running on adrenaline from the busy last weeks.

We toasted to school being over and nearly 3 weeks of break that was ahead. We had survived another semester, one that included the most unusual personal challenges of our lives.

Jana raised a toast "congratulation on winning the challenge. You both took this further and deeper than even we expected."

"Thank you, it feels good to know we made it and I'm glad it's finally over."

"Are you really? You seem so comfortable as Michelle. It's hard for me to see Michael."

"I am Michael! I guess I have enjoyed some of this, but the challenge is over. This should all be a memory pretty soon."

"Well if it's only a memory that would be a shame. You seem like such a natural Michelle. You too Nikki.”

"I have really enjoyed getting all this attention and will miss being Nikki."

"I am sure Nikki will be visiting a lot in the future" said Rita.

"I think you're right Rita. When this started I was very uncomfortable, but now it feels so liberating and natural."

"Nikki, I have to admit being a girl has been fun, but remember we are not really girls."

"Just because you have that thing between your legs do not make you a man. Look at you, you've changed so much both physically and mentally that you are as much Michelle as Michael."

"Jana, enough, tomorrow we are all heading home and my mother knows this marks the end of the challenge. Let's change the subject..."

CHRISTMAS BREAK:
Taking the train home was no fun since we basically had to take our whole wardrobe home. We were able to put the rest of our school stuff into storage before heading home. It was strange but getting our luggage onto the train was not as difficult as I expected, because some guys were quick to help us. A pleasant smile was all that was needed to give them as a tip.

We all got a warm reception when we were picked up at Union Station. My mom kissed me and told me I looked lovely. She seemed really pleased at my development. She probably noticed subtle changes that even I did not see.

When we got home I took a shower and dressed casually in some of my girl jeans and a red sweater. It would take some work to remove all of my female vestiges, so I thought it better to keep the charade going for at least a while longer.

Mom was very curious to see how I had adapted and was very observant of my mannerisms. I continued to take the Michelle role, because it felt more comfortable with the way I was dressed. She let me know I had a follow-up appointment with the doctor the next morning. She also told me my sister would be coming home that evening.

The next morning at my mother's insistence I wore a skirt and white wraparound blouse. The outfit showed off my new curves and was very feminine. I like looking my best, but I thought this appointment was going to mark the beginning of the end for Michelle. This was a strange way to dress under the circumstances.

This time we did not have to wait long to see the doctor. Dr. Marigold seem very pleased when she saw me. She had me strip down and get into the strange chair again. She used some solvent and removed the attached breast forms from my chest. It felt so good to have those removed. My skin was a little red from where the glue had been stuck. She measured me in various places and even held my penis while she looked it over. It had been hidden between my legs so long that it appeared to be smaller and somewhat shriveled.

"Well Michelle you have made so much progress. You have developed so nicely. You managed very well since I saw you, but now I think you can get away without the glued on breast forms now."

"That's good, I was looking forward to not needing them anymore. "

"I am going to give you two more shots. Once these have a chance to circulate through your system for a couple of weeks, I do not think that you will need any special equipment to look totally natural."

The doctor proceeded to inject me with the drugs and also gave me some cream that she said would help if my chest felt warm over the coming days.

"You now have very well developed breast that appear to be approximately a size B cup. You are very lucky to have your mother's bone structure. I think ultimately you should be a full size C like your mother and sister."

"What? Won't those shots help?"

"Of course, the first one was a booster shot like the one I gave you before and the second one should help block the rest of the testosterone your body is kicking out. I am sure that is not much, but this should help you feel completely like a girl."

I nearly passed out. I thought I was coming here to unwind my changes, but instead I was being pushed further into the abyss.

"This can't be happening. What about being Michael again? "

"Well if you have to much trouble adjusting we can start some counter course of action in 2 to 3 months, I'm not sure if all of the effects would be totally reversed. I am sure you will adjust fine. You have come so far in such a short time. Any lingering doubt will probably subside as you become more chemically Michelle in the coming weeks."

I was a loss for words. My mother knew what was happening and had encouraged it at almost every step. I felt stunned by the turn of events and stared at myself quietly in the mirror of the patient room. Looking at me was a very pretty girl. Should I be furious, angry or bitter, all I could see was a young lady that was staring back at me. I sat there quietly as my mother and doctor had some private discussions.

Dr. Marigold gave us the name of a psychologist that she wanted me to see. She also wanted to see me in another eight weeks.

"I know that going through this whole thing is difficult and you probably wish it could be over quickly, but this takes time. You will become more adjusted and we can move along at the right pace for you. When the time is right we can discuss any surgical steps that may be needed. Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves for now."

I left the office feeling somewhat defeated. I think my mother could see that in my posture and face.

"Honey, whenever I feel down, you know what I do? "

"What Mom?"

"I go shopping. Let's stop at Northbrook court and get you some nice new things."

I didn't say anything, but I sheepishly nodded okay. We went straight to Neiman Marcus.

Only a short while ago I was totally depressed by my predicament. Now, here I was trying on some beautiful and expensive new clothes. I really like some of their designer styles and quickly found myself reacting so girlishly. We ended up buying me a few new bras that fit my now rapidly developing bosom. Two of them were padded styles and another two were push-up styles to show off what I had on top. By the time we left the store I was feeling much better and was no longer depressed.

When I met Sasha that evening I wore one of the new outfits. It had a Vera Wang short flouncy skirt and an Escada, three-quarter-length sleeve top with a low revealing scoop neckline. Mother insisted that I wear one of the new push-up bras. Sasha looked happier than I had ever seen her, but her jaw dropped when she saw me. She gave me a big hug and all she could say was, “Wow!”

Moments later her smile grew even wider and she looked like she was going to explode, then she flipped the back of her left hand up and into my face. Even as a guy I could see what this meant. She was engaged.

"I am so happy. I love him so much. He surprised me after finals. It took me all of 2 seconds to scream “YES!”

"Does mom know?"

"Yes, I told her last night, but I made her promise I could tell you today. She has not seen my ring though."

"It is huge. That's a very large stone."

"It's a sapphire cut diamond."

"You two graduate in the spring, any idea when you might tie the knot?”

"We haven't picked the date, but we want to do it this summer before Alex starts law school."

"That's pretty quick."

"We plan to get married in New York at his parent's country club. It is supposed to be dreamy. We just need to find a weekend when we can get the place."

"Wow, I am so happy for you. You deserve the best."

"Michelle, I want to ask you a big favor."

"Sure anything, what can I do?"

"I want you to be my Maid of Honor."

"I, I, don't know. Are you serious? What about Nina? She's a very close friend. If not her, don't you have another friend who you are real close. “I am going to ask Nina to be a bridesmaid, but I want you to be my Maid of Honor."

"What will his family say? What will Alex say? How does he feel about it?"

“I already discussed it with him. He has known about you since Thanksgiving and his family and best man said it would be fine with them. They are pretty cool people and just want Alex and me to be happy."

"Well if you really want me... How can I say no. So much has happened to me lately, why should this surprise me."

"Michelle, let's go tell mom."

Mother was so excited for both of us. She too was a little surprised that Sasha had selected me to be her Maid of Honor, but didn't object to the choice. She loved Sasha’s engagement ring and we opened a bottle of champagne to celebrate.

Mother proceeded to fill me in on many of the responsibilities of being Maid of Honor. It certainly would be more than just showing up at the wedding in a beautiful dress. I would have to attend at least one wedding shower and help with much of the planning. It would mean that I would have to come home many weekends during the spring semester to assist the family in getting ready.

I called Nikki with the big news. He could not believe that she had selected me to be her Maid of Honor.

"I guess this means you're going to be living as a girl full time. Nothing in between for you Michelle. You are going to have to become the best girl you can."

"Nikki, I do not know if you know this, but my mother took me to a doctor and has started me on some very strong female hormones. It's called hormone replacement therapy. I am not only looking more and more like a girl, but chemically it is making me more like a real girl. It's a lot like the pills the girls gave us, but much more effective in the results."

"I assumed you knew. My mother took me to a doctor as well. A Dr. Marigold and she started me on a regiment of female hormones. I really enjoy being a girl, but when they put me on the drugs I was a little scared. I have noticed a lot of changes in my body. If you saw me completely naked right now you would probably think I was a girl, except for the little thing between my legs."

"I guess we are on the same type of drugs. I have no idea how it got this far, but it looks like we're going to be girlfriends for a long time."

I felt a little less strange knowing that my best buddy was also experiencing the same physical changes as me. Our mothers apparently had been working together to help us through this transition. Growing up, I would never expected my mom to want me to do this, however her lack of reluctance to put an end to this challenge makes me think that she too wanted this. Someday I will have to have a conversation with her.

A short while after my conversation with Nikki, I was informed that we would be going to New York for the holidays. We were going to meet Alex's family and spend New Year's Eve at the country club. It would be an opportunity for our two families to get to know each other better.

I told my mother I was very nervous about going to New York as Michelle. She said they would be expecting Michelle, because we told them you were becoming Michelle full-time. This was true, but I had never really heard her say that until just then.

She told me that we would have to go to the Secretary of State's office the next day to get me a new identification. My driver’s license said Michael and my picture hardly looked like the new me. I asked her how we would be able to do that, and she informed me that the doctor had given us a form signed by her explaining the changes that I was going through. Based upon Doctor consent, I can get a new drivers license reflecting my female gender. This would allow me to fly, when we traveled to New York.

There was not going to be a lot of time before we left for New York and she said I needed to get some special clothes for the trip. I told her that we had bought me so much recently but I really didn't need anything more. She said we would be going out to some fancy dinners and I would need some sort of formal dress for New Year's Eve. I would not need a lot of things, but the things that we would get had to be very nice. She had a special sales representative at Saks in Highland Park and made an appointment for the next day for both Sasha and me.

I thought it was crazy how much we spent at Saks that afternoon. I only bought four complete outfits and the totals were outlandish. Mom told us that her girls only get married once. It did make me feel special knowing how much my mother enjoyed buying me beautiful clothes. She had never taken anywhere near that much interest in buying me clothes before.

We traveled to New York the day after Christmas. We had spent an enjoyable Christmas Day at home together. All of the presents I received reflected my newfound gender. Not a single one of the gifts would have been appropriate for a boy. I didn't seem to care. I think my favorite gift was some new jewelry that Sasha had picked out for me.

The day we arrived in New York we had dinner planned with Alex's family and his best man Mark. It was planned for a fancy steakhouse just off the park. We stayed at the Essex House, which was only a couple of blocks away. Alex had only one sister who was a couple of years older than him and not yet married.

I was dressed for the tens for dinner that evening. My mother wanted to make a good impression to Alex’s family. She wanted them to think of me totally as a girl when they saw me for the first time. She did not want any ambiguity so she had me dressed ultra femininely. She had made a short appointment for me at the hotel salon to freshen up my hair and makeup. Before heading out to dinner I looked at myself in the mirror and even I was impressed. I was wearing a blue faux colored Dior chiffon dress that ended mid thigh. My developing cleavage was clearly visible. I was wearing black pumps, which was a style of shoes that I was just getting comfortable walking around in. There was absolutely nothing boy in the image.

When we met their family they were very cordial, but clearly gave me a very slow look over. Obviously they were very curious to see what I looked like. I was not offended in the least, because if I were in their shoes I probably would have done the same. Based upon the way they treated me, I think I passed their inspection. Shortly after we arrived, Alex's close friend and best man, Mark walked in. Alex and Mark had been friends most of their lives.

Mark was also a pre-law student at Northwestern with Alex. We were introduced to each other and he too looked me over with a roving eye. When it was time to sit down we were seated next to each other at the long table. He was quite the gentleman and treated me very royally. At first I was not sure if he was on orders from Alex, but his kindness seem very genuine. We spent much of the night chatting.

I certainly had very little experience spending time as a woman with a man, but being with Mark was enjoyable. We had a lot in common including our shared interest in soccer. Mark claimed to be a very good soccer player, which would not have surprised me since he seemed to be in excellent physical shape. He was definitely aware of my unusual gender identity, but did not seem in the least disturbed by it. Every so often I could see my mother or Sasha look over at me and smile. I think they were happy that I was enjoying myself, especially in the company of Mark.

When the evening came to an end I was almost disappointed to be going back to our hotel. It was one of the very few social nights out I had in a long time, and it felt so nice. Alex's family seemed very nice and I have to admit I enjoyed the company of his friend Mark.

About 45 minutes after we got back to the hotel and into our rooms, Sasha knocked on my door. I invited her in and we opened one of those little bottles of wine in the mini refrigerator. It was a nice moment with my sister and I told her how nice I thought Alex's family was. She would be marrying into a very nice family.

She proceeded to tell me that Mark told Alex that he really thought I was very special. Mark felt a little confused by his feelings and related that to Alex. He told Alex that if he had not known about my birth gender he would definitely be interested in me. He found me both interesting and very attractive, according to Alex. Alex told him he would not have a problem with whatever Mark wanted to do.

I remember thinking about what my sister said when I laid in bed that evening. I could not help thinking about Mark and how I would feel if he actually called. I had been out once before on a date as Michelle, at that time I pretty much had to be pushed into it. This time I was actually hoping he might call. I was having those little butterflies floating around inside of me. It was a new of emotion that I was not sure how to handle.

The next day shortly before lunch I received a phone call... It was Mark. I answered the call thinking it was probably my mother or Sasha and was a little jolted by the realization that it was Mark. I took a couple of deep breaths before I continued the conversation with him. He asked if I had enjoyed the dinner the previous evening and I was quick to say yes. I may have been a bit too obvious, but I told him it was a lot of fun and meeting him was nice.

Mark asked if we were enjoying our visit to New York and if we had many plans. I told him that we planned to spend time with Alex's family, but were keeping the schedule flexible.

"I might seem a little forward, since you are only in town for a few days, I was wondering if you would like to join me for dinner and a show. That is, if you have the time. I know my way around the city and thought it might be fun to share some time with you."

There was a long pause between us. I could tell he was somewhat nervous, but there was a sweetness in his voice that was very appealing. Part of me knew that I was still a boy, but the rest of me knew that I needed to be more like the girl that I resembled.

"You are so kind. I would enjoy spending some time away from the family in the city. I am not sure what everyone else is doing, but I'm sure I could make myself available tomorrow. What did you have in mind?"

"How about I swing by the hotel and get you around six. We can take in an early dinner and a Broadway show. Any particular show you would really like to see?"

"Wow, that sounds great. I have seen so few shows recently, any show would be wonderful."

"Well then it's a date. I will see you tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of the day."

I was floating over my bed when I hung up the phone. I was actually going out on a formal date with a guy that I thought was nice. What was I thinking? How should I act? My mind was in a tizzy.

I called Sasha to let her know Mark called. She hung up the phone as soon as I told her. I thought at first you might have been upset, but 3 seconds later she was knocking on my door. She entered the room with an infectious giggle gyrating through her body. She was so thrilled by the news and seemingly more excited than me.

"He is such a great guy, you're going to have such a great time. Alex said he could not get over meeting you and decided he just had to get to know you better. If I wasn't so in love with Alex I would be jealous. I know it is only a date, but he is such a great catch."

"Are you forgetting I am also a guy?"

"Come on Michelle. You have to stop thinking like that. Look at you, you are a girl and you have to start thinking like one."

"How will I know how to act on the date?"

"Don't ask, just be you. Remember you are a girl and should respond like any girl would. You did pretty well kissing that guy you didn't even care about."

"I am so nervous. What if I make an idiot of myself? I don't want to ruin anything for your wedding."

"Don't worry, I’m not. Just enjoy yourself. Being nervous is a good feeling. It means you are anxious and excited."

"I think you are right. What should I wear and can you help me get ready tomorrow?"

"Of course. I think you should wear the new Versace dress with the Ferragamo heels that we just bought at Saks. You look so stunning in that dress, it will drive him crazy."

“I am not sure I am ready to drive a man crazy yet."

"It's just a figure of speech. You won't have any trouble keeping his interest for the evening. It will help you get over any nervous faux pas you might experience."

"Okay then, but what will mom say?"

"Are you kidding, she will be thrilled. She told me at dinner last night you two would make a great couple."

I hardly remember anything that happened up until my date the following evening. I could not think of anything but the rapidly approaching date. I was trying to make myself think like a girl, but the more I consciously thought about it that way, the more I was not sure if I should go through with it. I really liked Mark, but what if we hit it off. Then what? My stomach kept churning the more I thought about it.

By the time I was ready to go I was on pins and needles. Sasha had done my makeup and I looked my seductive best.

Mark picked me up promptly at six o'clock. He looked absolutely handsome. He wore a black jacket and turtleneck sweater. I could see the sparkle in his green eyes when he walked through the door and saw me. If he had any regrets they were probably erased in that moment. He took my hand and escorted me out of the room.

It was a chilly December evening as Mark and I grabbed a cab to Le Bernardin on 7th Ave. I could feel shivers up and down my nylon encased legs as we stepped into the evening air. Inside the cab Mark opened a conversation with a complement. "You look stunning... I am at a loss for words on how absolutely ravishing you look this evening."

"Thank you, am I blushing?"

"If the glow in your face is blushing, then yes."

"Stop it. You look very handsome yourself."
The cab ride was very short. But by the time we arrived I think we both had gotten over our jitters and were much more comfortable. We made our way to a very romantic corner table at the restaurant. It was a French style bistro and the atmosphere was very European. Everything seemed just so perfect despite the fact that I knew deep inside that I was not the girl next door. As recently as a few days ago I could not imagine staring into the eyes of some man... But across from me was a gentleman that I was having feelings for. Could I have changed so much? Maybe, it was always there. In any event, here I was, being charmed by someone I really wanted to get to know better.

So many of these inner feelings were new to me. Mark was drawing out emotions that I did not know were inside of me. He never made me feel like a fraud or anything less than a beautiful lady. I was honest with him, but it never occurred to me to suggest being a woman was anything but my deepest desire.

Somewhere following our main course just prior to us sharing a desert, I found Mark holding my hand across the table. I do not remember him taking my hand, but it was a nice feeling as he slowly rubbed and squeezed my hand. Our conversation was mostly about the present and future. We talked about family and interests. As a woman, I had not really thought about where my future might lead. We avoided talking much about the past. I think that was Mark's way of not making me feel uncomfortable discussing my changes. I suspect my past sexuality must have been on his mind, but his attitude and behavior did not suggest that.

When we braved the cold again after dinner he put his arm around me. This was a natural reaction due to the cold, but it felt so comfortable with our bodies so closely together. We walked the short distance to the theater to see Wicked. It was a little difficult for me to keep balance in my heels on the slick pavement, but we made it.

When we made our way into the theater vestibule we were both chilled. Mark started rubbing my arms to get my circulation going and warm me up. We were facing each other shaking out the cold when I found myself looking up into his eyes. My gaze brought his warming motion to a stop. We looked at each other for a frozen moment and then he tilted his head slightly and kissed me very gently on my lips. I felt transfixed on the moment. I could feel my lips warm then I pressed forward so he could sense my approval. He kissed me a second time with more authority and intensity. It was an electric moment like nothing I could ever imagine.

In that moment I was 100% woman. I was so impassioned with Mark and my new feelings, that I could hardly contain myself. In that theater vestibule I no longer questioned my desires, I knew what I wanted and he was standing there across from me.

We enjoyed the production of Wicked. It was a beautiful musical and a perfect addition to our magical evening. I spent much of the show with Mark's arm around me. The show was only a distraction to the emotions that were flowing through my body. I did not want the show to end. I was so content for the first time in a very long time.

It was only our first date, but the chemistry between us was very magical. I had dated Jana for such a long time maybe I had forgotten about that sparkle that occurred in new relationships. I was now on the other side of the fence and I enjoyed being the pursued rather than the pursuer. I certainly did not play hard to get, and get me he did.

It was already very late and it was our first date, so he escorted me back to the hotel. I did not want the day to end, but I did not want to ruin one of the most enjoyable evenings of my life. I was on female hormones, but I was obviously not a full functioning woman. I was looking forward to continuing the relationship with Mark, but there would be some obvious limitations.

He walked me to my room and gave me a very memorable goodnight kiss. I felt like a piece of chocolate melting in his hands. He said he would call me the next day and hoped we could find time to get together again very soon. I made him promise to call me before noon. I drifted into my room and sat on my bed in a strange state of euphoria. I did not cry but I did feel very emotional. I had reluctantly gone down this path to womanhood, but here I was in such a short time totally enamored with a man I just met.

I was not allowed to sleep in the next morning with Sasha and my mother joining me in my room before 9 AM. They could see by my expression how my date had gone. Based upon my detailed description of my evening they knew my feminine destiny was now a certainty. It seemed like such a perfect relationship to them, forgetting I had only been living as a girl for a few weeks. In their mind, Mark and I were an item and deep down I felt that way too.

Later after Sasha went to change my mother and I had a heart to heart talk. She told me how happy she was that I had all allowed myself to discover my true self. She said she always thought I had qualities to be a lovely lady and wife some day, maybe even a mother. She did not want to push me that way, but was not surprised that I turned out this way.

I was stunned to hear her say that, as I had never thought of myself in feminine terms. Maybe my personality was less than macho, but I never doubted my manhood. I could not deny I was feeling wonderful living these past days as Michelle. I could not see myself as Michael anymore.

After sharing her feelings she turned the discussion to more practical things. "Honey you are becoming a beautiful woman, but the transition will take some time. You are going to have to be patient with your social life as some of the changes may take some time."

I was pretty sure I understood what she meant and could feel myself get a little flush as the reality of her comments sent in. We were talking about completely erasing all aspects of Michael. These past few days convinced me that she was probably right, but the thought of it was still kind of unnerving.

"You are going to need to be on the hormone replacement therapy for a while and see a psychologist, before they let you take the next step. You will be Michelle, but it could be a long while until you are a completely functioning young lady."

"Mark or any other suitor will have to wait for our girl to go through her puberty. Do you understand? When we get home we can make some appointments for you and maybe establish a longer-term plan."

I was now ‘all in’ and my days as Michael were effectively over. The future would be full of new experiences and probably some difficult periods. For now I would have to re-think a lot of things. Of immediate importance was my new relationship with Mark.

Mark did call me the next morning and I managed to spend a great majority of the remainder of the trip with him seeing the sights of New York. It was a glorious time and we fell for each other in the biggest way. Being his girlfriend seemed to have a great impact on my personality. It made me feel so completely feminine and comfortable in my new skin.

On New Year's Eve we all went to Alex parent’s country club. I was dressed in a Donna Karan formal down looking my absolute best. Mark was dressed in his tux and we spent much of the evening dancing. I felt like the luckiest woman on the planet. I will probably always remember the feeling I had at midnight when we embraced and kissed each other in full view of everyone there. While others had also had midnight kisses, ours was full of such striking a motion and on display for the whole family.

It was clear we were more than just friends... We were in love. It was a very special moment and marketing more obvious commitment between us. Unfortunately, we all would be going back to home and back to school the next afternoon. Mark and I agreed that we would figure out how to make the relationship work and spend as much time together as possible.

Back at the hotel I spent an hour in Sasha's room crying. I did not want to leave Mark and New York. She assured me that if I truly loved him it would all work out. After all he was going to school in Evanston at Northwestern and plan to start law school there as well. She cheered me up somewhat, but I was still having trouble adjusting to my crazy new set of emotions. The hormones were clearly flowing through my body.

TRANSITIONING AT SCHOOL:

The spring semester was a busy time for me. In addition to the rigors of school I was traveling home almost every weekend to help Sasha with her wedding plans and to spend as much time as possible with Mark. The few weekends that I did not go north he came down to spend time with me.

My transition was in full swing and the HRT had done a phenomenal job providing me with luscious curves. My hips had widened and my breasts were a healthy ‘C’ cup. My penis was basically useless and I was ready to take the next step. The doctors would not allow that until I had been living full-time for at least a year. We sort of fudged my starting date so I would be able to have surgery before school would begin the following fall. It was a scary thought, but being in love made that decision easy.

Nicole was developing into a lovely woman as well. She too had put her life as Nick behind her. She had begun dating a few weeks after we got back to school. It was not as easy for her as our unusual status had its limitations. She had a couple of bad experiences, but did find one guy near the end of the semester that she started dating regularly. She had told him early on about her past, and he still was very interested in her. I really was hoping things would work out for them.

Jana and Rita remained very good friends. We still spend a lot of time with them, but now it was as friends not lovers. They were happy that they were able to help us find our true selves. They seem to know before us what we wanted and for that we would always be grateful.

Mark never showed any regrets in our relationship and our bond continued to grow stronger. We had only been together for about seven months at the time of Sasha's wedding, but I dreamed it was me getting married that day. Mark and I talked about the future so my dream may not be pure fantasy. He would be starting law school in the fall and I had two more years of undergraduate work. I was thinking of becoming an elementary school teacher. I could do one more year at the University of Illinois and then transfer to Lewis University in Evanston to get my teaching certificate. That was just down the road from where Mark would be in law school.

Mark and I discussed that I could not have children, but we could always adopt when we were ready. It brought me so much joy to think of spending my future with Mark.

As I look at myself dressed as the Maid of Honor for Sasha's wedding, I can only think my day may be coming sometime soon... I know my bridesmaids will be Sasha Jana, Rita and Nicole, but who will be my Maid of Honor?

THE END