Tales of the Season : Charlene's Story

By

Lisa Elizabeth

Chapter Ten

So Much to Learn... So Little Time!

'WHA-A-A-A... WHA-A-A-A... WHA-A-A-A...' Charlie woke with a start. "God! That has to be the world's most annoying alarm!" He looked around the room and remembered where he was. A deep sigh escaped his lips. At that moment he heard a click at the door and the door opened.

Jane Thompson walked into the room and stopped a few feet from the bed. "AH! Good morning Charles! I see you are awake. It is five minutes to eight. You have until eight to use the bathroom and present yourself for breakfast. Do not be late!" Jane then turned around and exited the room, closing the door behind her.

Charlie was surprised by the short visit from Jane Thompson. He finally looked at the clock and saw he only had four minutes to get to breakfast. He jumped out of bed ran to the bathroom, used the potty, brushed his teeth and looked at his face in the mirror. 'No time to clean the makeup off.' He ran out of the bathroom, grabbed the robe and put on the slippers. He then headed for the door and down the stairs. He was slightly out of breath as he entered the dining room and found Joan there fully dressed and made up. He took his place behind the chair just as Jane Thompson walked into the room.

"Good morning children! I see everyone has made it for breakfast this morning. Let's eat, we all have a very busy day ahead of us." Jane proceeded to sit and Joan and Charles did the same.

Marie brought out a wonderful breakfast of eggs, toast, bacon strips and fruit. Charlie was just about to start eating when Jane spoke.

"Charles, normally when you come down for a meal, I expect you to be fully dressed and with makeup on, ready to begin the day. Since it is your first morning and you are not used to the routine, I shall overlook it this morning. In the future you will be dressed and made up to the best of your ability for breakfast." Jane stated as she cut her eggs into bite sized pieces.

"Yes, Ms. Thompson, I didn't know..." Charlie tried to respond.

"There is no excuse other than you did not know and I remember telling you to arrive for breakfast in that robe and slippers. Which you did! Now, the only thing I can think of different is that you should not sleep with make up on in the future. I am certain that one look in the mirror will tell you why." Jane continued.

"I didn't have time, to properly cleanse my face, ma'am." Charlie mumbled.

"When you have something to say, speak up and say it clearly. It is very hard to understand a mumbled reply. So in the future when you wish to tell me something, just say it clearly, understood?" Jane raised an eyebrow.

"Yes ma'am. I said I didn't have time to properly clean my face this morning or I would have been late for breakfast." Charlie replied clearly.

"I understand that Charles, this morning is establishing the rules of the house and how life here happens on a daily basis. By the way, you need to take smaller bites and chew your food more thoroughly. As I was saying, this morning is the beginning of integrating you into this household and how things at the Thompson Academy run. We will begin as soon as breakfast is finished." Jane looked at Charles for acknowledgement and then turned her attention to Joan.

"Joan dear, how is that report coming along?" She asked.

Joan finished swallowing and dabbed her mouth with her napkin. "It is almost finished Aunt Jane. I thought I could work on it this morning, I might have it finished a little ahead of the deadline you set."

"I believe you have piano practice this morning, I do not recall hearing you practice the past couple of days. You will spend two hours this morning practicing after you clean up from breakfast. Is that clear?" Jane used her best 'command' voice towards Joan.

"Two hours! Why so long? Are you trying to make my report late? I only practice one hour every other day! Today I would have practiced anyway, but two hours?" Joan whined.

"That is no way to act with our new student present young lady. You will now practice three hours in the front room so I may hear you and make sure you are doing as I instructed." Was Jane's reply.

"THREE HOURS!! That's unfair! I have done EVERYTHING you have asked, obeyed every command and now you punish me for complaining about an extra hour of piano practice?" Joan yelled as she stood up from her chair and stared at Jane Thompson.

"We will have none of that tone young lady." Jane stared coldly at Joan.

"Hmph!" was the only sound as Joan dropped unceremoniously into her chair.

"Go up to your room, I will discuss this matter with you after I have Charles started with Marie." Jane instructed Joan.

Joan sat there, arms crossed with a big pout on her lips and not moving from her chair.

Charles watched as Jane Thompson took on the official 'Head Monstrous' appearance. The change was so dramatic he shrunk back in his chair.

Jane looked at Joan with a stare that could freeze water. She said only one word. "Now!"

"FINE!" Joan stood up, threw her napkin on the table and flew out of the dining room. Charles could hear her stomp her way up the stairs and the slamming of her room door. Which was evident to both Charles and Jane.

"I'm afraid that little tirade has caused me to lose my appetite! Charles, please finish your breakfast and then come to my study. I will tell Marie what has happened." With that comment Jane Thompson wiped her lips, placed her napkin on the table and excused herself from the table.

Charlie sat there reviewing what had just happened in front of him. 'God! Joan is in quite a bit of trouble, over piano practice! Maybe if I keep quiet and just sort of do what she wants, I won’t get yelled at too much today.' Charlie pondered the situation for a few more moments, then decided he better hurry and finish his breakfast. 'No sense in making the head bitch more upset than she already is!'

Charles finished his meal quickly. If Jane Thompson had been there he would have been admonished for taking too large a bite and not chewing his food sufficiently. But since she was not there, Charlie got away with it this time. He was just taking his last bite of fruit when Marie entered the dining room.

"Cherie, eating that fast will give you indigestion! Have you not been listening to Ms. Jane?" Marie asked.

"Ms. Marie! I...well...I really don't want to get yelled at today. I just thought if I hurried and went to the study sooner, Ms. Thompson might not yell at me for taking so long at breakfast." Was Charlie's reply.

Marie chuckled a little. "Ah, Mon Petite. You have a lot to learn about Ms. Jane, no? She is upset with Joan, but not with you! One of the things you will learn about her is that she is a very fair person. She will show no sign of being upset while you are with her, as she is not upset with you, yet! Eating too quickly and having digestive problems because of it will cause her to become upset with you. You must apply EVERYTHING you learn while you are here. Even the proper manners of eating when you are alone. Do you not see?"

Charlie looked at Marie for a moment. He really did like her, in a sort of 'favorite aunt' way. "I think I see a little. There has just been so much to learn in such a short time... "Charlie looked at his hands and then back to Marie. "Do you think I can learn enough by Friday to have Ms. Thompson decide to keep me here?"

Marie considered the student before her. "I believe that Ms. Jane will give you every opportunity to prove to her that you truly want to stay. If she thinks you are not trying, she will be very hard on you. If you try your best for the next two days, I believe you can convince her that you wish to stay here and not go back to Judge Ruth."

Charlie nodded his head. It was all up to him, he had made his bed and now he was going to have to sleep in it! "Well, if you will excuse me Ms. Marie, I need to see Ms. Thompson so we can start whatever training she has for me today." Charlie placed his napkin on the table, gently slid the chair out, excused himself , slid the chair back to the table and carefully walked out of the dining room toward Jane's study.

The walk down the hall towards Jane's study didn't seem quite as long today. Something Marie had said made Charlie think more about why he was here and just how Ms. Thompson was going to help him. The part about Ms. Thompson being a 'very fair person' had Charlie thinking that maybe the changes in him were not as impossible as he first believed. He approached the study door and knocked twice.

"Enter." Came the voice from inside. Charlie opened the door and proceeded directly to the chair in front of Jane's desk. "Please sit, Charles." was Jane's comment before he even arrived at the proffered chair.

"Today, what I have planned for you is a rather intense training program in how to make yourself 'pretty'. While you and I are chatting, Marie is upstairs arranging things for this mornings exercise." Jane paused for a response.

"Yes Ms. Thompson." came from a very quiet and demure Charles Hawkins.

Each of the outfits that you are to wear this morning will require a complete change of clothes all the way down to your panties. You will also completely remove all traces of makeup and start fresh with every clothing change unless Marie deems otherwise. Are these instructions clear, Charles?" Jane queried.

"Yes Ms. Jane. I am to completely change my clothes and makeup every time. Is there anything else?" Came Charlie's reply.

"Very good! Yes there is. You will report to me after every change for evaluation and comments on your progress. I believe in male terms you will be 'inspected' after each change. There is also a time limit involved. You are not very experienced yet so I will be lenient to start with. As you get better, the time allotment will get shorter. It is currently three minutes before nine. I expect you back here with your first outfit, properly made up no later than ten." Jane stood up and started for her door. "If you will follow me, Marie is waiting in your room to get you started. I will escort you there and then have that 'discussion' with Joan I promised her at breakfast."

Jane left the study and swept up the stairs, evidently a woman on a mission. Charlie had trouble staying with her since he was not very experienced at walking in two inch-heeled mules. They arrived at his room and Jane motioned him in, she then shut the door and left Charlie with Marie.

"So Cherie, we begin! What is your time limit?" Marie asked with a smile.

"I have until ten to present myself to Ms. Jane." Was the reply.

"Ah! I told you she was fair! You will make that in plenty of time! Now, into the bathroom and remove the makeup from your face. The bath is drawn so wash and check for stray hairs. Quickly, quickly! Shoo!" Marie talked as she waved both hands at Charlie to get going. "I will check on you in fifteen minutes! Try to keep your hair dry! It will make things easier."

"Yes ma'am." Was the reply as Charlie headed into the bathroom. He had a smile on his face and actually giggled a little as he closed the bathroom door to do as he was told. Charlie went back through the makeup removal process he had learned the previous night. A quick check of his face revealed no hair but to be safe Charlie shaved anyway. He found a shower cap next to the tub so he put it on, tucked in his hair and got into the tub. He was just about done washing when there was a knock on the bathroom door and Marie entered.

"These are your panties and bra for your first outfit. I will leave them here." She placed a couple of items on the vanity top. "Do not forget to use this lotion on your entire body before you dress. It helps to ease any irritation from shaving." Marie smiled and left the room.

Charlie finished, drained the tub and then rinsed off in the shower. He stepped out and dried off. The next step was different, he had never coated his entire body with lotion before. This took longer than he thought and he was just slipping on his panties when Marie knocked and opened the door again.

"Your fifteen minutes are up! Ah, Cherie, you must learn to move a little faster. Getting ready as a woman requires many more steps than as a boy, no? If we are to make your time limit with a little time to spare you must hurry! Finish up quickly and come out to the vanity." Marie admonished Charlie as gently as she could.

"Yes, Miss Marie, I'll be right there." Charlie said as the door closed. He fumbled with the bra, trying to figure out how to get his arms twisted around to hook the blasted thing together. "How do girls do this?"

Finally giving up, he let out a sigh and left the bathroom. "Miss Marie, I can't seem to figure out how to hook this together!" He said as he walked toward the vanity.

Marie smiled and said. "Let me show you a trick." She then showed him how to put the bra on backwards, hook it together and then turn it around and slip his arms into the straps. "You may eventually learn to twist your arms around to just hook it, but we do not have the time today to teach you such contortions! Now, the first outfit requires stockings, so you will need to put on this." Marie handed Charles a cream-colored garter belt. After some fumbling on Charlie's part he finally put the belt on correctly and even remembered to thread the straps through his panties.

He was handed cream-colored stockings, which he carefully slid on the way he had the previous day attaching them to the garter tabs. Marie showed him how to slip on the two-inch heeled pumps and then handed him a pure white petticoat.

Charlie stepped into the petticoat and asked Marie to tie it. She then surprised him when she handed him a second petticoat.

"This one you put on over your head so it lays on top of the first one. Notice it is just a little longer and will hang to the same level as the other." Marie instructed. She then held the petticoat up so Charlie could slip his arms and head through the bottom. After taking time to arrange the layers, Marie tied off the second petticoat. She then took a cream colored dress from the closet and had Charlie slip it over his head. It had a fitted bodice with short puffy sleeves. The skirt billowed out to cover all but the slightest fraction of the snow white petticoats. Around the neck, sleeves and hem was a matching cream colored lace. Charlie noticed that the dress, stockings and shoes all were just about a perfect color match. Marie zipped up the back, then tied a large bow in the back of the dress and motioned Charlie to the vanity.

Charlie took about three steps and realized that he would have to walk with the exaggerated hip motion that Joan had taught him. The extra petticoat caused the bottom one to bunch up between his legs. After shaking his tush, he resumed walking and remembered to sweep the petticoats so he could sit without wrinkling them.

"Very good, Cherie! I see you remembered some of what you were taught yesterday! I believe that from the way you shook your petticoats free, Joan had shown you a few things last night, no?" Marie complimented.

"Yes she did. She told me it was nice to have someone her own age here. She seems very nice!" Came Charlie's response.

"Now we do your makeup and then your hair! Watch closely Cherie, I will have you doing most of this before the morning is through." Marie said as she opened a small bottle. "This is a moisturizer. You ALWAYS use this first to seal your pores and to prevent the makeup from drying your skin."

Marie showed Charlie how to apply the lotion and then watched as he finished the job himself. The rest of the makeup was applied in a similar fashion, Marie would demonstrate and then have Charlie do the other half of his face. The only problem that Charlie had was his eyes watered when applying eyeliner. When all was finished, Marie showed Charlie how to remove the curlers that were still in his hair. She did the first two and Charlie did the rest, carefully placing them in the rack that Marie provided. When he was done, Marie took over to finish his hair.

Marie used a brush and tamed the mass of curls on Charlie's head into a beautiful wavy hairdo, that looked like it came from a television commercial. Every time Charlie would move his head the hair would bounce along with him. Marie finished his hair by taking small amounts from the side and placing a barrette above each ear. 'To keep the hair from mussing your makeup!' She had said.

"Voila! Take a quick look in the mirror, Cherie. Are you not pretty?" Marie was all smiles.

Charlie stood and looked in the full-length mirror on the closet door. There stood that girl again, you know, the one from last night. Only she looked younger! Charlie thought he looked about eleven, not thirteen.

"Miss Marie? I look younger somehow." Charlie turned to look at Marie.

"Oui! This is a younger look. The extra petticoat along with the hairstyle and makeup give the illusion of youth. They are just some of the feminine tricks you will learn. Now hurry and get to Ms. Jane's study! The sooner you get there the better!" Marie motioned towards the door.

Charlie stood, shook out his petticoats and headed out the door. He tried to walk so the petticoats wouldn't bunch. This slowed his pace quite a bit. There was also the problem of the stairs! With the extra petticoat, he couldn't see his feet, so he had to 'feel' his way down the stairs with a 'death grip' on the railing. Successfully negotiating the stairs and the hall, Charlie knocked on the study door.

"Come in!" Was the response. Charlie took a deep breath, put on a smile and opened the door.

"Ah Charles, you look lovely!" Jane Thompson told the be-skirted boy. Charlie had walked into the study, attempted a curtsey and then stood in the demure position Joan had shown him the night before. Jane rose from her desk and circled the boy looking at all the details. "A very nice first attempt, Charles. Marie has done a wonderful job of making you pretty. Now, this is how our inspections will work. I will write down the flaws in your appearance. I will then set a new time limit. You will return to your room for your next change, mindful of the constructive criticism I give you and return for your next review." Jane paused to walk back to her chair.

"You may sit." Jane watched as Charlie tried to sweep the skirt and petticoats and sit to avoid wrinkling them. "A very good try, Charles. The curtsey and the way you sweep your skirts are still a little rough but I am sure both will improve with practice. Your ability to walk in heels will also be part of your lessons. The makeup you have on is not applied properly over your right eye, the left one is acceptable. Your lipstick needs refreshing, I suspect you bite your lower lip when you are nervous. You will have to learn to control that habit." Jane went on for about two more minutes discovering flaws in his presentation.

"Let us set your next time limit, shall we? You arrived here ten minutes before the deadline so we can add two minutes to the next time. You had ten items that needed correction so we deduct one minute for every five items. So far you are even. You will not need another bath so we can deduct fifteen minutes from the required time. So, when we total it all up.....you have thirty-five minutes to complete your next change. It is now nine-fifty-five. I will expect your next knock prior to ten-thirty. Hand this to Marie, please, she will make the corrections I have listed. You may go!" Jane handed Charlie the list of 'faults'.

"Yes, Ms. Thompson.", came out of Charlie almost automatically. It actually surprised him.

"Charles?" Jane asked. Charlie looked startled when he looked back at Jane. "You need to hurry, you only have thirty-three minutes left!" Jane stated tapping her watch.

"Oh! I'm sorry...I ...I was just thinking....Umm....bye, Ms. Thompson." Charlie was shaken and stammering to himself all the way out the door and up the stairs.

The next change didn't go quite as well. The clothes were more age appropriate and only needed one petticoat, but the hairstyle and makeup took a little longer, especially since Marie insisted Charlie do more of it himself. He knocked on the study door six minutes late!

"Enter!" Came from inside the study. Charlie walked in carefully and took the required pose. The sigh that escaped Jane Thompson's lips could have been heard across the hall through the closed door! "You are six minutes late! You must try harder. No excuses! This exercise is designed to teach you many things, one of which is how to be on time!" Jane made a quick inspection, handed Charles the list and said, "You have thirty minutes to return. I would hurry, if I were you."

Charlie actually ran down the hall and up the stairs. He was breathing hard as he entered the bedroom, trying to undo the clasp and zipper on the dress as he walked. Marie was handed the note, nodded and went to get another set of clothes. This time a skirt and blouse combination. The lingerie and skirt were not a problem, the buttons on the blouse took a little figuring out, not only were they very tiny, but the blouse buttoned backwards from what Charlie was used to. Hair was easier, since it was swept back into a high ponytail and makeup was a bit more complicated to give a slightly older look. When Charlie checked the mirror he saw a sixteen or seventeen year old girl on her way to an office job somewhere. The lower one-inch heel allowed him to move a little quicker. He knocked on the study door only two minutes late.

"Closer, Charles, but still a little slow. I believe that I now know what your first school assignment will be, but we will discuss that after Friday." Jane smiled, stood and performed her inspection.

While Jane was writing, Charlie noticed a small speaker on Jane's desk that had piano music coming from it. 'Must be a walkie-talkie for listening to Joan.' he thought. 'She really seemed to come down hard on her this morning.' Just then, there was a noticeable mistake in the music.

Jane immediately picked up the device. "Joan? Please replay that passage ten times, you are still making the same mistake!" She said into the microphone. The response was quite a din! When Jane heard that, her eyes went ice cold. "I said to replay that section ten times young lady! You know I mean what I say!"

There was silence for a few seconds and then the piano began the piece again, with the same obvious mistake in it! Jane took a deep breath to calm herself, picked up the device and spoke clearly into it. "Ms. Carlson! I distinctly asked you to replay that passage correctly! Since you seem to have a problem with that , please move on to the piece from Chopin." She set the device back on her desk, made a note to herself and returned to look at Charles.

"This is a very good look for you. I think we shall use it in the future" Jane went on to tell Charles what needed to be 'touched up' a little to be perfect. In the middle of her talk she turned and looked at the listening device on her desk.

Charles followed her look and heard a very poor rendition of 'Chopsticks' coming from the little speaker. The look on Jane Thompson's face was permanently etched in Charlie's mind. She seemed to grow about six inches and the real 'Head Monstrous' came out in her look. She picked up the device one more time.

"Miss Carlson! I hear that you simply do not have your heart in performing the required exercises today. Please come into the hall and wait! I shall call for you shortly!" Jane placed the two-way device back on her desk. There was another audible din, followed by the slamming of the keyboard cover on the piano. Just as quickly her look softened when she addressed Charles. "Your next change is a bit more complicated so I will allow five extra minutes. You have thirty-five minutes from now. You may go!"

Startled for a moment, Charlie finally rose, curtseyed and said, "Yes, Ms. Thompson." When he left, he saw Joan sitting on the bench looking very dejected. He was going to say something when there was a voice behind him.

"Joan, come in please!" The voice of Jane Thompson was as stern as Charlie had ever heard. He gave Joan a worried look and scurried up the stairs to his next change. As he entered the bedroom, he was already unbuttoning the blouse and trying to get undressed as quickly as possible. He hung up the skirt and blouse, then went into the bathroom. There he finished undressing, placed the lingerie in the hamper and completely cleansed his face. Marie knocked and stuck in an arm to place a pair of black panties on the counter just inside the door.

"Just slip those on, we will do the rest out here." She stated as she closed the door.

Charlie finished cleaning his face and reached for the panties, when he picked them up he stopped short. They were a very tiny, very lacy thong style panty! Charlie looked at them for a few seconds, then cracked open the door. "Marie? Are you sure, these will fit? I mean, there isn't a lot of material there!" The question came out more like a whine.

Marie chuckled, "They will fit just fine, now hurry! We have a lot to do!"

Charlie looked at the panties one more time shaking his head. After slipping them on and a little judicious rearranging, he was just barely covered enough to be called 'decent'. He opened the door and left the safety of the bathroom.

As he entered the bedroom Marie was standing there holding an ominous looking garment. Charlie looked at her a little wary.

"This is a bustier! It will give you the proper support and shape for your dress. Now, turn around so we can get this on you." Marie motioned Charlie to turn around.

The bustier was wrapped around Charles and the front was hooked together. Marie then grabbed the laces in the back and started pulling them tight. Well, squeezing the life out of Charlie would be an overstatement, but it felt that tight!

"Does it have to be that tight, Marie? I can hardly breathe!" Charlie gasped.

"Be thankful it is only a bustier, Cherie! If it were a full corset you would have less room to breathe! Take small shallow breaths, it will take a moment for you to adjust to it." Marie responded.

While Charlie was 'adjusting' to the bustier, Marie gave him this little wisp of a garter belt. It was barely five ribbons and a clip! He managed to put it on and thread the straps through the thong. Now there was an experience! Trying to remain modest, while threading the straps properly through that thong!

Next came a pair of very sheer black stockings. By now the routine was getting old so he was able to slide them on and clip them quickly. A pair of black sandals with a three-inch heel completed his preparation before hair and makeup.

Marie had Charlie sit at the vanity, then came up behind him and said. "You need to be a bit more grown up for this next outfit. Let me slip these into the cups of the bustier." Marie reached around Charlie, lifted what 'breast' tissue he had and inserted these two cold lumps.

The surprised look on Charlie's face told Marie it was just the effect she was looking for. "So, Mon Petit, what do you think of being a little more grown up?"

"I... I... " Charlie stared in the mirror. "Marie!... I... I have...I have breasts! How?" Was the question along with a look of pure confusion.

"Not every girl is how should we say... 'enchanting'. So we have these little tricks to fill in where nature has left one wanting!" Was Marie's reply.

"But...but... It's amazing!" Was all Charlie could say as he felt 'his' breasts.

"You may admire yourself some other time Cherie, we must finish your hair and makeup and return you to Ms. Jane." Said Marie as she guided Charlie to sit at the vanity.

The makeup was a bit more dramatic, Charlie's eyes were blended from a mauve at the eyelash line to almost a white at his eyebrow. This served to really open up his eyes. A dark eyeliner and a liberal application of black mascara gave Charlie's eyes a more dramatic look. Marie made his blush a little more pronounced along with making his lips a deeper red.

Next she worked on his hair. She pulled it all up into a high ponytail, then slicked his bangs back and pinned them with bobbie pins so they would stay that way. Next she added some styling product and curled the ends of the ponytail various ways so it looked like a fountain spray from behind. Marie used a lot of hair spray to hold it all in place. The final touch was a silver tiara, placed and pinned to hide all the pins that held Charlie's bangs in place. The front part of the ponytail fell just behind it.

The image in the mirror held Charlie's attention. Marie tried calling his name but it didn't work. She finally had to touch his shoulder. "Cherie! Your dress." Was all she said.

The 'dress' was actually a floor length deep blue satin gown. Charlie stepped into it and Marie slid it up his body. The gown was strapless, so Marie took over and attached the sides of the gown to Charlie's bustier with little hooks. Then she reached back and zipped up the back.

The gown fit Charlie perfectly. Once again, Charlie was drawn to the mirror. It was so hard to believe that the girl in the mirror was him.

Marie broke the trance one final time. "A necklace and your wrap and you are ready!" She placed a silver heart shaped necklace on Charlie and then showed him how to wear a white crocheted shawl over his arms. The final touch was a small black purse with a long strap that Charlie placed over one shoulder.

"I look… beautiful, Marie! I would never in a million years..." Charlie just stopped in mid sentence, staring at the image in the mirror.

"Yes you do, Cherie. Now, on your way! Lift your skirt to get down the stairs, I will assist you." Marie said, as she guided Charlie out the door and towards the stairs. It took a lot longer to negotiate the steps. Trying to hold the skirt, look where you are placing your foot, trying to stand straight and shoes that were an inch higher than Charlie was used to. All of this combined made him very late for his next 'inspection'.

"Enter." The response was what Charlie was used to whenever he knocked on Jane Thompson's study door. He entered as carefully as he could and stood before the desk.

Jane looked up from her papers, a genuine smile crossed her lips. "You look lovely, Charles! That is definitely your color! However, you are seventeen minutes late! I did give you an extra five minutes, did I not?"

"Yes, Ms. Thompson. It's just much more difficult to walk down..." Charlie's excuse was cut off by the wave of Jane's hand.

"No excuses! I know that making yourself lovely takes time! One of the purposes of this exercise is to get you to do it quickly! A lady does not keep her escort waiting more than a few minutes, that is rude! So one of our goals is to get you ready quickly for whatever event is planned. Is this clear?" Jane's eyebrow did it's usual rise.

"Yes, Ms. Thompson." Seemed the only thing Charlie could say at the moment. There was a pause in the conversation and Charlie could hear the music coming from the monitor on Jane's desk. The music sounded dramatically different! It was still 'Chopsticks', but it sounded like it was being played on a small child's toy piano!

The piece was finished and Jane Thompson picked up the small communication device. "Very good 'Joanie'! Now I would like to hear that piece one more time followed by 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star', please." There was a soft 'Yes, Aunty Jane' from the device and the music started over again.

Jane returned her gaze to Charlie. "This will be your last change before lunch. Since you have been so late, I have written what I want you to wear for lunch. You have thirty minutes, do not be late! You may go."

Charlie stood, made a small curtsey and left the room. It was not in a hurried manner in which he returned to his room. Not that he wasn't trying to move quickly, but the dress just didn't allow it! Raising one's skirt and trying to find each step simply takes time!

Charlie entered the room and gave Marie the note, then turned around and asked Marie to unzip the gown. Once that was off and hung back in the closet, Charlie retreated to the bathroom for yet another 'strip and cleanse' of his lingerie and makeup.

"Wait, Cherie. Let me undo your hair, you will have to quickly shampoo and condition it for this outfit, leave it wet and in a turban." Marie noted as Charlie headed for the bathroom.

"I only have thirty minutes! I'm supposed to shower too?" Charlie squeaked.

"The faster you sit, the sooner you can clean your face and shower!" Was Marie's response.

Charlie let out a big sigh, but moved to the vanity and started removing the tiara. Marie watched as he placed it on the vanity and then removed the pins that held his hair in place. While he was doing that, Marie loosened the laces on the bustier. When he came to the ponytail he hesitated for a moment and finger-combed his bangs down over his forehead.

"Almost a shame to take it down, isn't it Marie? All the work you did and it only lasted what...twenty-five minutes?" Charlie looked at Marie and smiled.

"Yes! But the purpose of this exercise is to teach you many things. Only one of which is how much effort goes into being pretty! Do not tarry any longer, you are losing precious time!" Was her response.

"True!" Came Charlie's response as he stood and took off for the bathroom. He managed to remove most of the lingerie on the way there and cleansed his face in record time. The shower was very short, just enough time to remove the rubber band, shampoo and condition and get out! A quick wrap of a towel into a turban and there on the counter was another set of lingerie. He hadn't heard Marie enter to place it there this last time.

This was different. The bra and panties were cotton, not satin, nor very lacy. Both were in white, the first that color since this morning. Once dressed, Charlie was out the door.

"You are getting quicker, Cherie! You should be very close in time, your hair will take the longest." Marie said encouragingly.

She set about with a hair dryer and brush doing wondrous things to Charlie's hair. The rhythm of the brushing and the warm air combined in a hypnotic way to relax Charlie. Then she used a round brush like a curling iron, forming curls all over. Finally she brushed it all out made a low pigtail on each side and added a barrette to each pigtail.

"Now to get dressed and you are off!" Marie told him. She reached for a petticoat and Charlie stepped in, then a short blue dress, which buttoned up the back. A white apron was tied in a large bow. Charlie was handed white ankle sox with a wide lace ruffle around the top, which he put on and folded the top lace down as he had seen on other young girls. The final items were a pair of shiny ruby colored shoes, they looked like a 'Mary Jane' style shoe but had a two-inch heel. Charlie turned and looked in the mirror.

"Oh my!" he said as his hand went to his mouth. ‘I look like a blonde version of 'Dorothy' in 'The Wizard of Oz'. All I need is a basket and 'Toto'.

"Carry this in the crook of your right arm and hurry! You have two minutes to get to Jane's door." Marie handed Charlie a small basket with a little stuffed dog in it.

Charlie took the basket and headed out the door. He was in a hurry and really flew down the stairs. He pulled up short at the study door, took a deep breath and knocked.

"Enter!" Was the normal answer.

Charlie entered, curtseyed and waited to be asked to sit.

"I see you are ONLY a few seconds late! That IS some improvement! I believe that we shall relieve the boredom of all these changes by doing something different for the time we have before lunch." Was Jane's initial comment.

The 'different' was to be walking lessons! Charlie spent the next hour trying to make a complete circuit of the study with a dictionary perched on his head. After forty-five minutes Jane made a comment.

"Miss Hawkins! One would think you are not hungry! If you would like lunch then one complete circuit of the study must be accomplished, like so!"

Jane took the dictionary, placed on her own head and proceeded to complete the required route without a wriggle of the book. "You see, you need not move your shoulders, but allow your hips to sway instead. I am certain you have seen girls walk before, the goal is to teach you to do the same."

"Yes, ma'am." Charlie tried again, this time concentrating on keeping his shoulders still and swaying his hips. It was a slow walk but he made it all the way around without dropping the book!

"Very Good! Now, one more time while carrying your basket." Was Jane's command.

Charlie picked up the basket with the little dog in it and before he could stop himself asked, "Toto too?"

Jane gave a small smile, "Toto too!"

The absurdity of the exchange got to Charlie. He tried very hard to stifle a laugh, only to drop 'Mr. Webster' on the floor. That caused even more giggles and a few outright laughs to escape from Charlie's mouth.

"MISS Hawkins? Would you care to share what is so hilarious?" Jane asked.

Charlie tried very hard to gain control of himself. The giggles just kept coming, like on one of those TV Blooper shows. After what seemed forever, he was able to compose himself enough to talk.

"I am sorry Miss Jane, but the.. umm.. situation really is very funny. I mean we just did two lines from the movie and since I have arrived here I just don't see you as 'Glenda the Good Witch'." Came Charlie's reply.

"I see...", A small smile came to Jane's lips. "My function here is to teach you manners, politeness and other non-violent ways to deal with your emotions. To that end, I am very capable. Your opinion of me, most likely is not that of the 'Good Witch'. However, if you do not have a house to drop on me, as your shoes suggest you did to my apparent sibling, I suggest we return to the exercise at hand, so we may have lunch sometime this afternoon!"

Sobriety returned to Charlie very quickly. "Yes, Ms. Thompson." He proceeded to place the dictionary on his head, carry the basket and completed the required circuit of the study on the third try.

Tales of the Season : Charlene's Story

By

Lisa Elizabeth

Chapter Fourteen

The First Days of ‘Little’ Charlene

The two students entered Charlene’s bedroom. Joan led Charlene to her vanity and had her sit facing the mirror. "There are a few things that need to be done here. We need to fix your hair and then redo your lipstick. I’m afraid the hairstyle Marie let you have is not acceptable for this punishment." Joan proceeded to show Charlene how to do her hair in high pigtails. She used two pink ribbons to hide the hair bands and to add to the childish appearance. She then had Charlene redo her pink ‘Cupid’s Bow’ lips. When that was completed, she led the new four-year-old over to her bed and the shelf of dolls that sat next to it. "You need to pick out your favorite dolly. Part of this is that you will carry your dolly everywhere for the time you are dressed like this. Tomorrow for lunch, remember your dolly as well or your time in this ‘reminder’ will most likely be extended."

Charlene looked over the shelf of dolls. She really hadn’t noticed what they looked like before now, she hadn’t spent much time alone in her bedroom to actually look over everything that was there. Joan sat quietly while Charlene looked over all her choices. "I never really had time to look at all these dolls before. I mean it was either dark or Marie was here getting me dressed. It has to be one of these two." Charlene held up two dolls about the size of a newborn baby. "I think I like the one with brown hair better. What do you think?" She asked holding the two dolls out for Joan’s inspection.

"It has to be YOUR favorite doll. I like them both. The brunette has a dress that is similar in color and style to the one you are wearing. It would be a good choice. Just be sure it is your favorite, Aunt Jane will ask you why it is your favorite doll and will expect an honest answer." Joan commented, "So what are you going to name her?"

Charlene placed the blonde-headed doll back on the shelf and looked at the one she was still holding. After a couple of moments thought she said, "Gretchen! Her name is Gretchen. She reminds me of a girl from my third grade class, so it will be easy to remember."

"Gretchen! A lovely name for a dolly." Jane’s voice came from the doorway. "I see you are teaching Charlene about the rules. I just stopped to inform you we are having a light tea at four o’clock. Do be sure our young Miss is on time."

"Yes, Aunt Jane." Came the reply from Joan. Jane turned and left the doorway, leaving the two girls alone again.

"Where did she come from? I mean I didn’t hear her come up the steps, did you?" Charlene asked Joan.

"Aunt Jane has a way of being where you least expect her. She ALWAYS manages to show up at the strangest times. That is one reason you need to be in character at all times. Dressed as you are, there are rules for your behavior and speech patterns. You have to follow them even when you think you are alone. As you can see Aunt Jane shows up at the most surprising times."

"No joke! She must have a transporter or something." Charlene said shaking her head.

"You would think so! But I haven’t seen the console around here." Joan giggled. "Time to show you the rest of what is required. Come along." Joan held out her hand. Charlene took Joan’s hand and followed her out of the bedroom.

They went downstairs, past the conservatory and the student study to a room Joan called the nursery. This was a nice large room with lots of windows showing the fields and pastures beyond Jane’s rose garden. It had a light and airy feeling when you walked into the room. The first thing Charlene noticed was all the furniture sized for someone very small. Like when she went to her brother’s kindergarten classroom on parent's conference day. There was only one adult sized chair in the room and it was an overstuffed armchair in one corner with a floor lamp next to it.

"This is the nursery. Today, you and I will be here until four o’clock. Part of that time I will be teaching you what is expected and the rest we will be doing exactly what is expected of you." Joan was instructing. "First lesson is you will always ask permission to do something. This includes going potty. If you don’t ask, I have to write down the infraction for Aunt Jane. If I don’t, I get to be your ‘playmate’ for the rest of your ‘reminder’ time. So please don’t get angry with me for writing down the things you do wrong, okay?"

Charlene nodded and asked. "I have to ask to go to the bathroom?"

"Yes, you do and you will refer to it as ‘the potty’! I will escort you to the door. It is assumed you are big enough to use the bathroom properly by yourself and not make a mess. You are only allowed to play games and do things a pre-school girl would do. We can play ‘Go Fish’, we can have a ‘Tea Party’, or I can read you a story from the selection of books by the chair. You currently are not dressed old enough to read on your own. There is also a collection of dolls and doll clothes in the cupboard, those are available to you also."

"So I have to act like a pre-schooler? That is so stupid!" Charlene asked.

"That may be, but it is the way Aunt Jane wants you to act in this situation. It is the proper way for you to act IF you had been a four-year-old girl. Your speech has to be that of a young child also. You may refer to me as ‘Aunty Joan’ for our time together. I need you to try to talk in your best ‘little girl’ voice the entire time we are here. Remember, Aunt Jane shows up at the strangest times…" Joan reminded Charlene.

"Little girl voice…Hmm…" Charlene tried to think how she could talk like a little girl. She finally decided that she could try to imitate the way her cousin, Lisa, talked. She was in first grade, hopefully that would be young enough for this…this ‘exercise’ in being a little girl. "How’s this sound Aunty Joan? Do I sound like a little girl?" Charlene squeaked a little on the last part of ‘little girl’.

Joan smiled. "Not bad. Just keep talking that way, it will eventually become more natural. That way you won’t mess up when Aunt Jane is around."

"So what now, Aunty Joan, I’m boring! " Charlene said with a sigh and plopped in one of the small chairs.

"Get up and straighten your petticoats! That will get you in trouble too!" Joan admonished. "I believe you meant you are bored…not boring. There are many things to do. We are going to tea with Aunt Jane at four, how about we have a ‘tea party’ so you learn how grown-ups have tea?"

Charlene thought about it for a moment. "How grown-ups have tea. Don’t you just drink it?"

Joan chuckled at that comment. "Just like a little girl! No my dear, there is a proper way one serves tea to guests. We shall have a tea party so you may play at something age appropriate and learn at the same time." Joan did her best imitation of Jane Thompson. "That way you can be just a little ahead of Aunt Jane, eh?"

"Oh! Okay!" Was the reply.

Joan directed Charlene in what to do and how to set up a small table for a Tea Party. They set the chairs and placed ‘Gretchen’ in one and Joan found another doll she named ‘Betty’ and placed her in another chair. They set out the tea service and napkins and then took their seats to begin.

"I’ll serve the tea so you can learn, then you can do the refills, okay?" Joan asked.

"Sure, that sounds like a …." Charlene remembered she was to use a ‘little girl’ voice. "Oh! That would be great Aunty Joan, I have never been to a tea party before." She put on a big smile.

"I was wondering if you would remember your voice. Very good, Charlene." Joan complimented Charlene.

Charlene smiled and the tea party began…

Joan stood and made introductions of everyone at the table and thanked them for coming to the party. She then proceeded to offer each guest tea, with their choice of cream, sugar or lemon. When all the guests had their tea, she offered each a plate of ‘scones’. When all was served, everyone started to eat her scones and drink the tea.

Charlene thought it was very silly, but knew she had to play along or get a comment written down by Joan. After being asked to refill everyone’s cup and being admonished by Joan for not doing it properly, she was becoming frustrated and her temper was getting short.

"Charlene! This is the third time I have had to correct you on how to serve tea! What is wrong with you?" Joan asked, exasperation in her voice.

Charlene didn’t even try to use her ‘little girl’ voice. "This is really stupid. I mean there isn’t ANYONE in the whole world that does things this F***ing stupid!"

"Where did you learn to talk like that, young lady? Profanity is NOT allowed in this house and you know it! Now, I have to write down that you swore and didn’t use the proper voice during the tea party." Joan picked up the pad and pen on the table.

"I don’t care what you write down, I just feel so…so… so ridiculous sitting here in this dress and playing like I was four-years-old!" Charlene snapped back. She then crossed her arms in front of her and put on a big pout.

Joan actually giggled and then caught herself. "Unfortunately, you look like a little girl with that pout!"

"It’s not funny! I am not a little girl. You can’t make me be one either, so there." Charlene stuck out her tongue at Joan. All that did was cause Joan to break her ‘serious’ look and laugh aloud. "Ms. Jane said you wouldn’t laugh at me, stop it right now!"

"It’s very hard not to laugh when you stick your tongue out like that! That’s not fair!" Joan replied.

"Is too fair!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too"

"GIRLS! Just exactly what is going on in here?" Jane Thompson said from the door.

Charlene pointed a finger at Joan. "She laughed at me and I told her it wasn’t fair that she did!" Charlene nodded her head and refolded her arms.

"Joan, please explain." Jane raised an eyebrow expectantly.

Joan explained how Charlene had tired of the tea party. She then broke character to express her displeasure and when she stuck out her tongue, it was more than Joan could take and she did in fact let out a laugh.

"I see. Charlene, is there a problem with following my orders that you are to act and play as a young child for two afternoons and evenings?" Jane asked moving her gaze from Joan to Charlene.

Charlene unfolded her arms. "I don’t see the point. I was never a little girl, how would I know or even like what little girls do?"

"I see. Let me put it to you this way. It is true you never lived as a young girl, this ‘exercise’ is to give you a chance to do just that. You are to live as a young girl would. From the experiences gathered from your time in this exercise, you will be able to develop into a lovely young woman, much like Joan." Jane stated. "The purpose is to expose you to those things you have not been exposed to before."

Charlene took a deep sigh. "I still don’t see the point. I’m not a girl! I mean, both of you know that, so like I said, I don’t see the point!"

"Very well. Until we have our tea, you will continue to play, as it is, in this scenario. If you still do not ‘see’ the point, maybe we will have to try something else." Jane Thompson then turned and left the room.

Joan looked at Charlene, a sad smile came to her face. "I do hope you see the point of this before we have tea this afternoon. Otherwise, I have no idea what Aunt Jane will do. I just know it will probably be something that will drive her point home with a sledgehammer! Shall we do something else?"

Charlene decided the best course was to fall back into her ‘little girl’ character and see what happened. Joan’s warning of Jane Thompson’s ability to drive home a point with a sledgehammer really didn’t worry her. How difficult could she make life here? She already had her dressed as a little girl, what more could she do?

She decided they should finish the tea party then play ‘Go Fish’. "Aunty Joan? I want to finish the tea party and then play ‘Go Fish!" She said in her best ‘little girl’ voice.

"Good! Shall we apologize to our guests for the delay?" Joan asked.

So they did the apologies to both ‘Gretchen’ and ‘Betty’ and continued to have a good time discussing fashions, makeup and the day’s news events. When they were finished discussing all the topics, they cleaned up the party and played the card game. Joan won.

"It’s almost time for our tea with Aunt Jane, you had better change Gretchen’s diaper." Joan mentioned.

"What? Why would I need to change her diaper?" Charlene asked.

"When you have your favorite dolly with you, she is like having your own baby. You need to care for her, change her diaper, hug her and feed her. All those things your mommy would do for you when you were little. Think of it as practice for when you grow up and become a mommy!" Joan said.

"Oh! I didn’t know. I thought I just had to take her everywhere as part of this exercise." Charlene replied, forgetting her little girl voice. "Another thing! You know I’ll never be a mommy, so what’s the point?"

"You broke character! You have to learn to stay in the role you are in at the time. Correct your voice!" Joan admonished as she wrote down the infraction. "You have to change your doll’s diaper before we go for tea."

Charlene was surprised by Joan’s response. It took her a moment to recover and then to go back to ‘little girl’ mode. "Sorry Aunty Joan. I didn’t think Gretchen needed changing, thank you for telling me."

Joan showed Charlene how to set up the changing table. She guided her through the proper way to change a diaper and then to hold her baby and praise her for being such a ‘big girl’ during the changing process. They put everything away and left the nursery to have tea with Jane Thompson.

Jane was already in the Parlor when Joan and Charlene entered. Charlene had one hand holding on to Joan and the other carried ‘Gretchen’. They both curtseyed and took their seats next to the small tea service set on a cart.

"Ah, right on time, girls, very good!" Jane praised. "Charlene, would you please pour?"

Charlene turned white. "Me pour? I… I mean… Yes Miss Jane!" The last part back in ‘little girl’ voice. Charlene did exactly as they had during the tea party in the nursery. She asked each person how they would like their tea, then poured and added the appropriate amount of lemon, sugar or cream. When she handed Jane her tea you could see her hands were visibly shaking, some of the tea spilled into the saucer. She did just fine with Joan and Marie though.

When she sat back down, Jane had a puzzled look on her face. "Is something wrong Miss Jane?" Charlene asked.

"Yes dear, are you not feeling well? You did not make a cup for yourself." Jane replied.

"Oh! I forgot!" Charlene’s face turned red as she got back up and made a cup of tea for herself. She placed it on the side of the tray and then offered everyone some fresh sugar cookies that Marie had just taken from the oven. Once everyone was served and gingerly munching on their cookies, Charlene sat down with her tea and cookies. ‘Damn! I can’t even serve tea correctly! We just had that party too! I guess I’ll have to pay more attention next time.’

"Joan dear, how has the afternoon with our young lass been going?" Jane asked.

Joan handed Jane the pad she had been writing things upon. "So far not too badly, Aunt Jane. After you stopped in for a visit, Charlene started to get into the spirit of the games."

"I see. It appears there were only three infractions so far this afternoon, plus the one, just now. I should tell you, Charlene, that if you gather ten infractions during the course of this ‘exercise’, your time as a little girl shall be extended by one full day. That rule applies to each set of instructions I give you. That way the rule never changes, it is a constant." Jane stated in full ‘Headmistress’ mode.

"Yes, Miss Jane." Came the meek little girl reply from Charlene.

The rest of the time was spent discussing the news, fashions and what Marie was making for dinner. Charlene even managed to refill Jane’s tea and deliver it without spilling any on the saucer. She did however have to ask what she wanted with her tea.

Jane made a note that Charlene needed to be reminded of the importance of remembering what her guests had while serving them tea. However, since she had only had one tea party experience before this, it might be best to let things develop over the next few days. ‘I’ll remind Joan about this faux pas.’

Tea was finished and all the cups, saucers and plates returned to the tray. Jane excused the girls to return to the nursery until dinner was served. Once again Joan curtseyed, took Charlene’s hand and they left the Parlor to return to the nursery.

Charlene saw the bathroom as they passed and figured she should use it before going to the nursery. She pulled Joan to a stop in front of the door. Remembering her ‘little girl’ voice, she asked. "Aunty Joan, I need to go potty."

"Alright, I’ll wait right here for you." Joan let go of Charlene’s hand.

You would think that going to the bathroom would be a normal thing for someone fourteen years old. However, since Charlene had never worn so many petticoats and couldn’t even see where she was standing, let alone where to sit to use the potty. The process took a long time to complete. Then she had to reverse everything and rearrange all her petticoats, lay out the dress over them and then figured out how to wash her hands without dripping on the dress. When she finally emerged from the bathroom, she was exhausted! Just from going potty.

"Problems?" Joan asked.

"This dress! It’s next to impossible to rearrange it! I think it would be easier to just take it off!" Charlene replied.

"That would take longer! Believe me, I know!" Joan replied while taking Charlene’s hand and heading for the nursery.

The rest of the afternoon the girls spent playing with the dolls. Charlene had never played with them before so it was a learning experience. The strange part was that ‘Gretchen’ had similar outfits to all the ones that Charlene had changed in and out of over the last two days. Coincidence? Maybe! Charlene couldn’t be sure that somehow Jane Thompson knew she would pick that doll and made sure all the clothes matched!

Charlene remembered to feed, burp and change Gretchen just before they left for dinner. Feeling good about staying in character between tea and dinner, Charlene was actually skipping along next to Joan on their way to the dining room.

When they entered the dining room, Charlene looked around for a chair for Gretchen. The one Joan had used wasn’t there. She decided to play the part as far as she could and put on a great big exaggerated pout!

"Aunty Joan? I can’t find a chair for Gretchen! Where will she sit?" Charlene asked.

Joan looked around the room and nodded. She left the dining room and returned with a doll-sized chair for Gretchen. "This is located right off the hall in the closet. Whenever Marie doesn’t already have it in here for you, you will have to get it yourself."

"Thank you Aunty Joan. Gretchen thanks you too!" Charlene giggled.

Jane Thompson entered for dinner and bade the girls to sit. "So, girls, how is everyone?"

"Fine Aunt Jane" came from Joan.

"Okay, I guess." came from Charlene.

Jane raised an eyebrow. "Okay, you guess?"

Charlene knew the question was coming, after all, Jane Thompson didn’t like the common trivial answer, at least in the time Charlene had been in the house. "Well, Miss Jane, I was happy until we came into this room for dinner. When we got here I couldn’t find a chair for Gretchen, so I was sad. But, Aunty Joan fixed it! So now I’m kind of happy again!"

"Very well! Thank you Joan for correcting the problem. Shall we dine?" Jane returned to her normal self after that. The questions over dinner directed at Joan were items concerning news, fashion and school reports. When Charlene was asked a question it was about the color of her dress, her dolls and if she had fun playing in the nursery this afternoon. The strange part was that Charlene’s meal was already cut into bite sized pieces when it was served and she had a ‘sippy’ cup for her drink. It was obvious by the middle of the meal, Jane was going to enforce the ‘little girl’ status of Charlene.

‘Two can play this game.’ Charlene thought and decided she wasn’t going to eat her vegetables. This did not go unnoticed by the mistress of Season’s House.

"Charlene is there something wrong with the vegetables?" Jane inquired. "You haven’t touched them during the course of the meal."

"I don’t like them." came Charlene’s reply.

"You need to at try everything on your plate. Marie goes to a lot of trouble to choose and serve wonderful meals. It would be an insult to her if you didn’t eat some of everything on your plate." Jane replied.

"They’re yucky! ‘Cause they’re green." Charlene said.

"I see. Well! I guess I can only encourage you to eat your vegetables. I did promise you would not be harmed while you were here. I will repeat myself in that it would hurt Marie’s feelings if you didn’t at least try everything she made for dinner." Jane tried to be coaxing, realizing that Charlene was trying to ‘out play’ her.

Charlene used her unused fork and poked the pile of vegetables. She picked some up and looked at them, made a face and put them back on top of the pile. "I can’t! I’m very, very sorry Miss Marie but I can’t try those, ‘cause they’re still green!" she told Marie.

"Well Mon Petite, I am sorry too. You shall be missing out on something that is wonderful!" Marie stated as she cleared the plates from the table. Marie looked at Jane as she turned to leave for the kitchen. Jane gave her a small nod and smiled.

"Well, that was a wonderful meal. What do you girls have planned for this evening?" Jane asked folding her napkin.

"I thought Charlene and I could take a walk after dinner, then a game and finally I would read a story to her before she goes up for bed." Joan replied.

"Sounds wonderful, Joan. What do you think of the things Joan has planned for tonight, Charlene?" Jane turned to face Charlene.

"Oh! Umm… It sounds very nice! That is if Aunty Joan thinks it’s safe to go outside." Charlene replied in character. There was a touch of nervousness in her voice. The thought of Tom and his son seeing her dressed like a pre-schooler gave her second thoughts about the walk.

At this time, Marie entered the dining room with three desserts on a tray. She served a piece of chocolate cake to Jane, Joan and herself, then topped it off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Placing the tray on the side she seated herself and waited for Jane to start dessert.

Charlene sat there stunned. With surprise in her voice, she looked at Marie. "Don’t I get dessert?"

"You didn’t finish your dinner, young lady!" Came Jane’s curt reply. "Since you would not even try the food on your plate it must be assumed that you are sufficiently full and do not desire dessert!"

"But! But…but…" Charlene sputtered.

"But, nothing! If you do not eat your dinner, you will not get dessert!" Jane cut off Charlene’s response.

"Oh." Came the dejected reply. Charlene put on a big pout and then looked forlornly at Marie.

"That will not work with me, Cherie! I must agree with Miss Jane. You do not finish your dinner, there is no dessert for you." Marie told Charlene.

Charlene sat there watching everyone eat their dessert, she finally decided to ask if she could be excused. "May I be excused please?"

"No, you may not, until Joan is finished eating. Remember, you must be escorted everywhere while performing this learning experience. I will say, you have done well to stay in character for this meal, that makes me think you are learning something from all of this." Jane replied. "Well, that was delicious, Marie. If you will all excuse me, I have things to attend to." Jane rose to leave the room. "Oh, Charlene, it is your turn to help Marie clean up from dinner. You may break character for the time it takes to complete those duties." Jane stated and then left the dining room.

Charlene sat there stunned. ‘I am being treated just like I really was a pre-schooler!’ she thought.

While Charlene sat there pondering her situation, Marie and Joan finished their meals. "Charlene, Mon Petite, we need to clear the table so you can return to your lessons." Marie said softly.

Charlene startled back from her thoughts. "Oh! Okay, Marie. What would you like first?"

Charlene finished her cleanup of the dinner dishes with Marie and returned to the dining room to find Joan waiting for her. "All done?" Joan asked.

Charlene nodded her head. Joan reached out her hand and led Charlene back to the nursery. The rest of the evening Charlene seemed distracted while playing games or dolls. She really didn’t pay much attention to Joan when she was reading a bedtime story to her. Her thoughts were turned inward and she was going over all those things that led up to being here and being treated as a pre-school girl.

"…The End! Wasn’t that a nice story, Charlene?" Joan asked as she put away the book.

"Hmm? What? Oh! Yes it was very nice." Charlene wasn’t in character. She was still lost in her own thoughts about this entire situation.

"You haven’t been here all night, have you? You seem to be very far away from here, mentally." Joan observed.

"What? I do? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to… (Clears throat.)…Sorry Aunty Joan, I was thinking about something else." Charlene returned to her ‘little girl’ voice.

"I noticed! It is now bedtime for you, young lady. Come along, we need to say goodnight before we go upstairs." Joan took Charlene’s hand and they went to say goodnight to Jane.

After curtseying and saying goodnight the two students headed upstairs to Charlene’s bedroom. They found Marie humming to herself while she set out a nightgown and Charlene’s first change of clothes for the morning.

"Hi Marie! I have brought Charlene up for bed. You can drop the little girl act now. Once you are up here for the night, you are allowed to be your correct age again." Joan told Charlene.

Charlene looked suspiciously at Joan. She turned her gaze to Marie and asked, "Is that right Miss Marie? I really don’t want to get into more trouble!"

Marie laughed. "Oui, Cherie! Now that you are here we convert you back to a teenager! Now, I have your bath running, get out of those clothes and hang them up or the water will be cold when you get into it!"

Charlene took off the outrageous little girl dress and hung it up. She then removed the petticoats and hung them. She went into the bathroom and finished stripping, then gladly sank into the foaming suds of the tub.

Marie entered a few minutes later and dropped a pair of panties on the counter. "Enough relaxing, we must get you done and ready for bed! Ms. Jane will be up at eight o’clock to insure that you are changed from a little girl back to a teenager, ready for bed. Now wash and check your legs for hairs." Marie exited the bathroom.

‘Hurry, hurry, hurry! All I DO is hurry! I wonder if I will EVER get some time to be alone and just relax?’ Charlene thought as she checked her legs and underarms. A fast wash, drain the tub, rinse, dry, slip on the pink panties and bra, then out to a waiting Marie. There was a matching pink, waltz-length, satin nightgown hanging on the hook outside the bathroom, Charlene knew to just slip it on and not complain.

Marie instructed Charlene on how to redo her nails, both feet and hands. The color this time was a very soft pink that went well with her nightgown. After her nails were dry, she was told to moisturize her face and she would be done.

As Charlene was finishing moisturizing her face, Jane walked into the room. "Ah! I see you are back to normal for the evening. Have you ‘seen’ any of the reasons you are doing this two day exercise yet?" she asked.

"Well, I’m not sure. Joan explained it as a ‘crash course’ in girlhood. I guess that would be a fair assessment. I’m just not sure what I am supposed to learn from doing it!" came Charlene’s reply.

"I see! Maybe things will become more clear to you in the coming days. Your history indicates that you learn quickly, I expect you will see the reasons for my lessons eventually." Jane looked at her watch. "It is only five after, good! You have an hour and fifty-five minutes to work on your report. The deadline for you to turn it in still stands." Jane turned and left the room.

"My report….OH! My report!" Charlene grabbed the pink robe, thanked Marie for her help and headed for the student study room. She entered to find Joan busily writing her own report. She went to her computer, logged on and started to review the research she had found.

The time passed quickly and in what seemed only minutes, Joan was shaking Charlene’s shoulder to tell her it was time for bed. She saved her work, logged off, shut down everything, and headed for her bedroom. The day must have been more tiring than she thought for she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

******

Jane Thompson turned on the monitor in her bedroom. She had watched Charlene closely throughout the day and peeked in on the nursery a couple of times to see what was going on. Something about Charlene bothered her. ‘She is moving too fast. Thoughtfulness and long quiet periods are not usually something a new student expressed in their first week or two here. Best to turn on the light detectors…’ she flipped a few switches. If Charlene got up during the night and turned on a light, a flashing light and a buzzer would alert Jane.

*****

Charlene had a fitful night. Every time she fell asleep, she would dream of being a girl. She had a dream of being at a school dance and being crowned ‘Queen’. The dress was the one she wore the last two mornings. In another she was dressed as a ‘schoolgirl’ and was being teased and bullied by older boys. The last one she remembered was being a pre-schooler only she was dressed up for a party and everyone was laughing because she was wearing a diaper!

"That’s it!" Charlene threw off the covers and headed for the bathroom. She went in and splashed cold water on her face, trying to shake herself out of the dreams. "I think I could handle the dreams if I just didn’t wake up with an erection every time!" she said to herself in the mirror. "Charlie, old boy, I don’t know what you have gotten into but it is definitely affecting you. But, what to do about it?" Staring at the mirror only confirmed that he looked more like Charlene than Charlie, now. Even in the sweat soaked nightgown, he looked like a girl. That was the disturbing part. Even without makeup, all he could see was the girl Jane Thompson told him he would become. Charlene stared at the mirror for a long time, then splashed some more cold water and tried to return to bed.

*****

Jane woke to the buzzer. She saw the flashing light and jumped out of bed to view the happenings in Charlene’s room. "Everything looks alright so far." She reached for the volume control and turned it up all the way. "Have to wait and see."

Jane listened to the femininely clad boy talk to himself in the mirror. She had to chuckle a little when she realized he was having erotic dreams about his dressing as a girl. "Marie may be right! She is responding quickly to these first steps and the masquerade is having the desired effect already. We will just have to see how this weekend goes, she may be ready to venture out sooner than I planned!" Jane watched until Charlene turned off the light and returned to bed. When she heard a big sigh from the girl she turned down the volume and returned to her own bed. The rest of the night passed in peace.

*****

Charlene lay in bed watching the clock. It is amazing how slowly time passes when your mind is running at light-speed. She couldn’t fall back asleep and was actually afraid the dreams would return, if she did. The clock moved so-o-o slowly. It seemed to take forever to go from two forty-five to three-fifteen. With the adrenaline in her system finally used up, she must have drifted back to sleep the next thing Charlene knew the radio turned on.

A soft female voice announced. "This is NPR’s Weekend Edition…"

Charlene opened her eyes. When she went to get out of bed, something wasn’t right. Once she was up and in the bathroom, she noticed the large, wet, sticky area on the front of her nightgown and in her panties. "DAMN! I thought I had slept without the stupid dreams." Charlene had had ‘wet dreams’ before but she had always awakened from the intensity of the experience. This time it happened and she never woke. While sitting there trying to think what to do, Marie entered the bedroom.

"Charlene, I am here to assist you." Marie said with way too much cheer in her voice.

Charlene quickly closed the door and leaned against it. She would be very embarrassed if Marie knew this had happened.

Marie went to place a clean bra and panty set on the bathroom counter. When she tried the door, it wouldn’t open! "Cherie, are you alright? Why are you holding the door shut?"

"I.. I just… Marie, I don’t want you to see me like this! Just… just, I don’t know, but just leave me be for a few minutes… Please?" Charlene didn’t know what to do.

"Are you sick? Are you hurt? Open the door, Mon Petite, and let me help!" Marie pleaded through the closed door.

Marie thought for a moment. Then decided the only way to get Charlene’s attention was to use her ‘boy’ name. "CHARLES! Open the door! Please!"

Charlene startled at the sound of her real name. She automatically moved away from the door and allowed Marie to enter. She became very embarrassed and turned bright red when Marie started to check her over.

Marie was just making sure she was physically okay, when she saw the wet area of the nightgown. "Oh, Cherie! There is no reason to be upset! I know you are really a boy under all those frills. Many teenage boys have these, nocturnal emissions, while growing up. It is all part of the growing process! Now get out of those clothes and leave them on the sink, I will be back in to leave you clean lingerie and take care of the night dress!" Marie smiled as she started the shower and left the bathroom.

Charlene stood there confused. Marie had bustled in, checked to make sure she was okay, noticed the soaked area of the nightgown and then just passed it off as if it occurred to everyone! The main thing was, she didn’t laugh or make fun of Charlene. THAT is what made Charlene stand there and think for a moment. ‘If I had found someone in this predicament I would have teased them and held it over their head! Hmph! Being embarrassed was bad enough! Being laughed at or teased would have been worse!’

Charlene mulled things over in her mind for a little longer, then decided she had better get in the shower and get going. One thing she had learned, Ms. Jane Thompson was absolute death on being late! She didn’t want to do another report or worse for being late to breakfast.

The routine for the day was the same as the previous two. First breakfast with Jane asking questions about the news and other items of national interest, followed by more dressing and makeup practice.

The first two changes went faster with Charlene only showing up one or two minutes late. She was also getting better at making a circuit of the study with ‘Mr. Webster’ flattening her head.

The third change was a ‘school girl’ outfit. She wore a white blouse, short plaid skirt, white tights and ‘Mary Jane’ style shoes. Her makeup was light with the classic blue eyeshadow and pink lipstick. Her hair was pulled back into a high bouncy ponytail. When she entered Jane’s study she checked the ‘Minnie Mouse’ watch on her wrist, she was two minutes EARLY!! A quick walk around the study and she assumed the required position in front of Jane’s desk.

Jane had watched her during her time in the study. "Very good, Charlene! You not only made it here early, you completed the walk on the first try! As I said yesterday, I believe I can help you learn to be a better person. You learn very quickly!"

While Charlene curtseyed and said, ‘Thank You, Ms. Thompson’. The front door bell rang.

"Would you please answer that, Charlene? Marie is upstairs and I have papers to put away." Jane looked expectantly at Charlene. She smiled inwardly as she saw the girl pale.

Charlene went into ‘fight or flight’ mode when Jane asked her to answer the door. She stiffened up and decided she better answer the front door or something worse than two afternoons as a four-year-old would await her. "Yes, Ms. Thompson." Was her comment as she turned to see who was at the door? ‘I hope it’s just Tom asking her about something in the garden.’

Charlene’s hopes were dashed when she opened the door and there stood a nicely dressed lady carrying a baby. "May I help you?"

"Good morning! I am Melissa Hotchkiss and this is my daughter, Brandy! Jane Thompson asked us to come for brunch this morning. You are?" Melissa asked the stunned Charlene.

"Umm, I’m Charlene Hawkins, (curtsey), won’t you come in?" Charlene stepped back and let Melissa and Brandy in the house. She shut the door and turned to the unexpected guests, "I’ll ask Ms. Thompson where she would like to visit with you." Charlene walked to the study door and knocked.

"Charlene, I’m in here!" Jane’s voice came from behind the girl.

Charlene spun around and saw Jane seated ‘Oh so properly’, in the parlor. Momentarily stunned, she regained her composure and walked to the Parlor door. "Mrs. Hotchkiss and her daughter, Brandy are here."

"Show them in here please." Jane nodded toward the front door. After Charlene turned to invite the guests to join Jane, she smiled. ‘Perfect! Just a little off-balance. Just the way she needs to be at the moment. That school girl outfit is very appropriate too.’

Charlene escorted Melissa and her daughter into the parlor. She was thinking she should make some sort of introduction when Jane spoke.

"It was good of you to come Melissa! I see Brandy is growing very quickly! Have a seat, I’ll ring for Marie." Jane stood and offered a seat to her guest. She went to ring the bell for Marie and stopped. Looking at Charlene she said, "I temporarily forgot that Marie had been working with you this morning, Charlene. Would you please go upstairs and ask her to come down here? I would also like you to assist Marie, since I failed to give her adequate warning of Mrs. Hotchkiss’ arrival."

"Yes, Ms. Thompson." Charlene curtseyed and left to find Marie.

Charlene found Marie waiting for him in her bedroom. "Marie? Ms. Thompson asked me to help you because a Mrs. Hotchkiss and her daughter are here for a light brunch." ‘I think that’s right!’

"She brought Brandy! Wonderful, I’ll bet that little Petite Chou is growing like a weed! Come along, we’ll fix a quick tea and then I can put together a quick brunch for them." Marie shooed Charlene in front of her to the parlor. "Wait! I must see the Petite before I go to the kitchen, Nes Pas?" Marie whisked into the parlor.

Charlene waited in the hall. She could hear Marie cooing and praising the baby for growing so quickly. She sounded like a proud Aunt who hadn’t seen her niece in a long time. A few moments later, Marie hurried out of the room, "Come along, we have lots to do!" Charlene followed as quickly as she could behind Marie.

Once in the kitchen Marie took charge and efficiently put together a tray for tea. Charlene noticed it looked a lot like the tea party set in the nursery. When that was ready, she motioned to Charlene "Take this to the parlor, please. I have to get a light brunch together, when you are finished, please come back to help, Nes Pas?"

"Okay, Marie, be right back!" Charlene grabbed the tray and headed for the parlor.

Charlene walked carefully to the parlor and entered, watching to see where Brandy was located. Seeing she was still on her mother’s lap, she set the tray on the small table next to Jane. "Will there be anything else, Ms. Thompson?"

"Yes, Charlene, please pour." Jane stated and returned to her conversation with Melissa.

‘Please pour? Oh SH**! I mean shoot! I mean…I don’t know what I mean. Think, Charlene, just like the tea party you had yesterday. Just do it the same way Joan showed you…’ went through Charlene’s mind in half a second.

Charlene proceeded to ask Mrs. Hotchkiss her preference and prepared the cup. Melissa indicated she should place it on the table out of reach of Brandy. She then asked Ms. Thompson her preference and prepared her cup, handing it to her without spilling any this time. ‘I should have remembered what she took from yesterday!’ Charlene told herself. When she went to offer the plate of pastries that Marie had put together, Jane stopped her.

"Charlene, I’ll take care of the pastries, thank you for pouring the tea. Would you please take Brandy to the nursery until we come for her? I am afraid Melissa will never get to drink her tea with Brandy in her lap. You had best take the diaper bag with you" Jane raised an eyebrow as a challenge to Charlene.

"I’d be happy to do that for you, Mrs. Hotchkiss." Charlene pasted a smile on her face to cover the genuine fear inside. She picked up Brandy and the diaper bag. She received instructions from Melissa on where to find her bottle, diaper, wipes and a pacifier, if needed, and then left for the nursery.

"Let’s go see if we can find ‘Aunty Joan’ on our way, shall we?" Charlene automatically slipped into her ‘little girl’ voice to speak to Brandy. Charlene went to the kitchen to tell Marie of her new duties, then went to look for Joan.

They looked in the conservatory, library and student study area. Joan wasn’t there. A check of the rose garden and finally a trip up the steps to check her room, still no Joan!

"Well, I don’t know about you, Brandy, but I am getting tired of walking all over the house looking for Aunty Joan. I guess we should go to the nursery." All that got, was a gurgle and a little laugh out of Brandy.

Charlene took Brandy to the nursery; she was trying to figure out what to do with her when she started fussing a little. "What’s wrong? Let’s see in the bag." Charlene took out the bottle and held it up to Brandy. A smile and excited movements greeted her action. "Must be hungry. Let’s see if I can remember how to do this! I did feed my little brother a few times, you can’t be much different." Charlene talked to Brandy while she sat in the overstuffed chair and positioned her for feeding.

*****

"Melissa, I would like to thank you for coming over on such short notice! I believe, Brandy will be just the person to teach Charlene the value of her lessons." Jane told her guest.

"I am happy to bring her, she likes visiting here, always someone to fuss over her, whether it is you and Marie or one of the students, she is always happy when we leave here. I take it Darla is away?" Melissa responded.

"Yes, off visiting her brother, Kenneth, before returning to school in a few weeks. I am certain she will be upset, not being here to see Brandy. She did take a shine to that little one, didn’t she?" Jane responded smiling.

"Jane, after what Bill told me you did for him, well, I can only say that I am happy to help in any way I can." Melissa took Jane’s hand in hers.

"That was fourteen years ago, dear. He has made it on his own since then. Rising to be a very young plant manager at twenty-seven is no small accomplishment!" Jane replied.

"I know, when he was transferred to Providence he was so excited about being able to see you and Marie again, goodness, he babbled for days about how I would just love this place. Now that we have Brandy, he finds every excuse in the world to come down here and visit." Melissa replied.

Jane smiled a genuine happy smile. Bill and Melissa had been regular visitors for the past year. When he had been transferred here, he had told Melissa all about Jane’s school and the good she did. Nothing like living with a success story to color your activities in a positive light. "Shall we check in on Charlene? I am certain she has figured out by now she is alone with Brandy. I sent Joan out on an ecological survey near the lake, she should be gone for another hour. Let’s go into the study where we can observe, okay?"

"Sure! I think it is so neat that we can help teach a young person something positive!" Melissa replied and rose to follow Jane.

*****

Charlene finished feeding Brandy. She placed the bottle on the side and looked back at the baby nestled in her arm. "What do we do now, huh? Your full and being very good, maybe I could read you a story?" Charlene looked through the books in the rack next to the chair. She had just picked one to read when Brandy started getting fussy.

"What’s wrong? Oh! You can’t tell me, can you? Let’s see…" Charlene rearranged Brandy onto her knee and started bouncing her a little and singing ‘Pony Boy, Pony Boy…Won’t you be my Pony Boy.’ After that part she stopped and looked at Brandy. "Wait! You’re not a boy!" She restarted the song only replacing words, ‘Pony Girl…’ as the modification.

Brandy had started laughing at being bounced on Charlene’s knee. After a couple of minutes of that she got this funny look on her face, wrinkled up her nose and burped up all over her dress and the skirt of Charlene’s outfit. She smiled after that, feeling much better for having expelled the offending gas.

Charlene was shocked. She didn’t remember her brother throwing up all over her clothes. It smelled like sour milk. On the plus side, Brandy seemed happier, acting like this was something she did every day! "Oh sh.. shoot! How do I clean this up?" Charlene took Brandy over to the diaper bag. There was a package of wipes inside, she took one out and cleaned up Brandy, then a second to clean her skirt. She was surprised when it wiped up clean from the plaid material. "Well! That wasn’t too bad to clean up, was it?" she asked Brandy. All she got back was a gurgle.

Charlene decided the best thing to do was to read Brandy a story. The two went back to the large chair, sat and looked over the selections on the shelf again. Charlene chose the story ‘A Day In The Life Of Murphy’ to read to Brandy. Brandy didn’t complain so Charlene started to read…

*****

Jane and Melissa entered the study. Jane went to a shelving unit and opened a door, revealing a monitor, which she turned on. From a switch panel below, she selected ‘nursery’ and then the two ladies sat to watch what was happening.

They saw Charlene playing with Brandy, then watched her feed Brandy. When she started bouncing Brandy on her knee, Melissa spoke. "She should have ‘burped’ her first! She’s in for a surprise!"

"I thought this might happen dear, Charlene has been, shall we say, reluctant to play her part as a young girl during her ‘punishment’ for being tardy. Had she paid more attention and truly gotten into the spirit of the game, she would have known to ‘Burp’ the baby before continuing her play." Jane replied with a grin.

The pair watched as Brandy laughed and then ‘burped’ all over herself and Charlene. The look on Charlene’s face was perfect! The way she cleaned up everything garnered some points with Jane, since she did not come crying for help with this unforeseen situation. When they returned to the chair and Charlene started reading, they took a moment to sip some of their tea.

"Looks like she handled that fairly well! You said she really wasn’t into the spirit of the game?" Melissa asked.

"She does have a younger brother. I believe that would explain some of her ability. Her lack of knowing to burp the baby indicates she never actually took care of her brother as an infant, but some items did enter her realm of experience." Jane replied looking over Charlene’s folder.

"So-o.. the purpose of our visit today, is what?" Melissa asked.

Jane let out a small laugh. "The purpose of your visit is so Marie and I could see Brandy! The fact that I am trying to teach Charlene a lesson while you are here is secondary to that. I do not get to see my god-children often enough with so many scattered around the country, having Brandy here, reminds me of all of the others."

Marie came in with a tray of food and placed it next to Jane. "How is our Charlene doing with my Pauvre Petite?"

"Not as bad as I had feared, Marie. Although it is good, I told you what I planned. The extra ‘Scotchgard’ on her clothing proved a wise decision on your part." Jane replied with a smile.

"But, of course! I knew she was not enjoying her trip into little girl-dom. It was only natural that Brandy would make some sort of mess. La babe’ are like that, n’est pas?" Marie replied.

*****

Charlene was reading to Brandy and Brandy seemed to be enjoying the story about the dog named ‘Murphy-stop-that’. She was almost finished with the book when Brandy got quiet. Charlene stopped reading and looked at Brandy. Brandy seemed in a little discomfort, then started making little grunting noises and squirming around. This lasted a few minutes and then she returned to her happy self, laughing, gurgling and trying to grab Charlene’s hair. Charlene was just about to finish reading the story when this ‘aroma’ rose from Brandy.

"Oh Brandy! You just pooped your diaper, didn’t you! God, that smells bad." Charlene looked at the smiling little face. "How can you be so happy when you smell so bad!"

Charlene thought about taking Brandy back to her mother for the diaper change. She rose to do that and stopped before picking up the diaper bag. "If I take you back to your Mom for your diaper change, Ms. Thompson will probably make me change you in front of her and your Mom. Just to prove some point to me! I think I am better off changing you here where no one can see me do it. At least you won’t yell at me if I do something wrong!"

Charlene then set about trying to change Brandy’s diaper. She laid Brandy on the floor and set up the changing table, then placed what she thought were required items on the table from the diaper bag. Next she placed Brandy on the table, on her back, legs kicking and arms waving all over the place.

"Not too bad so far!" Charlene told Brandy. "Now, if you cooperate a little, maybe we can accomplish this!"

Anyone that has had small children knows that they are the least cooperative when you need them to be cooperative! Brandy was no exception! It seemed like changing a diaper was a game to her. She wriggled, squirmed, and made little shrieking noises while laughing and sticking her fist in her mouth. Charlene was having a difficult time keeping her skirt up and getting her panties and plastic pants down. Once that was finally accomplished, she undid the tabs on the disposable diaper.

*****

Jane, Melissa and Marie watched Charlene trying to change the diaper on Brandy. "So far, not too bad." Jane mused.

They watched Charlene open the diaper and try to figure out how to remove it and clean up Brandy at the same time. That’s when they saw Charlene gag from the smell of the diaper. They were small gags to start with, but every time she tried to remove the diaper, she would gag again.

"I should go help her." Melissa stated as she headed for the door.

"No! Melissa let me go! This is one of those things I think I need to drive home a little harder than you could." Jane rose and left the room headed for the nursery.

*****

Jane walked down the hall finalizing what to do when she entered the nursery. Just before reaching the door, she nodded to herself as the appropriate plan settled into her mind.

"Charlene? Brunch is served, we would like you to bring Brandy to the parlor for a light snack." Jane stated as she entered the nursery.

The scene that appeared before her was comical, in a sense, Jane had to stifle a laugh over how it looked to her. There was Brandy, on the changing table, kicking and waving her arms, while Charlene was desperately trying to grab both of her legs. The dirty diaper lay open on the table with Charlene gagging every few seconds from the odor. Charlene had a wipe in one hand and it looked like she could use two or three more hands in order to accomplish the diaper change on Brandy.

Jane walked towards Charlene and decided the best way to handle this was to ‘coach’ Charlene through the process. "Charlene! Breathe through your mouth, not your nose!"

Startled, Charlene turned her head to see Jane standing there. ‘When did SHE walk in!’ "Yes, Ms. Thompson." Came the automatic reply. Charlene started breathing through her mouth and found that the gagging eased up a lot. After a few seconds she looked back at Jane while still trying to hold on to a wriggling Brandy with one hand.

"Are you better now?" Jane asked.

"Yes, I am, thank you." Charlene replied.

"Now, take both of her legs and hold them with one hand… Now use the wipe to clean her up… Very good… Then put on the new diaper and put her back together." Jane instructed and watched Charlene complete each task. It took a few minutes longer than if Jane had done it herself, but that was not the point of this exercise. "Well done! Just like when you changed and took care of ‘Gretchen’ yesterday, wouldn’t you agree" Jane said with a raised eyebrow.

Charlene picked up Brandy, turned to face Jane Thompson and nodded. "Except for the smell." Charlene started placing things back into the diaper bag while Jane watched. She wasn’t quite finished when she stood up straight and looked at Jane. "You KNEW this would happen, didn’t you?" Charlene accused.

Jane smiled a knowing smile at Charlene. "When you are asked to care for a small child, would you not agree that knowing how to entertain, feed and change a diaper are most likely skills that one should know?"

"And what better way to learn them, than to experience them yourself." Charlene finished the thought.

"Just so! Now, Marie has a light brunch ready, if you would finish putting things into the diaper bag, we will meet you in the dining room, I believe Brandy will be more comfortable there." Jane left Charlene to tend to Brandy and the diaper bag.

The rest of the visit went smoothly. Melissa took charge of Brandy when Charlene returned to the dining room. The brunch was the closest thing to a ‘casual’ meal that Charlene had partaken in since arriving at this place. Somehow, Joan had magically reappeared from wherever she was and Marie spent most of her time fussing over Brandy. Jane Thompson, even took a turn at feeding Brandy her bottle, then ‘oh so perfectly’ placed a cloth on her shoulder and ‘burped’ the little girl.

Whatever else happened, Brandy had a smile for anyone that would hold her. When Melissa and Brandy were ready to leave, Brandy reached out to Charlene to hold her one more time. Charlene took her, gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Brandy seemed satisfied with that, and wanted to return to her mother.

Marie helped Melissa carry out Brandy and some of her items. When all the good byes were done, Jane turned to the two girls. "Joan? Is the survey, I asked you to complete finished?"

"Yes, Aunt Jane. Ready to be written up in report form." Replied Joan.

"Charlene? You still have a report to finish, I believe?" Jane asked the newer student.

"Yes, Ms. Thompson. I have quite a lot to do yet." Charlene replied.

"Very well! Lunch will be a little late today. We have just had a light snack, I want both of you to go to the study and work on your reports. We will dine at one-thirty." Jane instructed, back in ‘headmistress’ mode.

Both girls acknowledged Jane and left for the student study room. On the way, Charlene asked Joan.

"Where were you all morning? I ended up with Brandy all by myself!" Charlene stated.

"I was out doing a botanical survey by the lake. You got to play with Brandy? Lucky girl! She is a really good baby." Joan replied.

"Yea! If you call throwing up on me and then just about losing my breakfast while changing her diaper a ‘good’ baby!" Charlene complained.

Joan laughed a little at the comment from Charlene. "Maybe you should be a little more involved and cheerful when you are made to be ‘little’ today. If I remember, some of those things that we did should have helped you get through taking care of Brandy."

"Ms. Thompson already drove THAT point home!" Charlene shook her head slowly. "She didn’t say it directly, I knew what she meant. If I would just DO as she instructs, things would go a lot easier on me. I guess this is one of those ‘sledgehammers’ you told me about."

"Pretty soft for a ‘sledgehammer’, but it did drive home her point!" Joan replied knowingly.

"YOU didn’t have to deal with Brandy’s diaper!" Charlene replied.

*****

The girls set about working on their assignments until twelve forty-five. Marie shaking her shoulder interrupted Charlene’s concentration. "Mon Petite! It is time for you to change clothes. We have just enough time to transform you before lunch."

Charlene let out a big sigh. "I have so-o-o much to do here! Okay, Marie, let me save and shutdown everything." Charlene saved her work, shutdown and covered the computer, waved to Joan and followed Marie upstairs to her room.

This afternoon’s outfit was similar to yesterday’s, only in White. The petticoats held the skirt almost horizontal with frills and lace everywhere you looked. Charlene was sure that the sash was twice as wide as the last dress and the bow seemed larger too! When she looked in the mirror, she was a vision of lace and satin. The two pigtails had long white ribbon bows on them that perfectly matched her dress. Her makeup was different also, more china-doll in appearance with bright rounded blush and perfect ‘cupid-bow’ lips in a candy red color. In truth, Charlene thought she looked a lot like an antique doll her mother had in a display case at home.

Lunch was a normal affair at Season’s House. Joan was quizzed on her study topics and the latest fashion trends, while Charlene was asked if she thought her dress was pretty, or if she felt ‘Gretchen’ was behaving. She was never asked about her studies or the day’s current events. Jane specifically treated Charlene as a pre-schooler at all times.

This second afternoon in the nursery went a little faster than the day before. Charlene decided to actually ‘be’ a little girl for the afternoon and see if Ms. Thompson was right about all she could learn from the ‘experience’.

Charlene made sure to feed, burp and change Gretchen three or four times. On one change, after a Tea Party, Charlene looked through all the doll clothes and found a dress that was identical to the white confection she currently wore. This only added confirmation to her thought that Jane Thompson was somehow ‘psychic’. Charlene now believed that Jane knew she would pick out Gretchen, and made sure the doll had matching outfits.

Dinner was a repeat of lunch. Charlene was once again quizzed on her dress and doll. How her day went, what games she played, that sort of thing.

Jane finally decided to ask a loaded question and see what Charlene’s response would be. "Charlene! I must ask one more question. Did you have fun, today?"

Charlene sat perfectly still for a moment. ‘Fun! Did I have fun today? Hmm…’ After what seemed an eternity to Jane Thompson, Charlene finally spoke. "Yes, I did, Miss Jane. Aunty Joan has played a lot of games with me and she told me I took really good care of Gretchen today! Just like I was a real mommy! I think all I have done today will help me when I grow up!"

"Very good! I see that you are finally into the sprit of this exercise. I also noticed you ate your vegetables tonight. I believe Marie has a wonderful dessert for us." Jane stated.

Marie brought out a cheesecake with raspberries on it. There was a piece for Charlene too. When dinner was completed, it was Joan’s turn to help with dishes. Charlene sat and waited while Joan helped Marie clear the table and dried the pots and pans. When finished, Joan came and took Charlene’s hand, commented on her being a ‘good girl’ and headed back to the nursery.

In a repeat of the previous night, Joan and Charlene played board games, card games and Joan read a bedtime story to Charlene just before taking her to her room at eight o’clock. Charlene let out a big sigh after Joan had let go of her hand in her room.

"What was that sigh about Cherie?" Marie asked.

"Hmm? Oh, I’m just glad my two days of being a pre-schooler are over, Marie. I mean today was better than yesterday, but I think I want to ‘grow up’ and do things for people my own age." Charlene replied.

"Now THAT, I understand!" Joan stated knowingly. "I’ll see you in the study room when you are finished changing, Charlene. See you later, Tante Marie!" Joan said as she rose and left the room.

"Marie smiled warmly at Charlene. "Mon Petite! You just may be learning something about completing your studies here with Miss Jane. When I first met you, I knew you were a quick learner! Now! The sooner you change, the sooner you can get to your studies! Nes Pas?"

Charlene smiled, then blushed a little at the compliment. "Okay Marie, would you mind untying the bow. It really is a lovely dress and I don’t want to damage it while undressing."

Between the two of them, they managed to get Charlene out of the white confection she had been wearing all afternoon and evening. There was an audible sigh of relief from the bathroom after the ‘china doll’ makeup was removed and Charlene could see her own face once again.

Back into a more ‘normal’ outfit for the rest of the evening, Charlene thanked Marie and headed for the study.

Once again, ten o’clock came quickly and Charlene shutdown everything and headed up to prepare for bed. 'Tonight had gone quickly! I may even make that deadline’, she thought as she headed out the door. ‘I have eleven pages written and more than enough material for the final six. I just need another couple of hours and it should be done!’ Charlene was so engrossed in trying to figure out how long it would take her to finish her report she walked right in to Joan.

"Hey! Watch where… Oh! Joan! I… I… I’m sorry! I didn’t realize…" Charlene stammered.

Joan regained her balance and smoothed her skirt. "It’s okay. I didn’t always watch where I was going when I was new here either. I just stopped to say goodnight!"

"Hmm.. Okay. Umm… Good night! … Joan." Charlene was rattled from bumping into Joan and then starting to yell at her for being in the way. ‘Before now, I would have yelled at her and then pushed her so she would have fallen over! Something’s different!’

Charlene entered her bedroom, completed her nightly ritual and presented herself to Marie for anything she may have missed.

"Very good Mon Petite! You learn quickly! I have brought a glass of warm milk to help you sleep. I thought I heard a cry from your room last night, no?" Marie handed Charlene the glass.

Surprise came to Charlene’s face. "You.. You heard me? How could you have heard me?"

Marie laughed a little. "My room is right above yours. I do not hear much, but I am a light sleeper and when you cried out from a night terror, it awakened me. I also know you went into the bathroom because I heard the ‘clunk’ of the water pipes when you turned them off! I have lived in this house many years, Cherie, I know all her sounds! Now, drink up, the warm milk will help you rest tonight!"

Charlene drank the milk. ‘Just like my grandmother would do after a nightmare.’ went through Charlene’s mind.

*****

Jane turned on the monitor and set the light detectors for the second night in a row. "Ever since Michael, I am more nervous about my boys. However, I do not believe I can be too careful when a young life is being rebuilt!" She watched Marie give Charlene a glass of milk. "Always the Mother Hen…" A warm smile crossed her face.

Jane finished her evening ritual, turned off the monitor and went to bed.

*****

"Whoa!" Charlene sat bolt upright in bed. Her breathing was fast and shallow, eyes wide open, fully dilated. She looked around the dimly lit room, realized where she was and took a deep breath, calming herself that it was only a nightmare. She went to get out of bed to wash her face and calm herself. While moving her legs, she noticed a cold sensation. "SH**! DA**! Not again!"

Going into the bathroom, she turned on the light. Checking the front of her nightgown and panties confirmed her fears, another ‘wet dream’. "DA** it! What is happening to me? Now I’m dreaming about being a mother and breast feeding ‘Brandy’ as my own child! Charlene looked in the mirror. "Charlie, you have to calm yourself!" he spoke to the feminine reflection in the bathroom mirror. "You don’t look like a ‘Charlie’ do you? Even this nightgown causes goose bumps! I think they really are trying to change me, but I don’t know what direction to go…"

Charlene washed her face again with cold water, letting some of it drip onto the bodice of her nightgown. She shook her head and dried her face, took a drink of water and proceeded to change out of her nightgown. She placed the items in the sink with some cold water to soak, then padded back into the bedroom to find another nightgown.

She found a yellow satin gown with matching panties, slipped it on and went back to bed. Sleep did not come quickly for the second night in a row to the crossdressed teen.

*****

Jane watched as Charlene studied her predicament and the sensuality of her situation. Jane smiled as she saw Charlene debating with herself about the validity of her dreams. "Another benefit to having a visit from Brandy and Melissa. You are so-o correct, Charlene! You no longer ‘look’ like a ‘Charles’. By Wednesday afternoon, all traces of Charles will vanish until you have learned what you need to learn!"

Jane saw that Charlene had found another nightgown. She reset the light detectors, turned off the monitor and went back to bed.

Tales of the Season : Charlene's Story

By

Lisa Elizabeth

Chapter Fifteen

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

The alarm woke Charlene. Still tuned to NPR, she reached over to try to find a different station. The tuner wouldn’t change! It was actually glued in place! She went to turn the volume down, that too was fixed in position. "Damn! The only thing I can do is turn it off!" Charlene said as she clicked off the radio and headed for the bathroom. The nightgown from the middle of the night was still in the sink. She was trying to squeeze out the garments when Marie walked in.

Charlene had a bright blush going when she saw Marie in the door with a curious look on her face. "It… It… (sigh) It happened again last night. I… I’m sorry, Marie. I tried to soak it in cold water. My Mom is always soaking things I stain in cold water, so I just thought…" Charlene’s voice kept getting softer with each word.

Marie sensed the tears were just about to come from the embarrassment and reached around Charlene to hold her close. "There, there, Cherie. You did the right thing! Cold water is exactly what is needed to keep the nightgown from staining. Dry your hands and come here." Marie handed Charlene a towel, waited for her to dry her hands and then held her while her newest charge cried into her shoulder.

After a few minutes, Charlene looked up at Marie. "Why? Why is this happening to me? I mean… Why am I having these dreams and why am I so emotional about it? What is happening to me, Marie?"

Marie used the towel to wipe the tears from Charlene’s cheeks. "For that answer you must look here." Marie laid her hand over Charlene’s heart. "If you find it too confusing, then I think you should ask Ms. Jane about it. She is your teacher and is very well schooled in the ways of people." Marie gave a knowing nod.

"Hmph! Ms. Thompson? You have to be kidding! There is no way she is interested in what I dream or why I have these inner problems. Her role is to torment me and make my life miserable until I give in to her! The last two nights make me think she may be winning! I’m not going down without a fight!" Charlene replied.

Marie held the teen close for a couple of more minutes. "Cherie, if you are late for breakfast, Ms. Jane will find something else unpleasant for you, no?"

Charlene looked at Marie and gave a sad laugh. "What ELSE could she do to me? I’m here living as a girl. I just spent two afternoons being treated as a pre-schooler. I’m having VERY embarrassing dreams AND I’m standing here crying on your shoulder about all of it!" That caused Charlene to start sobbing again.

Marie held the girl for a moment and then reached for another tissue. "Alright! It appears Ms. Jane’s methods are having an effect on you, yes? You say you are going to fight her, so far I do not think that plan has been working. Maybe you need to think about that while you get dressed. I have laid out your clothes, now take a quick shower and hurry, or you will be late for breakfast! I’ll be back in twenty minutes to help you finish your makeup." Marie kissed Charlene on the top of the head and closed the bathroom door as she left.

*****

Jane Thompson picked up the telephone by her bed. The number dialed was from memory and answered on the third ring.

"Ullo." Came the groggy greeting.

"Good morning husband of mine! Do you ALWAYS answer the telephone in such a manner?" Jane asked her new husband.

"Janey? Good morning! I mean … No I don’t always answer the phone…. What time is it, anyway?" Art Phillips was stumbling with his words as he fought to wake up and talk coherently to his wife.

Hearing Jane laugh through the phone brought a warm smile to Art’s face. One of those things he really loved about Jane was her laugh. Art let out a big sigh so Jane could hear it through the telephone line. "Goodness, I miss you!"

"I miss you too dear! And, it is seven forty in the morning to answer your question." Jane smiled at the thought of Art lying in bed looking flustered.

"Well, it is Sunday morning! I don’t have any classes so I just slept in for a change. You do not usually call in the morning, is something wrong with your new student?" Art quizzed his wife.

"Always thinking about me and my boys, eh?" Jane kidded. "Actually I could use another person’s viewpoint on her. Charlene is responding almost too quickly to my methods. There is still resentment and fire in her eyes when I command her to do unpleasant tasks, but there is something else happening that shouldn’t really be occurring until after this week. Is there any way for Diana to come for a short visit, say Wednesday night and part of Thursday?"

"Wednesday? Hmm… Isn’t that the day you take the new student to see Sandy, Carolyn and Betty?" Art asked.

"Yes, it is. The way Charlene is acting, I am not sure what will happen when that day out and about is over. I believe it is just a case of the jitters since Michael, but I would appreciate another opinion on what makes this one tick!" Jane replied honestly.

"Let me see what I can schedule. There’s only another three weeks to this semester, I might get a graduate student to teach a couple of classes. They are always looking to make points with their advisor!" Art replied with a laugh.

"So! You have the little darlings propitiating to you too? Here I thought you were the ‘Big Bad Graduate Advisor’ and instead I find out you enjoy having underlings groveling for your attention!" Jane replied with a hint of sarcasm.

"Jane dear, I just have to keep them in their place, until they complete their thesis!" Art came back in his most ‘catty’ Diana voice.

The two of them broke into giggles over that comment. When they composed themselves the rest of the conversation was the typical ‘I Love You’, conversation newlywed couples always have.

Jane looked at the clock by her bed. "Art dear, I must get off the phone, it would not do for ME to be late for breakfast! By my own rules, I would be forced to punish myself by doing the dishes. I do not think Charlene is ready to see that yet! She still needs me to be the ‘Bad Cop’ at this stage."

"You may be right. Since you have a long history in dealing with teens such as Charlene, I’ll defer to your experience." Art replied. "I’ll let you know tomorrow when I can get loose for a couple of days. I love you so much my dear lady!"

"I love you too Artemis!" Jane said with a smile.

*****

Charlene stood behind her chair waiting for Jane Thompson to arrive for breakfast. She was the perfect picture of a demure young lady on a Sunday morning. Her outfit was monochromatic in that the cream colored tights matched her cream-colored tea length skirt. Her blouse was cream colored with small tea roses on it and matching cream colored lace around the neckline. Even the bow in her hair matched the colors of her outfit. What amazed Charlene the most was that her lingerie was the same color as the outfit she had on. When she had checked herself in the mirror she thought she looked like she was ready to go to church! That thought had scared her enough that she had let out an audible gasp, which Marie had heard and asked what was wrong. Charlene had made up some excuse about being surprised at how nice she looked. With a nod from Marie they had left the bedroom and proceeded to the dining room for breakfast.

"Good morning everyone!" Jane said in a cheery voice that startled Charlene from her thoughts. "Shall we dine?"

Breakfast was a bit of a disaster for Charlene. Between the emotional upset and turning off the radio, she was ill prepared for Jane’s questions about current events. There hadn’t been time to look over the papers so even that was foreign to her this morning. The thoughts running through her head were jumbled about possibly leaving the house for church and what had been going through her head the past two nights. To say she was distracted would be an understatement.

Jane noticed the concentration and inward struggle in her newest student. What concerned her most was that this normally occurred after their first trip into town for a day of girlish pleasure. Jane had previously had only one or two boys over the years that did not fight her every step of the way. Recent events with Michael and Kenneth had made someone actually wanting to change a true rarity at Season’s House. As the meal finished Jane spoke to Charlene. "Charlene! You seem a little preoccupied this morning, is something amiss?"

Charlene startled visibly from her thoughts. "Umm… I… Umm.. No Ms. Thompson, everything is fine. I just didn’t sleep well and I didn’t get a chance to read the papers this morning…"

"I see… Perhaps a little time to read after breakfast would allow you to catch up on the news?" Jane queried with her eyebrow raised. "I could quiz you over the topics in say one hour?"

"I guess that would mean we won’t be going to church?" Charlene looked at Jane.

Jane considered the comment for a moment. "I had not planned on attending services today, but if you feel a need to do that, it can be arranged."

Charlene blanched visibly at the thought of going to church dressed as she was. "No… Umm… No ma’am. I just thought since it was Sunday and everyone was dressed so nicely today. I must be mistaken, don’t make any special arrangements for me, okay?"

"Very well! Normally when we have multiple students in residence it is difficult to find a service that everyone can agree on, therefore we dress appropriately for church, but you are expected to talk to God in your own way. I have had students with very different church affiliations, some of which are not found in our local area. If you need something special for your own devotional area, I’m sure Marie can assist you." Jane replied, letting Charlene breathe a sigh of relief.

"Thank you Ms. Thompson. I believe a walk in the gardens will be all the devotional area I’ll need today," replied Charlene, her heart rate slowing from warp factor three. It took most of the remaining meal for Charlene to stop shaking. It had scared her to think she would be going to church dressed as a girl.

"Very well! I believe a half-hour in the garden, followed by an hour to review the day’s current events… Hmm… It is now eight-thirty. Charlene, I expect you in the conservatory at ten o’clock sharp to review the news of the day. If you will excuse me." Jane Thompson patted her lips one last time and rose from the table, leaving a stunned Charlene sitting there with her mouth open.

Joan whispered across the table, "Charlene! Close your mouth, you’ll catch flies!"

Charlene closed her mouth and looked at Joan. "What?" Was all that came out of her mouth.

Joan giggled a little, "Close your mouth! Aunt Jane will lecture you on maintaining ‘poise and grace in the face of adversity’ if you don’t!" She tried hard to sound like Jane.

"Oh! I… Well… I just… Joan? How did I get into trouble this morning?" Charlene sat there very confused.

"It’s just Aunt Jane, pushing your buttons. You really have to look at the papers EVERY night and listen to the news reports EVERY morning, otherwise you get a private session on current events. You had better get started with your walk, would you like some company?" Joan replied

Charlene accepted the offer. It was Joan’s day to help Marie with the dishes. Charlene just helped clear the table to speed things along and soon the two girls were out in the garden enjoying the weather and reveling in nature. The walk didn’t seem long enough, but Charlene had that blasted appointment at ten with Jane, so they returned to the house so she could study the newspapers.

Charlene knocked on the conservatory door at one minute to ten. ‘Maybe a little early will help me here.’ She thought as she heard Jane’s ‘Enter!’

It took less than a minute for Charlene to realize why Jane had chosen the conservatory for her questioning. There sat the encyclopedia! Jane pointed to the book and said nothing. With an audible sigh, Charlene placed the book on her head and started walking her circuit of the conservatory. For the next forty-five minutes, Jane quizzed Charlene on the events of the past week!

At precisely ten-forty-five, Jane dismissed Charlene to go work on her report until dinner. Charlene curtseyed and left the room slowly, closing the door behind her. It was only after she was out of sight of Jane that she took out a deep breath and started limping.

"I know that toe is going to quit hurting one of these days!" Charlene mumbled to herself as she made her way to the student study room. "That book landed right on my big toe! God that hurt!"

Eventually, she made it to the study, said hi to Joan and resumed working on her report.

*****

The clock chimed one time. Charlene was startled, since the clock had never made a sound before.

"I know, it surprised me the first time it chimed too." Joan said as she shut down her computer. "It’s actually an alarm clock so Marie doesn’t have to come get us for dinner. Since we don’t hear it very often you notice it when it does chime. Marie asked that we help set the table. She was cooking something special and didn’t think she would have time to set the table and watch the meal."

"Oh! Okay. Guess I better shut this down. I’m almost done too, just another hour I think and THIS report will be done." Charlene replied as she saved her work and shutdown the computer.

Joan laughed a little. "Been there, done that! Many times in my time here! You might get it done later today, Aunt Jane is pretty laid back on Sundays."

The girls headed for the kitchen to see what Marie wanted them to do. The smells were marvelous! There was a large kettle of sauce bubbling on the stove, the smell of fresh baked bread coming from the double ovens along with the distinct sweetness of fresh baked peach pie cooling on the counter. The girl’s mouths watered just entering the kitchen, knowing Marie had spent so much time making this meal.

"Hi Tante Marie! What do you need us to do?" Joan asked.

"Ah, good! You are both here. After you wash your hands, I need the table set for five people. Use the special setting in the china cabinet, the ones with the gold edges. When that is complete, come back and help me here. Vite! Vite! We must hurry, dinner is at one-thirty!" Marie made shooing motions with her hands.

The girls went and washed up then started to set the table. Joan found another chair and reset all the places around the table while Charlene took out the good plates for dinner. Joan had to remind Charlene that ALL the plates, bowls, saucers and dessert plates had to be set on the table. When Marie sets out this china, it is a very formal dinner. Joan took out gold colored silverware and started setting them in their proper places. She handed two sets to Charlene.

"You may as well learn now! Aunt Jane will make sure you know a proper table set before you leave, trust me!" Jane told Charlene.

Joan went to get the water pitcher while Charlene finished placing the silverware on the table. She was just setting the last spoon in place when Jane walked into the room.

"Ah! Very good! I see you are learning the proper way to set a table. A skill that will serve you well in this house and beyond." Jane told Charlene. At that moment, the front doorbell rang.

"Charlene, would you please answer the door. I need to check with Marie for a moment.", Jane instructed as she headed for the kitchen.

Charlene looked at the table and heard the doorbell ring a second time. "Better get that, Jane will be pissed if I don’t." With that thought, Charlene headed for the front door.

Charlene opened the door and stood there shocked for a moment. There stood a man in a dress military uniform, smiling from ear to ear. After few seconds of staring, she asked, "May I help you?"

"Good afternoon, I’m Brent Hayden. I’m here for lunch with Jane Thompson?" Brent told Charlene.

"Oh! Umm.. Ah! Won’t you come in?" Charlene asked, still unsure if this person was a plant or someone Jane knew. She wasn’t sure, but this was the first male she had seen, other than Tom, since her arrival. She wasn’t sure that her ‘Charlene’ disguise was very good yet.

"Thank you, and you are?" Brent asked as he passed Charlene.

Charlene’s response never made it out of her mouth. There was a squeal of joy behind her. When she turned around Marie was running down the hallway, arms spread wide, shouting something in French! Close on her heels was Jane Thompson.

"Tante Marie!" came from this new person’s mouth as he swept past Charlene and grabbed Marie in a big hug. Marie showered kisses all over him and then stopped to catch her breath. It suddenly struck her that she might be making a spectacle of herself, so she disengaged herself and straightened her dress.

That gave Jane a chance to repeat the warm welcome and big hug. Though more reserved, it surprised Charlene that Jane Thompson could show such warm emotion for another person. She had always been so cool and calm with her, since her arrival.

"Brent, my goodness look at you! A Commander! I am so proud of you! Oh! Where are my manners, come in the parlor, please?" Jane said to the guest. "Have you met my current students yet?"

"I was just about to introduce myself to the young lady that answered the door when Tante Marie came running down the hall, so I guess I haven’t met them yet." Brent replied.

By this time, Joan had arrived and Jane did the introductions. "Commander Brent Hayden, this is Miss Joan Carlson, my senior student and Miss Charlene Hawkins our newest student. Girls, this is Commander Brent Hayden." She nodded at the girls and raised an eyebrow.

Joan knew the signal and performed a perfect curtsey. "Pleased to meet you Commander Hayden." She nudged Charlene with her hip as she curtseyed.

Startled, Charlene realized she was to do the same. When Joan finished Charlene repeated Joan’s curtsey and greeting.

Jane looked at the two girls. "Would the two of you go with Marie to the kitchen, please. I believe she would like to visit with our guest before dinner."

Joan grabbed Charlene, they both curtseyed and left the room to follow Marie to the kitchen. When they entered the kitchen, Marie started making the rounds of all the pots. Every pot was sniffed, stirred and either recovered or another spice added to the mixture, they all smelled wonderful.

"Ah, Mon Petites! I believe that you can finish in here. I have the timer set, all you need to do is stir the pots every few minutes and when the timer rings, turn off everything and come get me. I will serve the meal, this is a special day for me!" Marie gave each girl a hug and removed her cooking apron as she left the kitchen.

"Wow! He must be someone special!" I didn’t know Ms. Jane could be so nice!" Charlene said to Joan.

"Yes, I agree, but I’m glad Aunt Jane asked us to take over for Marie." Joan returned.

"Why do you say that? I mean here we have to work and make sure things don’t burn and listen for the timer…" Charlene stopped as Joan shook her head.

"In here we aren’t under Aunt Jane’s watchful eye! We don’t have to be on our best behavior until dinner is ready. Unless you LIKE Aunt Jane correcting everything you say or do…." Joan returned to stirring a pot of sauce.

"Oh! I mean that does make sense. Sometimes, I think she only picks on me. I never thought of helping in the kitchen as a way out of something else." Charlene replied, thankful she wasn’t in the room with Jane, Marie and their guest.

"Hmph! You’re probably used to either leaving the house or going to your room when company comes to visit. That won’t be tolerated here. You help to entertain the guest or help Marie in here. If I stay with the guest, Jane ALWAYS has me play something on the piano. I don’t know why, I’m not that good, but I think it’s her way of reminding me I need practice." Joan explained. "So, I’m always happy to stay away from guests when they visit."

*****

After the girls left Jane waited a moment to make sure they were in the kitchen. She turned to Brent and said. "Charlene has only been here since Wednesday, I’m sure you remember your first week here."

For the first time in years, Brent Hayden blushed. "It was worse than boot camp!" came the reply.

"That may be true, however, Charlene needs you to treat her as the girl she appears to be. I can tell you now, you were never in danger of being unmasked when you were here. I hold that position steadfast with all my students, so while you are here, she is what she appears and shall be treated accordingly, is that understood?" Jane’s eyebrow rose automatically.

"Aunt Jane, that look still brings on a tinge of fear! You would think I would be over that by now. Anyway, of course I will treat her as the girl she appears. With as much as you helped me turn my life around, I will do whatever you need me to do to help another of your students." Brent considered something for a moment, then spoke to Jane. "Aunt Jane, I was going to wait until after dinner to ask, but now might be a better time."

"Do not fidget Brent! Remember, think carefully about what you want to say and then just say it. You are no longer a student here, just a very welcome guest!" Jane replied with a warm smile.

"Okay! I am the temporary commander of the R.O.T.C. unit in Providence. I discovered that the team is putting a float in the Labor Day parade depicting the unsung heroes of history. They decided that wounded soldiers from each war along with a nurse from that same period would show how important the job of a nurse is to our armed forces." Brent stopped as Jane nodded her understanding.

"The only problem we have is we are two girls short for the nurses portion of the float. I was wondering…" Brent stopped when Jane let out a giggle.

"You would like Joan and Charlene to fill in for the missing girls, right?" Jane had a gleam in her eye.

"Umm… Yes, ma’am!" came the commanders automatic reply

"I believe that is a wonderful idea! Charlene will have about four weeks to perfect her image and Joan will be just fine. I believe we will break the news to the girls over dinner, yes?" Jane told her former student. "What periods of history will they be portraying?"

"We have two outfits, one is for Florence Nightingale and the other is for a WWII nurse. I’ll let you decide who should wear what outfit." Brent replied. "Thank you Aunt Jane." He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

With the question asked and answered, the conversation settled into catching up on what had happened in the nine years since Brent had been a student. After another fifteen minutes, Charlene entered the room.

Brent Hayden automatically rose when she arrived.

She gave a slight curtsey, then proceeded to Marie. "Ms. Marie? The timer has rung, Joan told me to come get you."

"Very good cherie! If you would stay here, in five minutes, please escort our guest to the dining room, yes?" Marie rose and left for the kitchen.

Charlene’s breath caught for a second. ‘Stay here! What do I do?’

Jane watched Charlene for a moment, then spoke. "Charlene, please have a seat. If you do not sit, Commander Hayden will remain standing!"

Charlene blushed from her nose to her toes. "Yes, Ms. Thompson.", she proceeded to sit in the chair Marie had recently vacated.

Charlene was very nervous, sitting there. Especially after what Joan had told her in the kitchen! She perched on the edge of the chair, hands folded in her lap, knees tightly held together. She even tried to put on a smile whenever, Commander Hayden looked at her.

"Miss Hawkins?" Brent asked. He saw the girl/boy jump from the sound of her name.

Charlene just about jumped out of her skin! She had been trying so hard to melt into the chair, or fade into the wallpaper, that when her name was called, she visibly jumped! "Yes? Mr. Hayden?" , came out in almost a squeak.

"How long have you been here at Ms. Thompson’s school?" Brent asked.

A deep breath without a sigh, Charlene replied as calm as she could make her voice. "Since last Wednesday. I have only been here a few days."

"I see! So, you are still getting used to the school and Ms. Thompson’s routine. Where are you from, if I might ask" Brent was only trying to relax the teen but it was only making her more nervous.

‘Deep breath, calm your stomach…’ Charlene tried to focus on the question. "Umm… Southern California, near L.A."

Brent was going to ask another question when Charlene looked at the clock across the room. "Oh! Excuse me, but Marie said that dinner should be ready now, if you will follow me to the dining room." Charlene stood, smoothed her skirt and hurried toward the door, hoping to get out of the room before she was asked another question.

"Charlene." Jane’s voice stopped the teen in her tracks. "Please go ahead and tell Marie we will be there in a moment, I need to talk to the Commander."

"Yes, Ms. Thompson." was the reply. Charlene hurried out of the room.

"Brent! You need to be a little more gentle with Charlene, there will be ample time later to interrogate her. She has a delicate stomach when she is scared and I’m afraid your questions may have activated it." Jane told her former student.

"I’m sorry Aunt Jane, it’s just that she looked like she was trying to shy away from us." Brent explained.

"She was! Think back to your first week here. Now, if a young male in a military uniform showed up for dinner, how would you have reacted?" Jane’s eyebrow raised with the question.

Brent thought for a minute. "You’re right! I would have done everything possible to become invisible! I’m sorry Aunt Jane, I really was only trying to put her at ease."

"I know. A better way for this is to start with Joan, she is much more comfortable around males and let Charlene see how Joan handles your questions, it is a ‘learn by example’ situation. She then has something to base her responses on, as long as you treat her as the girl she appears to be." Jane replied. "Now! We better hurry for dinner or Marie will have the two of us doing the dishes for being late!"

For Charlene, dinner went very smoothly. The conversation was mostly between Marie, Jane and this commander fellow. Jane didn’t do much correcting of Charlene’s manners during the meal, although she was trying very hard to make sure there was as little attention drawn to her as possible.

The main courses were finished and everyone was enjoying a piece of peach pie a' la mode when Jane addressed the girls. "Commander Hayden has a problem that requires our assistance. He has a float in the upcoming Labor Day parade and is short two girls to portray nurses on the float. I told him we would be happy to help in any way we could."

Charlene sat there with a confused look on her face. ‘How can we help?’ Was the thought she had, when she heard Joan sigh.

"Is something wrong, Joan?" Jane questioned.

"No, Aunt Jane. I had thought we would be watching the parade this year, but I think it is a wonderful idea to help the commander with his float. Umm…. Commander Hayden? The boys that will be there, they are all gentleman, are they not?" Joan redirected the conversation away from her obvious faux pas.

"The two young men that will be portraying wounded soldiers are perfect gentlemen. If they are not that way at all times, I want you to tell me! They will be running laps and doing pushups until their arms and legs fall off! The commander replied. "They both know that what you are doing is for the benefit of our unit, they will be on their best behavior."

"I’m certain they will Commander. If you could have the costumes sent here as soon as you get back, it will allow us some time to make certain they fit the girls properly." Jane said.

Charlene sighed, then hoped that Jane hadn’t seen her do it. ‘Wearing a nurse costume to be in a parade. I know she’s gonna make me do it, but God! I’ll have to talk to Joan about making sure…’ she was startled back from her thoughts by someone calling her name.

"Charlene, did you hear me?" Jane Thompson was looking directly at her.

"Umm… I… I didn’t hear what you said. I was… I was thinking about being in a parade. I’ve never been in one before and I’m not sure what to do." Was her reply.

"I see. All you need do is show up in the nursing outfit that is sent for you. I am sure the commander will give you very clear instructions. Now, I was saying, I believe Marie could use some help with cleanup, so that she may visit with our guest also. When that is done, you may either come visit in the parlor or return to the study and work on your report, it is due tomorrow, yes?" Jane was back in control of the house.

"Yes ma’am. It is very close to being completed. I would like to finish it this afternoon, thank you." Charlene tried to be as polite as she could figure out to be.

"Very well. Girls, we will have tea at four. Charlene will serve. If you will excuse me and Commander Hayden." Jane placed her napkin on the table, then rose when Commander Hayden assisted with her chair. The two of them left the room and headed for the parlor.

*****

Jane and Brent Hayden entered the parlor. "Have a seat Brent." Jane pointed to the couch.

"Is there a problem Aunt Jane?" The former student queried.

"Not really. It is just that the last time you were here, you were a student. I do not know how you will act around the current students and I can not take a chance of you letting on that you know what is happening here. It is better that we interact with the girls in a more formal setting right now. If you want to visit again during your stay here, Charlene will be more confidant in the masquerade and you can interact more freely with them. Until you learn the rules for being a former student, I will have to tightly control the situation." Jane explained.

Brent shook his head a couple of times. "I think I understand, Aunt Jane. A slip of the tongue and it ruins everything you try to do. Have you always controlled the situations so tightly?" Brent asked.

Jane let a small laugh. "I ALWAYS control the situation my students are in. You may have felt vulnerable. You may have felt the possibility of exposure as a ‘boy in a dress’. Let me assure you there was and still is very little chance of any student being unmasked to someone who does not already know what happens here. It is part of why my method works. The fear of being discovered and labeled a sissy is usually more than most adolescent males can handle. Therefore they try very hard to make the masquerade as complete as possible. You did it too! You essentially became your vision of a very feminine girl so that no one would even suggest you were male. Am I not correct, Brianna?"

Brent jumped when he heard his former femme name. "You remembered? I figured with all the boys…"

Jane motioned Brent to follow her. She led him into her study and bade him to sit on the love seat by the window.

"This room is identical to when I was here…" Brent said as he looked around the room. "THAT chair is the most God-awful, uncomfortable thing I ever sat in! The wooden benches in boot camp were softer!" He exclaimed pointing to ‘The Chair’ that sat on the student side of Jane’s desk.

Jane laughed a little. "It is not supposed to be comfortable, that is not it’s purpose. But I wanted to show you this." She handed Brent her photo gallery of past students.

Brent smiled as he looked at the picture of Brianna. "I guess I didn’t look too bad that way. Aunt Jane, you have everything I have sent you over the last nine years in here too!" There were announcements of high school and college graduations along with his announcement that he was joining the military. There was also a piece out of ‘Stars and Stripes’ about his advancement to Commander. Brent looked at Jane with wonder on his face. "Why?"

Jane took the book back and replaced it in her desk drawer. She smiled at Brent and said "I told you when you left here, you were now one of my boys! All the children that have attended this school, have endeared themselves to me in some way, even those I have not been able to help hold a place in my heart. That book is like a mother’s scrapbook for me. It chronicles what each child has done from their time here onward."

The silence that pervaded the room was thick enough to cut. Finally Brent rose and walked over to Jane and gave her a big hug. "I truly do love you Aunt Jane." He whispered in her ear.

"As I do you." Was Jane’s reply as she hugged Brent tightly.

*****

Marie had insisted on supervising the cleaning and putting away of her finest china. Even with a brand new dishwasher, she insisted that every dish and utensil be washed and dried by hand. The process took longer, but Marie was in such a good mood that the girls didn’t mind the extra work. It was fascinating to hear Marie sing as she helped to put away the dishes and replace all the silverware to it’s proper place.

When all was completed and Marie was happy with what the girls had done she gave each one a hug and a kiss on the cheek for helping. She then hung her apron and sang on her way out of the kitchen and on toward the parlor.

The two teens looked at each other for a moment. Finally, Charlene said, "Marie seems to be in a good mood!"

"Ya’ think? I have been here for five months and I have never seen her so happy! This commander must be someone very special to her." was Joan’s reply.

The two teens hung up their aprons and headed for the student study.

*****

"Done! Finally! And EXACTLY seventeen pages too!" The smile on Charlene’s face showed pride in this accomplishment.

"Very good! Now just place it in the folder and put it in this tray for Aunt Jane to review." Joan replied pointing to a basket by the door. "We should go and get everything ready for tea, it is almost three-thirty."

The two agreed it would be best to do that and keep Jane and Marie happy for as long as possible today. They shut down everything and headed for the kitchen to assemble an appropriate tea for four o’clock.

The two girls arrived in the kitchen and set about preparing a tea. Now Charlene had served tea but had no idea how to actually prepare one for guests. "Umm… Joan? What do we do?" she asked.

"Well, you have served tea, all we do is set up the tray with everything on it! I’ll show you where Marie keeps everything." Came the reply.

It took about twenty minutes to boil the water, arrange the cookies and small pastries on trays and to set out the cups and saucers on the serving cart. Joan looked it over and placed the creamer and sugar bowl on the tray. "Get a lemon from the refrigerator and slice it into wedges." Joan told Charlene.

Charlene retrieved the lemon and tried very hard to cut little wedges out of the lemon when Joan walked up to her. "Could I show you an easier way to do that?" She asked Charlene.

"I hope so! I didn’t think this could be difficult but I might be wrong." Charlene replied, handing the knife to Joan.

Joan sliced the lemon in half and then deftly cut small wedges from the center outward. It took her less than a minute to complete both lemons. "It just takes practice. You’ll get the hang of it soon."

Joan insisted they clean up the kitchen so Marie wouldn’t be mad at them. When that was complete, it was time for tea.

"Since you are to serve, let me get down the hall and enter the parlor before you wheel the tray down for tea. That way I can be seated when you arrive and it will be easier for you to serve." Joan instructed Charlene.

"O..K… I need to do this alone?" There was a lot of uncertainty in Charlene’s voice.

"Easy! Just like in the play room!" Joan smiled and left for the parlor.

"Hmph! Easy for you to say!" Charlene replied as Joan walked away. ‘How the hell do I get myself into these things?’ Charlene finally shook herself back to reality, took a deep breath and pushed the cart towards the parlor.

"Ah! Tea has arrived!" Jane stated as Charlene entered with the serving cart. "Charlene, please serve."

"Yes, Ms. Thompson." Charlene was surprised that the response was almost automatic.

The serving of tea went much better this time for Charlene. She filled the cups a little lower and didn’t have any problem with spills. She finished serving everyone and then remembered to make her own tea.

The conversation was light and centered on the two students. Commander Hayden mercifully only asked Charlene basic questions. Being she was the new student and had not been at the school long. Joan was quizzed a bit more and Charlene noted she let out a small sigh when Jane suggested she play a piece on the piano as entertainment for their guest.

‘I am so glad I don’t know how to play an instrument!’ Charlene thought as Joan kept her smile and played a sweet piano piece for everyone.

There was polite applause and a general round a compliments on her ability on the piano. When she returned to her seat Jane stated. "I am certain Charlene will be just as accomplished in a few months time."

It took a moment but Charlene finally realized what Jane had said and looked at her with shock on her face. All she saw was Jane’s small smile and raised eyebrow, challenging her to say something to the contrary.

"I believe that learning to play music helps to round out a young lady’s outlook and helps her become a more open individual. That is why I allow all my students to learn to play, at least some piano." Jane continued to explain her thoughts on ‘allowing’ the young ladies she taught to bring culture into their lives through music and the arts.

When everyone had their fill of tea and sweets, Joan and Charlene cleared the dishes and returned to the kitchen with the cart. Marie followed a few seconds behind them.

"Mon Petites! You both did very well in there. Charlene, you served tea much better this time! I am certain Ms. Jane is pleased. Joan, you play the piano, plus parfait! I could listen to you for hours." Marie was just flowing with compliments for the two students while they cleaned up the dishes from tea.

When that was done Marie shooed the girls out of the kitchen and told them that they had free time until dinner at seven.

*****

After the girls and Marie had left the parlor, Brent looked at his former teacher and mentor.

"You know Aunt Jane, I remember sitting in this room and being absolutely terrified when you had me serve tea for guests." Brent confided.

"You were supposed to be terrified, Dear. There would be no point to the exercise if you weren’t!" Jane replied. "Charlene is only here a few days and has actually made great strides toward being able to be reshaped into a good, decent person. There is basically a very good person inside all of us, I believe and my method tries to bring that out as quickly as possible."

Brent chuckled a little. "Well you certainly managed it with me and my big sister! I haven’t had so much as a parking ticket since I left here. I haven’t talked to ‘Winnie’, or rather Bill, in about a year. Have you heard from him lately?"

"William is doing quite well. I received a wedding announcement in the mail just few days ago. He mentioned that you would be receiving one also. Have you not received it yet?" Jane queried.

"Must be in the mail that is forwarded weekly from my last duty point! Probably get it Monday or Tuesday." Brent replied with a smile. "I knew he would marry Jennifer, I just knew it!"

The conversation between the former student and the Mistress of Season’s House continued for another hour. Eventually, it was time for Brent to leave.

"I’ll have those nurse’s uniforms delivered this week, Aunt Jane. I expect you will find some appropriate lingerie for the outfits?" Brent’s smile was as wide as his face.

"Never fear Commander! My girls will be completely believable in their roles as nurses for your float! Now scoot before it gets too dark and you are forced to stay here. I believe we can find a nightdress for you somewhere in the house…" Jane said with a smile.

A look of shock crossed Commander Hayden’s face and then he smiled. "Not this time Aunt Jane. I’m certain I can drive back to Providence in the dark." With that he gave Jane and Marie big hugs and kisses, then climbed into his car and waved as he drove away from the mansion.

*****

"Free Time! This is the first ‘free time’ I’ve had since I got here! Joan? What do you do with free time?" Charlene asked as the two students carefully walked past the parlor, hoping to avoid detection by Jane Thompson.

Joan laughed a little. "It’s not really free time. I guess you could go for a walk outside, or go lay in your room. You could work on your studies, or do your nails. Let me see your hands! Just as I thought! Your nail polish needs to be redone. Aunt Jane is being kind by not commenting on it. Probably because you are still new. Let’s go to your room and do your nails, it will help to keep Aunt Jane off your back, if there is one less thing for her to notice."

The two students went up the stairs away from Jane Thompson and the scrutiny that entailed. They spent the next hour redoing their nails and basically talking to each other about where they lived before coming to Jane’s school.

A walk around the gardens and a little time spent looking over her report one last time and it was time for dinner.

After washing up, redoing makeup and changing into a different Sunday dress, Charlene made her way to the dining room for dinner.

The respite from Jane was welcome, but all came back into focus when Jane continued correcting Charlene at the table for little mistakes. This was really starting to irritate Charlene.

‘I AM trying the best I know how!!!’ Maybe that little bit of ‘free time’ was just her way to get me to let my guard down…. Hmm…’ Charlene fumed to herself, after being told to take smaller bites for the third time. Unconsciously, she let out a big sigh.

"Charlene, is something the matter?" Jane asked.

‘If looks could kill…’, thought Charlene. After thinking a moment, Charlene decided to let it out. "Yea! No matter how hard I try, it isn’t good enough for you! You complain about my behavior, my dress, makeup, walk, use of a fork, the size I cut my food into, the way I eat it and the way I cleanup afterward. I have no idea what you think of my report, but I’m sure you won’t like it either! I don’t know why I’m trying so hard. I don’t seem to be getting anywhere or doing anything to your liking!"

Jane stopped eating and placed her fork down. She considered what Charlene said for a moment and then replied. "I can see where you might think that. You are still new to this school and are not used to my teaching methods yet. I do not tell my students ‘why’ I do what I do, that is for you to learn on your own. Let it suffice that in order for me to accomplish what needs to be done, you need to learn proper manners and etiquette at all times. As I told you, you will behave as a young woman for the time you are here. As such, you need to learn the manners and habits of a young woman in order to gain any benefit from my training. I am afraid, you will have to tolerate my correcting you, until you do well enough to not need further correction. Does that make sense to you?"

"How much longer will that be?" Charlene asked.

"That, depends on YOU!" Was Jane’s reply. "I believe Marie has a wonderful dessert for us tonight, Charlene, would you please help Marie serve?"

"Yes, ma’am." Charlene let out a sigh, stood and went to help Marie in the kitchen.

"Oh, yes! Charlene? ‘Yea’ is not a ladylike expression. Please try to find a more appropriate way to express yourself from now on." Jane told Charlene as she headed for the kitchen to help Marie.

The only reply was an audible sigh…

As usual, the dessert was great and Charlene helped Marie cleanup afterwards. This part of the schooling wasn’t too bad. At least Charlene liked Marie and didn’t mind helping her in the kitchen.

Jane usually let the students relax on Sunday evenings and this Sunday was no exception. Charlene was surprised that she was not required to be somewhere or do any ‘training’ for the evening hours. She did take a walk around the grounds and visit the horses, then decided to look over her report one last time. Finally after dark she looked over the newspaper and decided to get ready for bed. Charlene was just about to head into the bathroom for her bath when there was a knock on the door.

The door didn’t immediately open, so Charlene figured it must be Joan. "Come in!"

Joan entered the room and carrying a tray. "I thought, if you wanted, we would redo our hands and feet so Aunt Jane will have one less thing to reprimand you about tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? Didn't we just redo our polish like four hours ago?" Charlene asked.

"We just redid your fingernails so you would be presentable for tea. We should redo your toenails and fingernails unless you really like 'Candy Pink' for your nail color. I thought you might like something a little more 'age appropriate'. Sunday evening is like your only time off here. Tomorrow morning she will continue whatever program she has devised for you. I am certain it will require a few outfit changes and inspections, at least this way your nail polish will look good and there will be one less thing for her to complain about!" Joan replied with a knowing smile.

"Why are you doing this? I mean, why are you trying to help me? I didn’t even know you before I came here." Charlene asked her new friend.

"Why? Because I have already been through it! I know what Aunt Jane is going to look for in the inspection part and I was told about it enough times that I don’t let it happen anymore. Let’s just say I was never a ‘Big Sister’ to anyone and this way I can sort of feel like one by teaching you all the things you need to know while you are here." Was Joan’s reply.

"Big sister, huh? Humph! I was always the ‘Big Brother’ at home. I taught my little brother whatever I could. I guess that is similar to what you are trying to do… " Charlene thought for a minute. "Ok, sis! What do we do first!" A genuine smile came to her face. Probably the first real heartfelt smile since her arrival at Season’s House.

The two new friends chatted about home and school and things they would rather be doing than being at the academy, while they removed filed and redid their toes and fingers in a soft red for the following day. When they were through, Joan collected everything back onto her tray and said goodnight on her way out the door. Charlene looked at her toes and hands, shook her head, let out another big sigh and headed off to the bathroom for her bath.

Tales of the Season : Charlene's Story

By

Lisa Elizabeth

Chapter Sixteen

"More Lessons to Learn!"

‘Good morning! This NPR’s Morning edition!’ woke Charlene from her dreams. "Damn thing!" She cursed as she looked at the offending clock radio. She was just about to hit the off button when she remembered that Jane Thompson would be quizzing her over breakfast about some of the stories. "She’ll probably ask me how many Koala Lampurans it takes to carry a sick boa constrictor to the vet!" She mumbled as she got out of bed.

Heading for the bathroom to take care of her morning ritual, Charlene stopped at the door and looked back into the bedroom. "No nightmares last night! Thank goodness for that!" She then turned and closed the bathroom door to use the potty.

While she was in the shower checking her legs for stray hairs she heard Marie’s cheery voice. "Good Morning Cherie! I’ll just leave your fresh lingerie on the counter."

"Another day, another bunch of F****** frills!" Charlene muttered to herself. She finished her shower, dried and dressed in the bra and panties Marie had left for her and walked out into the bedroom to get dressed. Marie was no where to be found. There was an outfit on the bed with a note laid out on it.

The note read,

‘Cherie!

Today you are to dress yourself, do your own makeup and hair and be at breakfast by eight o’clock. I know you can do this!

Marie’

Charlene looked at the outfit and again at the note, ‘I’ve worn this outfit before. It was rather simple hair and makeup.’ With a big sigh and a scratch of her head, she started to dress.

It was a simple ‘school girl’ type outfit. A white blouse, a blue and white plaid skirt, white tights and black ‘Mary Jane’ style shoes. Not too hard to put on! Charlene pulled her hair back into a ponytail, trying to do as good a job as Marie had done, that took three tries and it still didn’t look quite right. Finally satisfied, she moved on to the makeup. Foundation, blue eyeshadow, a little blush, mascara and a soft pink lipstick. She put on a pair of gold hoop clip-on earrings, a gold necklace and watch then looked at the clock.

"Three minutes to get to breakfast! Take that Jane Thompson!" Charlene headed out of her room and down the stairs.

When Charlene entered the dining room Jane, Joan and Marie were all standing behind their chairs waiting for her to arrive. Marie peeked at the clock and gave her a big smile.

Jane Thompson took a quick look at her watch, smiled at Charlene and said, "Good, shall we dine?"

Everyone sat to one of Marie’s wonderful breakfasts. The banter was all from Jane Thompson this morning. She asked the normal questions about the events in the paper and newsworthy items heard on the radio that morning. Charlene was surprised when Jane asked if she knew how many natives of a Koala Lampuran village it had taken to carry their sick boa constrictor to the veterinarian at the national zoo. She also asked why it was such an important thing to do.

"I believe it took seven men from the village to do that. It seems that they keep the boa constrictor as a sacred animal, although many believe that the health of the village is because the boa eats the rodents in the area and thereby limits any potential disease outbreaks." Charlene replied in her best Jane Thompson voice.

"Just so! Very good Charlene. When we finish here, I will see you in my study, we need to continue your education and I would like to discuss my plans for you." Jane replied in schoolmistress mode.

The rest of the meal was eaten, as always, with more questions and answers. It was Joan’s turn to help with the dishes, so when Charlene was finished, she followed Jane to her study.

Charlene stood in front of the desk awaiting the ok to sit.

"This meeting will be brief! Today we will see what you have learned since you have arrived.

I have a prepared list of clothing changes for you, I expect you to go through them as you have each day, but you will have no help from Marie or Joan. You will report here as quickly as possible for evaluation, complete a circuit of the study with the book and then continue on to the next outfit on the list. All outfits must be completed before we have lunch. Do you have any questions?" Jane asked as she handed Charlene the list from her desk.

Charlene looked over the list, stifled a sigh and replied, "No ma’am".

"Your time begins now." Jane said while looking at her watch.

Charlene looked up startled, since she had been lost thinking about ‘How in the hell am I going to do this!’, when Jane told her she could go. Gathering her thoughts, she grabbed the dictionary, did a circuit of the room and left for her first change of the morning.

"I should have a very frustrated, rather irritated, young man on my hands by lunch today." Jane thought to herself, as she noted the time on her pad. "We will see what he has learned about self control…"

*****

Charlene headed for her room with the paper in her hand. As she entered her bedroom, she rechecked the first outfit she was to wear. "No sense in wasting time, I could end up with another Fu***** report to write! I have worn this outfit every morning since I got here! How do they clean this stuff every day?" she wondered as she looked over the list of clothes.

The routine was standard now. First, strip completely, then cream colored bra, panties and garter belt. Next the cream colored stockings and two white petticoats. Then do hair and makeup. The makeup took the most time. Charlene remembered that this was to be a younger look. It took a long time to get the colors and shading as close to what she could remember Marie had done in the past. Finally she put on the Cream dress with all the lace and argued with the back zipper until it was all the way up. Matching shoes and purse and she was ready to see Jane.

The swish of the petticoats were pretty common to Charlene now, so she had no problem getting to Jane’s office. She knocked and waited.

"Enter!" Was all that was heard through the door.

When Charlene entered, Jane barely looked up from her reading, waved at the dictionary and held out a paper for Charlene. This was a little confusing to Charlene, there was no inspection for this outfit.

Charlene took the paper, lifted the dictionary, made her round of the office in two tries and left. All was done while Jane seemed occupied with something else.

The next change was the same skirt and blouse as the last two days, with only one petticoat. The hair and makeup were going a little faster for Charlene now so she was only a couple of minutes late.

Once again, Jane barely looked up and handed Charlene another slip of paper. This one said ‘Late!!’ at the top of it, along with the next outfit listed.

Another race up the stairs and another change into a daytime office look, this time Charlene made it back to the study in time! Again, Jane just waved the slip of paper and pointed to the dictionary.

The next outfit was the formal, prom outfit. This one took Charlene longer due to the complex hairdo, with no assistance from Marie. Charlene wasn’t certain she could ever get used to thong panties, but they were ‘required’ for this outfit. Even with holding the skirt higher than she knew Jane would allow, she was still way late for her inspection.

Charlene entered the study, expecting to be waved at and ignored but instead, Jane stood and walked around the desk to look at Charlene.

"Very lovely, Charlene! Yes, very lovely. I believe you are starting to get the hang of this. I note that your tardiness is less than half of what it was the last time we did this exercise. That is improvement in time management. You still need to practice your hair and makeup skills, but that too will come along as you progress in the program. I want you to go into the kitchen and prepare a tea. I will page Marie and let her know to help you in the kitchen. Please serve in the parlor. You may go!" Jane walked back around her chair and sat back down.

Charlene just stood there in shock. ‘First, it’s hurry, hurry, hurry. Then she acts like I’m her fu***** servant! Just what does she want out of me?’

"Charlene, I said you may go!" Jane repeated.

"Wha…? Oh! Yes ma’am." Charlene curtseyed and headed for the door.

"Charlene? Aren’t you forgetting something?" Jane asked tapping the dictionary.

"Damn! I mean… Sorry! I mean… Oh … I don’t know what I mean." Charlene stuttered as she grabbed the book and made her walk around the study.

Jane watched her complete the circuit. She couldn’t let that slip of tongue go, she had to push just a little bit more. "Miss Hawkins! I will remind you that such language shall not be tolerated while you are here. It is uncouth and not very becoming for a young lady of breeding and class to use profanities at any time. While you are attending my school, you will control your tongue. Do I make myself clear?"

The anger flashed in Charlie’s eyes for a split second, only to be tamped down quickly by sheer inner strength. "Yes Ms. Thompson, perfectly clear, will that be all?"

"We will discuss your reprimand over tea. You may go." Jane replied in full head mistress mode.

Charlene held her lips tightly together while she curtseyed and left the study. All the way down the hall she mumbled to herself. ‘Blasted bi***! On my fu***** case all the time, GOD! I’d like to haul off and… No! Charlie that would be EXACTLY what she would want so she could send you off to jail for a few years for assault. Bide your time, one of these days that old coot is gonna screw up and then…’ Charlene hit the kitchen door with the heel of her hand and it flew open with a bang.

When Marie came into the dining room she could hear the slamming of her kitchen cabinets through the closed door. She quickened her pace a little and then slowed to enter the kitchen softly. "Charlene! Is there a problem with the cabinet hinges? I believe they were oiled just a month or so ago, no?"

Charlene was just about to slam another door when Marie spoke. She froze in place and then turned beet red. She shut the cabinet gently and turned to look at Marie, cheeks still glowing. Standing there silently for a few seconds, Charlene decided there was something very interesting on the floor a few feet in front of her.

"I take it from the noise in here you are upset about something?" Marie finally asked.

A big sigh was the first response, then Charlene finally decided to look at Marie. "I… well… I… (sigh) I’m just so damn… Umm… Darn… upset at Ms. Thompson right now, I could spit! She has me doing this stupid dressing game and then she doesn’t even look at me when I show up, she just hands me a piece of paper and ignores me. Then when I get down there late from doing this formal getup, she treats me like I’m her slave or something and should do her bidding in making tea and serving it for everyone! I’m NOT a SLAVE! I’m … I’m… I’m really, really pissed, is what I am!" Replied Charlene in a rush of words and emotion.

"I see. So you decided to take it out on my cabinets? I think there should be a better way to control your anger at Ms. Jane." Marie replied in a mildly sarcastic tone.

Charlene’s cheeks flushed red again and the floor became interesting to look at. "I’m sorry Marie. I didn’t mean to damage anything, I just wasn’t… wasn’t thinking clearly, I guess…" Charlene’s voice trailed off to nothing.

Marie opened a couple of cabinets, removing the items necessary for a proper tea. Charlene had gotten most of the items out, but Marie always liked to be certain the tea was perfect, at least while training a student. "It does not appear you have done any damage. But in the future I expect you to treat my kitchen with a little more respect!" Marie waggled a finger at Charlene. "Now! Let us get this proper tea ready so you are not in trouble for being tardy to tea time!"

"Thanks Marie." Charlene said as she smiled at Marie and started to arrange the tea trolley the way she had seen Joan do before.

Charlene told Marie she could finish setting things up and that she should head for the parlor. Ms. Thompson had asked Charlene to serve everyone tea and figured Marie was included.

About three minutes after Marie left, Charlene headed for the parlor trying to remember how to have a tea party! The only thing going through her head was ‘A-a-a-a-a VERY happy un-birthday to you! …And You! A-a-a-a Very happy un-birthday to you! …And You!’ Over and over like a singing Christmas toy that never stops. Whatever it was, by the time she arrived at the parlor door she had a smile on her face, most likely from thinking about the tea party that Alice had had.

As she rolled the cart to a stop in the parlor, Jane spoke. "You appear to be happy this morning, Charlene. It is good to see a smile on your pretty face. So much better than a scowl or a frown, don’t you think?" It was a rhetorical question as Jane looked to Joan and Marie for support of her observation.

"I agree Aunt Jane. Charlene looks genuinely happy today." Joan replied.

"Just a silly thought, I was remembering something I saw with my little brother, that’s all." Charlene replied, trying to change the subject before she broke into giggles. "Shall I pour, Ms. Thompson?"

"Yes please. " Jane continued some inane lecture about gentility and refinement. Charlene tuned her out as she went about pouring a ‘proper’ tea. She remembered to ask if they wanted sugar and almost lost her composure when asking ‘One lump? Or two?’ She managed to get through the entire tea without breaking up laughing and even remembered what everyone had when she asked ‘More tea?’ The hardest part was when Jane asked for only a half of a cup. Charlene could just imagine cutting one of the cups in half like in the Disney movie. That almost made her laugh out loud. She had learned from her ‘Dorothy’ incident that it would not be wise to do that sort of thing again.

When the tea was finished Charlene placed everything back on the tray and headed for the kitchen. As soon as she got through the door, she broke into a giggle-fit.

Marie entered less than a minute behind and found Charlene trying very hard to keep from laughing out loud. "What is so very funny mon petite?"

"Oh Marie, it was so hard to get through tea without laughing today! I constantly had visions of the Mad Hatter’s tea party in ‘Alice in Wonderland’" it was then that Charlene started laughing so much she had trouble talking for a few minutes. I kept hearing them singing ‘A-a-a-a very happy un-birthday to you! And you!’ all through the time I was in the parlor. It was so difficult to pour the tea and not break out laughing. I hope Ms. Thompson doesn’t find out, I’d probably be in big trouble!" Charlene realized and covered her mouth. Just as quickly she realized it was a rather girlish gesture and quickly put her arm down at her side. "Umm-m-m… I’ll just clean up here and put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher." as she got busy trying not to think about how much of an effect all this petticoat punishment was having on her.

Marie caught the move but said nothing. When Charlene had finished putting everything away she spoke. "Sit down Cherie, we need to talk for a moment." Marie motioned to a kitchen stool. After Charlene settled, she continued. "You need to learn to relax a little and enjoy your time here. There is nothing wrong with a little laughter, even if you think it is silly. I believe Ms. Jane and Joan would have enjoyed the fact you had that tune running through your head during tea. It would have better explained your smiling at odd moments during Ms. Jane’s talk. Now I think she may be confused as to why you reacted the way you did. We shall see."

Charlene looked a little worried for a moment. "You don’t think she’ll make me dress up as a four year old again do you?" she asked.

Marie giggled a little, "No, Cherie. She would not punish you for thinking something like that, but I am certain she will watch you a little closer for a while to see if that smile was just a personal thought or something more mischievous! I will let her know that it was just a silly thought that ran through your head. That will calm her fears and might make things a little easier on you." Marie patted Charlene on the hand and smiled.

"Umm… thanks Marie. I better help you finish cleaning up here, I’m sure Ms. Thompson will want me back for more clothes changing before lunch." Charlene replied and started to clear the cart of the used items from tea.

It didn’t take them long to clean up from tea and Marie told Charlene she should leave and return to Ms. Thompson for her next assignment. That was another of those long walks down the hallway, Charlene was just wondering what silly thing she would have to do next to keep this crazy lady happy… "Now I’m even thinking of myself as a ‘she’! Good Grief, Charlie Brown!"

"Enter!" Was Jane’s reply to the knock on her door. She was expecting Charlene so there was no surprise when she came in and stood before the desk. "Much better at serving tea today, Charlene, you may get the hang of doing it properly yet. I am certain you will receive more practice during your stay here. Now for your next change of clothes, you will need assistance since it is something new. Marie has gone upstairs to prepare for your arrival. You may go!" Jane returned to the papers on her desk.

Charlene thought for a moment then went to the shelf behind Jane, took the dictionary and made her customary circuit of the study. She placed the book back on the shelf. While quietly leaving the study, Jane spoke.

"Very good, Charlene. You are learning some of the rules." Jane nodded toward the shelf. "I will see you when Marie is satisfied you are ready."

Charlene nodded and closed the study door. ‘I wonder what that was all about?’ she thought as she headed up the stairs toward her bedroom.

Her wondering did not last long. When she entered her bedroom, there was Marie fussing all around the vanity, making sure everything was in it’s proper place. "Marie?" she asked.

"Oh, Cherie. It is good you arrived so quickly! We have just enough time before lunch to make you absolutely beautiful! Now quickly, undress and take a shower. You will need to wash your hair, with the hairpiece in place, it has to be wet to style correctly. Now shoo!" Marie made a shooing motion at Charlene and herded her towards the bathroom door. "Your fresh lingerie is already on the counter and make certain you use the dusting powder liberally before you come back into the bedroom."

Charlene headed into the bathroom to do as Marie instructed. Fifteen minutes later she walked out of the bathroom smelling of lavender with a towel sort of wrapped in a turban around her wet hair. Her lingerie consisted of a pair of white satin bikini cut panties.

"Over here, we need to get you into your clothes first." Marie motioned toward a bar that was fixed to the sides of the closet. "We will place this around you and then you will hold onto the bar while I lace it up!" Marie showed Charlene a satin lined corset with a lot of boning.

"Marie! What IS that thing?" Charlene asked, looking at the contraption full of satin, lace, garters and various strings.

"This? It is just a corset! It will give you a very girlish figure and is necessary in order for you to fit into your dress. Now come along we have very little time for delay!" Marie replied walking over to Charlene and starting to wrap the garment around her. "Hold this up so I can do up the hooks." Marie proceeded to hook the front of the corset together with what seemed to be a hundred little metal hooks. When she was finished, she laced a cover over the hooks and tied it off with a bow.

"Over to the lacing bar, now reach up and hold onto the bar while I tighten up the rear laces." Marie instructed Charlene.

Charlene reached up and held on to the bar suspended in her closet door. "Like this?" she asked.

"That is fine, now let me tighten the laces for the first time." Marie responded and proceeded to snug the laces of the corset from the top to the bottom. When she was through, she tied a bow and took a breath. "Lower your arms and walk around… How does that feel?"

"Not bad, tight. I can’t get a real deep breath and it’s going to be tough to bend over!" Charlene replied, testing the strength of the corset with a deep breath.

"Back to the bar Cherie! We have to tighten it again." Marie instructed.

"Again? Marie…" Charlene gasped.

"Shush little one! We have to bring the edges of the corset together. It is only another inch or so, it will not be so bad!" Marie replied with a smile. "First we insert these…" Marie inserted two silicone breast enhancers in the bottom of the corset bra cups. Then she tugged whatever loose flesh she could toward the middle of Charlene’s chest and voila! Instant cleavage! "Now we are ready to retighten those laces!"

Charlene wasn’t too sure if it would be bad or not but went back over to the bar and held on while Marie retightened the laces two more times. "Marie! I can’t brea..oomph!" was all she got out as Marie gave one last tug on the laces before tying them off in a knot.

"Breathe very shallow and a little faster than normal, Cherie. You will adjust to the corset in a couple of minutes. Step over here to the vanity and we will have you sit while you get used to your corset! You have a wonderful shape now, this dress will be tres magnifique on you!" Marie was beaming over the fact that she got the sides of the corset to meet.

Charlene was moving carefully over to the vanity stool and discovered that he couldn’t just flop down on the stool as she had before. It took some planning and then having to lower yourself carefully on to the stool in an upright posture, almost like sitting at attention.

While Charlene was getting used to the corset, Marie started rolling a pair of stockings and sliding them up Charlene’s legs. She explained that once in a corset, a lady will require a lot of help to even dress herself.

"Marie? (breathe) Why am I… (breathe) in a corset?" (breathe) Charlene found it difficult to talk and breathe while in this new contraption.

"So your dress will fit you properly, of course!" Marie replied, as if it was the most logical reason in the world. "Now stand and hook your stockings to the garters."

Charlene stood and worked for almost three minutes trying to get the stockings hooked tightly as Marie had taught her. When she completed that task, she was out of breath and had to sit back down.

"Not so easy, being a proper lady, eh Mon Petite? You rest and I will start on your hair." Marie stated as she pulled out a box of curlers.

"Oh no! More torture!" Charlene moaned half joking.

"But of course! It takes a lot of work and a little suffering to be beautiful!" was Marie’s reply.

Marie proceeded to gel and roll Charlene’s hair into a mass of curls. By the time she finished, Charlene’s breathing had returned to an almost normal tempo. "Now we let the curls set while we do your makeup and get you dressed."

Marie started with what she called a ‘stage’ makeup base, it was used on the face, neck and upper body down to the top of the corset. It gave a very pale look to Charlene’s tanned body. She then changed to a different cover-up for her arms and the backs of her hands. When she was done with this, she applied a translucent powder all over the makeup to ‘set’ it.

Starting with her eyes, she applied a dusty rose to the lids and proceeded to lighten the shadow to an almost white by the time she got to Charlene’s brows. This effectively opened her eyes into a more innocent look. Brown eyeliner and a light application of mascara completed the eyes. Marie brushed and trimmed Charlene’s eyebrows, then used a medium brown pencil to even the color of her brows and extend her brow to the outside of her eye crease. She also added a little upward flair at the corner of each eye, giving the illusion of a more oval shaped eye.

A matching dusty rose blush and lipstick finished off the look. When Charlene looked in the mirror, she was stunned. She looked like a completely different person, skin coloring was changed and the makeup gave her a very innocent yet slightly older look, like she was sixteen instead of fourteen.

"You like?" Marie asked.

Charlene took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I… I look so different. Like it’s someone else sitting here."

"That is the whole point! You are Charlene! And now we shall finish dressing you and do your hair." Marie replied with a smile. Come! We will hurry, so that we are not late for lunch."

Marie went to the closet and took out a beautiful rose colored, strapless sheath dress. She had Charlene step into the dress and it slid easily up her now corseted body. Before zipping the dress she reached for two little hooks that were sewn into the side seams of the dress and hooked them into a couple of eyes on Charlene’s corset, under her arms. Marie then zipped the dress up and hooked the top above the zipper.

"Voila! Plus parfait!" Marie exclaimed. "Ah! Shoes!" She went back to the closet and pulled out a matching pair of three-inch heeled sandals stooped down to strap them to Charlene’s feet. "There, you are. Stand and walk around the room for me."

Charlene rose, with difficulty, and proceeded to carefully walk around the bedroom. She had worn heels this high before, but these were almost like there was nothing attached to her feet. After completing a circuit of the room, she tried to back up to the vanity stool but kept catching her shoe on the hem of the dress.

"You will have to lift your hem to back up to a chair, Cherie. The dress has a small train to it and is a forward only dress. Like so…" Marie told Charlene as she showed her how to sweep the tail of the dress up and to the side so she could see where she was backing up.

It took Charlene a few minutes to manage holding the skirt, breathing and trying to locate the vanity stool without passing out from lack of breath. She managed to sit down again and it took a minute for her to regain her breath.

"Marie? Does the corset have to be this tight? I can hardly breathe!" Charlene asked.

"Oui, mon petite. You must be that size to fit into the dress. You will get used to the corset shortly. Now, let us finish your hair so we can show Ms. Jane how lovely you are." Marie replied while starting to remove all the curlers from Charlene’s hair.

Marie became a whirlwind of activity using a brush, a comb and bobbie pins to arrange the mass of curls into a very elegant up-do. The curls cascaded down from the crown of Charlene’s head and there were two small curls that were left loose and hung in front of her ears. Marie handed her two, chandelier type clip —on earrings and a matching teardrop necklace which Charlene put on as she had been taught. A final touch of hairspray and a little spray of ‘Angels’ perfume and Marie felt she was finished.

A big smile crossed Marie’s face as she stood back to look at her creation. "Cherie, you are very beautiful!"

Charlene looked in the mirror. Staring back at her was a very pretty girl. It didn’t look at all like she expected. Gone was any trace of ‘Charlie’, instead there sat a pretty young lady of approximately sixteen, sitting very properly on a vanity stool. "I look like I’m ready for a prom or something." Charlene stated.

"A prom, or a night out for a concert, or an opera perhaps?" Marie replied. "Do you not like?"

"Oh, no Marie, I just look so-o much different, there isn’t any of me in the mirror anymore!" Charlene replied.

"No, Cherie. You are still there, what I have done is just makeup and clothes, what you see is just a façade for the world to look at." Marie replied. "Now! It is time for you to see Ms. Jane. I must get to the kitchen and help Joan finish preparing lunch."

Charlene stood there staring at the image in the mirror. When she moved the imaged moved, she knew it was her reflection but the image was so-o-o dramatically different it shook her inside. After a few minutes of looking, Charlene started shaking and finally had trouble getting her breath. She sat on the vanity stool for a minute to calm herself. "God, Charlie, this has to be the fu***ng worst situation you have ever gotten yourself into. Look at this, you’re shaking and if you don’t get control soon, you’ll start crying. I just can’t let that bi*** win, not ever!" Charlene’s eyes turned a little harder as her resolve to not give in to Jane Thompson returned to the surface. "Well, if she wants a prom queen… I’ll give her a prom queen!" With that last comment, Charlene checked her makeup, to be certain she hadn’t messed it up and then started for the bedroom door to make her way to Jane’s study.

Jane Thompson turned off the security monitor in her study and closed the cabinet door that hid it from view. ‘I always hate having to watch my students during these first few days, but I really need to know what is going on in their heads so I know when to push and when to back off. I believe Ms. Hawkins is ready for a little more pushing.’

The trip to the study took Charlene a full five minutes. Navigating the steps in a corset and a long gown, was a new experience. The addition of three-inch heels slowed her even more. Having gotten to the hallway, Charlene stopped for a minute to catch her breath, then proceeded toward Jane’s study.

"Enter!" The familiar command echoed in Charlene’s ears as she opened the door and took her position in front of Jane Thompson’s desk.

"Ah! Ms. Hawkins. You look absolutely stunning in that outfit. That corset gives you a very nice figure and that dress is a very good color for you." Jane could see the blush in Charlene’s cheeks even through the stage makeup. After a moment of silence Jane spoke. "Aren’t you going to respond to my compliment?"

"Oh! Umm… Thank you Ms. Thompson." A startled Charlene replied.

"That’s better. A girl as pretty as you had best get used to compliments. You shall receive many over your time here." Jane told the cross-dressed teen. "Yes, you are very pretty and will draw a fair amount of attention from both males and females about your appearance."

Charlene’s heart started thumping like a sledgehammer. ‘MALES? What males?’ she thought as the adrenaline pumped through her. She was in ‘fight or flight’ mode now, wondering how quickly she could move in this outfit.

Jane saw the widening of Charlene’s eyes and pressed on. "Yes, a little corset training and some work on your poise and deportment and you will have every teenage male within fifty miles bowing and scraping at your feet. Won’t that be something to see?" Jane let her last comment sink in and saw the scared look turn to fear. It was time to back off a little.

"But that is for the future, right now we need to teach you how to move in that lovely outfit you have on. I have the dictionary right here for you, I know how hard it is to bend to get it off the shelf in a corset. We will work on the ‘ladylike’ way to do that at a later time. Right now, please…" Jane pointed to the book on the corner of her desk. Jane had seen the panic on her student’s face when she mentioned dealing with ‘boys’. She simply stopped and waited to see if she would have to remind her student to take slower more controlled breaths. When she saw the panic subside, she just waited to see how long it would take Charlene to realize what she wanted done.

Charlene’s mind had been racing with all types of thoughts. ‘She expects me to deal with boys! Dressed like this? Oh my GOD! What… what… (pant, pant) wait, remember short shallow breaths, that’s it slow down, calm yourself. She’s just trying to get to you, Charlie, you know that. Just let it slide off, now what was she saying…" Charlene saw Jane pointing to the dictionary on the table. She may not have heard the comment but she knew what was expected.

The trip around the study didn’t take very long to accomplish. Charlene completed it on the third try. The corset changed her balance and restricted her movement enough that after a little trial and error she did the circuit with a smile on her face. ‘That will show her. She probably figured we would be here forever!’ Charlene told herself. She took the book off her head and placed it back on Jane’s desk.

"Very good! It is now time for lunch, if you would freshen up, I will meet you in the dining room." Jane nodded toward the study door.

"Yes, Ms. Thompson." Charlene attempted a curtsey in the tight clothes and exited as quickly as she could.

Charlene let out a big sigh after the door closed. Well, as big a sigh as she could manage in a corset, anyway. She proceeded to go to the downstairs powder room, wash her hands and check her makeup. It was a good thing Marie had packed her small purse, a little powder and lipstick and she was ready for lunch.

Everyone was waiting at the table when Charlene entered. She quietly took her place by her chair and waited for Jane to yell at her for being late.

"Shall we dine?" was all she said. No jabbing comment, no sarcasm, just ‘Shall we dine?’ This confused Charlene for a moment, between her confusion and the restriction of the corset and dress, she was the last one to sit.

Marie brought out plates of food already prepared for each person. Charlene noticed that hers was less than half of what Joan, Jane and Marie had on their plates. Just as she was getting depressed over not only being in a corset, but now looking like she would starve, Jane spoke.

"Charlene. You have probably noticed you have a much smaller portion of food than the rest of us." After a nod from Charlene, Jane continued. "You are going to be on a different schedule for meals this afternoon. Due to your wearing a corset, you will find that you can no longer eat large quantities of food at one meal. Therefore, you will be eating a small meal every few hours. You will have sufficient nourishment throughout the day, it will just be spread out over more frequent and smaller meals. I will caution you to not over eat at any one meal, as you will be very uncomfortable for quite some time afterwards."

"Oh! I was wondering why my portion was smaller. I thought you might be punishing me for something." Charlene replied.

"Oh no dear! Perish the thought! I told you when you arrived, no physical harm would come to you. I consider withholding food or drink to be a cruel and unnecessary thing to do. There are many other ways to let you know you have done something incorrect." Jane replied.

With that comment, the meal started. Jane talked about feminine behavior and what young girls did when she was a young girl. Every second or third sentence she would instruct Charlene to take smaller bites and to chew longer, so that she would not finish her meal before everyone else.

Eventually everyone had their fill and Charlene was surprised to see that there was still food on her plate. She tried to eat one more bite but after swallowing it, found it to be a mistake. "I guess you really can’t eat much in this corset!" She said in a low voice.

Jane didn’t hear all of the comment, but she heard enough. "Yes, the corset will do two things. It will help to teach you correct posture and it will help to shrink the amount that you eat at any one time. Joan discovered those two things when she first started wearing one, didn’t you?"

"Yes Aunt Jane. It became a habit to sit properly and to eat in smaller portions. The latter has definitely helped my figure." Came Joan’s reply.

"Just so! You have learned so much in your time here, Joan. I am certain Charlene will learn just as much! Now, this afternoon, I believe, you have piano practice, Joan?" A ‘yes ma’am’ was the reply. "Good! Then I shall have time to instruct Charlene on some of the finer points of being a proper young lady. Charlene, meet me in the study when you are finished here." Jane wiped her mouth with the napkin and left the dining room.

"Proper fu****g lady indeed! I can’t breathe in this da** corset! How am I going to survive her ‘exercises’!" Charlene grumbled to Joan.

"Best watch your language, Charlene! You know Aunt Jane can appear at the most unlikely times!" Joan stated. "I don’t think you will be doing anything too strenuous this afternoon. At least I didn’t when she had Marie tie me into one of those!"

"Hmph!" was Charlene’s reply. (sigh) "Well, I guess I shouldn’t sit here too much longer. Probably better to show up before she expects me! I couldn’t eat anything else in this corset anyway."

Charlene rose and placed her napkin on the table. After finding her center of gravity she started carefully toward the door. Just before leaving, she looked at Joan, who was still seated at the table and smiling.

"What?" she asked. Wondering what the smile was all about.

"Oh, nothing. I was looking at you getting up from the table and remembered how awkward I felt the first couple of times I had to wear a corset. It’s easy now, but different when you first wear one." Joan replied.

"Oh! Well, I hope I don’t have to wear this thing too often! I’ll see you later." Charlene said as she restarted toward the doorway out of the dining room.

*****

"Enter" Charlene was used to that one word phrase now and proceeded carefully into Jane’s study. Not being sure what type of ‘exercises’ she had planned, she could only let devices of torture pass through her mind. She proceeded to her usual spot and found it much easier to assume the proper position with the corset keeping her rigid.

"Please sit." Came from Jane as she motioned to the chair. "This afternoon you are not going to be changing clothes but will be learning a few of the ‘feminine arts’ as I like to call them. When wearing a corset one cannot do much physical activity so we must construct more genteel and demure ways of teaching you things you will need to know."

Charlene sat on the edge of the chair with a blank look on her face. ‘This lady could be a politician! I have no idea what she is talking about other than I won’t be running up and down steps changing clothes all afternoon!’ There was a long silence while Charlene tried to figure out what Jane had said. She realized Jane must want an answer! "Yes ma’am." Came the only safe thing she could think of.

"Very well! Follow me, Charlene." Jane rose from her chair as if she too wore a corset and lead the way to the parlor. After showing Charlene where she wished her to sit, she produced some material and thread, along with an embroidery hoop and a set of instructions. "This is a counted cross-stitch pattern. It derives it’s name from doing just that, counting the crossed stitches. This one is simple and I expect you to have it nearly completed by afternoon tea. You will have to take a short break for a snack, as I told you, you will be eating smaller meals but more often while you are in a corset. Any questions thus far?"

"I don’t know anything about cross-stitch, Ms. Thompson." Charlene replied.

"I did not think so, I will show you the basics and then I am certain you will be able to catch on from there. If you have a question, Marie or myself will be able to assist you." Jane replied, getting into full instructor mode. The next ten minutes were spent showing Charlene how to thread a needle and how to properly stretch the pattern in the hoop to hold it tight. Then after a few stitches were done properly, Jane showed her how to tie off the thread so it wouldn’t come undone. After Jane was satisfied, she left Charlene to work on her project.

Charlene had worked on her cross-stitch about fifteen minutes, when Joan entered the room.

"Hi! Would you mind if I practice the piano?" Joan asked.

Charlene looked up from her work, a bit startled. "Umm.. No. That’s fine, I’m just doing this project as my afternoon assignment. A little music would be nice."

"Don’t say that until you hear me play!" replied Joan with a laugh.

"Oh no! You played so well on Sunday. How could you think that?" Charlene asked.

"That was a piece I’ve practiced for three months, I should be able to play it. I was taking piano before I came here, so I had an advantage over the last student. But Aunt Jane figured out I was sandbagging after only a couple of lessons and has challenged me with a lot tougher music since. You may not like the quality of my practice on this new piece." Joan explained.

"I’m certain it will be fine. I need to get back to this, it’s harder than it looks." Charlene replied.

The next hour was spent with Charlene trying to complete her cross-stitching while being distracted by Joan’s playing of a new piece on the piano. At the end of the hour of practice, Marie bustled into the parlor with a tray and a small sandwich and drink for Charlene. While Charlene munched on the sandwich, Marie looked over the project in the embroidery hoop.

"This is your first how you say, handy-craft, no? The stitches need to be a little tighter. See here how the thread lifts away from the fabric? Try to stop every six or seven stitches and retighten your material, it will make getting the stitches tight easier. It is very good for your first try at needlework!" Marie handed back the hoop after showing Charlene an easy way to tighten it.

Charlene finished her sandwich and about half of her drink. "I can’t drink any more Marie, unless you want to loosen this corset?"

Marie smiled. "Not until after dinner, Cherie. Your corset training is for a reason, just like everything else that you do here. Ms. Jane says you stay in the corset until after dinner, I will not change her rule."

Charlene let out as big a sigh as her corseted chest would allow. "Then I guess I should return to my needlework. Ms. Thompson wants me to finish this by tea time."

"You should take a short break and powder your nose Cherie. It will be much easier if I assist you in the large powder room down here." Marie stated as she rose and pointed toward the side door.

"Alright, Marie. I was wondering how I was going to use the bathroom. I guess you were right when you said a lady needed help with everything when they wore a corset." Charlene rose, with difficulty, and headed toward the large downstairs bathroom.

Talk about a problem! Charlene ended up having Marie help her remove the formal gown in order to use the rest room. Marie rechecked the laces on the corset, just to make sure they were tight enough. Then Charlene had to redress in the slip and formal before returning to the parlor to work on the cross-stitch project Jane had assigned her. With a sigh and a minute of rest to catch her breath, Charlene returned to the needlework at hand. ‘I wonder if women ever got anything done wearing one of these da** things!’

The afternoon seemed to go by very quickly. The needlework kept Charlene’s attention well enough that she was startled when Marie entered with a cart for afternoon tea. As Marie set out the cups and arranged the light snack, Jane and Joan entered the room.

"Ah! I see you are still hard at work on your sewing project. May I see it, please?" Jane asked.

Charlene was surprised at the gentle and almost caring tone of Jane’s voice. It took her back for a second. She finally caught herself and handed the hoop to Jane saying, "I believe I will have the project completed by dinner. I hope that will be soon enough." Charlene then put on the sweetest smile she could manage.

Jane noticed the slight delay and the false smile that accompanied her comment but decided it was better to have Charlene faking a pleasant attitude than to have to reprimand her for unladylike behavior. "That will be fine. I see you are doing very well with this pattern, the stitches are nice and tight and the colors are simply wonderful. If you finish by dinner we will have to frame it and hang it in your room!"

Charlene took back the offered needlework and looked at what it was saying in cross-stitched letters.

"The Golden Rule! Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You!"

She hadn’t really looked at what the saying was on the material, She was just doing the stitches in the order the instructions told her. She had finished all the text and was finishing some flowers and borders when tea arrived. Charlene had been concentrating on keeping the material and her stitches tight so Jane would have one less thing to complain about that she had not taken the time to read what she had been creating. She sat there thinking for a minute about this saying. It was the first time that Charlie had thought about all the things that he had done to get him into his current situation as Charlene.

(sigh) "Maybe having this on the wall will make me think before I do something stupid." Charlene muttered as she continued her work on the needlework.

When Marie brought her a small snack at four thirty, she had just completed the last stitch and was holding up the finished product to get an overall look at it.

"All done, Cherie?" Marie asked as she brought in a small snack.

"Just finished Marie, what do you think?" Charlene turned the cloth around to show Marie.

"Let me look at it while you eat. Now let me see…" Marie handed a small plate to Charlene and took the cloth from her. A minute later she spoke. "This is very good for your first time. Are you certain you have not done this before?"

"Never, Marie. This is the first time I have ever done anything with a needle and thread." Came the reply.

"Do you need to show this to Ms. Jane?" Marie asked.

"Probably. She said we could frame it and hang it in my room when it was finished. Do you really think it is good enough?" Charlene looked at Marie, expecting some type of criticism.

Marie noted in Charlene’s voice the hesitancy of past failures, she had seen it so many times over her years with Jane. She looked over the piece one more time and said, "I should think it would hang proudly, not only in your room, but in your parlor at home, once you are able to return there."

A genuine smile came to Charlene’s face, it was one of pride. ‘Marie thinks I did well!’ she thought. "Then I should take this to Ms. Thompson for her inspection. I hope she likes it as much as you do, Marie. It would make this day a little better and make this corset more bearable!" Charlene giggled a little and then headed for the parlor door and Jane’s study.

The knock on the door surprised Jane, she hadn’t asked anyone to come to her, so she wondered what was wrong. "Enter!" The door opened and Charlene entered carrying her needlework project. "Yes Charlene? Something I can help you with?" Jane asked.

"The project is complete, Ms. Thompson. I figured you would want to inspect it when I was through. I hope it meets your standards." Charlene stated as she handed the fabric across the desk. Figuring to make a few points with this tyrant of a woman, she then went and picked up the dictionary and made a walking circuit of the study.

"Very good for your first attempt! Shall we frame it?" Jane asked.

"Yes ma’am, please." Charlene replied.

"Collect your things from the parlor and meet me in the student study. This is best done there. You may go!" Jane replied.

Charlene left Jane’s study and returned to the parlor. She collected everything related to the cross-stitch project and then headed toward the student study. When she arrived, Jane was already there, setting up a few items on a corner worktable. For the next thirty minutes Charlene drilled holes, nailed a frame together, and then was shown how to properly stretch her finished project onto the frame. Once that was completed, the framed project was placed in the provided outer frame, along with a hangar and the project was now complete.

"If you will take this to your room and hang it, I need to talk to Marie. Will you need any help putting the nail in the wall?" Jane asked.

"No Ms. Thompson, I think I can do that myself." Charlene said.

"Very well! Charlene, you have until dinner as free time." Jane said as she left the student study.

‘Free time? I wonder what free time is?’ Charlene wondered as she watched Jane exit the room. "Well, whatever it is, I better clean up in here, otherwise I’ll never get out of this corset!" she muttered to herself. After putting the tools away and throwing out the scraps from the project, Charlene headed for her room to hang her completed project. She did remember to take a hammer and nail with her.

The hardest part of the trip was climbing the stairs! Not only was the dress restrictive and the corset kept her from getting decent breath, but she also had her hands full with the picture frame, hammer and nail. This caused her to stop at the top of the steps to catch her breath. While she was standing there, Joan came out of her room.

"Hi! How’s it going today with Aunt Jane?" Joan asked as she shut her room door.

Charlene held up one hand for a moment. "Just… catching… my breath…!" Replied Charlene. Anther moment and she continued. "I finished the cross-stitch project and Ms. Thompson helped me frame it." She handed the finished frame to Joan. "Now I have to hang it in my room and then I have ‘free time’ until dinner. Whatever free time is around here…"

"Very nice! Are you sure you never did this before? This is like so-o much better than my first one!" Joan complimented Charlene. "Can I help you hang it?"

"Umm-m… Sure! Come on in." Charlene opened her room door and led Joan in.

Hanging the picture took longer than Charlene could have ever imagined. After trying it in ten different locations, she and Joan decided the best place for it was above her headboard, where it replaced a nondescript landscape picture. All this took over an hour and they both heard the knock on the door and turned at the same time.

Marie entered after knocking. She looked at the two students and then saw where Charlene had decided to hang her completed picture. "It looks very nice there Charlene! Where is the picture that was hanging there?"

"Right here Marie. We can’t find a place for it to hang. It doesn’t look good anywhere else. What do I do with this picture?" Charlene asked, showing Marie the framed landscape.

"Just set it over here by the door. I’ll take it and put it in storage until you finish your time here and then return it to that spot." Marie replied, pointing to a small table by the door. "I came to help you change for dinner, Charlene and I was going to ask you if you knew where Joan was, but I see she is here!"

"What’s up, Tante Marie?" Joan asked, rather more perky than Charlene felt after hours in a corset.

"I was going to ask you to make a tossed salad and watch the pots on the stove. If the timer rings, please take the roast out of the oven and place the rolls in, set the timer for eighteen minutes and I should be back by then. Si vous Plait?" Marie asked.

"Sure! I get the easy job tonight anyway! It’s Charlene’s turn to help clean up! Bye!" Joan popped up off the bed and headed for the kitchen to take over for Marie.

Marie looked at Charlene for a moment, cocked her head as if surveying a work of art and then let out a sigh.

"Marie? Is something wrong?" Charlene asked. The look on Marie’s face made her think the French woman she was starting to think of as an aunt was somehow unhappy.

"Moi? No, no, Cherie! I was just looking at you and was a little saddened that we have to take you out of your corset and dress you for the rest of the evening. It does such wondrous things for your figure. You are really a very pretty young lady!" Came Marie’s reply.

Charlene swore she could see her toes blushing through the hose on her feet! She felt very warm after receiving such a compliment from Marie. "Umm… So… So, where do we start?"

After Marie had helped Charlene out of her dress and loosened the laces on the corset, Charlene took a very deep breath for the first time in what seemed ages! Marie told her to go take a quick shower and she would leave lingerie in the bathroom for her and an outfit on the hanger by her closet. Charlene was to shower, dress and be down for dinner in forty-five minutes.

"Back to the hurry, hurry, hurry part of the day! I guess ‘Free time’ is over!" Charlene mumbled as she wriggled out of the corset and panties and hopped into the welcome relief of a warm shower.

The lingerie was a simple white bra and a ‘Monday’ day-of-the-week panty. When Charlene entered the bedroom, there was hose and a garter belt on the bed and a Black tea length skirt hanging on the hook. A pastel peach short sleeved sweater was on the vanity with a note on top. Marie reminded Charlene to do simple makeup for dinner and not be late!

Another sigh and Charlene started to get dressed. Everything went a lot faster now since she had been practicing for the last few days under Marie’s watchful eye. Even the makeup was done quickly and Charlene made it to dinner with a couple minutes to spare.

You would have thought that after an entire afternoon in a corset, Charlene would be very hungry. Charlene thought so too! However, as she started to eat, she noticed that she became full very quickly. Marie was the first to say something.

"Do not worry Cherie, it is from the corset! Your stomach will not want much in it for a few more hours. I will make certain there is a snack for you later." She told a startled Charlene.

"Thank you Marie, I wasn’t sure why I wasn’t hungry." Charlene replied.

This short discussion prompted Jane into an impromptu dissertation on corsets and their value in both posture and figure training for young ladies of fine breeding. After fifteen minutes of listening to the history of corsets, Charlene was sure she now knew more about them than she would ever need to know!

The rest of the meal was the normal discussion of the day’s events and the upcoming visit of someone named Diana on Wednesday.

"Charlene, I expect you to be on your best behavior while Diana is here, she is a very dear friend." Jane told her newest student. ‘If only she knew how dear!’ was Jane’s personal thought of having Art/ Diana home again.

Charlene sat and waited for everyone to finish dinner, as she knew Jane would not excuse her early. She was expected to participate in the conversations even if she was not eating. Finally everyone was finished with dinner and Charlene rose to help Marie do dishes.

"The rest of the evening I believe you two have studies to work on. I shall leave you to that. Marie, I will be in my room, I need to make final arrangements for Diana’s arrival." Jane said as she patted her lips and excused herself and her two charges from the dinner table.

It was Charlene’s turn to help with dishes, when that was done she went to the student study and started on her next assignment. ‘The Flora and Fauna of Southwestern United States’ was the title of her next project. Working on the wildlife and plants in the Southwestern US, made Charlene think of home. She spent most of the evening being reminded of what she was missing by being in this academy in New England and not at home with her family.

"Charlene. There is enough time to shower and review the papers before bed. You should put away your project for the night." Joan rested a hand on Charlene’s shoulder and brought her back out of her daydreams.

"Oh! Okay! Sorry, I was just thinking…" came Charlene’s reply.

"I understand, come on!" Joan motioned for the door.

Charlene put away the books and straightened her study area. She had already learned that if she left everything the way she found it, Jane Thompson tended to leave her alone!

Charlene spent the rest of the night thinking about home. All her actions were on automatic as she readied for bed and looked through the paper. When Marie tucked her in and turned out the lights, she laid there for a long time just staring at the ceiling and letting a thousand thoughts run through her mind. It was a long night with very little sleep for Charlene.

Tales of the Season : Charlene's Story

By
Lisa Elizabeth

Chapter Seventeen

"A Homecoming"

Tuesday dawned bright and cloudless. Charlene had slept very little last night, running everything over in her mind about the series of events that got her placed at Thompson Academy. When the radio turned on, she got up and headed for the bathroom to get a start on her day. Her own thinking had her believing that if she did exactly as Ms. Thompson wanted, maybe she would relent and send her home by the end of the week. Now that was something to look forward to!

Charlene finished her shower and noticed no lingerie in the bathroom. This was unusual, since Marie had always dropped a set in the bathroom before. After drying off and powdering as she had been taught, Charlene grabbed the robe on the back of the door and secured it before venturing back into her bedroom.

The bedroom was empty! Nothing hung on the closet, nothing laid out, no note from Marie, just empty. "This must be another test! Probably to see if I can dress myself without help." Charlene said to herself. "I can do this and make Ms. Thompson so happy she’ll let me go home soon!"

So Charlene set out to get ready for breakfast. ‘Tuesday’ panties and a soft white bra. Garter belt and tan hose. Stop to do makeup and brush hair, remember to keep it simple! Then a white blouse with ruffles down the front and a simple khaki colored skirt. A pair of low-heeled shoes, re-brush of hair and a little cologne. Charlene checked the mirror one more time and looked at the clock, fifteen minutes before breakfast! "I’ll get there early so I won’t be the last one there this morning. Maybe Marie needs some help…"

Charlene headed down to the kitchen to see if Marie needed any help. "Morning Marie!" Charlene said as cheery as she could.

Marie looked up and surveyed her newest charge. "Good morning Cherie! You look nice this morning." She checked the clock above the sink. "Early also! This is good!"

Charlene smiled, she really did like this lady a lot. "Thanks Marie, I thought I would see if I could help you this morning. I finished dressing a little early today."

"Tres bien, Mon petite. You can take some of the trays out and make certain the table is set correctly, I believe I still have to place napkins for everyone." Marie replied and pointed to the tray of fresh muffins.

Charlene took the tray and went to the dining room. Looking over the table, she noted everything was perfect! The napkins were just fine, so she went back to see if there was anything else to do.

At two minutes to eight, Marie shooed Charlene to her place to be seated. "I will leave the rest here so it stays hot for everyone! Now go before Ms. Thompson arrives!"

Charlene and Joan were standing by their chairs when Jane Thompson entered for breakfast. "Good morning to both of you! A beautiful start to this wonderful day! Shall we dine?" With that statement, Jane sat and breakfast went on as if nothing unusual had happened that morning.

After a few minutes, Charlene wondered why nothing had been said about her outfit or makeup or anything else. She was mulling it over in her head for a few minutes when she heard her name.

"Charlene! You seem pre-occupied this morning, is something bothering you?" Jane asked.

"Umm-m. No ma’am, I was just thinking… I’m sorry, did you ask a question?" Charlene tried to smile and look as pleasant as possible. She had to play this game to the best of her ability if she was to get out of here soon.

Jane went on to talk about how it was impolite to not pay attention when people are discussing things and how it would be considered rude to some of the people she knew. This line of lecture went on for the next few minutes and Charlene tried real hard to not tune her out, as she normally would have before this morning.

‘If I am to get out of here soon, I have to play this to the max. I am going to have to look like I am enjoying all these frills and things. Then when she lets me go home, I can ditch all this feminine crap and get back to being Charlie!’ Charlene thought as Jane droned on about some other topic that used the words ‘genteel’ and ‘deportment’. Words that Charlene was getting very tired of hearing, over and over again!

Eventually the torture of breakfast was over and Charlene followed Jane to her study. She figured it would be a repeat of yesterday, with more clothing and makeup changes, but today the routine was different.

"Let us retire to the conservatory. It will give us more reference material for your lessons this morning." Jane stated, as she grabbed a folder off her desk. "Please freshen up and meet me there, we will be there for a while." Jane stated as she left the office and headed for the conservatory.

‘Okay-y-y-y… This is different. Freshen up… I guess that means go to the bathroom and re-apply lipstick. Better hurry! I have to look like I’m enjoying this’. Charlene thought as she headed for her bedroom to complete the tasks.

After completing her freshening up, Charlene thought to grab a small purse and place lipstick, mascara and tissues into it before heading to the conservatory. "Maybe I can try to look like I’m trying. Carrying a purse couldn’t hurt." Charlene mumbled to herself.

When Charlene entered the room, Jane noted the purse, the fresh lipstick and the plastic smile on Charlene’s face. ‘Trying to convince me she is enjoying this! Well it will make Diana’s arrival and our all day excursion tomorrow a little easier if she continues this charade!’ went through Jane’s mind as Charlene placed her purse on a table.

The next two hours were dedicated to the flora and fauna of the southwestern US. There was a display at one end of the room. It contained potted versions of the plants that Charlene grew up with! (Where did she get those from?) Charlene had to categorize all of them by genus and species, make small tags and attach them to the pots. Jane then took her on a tour of the gardens and demonstrated the plants of New England. She illustrated how different plants served the same function in the local ecosystem as those in the southwest. Jane also emphasized how important it was to not introduce a foreign species into a local ecosystem since it had no controls to limit it’s growth, the examples she used were dandelions and kudzu. Both of which have grown proficiently here in the US.

"It is now ten-forty-five, Charlene. You have done very well today, I believe this may help you with your current report. All this running around outside has made me feel a bit sticky. I believe we both have just enough time to change before tea." Jane stated. She then swept out of the room without waiting for a reply from Charlene.

"Change for tea… Change for this… Change for that… Well, at least I didn’t spend ALL morning doing nothing but changing clothes!" Charlene mumbled to herself as she headed for her room to shower and change.

Charlene found Marie in her bedroom humming a tune and placing clothes in her closet. "Hi Marie, I have been told I have just enough time to change before tea, any idea on what I should wear?" Charlene asked as she unbuttoned her blouse.

"You hop in the shower and I will take care of it!" Marie replied with a smile.

Charlene finished undressing in the bathroom and took a quick shower, when she emerged there was only a pair of rose colored satin bikini panties on the counter. "Uh oh! I wonder what Marie has in mind… I hope it isn’t that d*** corset again!"

Charlene walked out into her bedroom trying hard to keep a smile on her face. When she saw what Marie had in her hands, her face dropped. ‘SH**!’ was the only mental image that came to her.

The corset Marie was holding was even more elaborate than the one Charlene wore yesterday. It was a rose pink with little rose buds embroidered all over and lots of lace insets and panels. It took a moment and then Charlene put a smile on her face and looked at the smiling Marie.

"So we are to make me absolutely beautiful again today?" Charlene asked with a smile.

"But of course, Cherie! A girl as lovely as you should be pampered all the time! Ms Jane saw how lovely you looked yesterday and felt you should be allowed to be just as beautiful today! I thought a little bit fancier lingerie might make you feel a little more special!" Marie replied.

"And I have to wear the corset so the dress will fit?" Charlene queried.

"Mai Oui! It is the only way your lovely dress will fit you. Now let’s get started, so we are not late for tea!" Marie pointed to the lacing bar she had installed in the closet doorway.

‘I wish I weren’t allowed to be absolutely beautiful today!’ Charlene thought as Marie wrapped the corset around her and hooked the front together.

A couple of ‘Oomph’s’ and ten minutes later, Charlene was corseted to Marie’s satisfaction. First makeup, then hair and finally the dress. A more lacey version of what Charlene had worn the day before. This outfit needed three-inch heels to keep the skirt off the floor and Marie made certain the heeled sandals were strapped on properly. The dress was in a creamy-rose color with cream colored lace on every edge. It was a little lower cut than the dress was yesterday, but Marie’s use of the silicone ‘helpers’ in the corset, gave the image of a young woman in full bloom.

Marie handed Charlene a small clutch that contained tissues and lipstick. With that, she pronounced Charlene "Tres Magnifique!"

It was a long slow journey down to the parlor for tea. This skirt did not lend itself to being lifted very high and because of that, Charlene’s shoes were hidden from view half of the time. This caused her to go down the stairs at a much slower pace than she was used to. She also took the time to carefully place each foot on the step so she wouldn’t fall. She arrived in the parlor just ahead of Joan with the tea trolley.

"Ah, Charlene! Marie is correct! You are more lovely today than you were yesterday!" Jane said as Charlene tried to sit. "That dress is much more form fitting and it does a wonderful job of bringing out the true woman in you. You look very nice! Joan, would you please pour." Jane never missed a beat and Joan started to pour tea for everyone.

Charlene found she could only sit on the very front edge of a chair. This newest corset was a little longer than the one she wore yesterday and it limited how far her waist would bend. This meant she couldn’t slide back in the chair and allow herself to sink down into the cushion. It just hurt too much to do that. The corset also kept her back ramrod straight, so as she perched on the edge of the chair she had to maintain perfect posture, with the aid of the corset, of course!

Tea proceeded as usual and when everyone was finished and Joan had cleared the room, Jane decided it was time for Charlene’s first piano lesson. "Charlene, you should ‘freshen up’ before we start, I’ll meet you back here in ten minutes." Jane said as she excused herself from the parlor.

Ten minutes was barely enough time to try to use the powder room and refresh makeup when constrained by a garment such as a corset. After fussing and complaining to Marie about what a pain all this was, Charlene was finally back to being beautiful and made her way back for her first piano lesson.

Flustered from trying to hurry and out of breath from the grip of the corset, Charlene had to sit on the piano stool for a few minutes to catch her breath

"Charlene! Are you ready to begin?" Jane asked a smile on her face.

"Yes ma’am! Just a little winded from trying to hurry back from the bathroom." Charlene said and then tried to get a deep breath.

"Breath shallower and quicker. Taking a deep breath will only tire you more. Now, let us see what you know of music, shall we?" Jane replied going once more into ‘teacher’ mode.

The first hour was spent demonstrating Charlene’s lack of musicality. Jane knew she had a long way to go and by the end of that hour she had Charlene doing scale drills with both hands.

"You will continue these drills for the next thirty minutes! I have set a timer and I have set up the monitor so I can hear your practice from my study." Jane pointed to the ‘baby monitor’ on the table. "I expect to hear a steady stream of musical notes for the next half hour." With that comment, Jane left the room.

Charlene tried to sigh. "This corset MUST be tighter than the one yesterday… I could at least do a little sigh in that one!" She then returned her attention to the drills on the music sheets in front of her.

*****

Jane went about her review of her students progress. A ritual that took up at least a half hour every morning. Today she was looking over Joan’s latest report and checking on notes from herself, Marie and a letter from ‘The Style Shoppe’. All seemed to be going along well for Joan. "The only thing is she hasn’t embraced her femininity completely yet. There has been marked progress since Charlene arrived yet she is not where she needs to be in order to return her to her home. I shall have to think about that…" She placed another note into Joan’s folder and filed it away.

Looking at Charlene’s progress was different. "This one has decided propitiation is the way to go! Give me whatever I want and I will relent and let her return home! I don’t get this with every student, but when I do, I have to tread lightly for a couple of days, otherwise the result has proven explosive! I think making her think Marie and Joan are her only friends, will help to break this charade so I can get to the task of correcting her ingrained behaviors!" Jane mused over the folder for a couple more minutes before making a notation and filing it away.

*****

Charlene was engrossed in getting a minor chord scale drill right with her left hand when the timer rang. This marked the end of her required practice time. In a way, she was disappointed. She had just started to get the hang of the finger movements with her left hand. She decided a few more minutes practice wouldn’t hurt and it might even score a few points with Ms. Thompson.

Jane heard the timer through the monitor and then heard the pause. She was surprised to hear Charlene start the last drill again. After listening for a minute, she headed for the parlor.

Charlene was finally getting the finger movements down smoothly when Jane walked into the room.

"Your required practice time is over. Is there a reason you are still practicing?" Jane asked.

"Umm… well… I was just starting to get the fingering right with my left hand. I figured a few more minutes and I could get it to go a lot smoother. I’m still pretty slow, but the finger motions are better." Charlene replied.

Jane had Charlene demonstrate her scales for her. "Yes! You have made significant progress today. We will set aside some time Thursday to resume your lessons. You may also practice during your free time."

"Yes, Ms. Thompson." Was Charlene’s automatic reply. "What’s next?"

Marie entered the room before Jane could reply. "Lunch will be in fifteen minutes. I came to assist Ms. Charlene in freshening up before we eat."

"Very well. I shall see all of you then." Jane rose and left the room.

Again, the trip to the powder room was a tiring experience! Charlene figured she was getting worn out just dressing and undressing all the time. But eventually all was in order and Marie and Charlene arrived for lunch.

This lunch was similar to Charlene’s first ‘Lunch from hell’. Jane was all over her for every little mistake and every non-ladylike thing she did. Charlene was finally so frustrated she put down her fork and stopped eating what little there was on her plate.

Jane noticed immediately. "Is something wrong with your meal, Charlene?"

"No Ms. Thompson. I’m just not hungry." Charlene replied as her stomach chose that moment to let out an audible groan.

"That I do not believe. I know a corset subdues one’s appetite, but not by that amount. What is the problem?" Jane persisted, knowing full well what the problem was.

"(sigh) Well, if you must know. All through this meal, you have done nothing but correct me! Every bite, every swallow! I can’t even pick up the fork correctly today! I have just lost my appetite from all that." Charlene was shaking, she had been trying so hard to give this …this …woman, what she wanted so he could get done with her program and go home! Now it just seemed he had doomed himself to being here forever by ticking off the warden!

"Just so! I am constantly correcting you! You did not have the advantage of growing up a refined young lady! I have a very dear friend coming to visit and I fully expect you to be the perfect young lady while she is here! Diana is a very close friend. However, she does not know your secret and I am certain you would not want her to know who you really are. Therefore, I am doing all that I know how to do in order to perfect your image of a refined demure young woman before her expected arrival!" Jane paused a moment. "Do you have a problem with that?"

Charlene sat there a moment. Stunned that she had been told she was being corrected on purpose. Then it dawned on her. They were having a guest! Another woman was coming. Someone Jane knew very well and someone who would be able to tell that Charlene wasn’t a real girl if she messed up. She turned pale and started to hyperventilate.

Marie saw it and moved to steady Charlene before she fell out of the chair. "Breathe slower Cherie! It will pass. Joan, go to the kitchen and get a small paper bag please?" Marie asked.

Joan returned with the paper bag and Marie had Charlene breathe slowly in and out of the bag until her shaking stopped and her color returned.

"Diana.. I mean Ms. Di.. I mean this guest will see me? Oh God! She’ll know! There is no way I can fool her. Oh god, Oh god!" Charlene started to turn pale again and Marie stuck the bag back in front of her to breathe in and out of again.

"Charlene!" Jane said rather forcefully. "You did just fine when Commander Hayden was here last Sunday, did you not?" Charlene nodded. "What makes you think it will be any different than that? You are much better at being Charlene now than you were last Sunday, are you not?" Jane waited for some response from Charlene.

"That was only for a few minutes. Are you certain I can pull this off?" Charlene asked pointing to her outfit.

Jane let out a genuine giggle. Such was not heard often during the initial week or so of a new student’s tenure. "Charlene, if I did not know who you were under that outfit, I would not believe it myself! As long as you follow everything you have learned since arriving here, you will do fine! Ms. Phillips knows I have a new student and that she is here to learn how to be a lady. My previous experience as a headmistress for a girl’s finishing school offers you that cover. As long as you truly try to be a lady while Diana is here, I am certain she will take you for what you appear to be."

"Okay." Charlene said at a barely audible level.

Satisfied that her charge was somewhat calmed down, Jane returned to her conversation as if Charlene had never had any problem what-so-ever.

Eventually, Charlene decided to eat a little more and when it didn’t cause any type of reaction, she finished her lunch. When lunch ended, Charlene followed Jane to the conservatory.

Her afternoon was spent studying the plants and animals of the southwestern USA again along with taking notes for the report that she still had to finish. Every couple of hours, Marie would bustle in and make her take a short break and eat something. Just before tea, Marie told Charlene to put things away so she could freshen up for tea.

Another time consuming trip to the powder room and Charlene was on her way to the parlor. As she approached, she heard two people talking. One of the voices was Jane’s but the other she didn’t recognize.

Every step toward the parlor made Charlene a little more nervous. When she reached the door, she had to stop and try to calm herself. It took her a couple of minutes and then she decided there was no choice since Jane would just come find her and make her come into the parlor anyway.

Charlene entered the room and saw Jane talking with another lady. Joan was already there and sitting primly in a chair. There was an empty chair next to it and Charlene headed for it. She was just about to sit, when a stern look from Jane stopped her cold. Not knowing what to do, she just stood there, frozen to the spot.

"Excuse me Diana, let me introduce my newest student. Ms. Diana Phillips, this is Miss Charlene Hawkins. Miss Hawkins, Ms. Diana Phillips." Jane made the introductions.

Diana rose and extended her hand. Charlene not certain what to do went over and shook her hand like a boy would. Jane frowned, but Diana smiled. "Pleased to meet you Charlene. Why don’t you go sit." Diana motioned to the chair. "Jane dear. I see you still have a little bit of work to do with this one!"

Jane took a deep breath and let out a sigh. "Yes. Charlene was quite the tomboy when she arrived here. I believe she has made a lot of progress in the short time she has been here. The rest will come with time, I am certain."

"I am certain if anyone can make her a lady you can. She has the carriage and poise down quite well already. It would be nice to see her in another month or two." Diana replied.

‘Another month or two? I certainly hope I’m not here in another month let alone, two!’ Charlene thought as she sat on the edge of the chair.

Marie entered with the tea trolley and Charlene was relieved that all she had to do was sit there, be quiet and just sip tea. It was the most enjoyable tea she had been to since arriving at Jane’s.

Tea ended and Jane dismissed the girls to go back to their respective studies until six. At that time, they were to change for dinner. It would be a casual affair since Diana did not want to be too formal after her trip.

Marie came for Charlene at five-thirty. When the corset was removed Charlene took a deep breath and almost passed out! Marie caught her and helped her to sit down.

"No, no, Cherie! You must continue to breathe shallow until your body gets used to not having the corset on! Too deep a breath will cause you to swoon. Your breathing will gradually deepen on it’s own!" Now sit for a moment and get your breath back." Marie stayed right next to Charlene to make certain she didn’t faint and fall off the stool. A few minutes later, Charlene was ready for her shower.

"Umm… Thank you Marie. I didn’t know and it… It just felt good to get that corset off!" Charlene said, still blushing from the thought of almost fainting.

"It’s okay, little one. These things you will learn while you are here. Now! Into the shower! Here is your clean lingerie. Take them with you while I lay out an appropriate outfit for you. Remember to be a little heavier on your makeup, it is evening." Marie told Charlene as she headed for the shower.

*****

After tea had ended and the two students were dismissed, Jane took Diana up to her bedroom to get settled. She chatted all the way about her trip and the weather and all sorts of inane little things. This helped keep up the illusion of them being old friends. Neither student knew that Diana was really Jane’s husband, Art.

Jane entered the guestroom where Diana would unpack and change. As soon as Diana closed the door, she spoke in Art’s voice. "You know, Janey, it’s hard to stay in character while following your sexy bum up the stairs."

Jane turned around and gave Art a mock look of shock. "I didn’t think you noticed!" The smile on her face said it all as the two embraced and fell onto the bed in a passionate embrace.

*****

Charlene finished dressing. It was a simple outfit, similar to the one, Joan had worn when Charlene had first met her. A cream colored dress with lace trim that fell to tea length. A full skirt with a matching belt that gave Charlene the look of a feminine figure, tan hose and light beige, heeled sandals. Charlene went a little heavier with her makeup, since Marie had told her to and then headed down the steps to see if Marie needed any help.

Arriving in the dining room, Charlene was surprised to see Jane and Diana laughing. It was a genuine laugh, not one of those contrived laughs Charlene had heard over her past few days here. This was genuine and so was the affection that showed between Diana and Jane. There was a lot of touching as they both talked and then more laughter.

"Ah, Charlene! You look lovely tonight." Diana said, as Charlene came within earshot of the conversation "Why don’t you sit and talk with me. You hardly said a word during tea." Diana motioned toward the chairs around the table. "I believe Joan is helping Marie, we have a few minutes before dinner is ready."

Charlene’s breath caught audibly. A look to Jane for help only received a nod in the direction of her normal seat. Taking a deep breath to calm herself and then trying to remember everything she had learned about walking and sitting like a girl, Charlene made her way to her seat and looked at Diana.

"First, I know you are new here, so I will dispense with all the trivial things like what you have learned and why your parents sent you here. It is obvious, from knowing Jane that you are here to learn to be a lady and that Jane has been working very hard with you so far. You are a very pretty girl and I completely understand why you should want to lose your tomboyish ways. So, tell me, where did you live before coming here?" Diana asked, noting the blush that happened when she mentioned Charlene was pretty.

"Umm… Oh! I lived in the LA area." Was Charlene’s short reply.

And so, the evening meal proceeded, Joan joined the group and Marie served all amid the conversation between Diana and Charlene. Most of Diana’s questions were designed to get long explanations, while Charlene’s answers were always very short and simple. Jane only interjected a couple of times to remind Charlene to finish her mouthful of food before responding and to take smaller bites so that she wouldn’t have to chew so long before answering a question. Needless to say, it was a very nerve wracking and trying experience for Charlene. Finally, Diana asked a question that surprised Charlene.

"All evening I have been trying to engage you in conversation, yet I only get short succinct answers to my queries. Charlene, are you afraid of me for some reason?" Diana asked.

Charlene stropped eating in mid chew. She turned slightly pale and then felt the heat of her blush as she tried to form an answer. Finally, after what seemed like forever she finished chewing and answered. "I don’t think I’m afraid of you, I am just always being corrected at dinner for unladylike behavior. I was trying to be polite and answer your questions and not get yelled at in the process."

"I see. Jane, any ideas?" Diana asked.

"Other than the few times Charlene took too large a bite to effectively respond to your questions in a timely manner, I saw nothing wrong with her behavior tonight." Jane responded.

"So, you can relax, Charlene. Jane doesn’t seem to find any major flaws with your behavior tonight." Diana smiled.

"Umm… Yes ma’am." Was Charlene’s reply. She blushed again from embarrassment.

"Now! I believe you two have studies to do until bedtime. If you will excuse Ms. Phillips and myself, we are going to retire upstairs and catch up on old times." Jane announced when everyone had finished dessert. "I leave both of you in Marie’s capable hands for the evening."

Jane patted her lips, placed the napkin perfectly on the table and left the dining room.

"I guess that means I will not see you girls until tomorrow! I bid you goodnight now instead of later." Diana, mimicked Jane perfectly and left to follow Jane upstairs. She looked back and smiled at the girls just before she left the room.

Joan let out a chuckle after both of the ladies had left the room. Charlene looked at her then began to laugh to herself also. Joan did her own mimic of Jane and Diana and that allowed the dam to burst and Charlene just started laughing very hard. After a couple of minutes they both settled down, gave each other knowing glances and helped Marie clear the table and clean up after dinner.

Charlene spent the rest of the evening working on her report. She seemed to make a million trips between the student study area and the conservatory in order to look at some detail on the plants that Jane had there. All that walking back and forth did two things. First, it allowed her to become much more proficient at walking in heels. Second, it finally made her feet hurt! As if on cue, Marie entered the study and told the girls it was time for bed. Charlene was happy the day was over! It had been fun to start learning the piano, but very nerve wracking to meet Diana Phillips. She was glad the day was complete and that she could head for a bath and sleep. Charlene was still looking forward to getting Jane to let her go home by the end of this week!

*****

The door closed behind Diana as she entered the couple’s private bedroom. This was in a separate section of the upstairs that no one but Jane, Art, Darryl and Marie knew about. It was a small efficiency apartment, sometimes called a ‘Mother-in-law’s apartment’. It was nicely decorated and comfortable. Nothing like the stuffy formality of ‘Thompson Academy’. Jane had soundproofing put into the walls that mated to the rest of the house. This allowed Jane and Art to say and do whatever they felt, even when students were present.

"It is good to be back home with you again! Even if I am here in a semi-professional capacity." Art said to Jane as he removed his wig and placed it on a foam head.

"We have the evening alone! At least that is what I planned." Jane gave Art a mischievous smile. "Provided there are no problems tonight, I expect my husband to spend the evening with me! I’ll just sit over here and wait for him to show up!" Jane sat in a large wing back chair and looked at a copy of Vogue.

Art got the hint. He proceeded to remove all traces of Diana as quickly as he could.

*****

Tales of the Season : Charlene's Story

By
Lisa Elizabeth

Chapter Eighteen

"The First Trip to Town"

"Oh my God, No!" Charlene yelled as she bolted out of bed. It was still dark and she was very confused. Another dream, only this time she was sitting at a very proper dinner, enjoying everyone’s company and making small talk when someone noticed she was only wearing a corset and a pair of panties! The exclamation came when she looked down and realized she was only partially dressed. That was enough to wake her.

She headed for the bathroom to wash her face and try to calm herself. "At least it’s not another of those ‘wet dream’ things!" She felt a shudder thinking about her last couple of nights. "No, the one who noticed my mistake was Diana in this dream! I must be dreaming about whatever stressed me out during the day. Well, that isn’t too bad, as long as I’m not having an orgasm from it!"

Charlene washed her face and rinsed her mouth with mouthwash. Not because of any bad taste, just something to do while she calmed herself and tried to think about returning to sleep. When that was completed, she turned off the light and returned to bed. Sleep was slow to return, but after a half-hour of staring at the clock, she finally dozed off.

*****

At two forty six AM the warning buzzer sounded and the security monitor jumped to life in Jane’s bedroom. Jane flung the sheets and jumped from the bed to see what was happening. Art watched as his newlywed wife, fussed over the volume and brightness controls to try to see what was happening with her student.

"Anything major?" Art asked as he propped his head up on one arm. "Another wet dream?"

"No. No… I don’t think so, she isn’t changing clothes or rinsing anything out. She is shaking and rinsing her mouth with mouthwash. It was most likely a nightmare of some sort." Jane watched her newest student until she turned out the light. The darkness covered any further activity so Jane reset the alarm and reset the monitor to standby. She then returned to bed and snuggled into Art’s shoulder.

"My methods are starting to get to her. I just hope Sandy and Carolyn do not upset everything I accomplished so far. I’ll call before we leave in the morning. Are you coming along for the day?" Jane looked at Art waiting for an answer.

"No, my love, Diana is going to rest all day and await your return. After all, I am here to see how Charlene fares after the hell of tomorrow!" Art smiled at his wife. "Now back to sleep, I have to leave at six AM so I can become beautiful for breakfast! I would hate to think of your punishment if ‘Diana’ were late for breakfast!" Art ducked the playful swing from Jane and the two of them giggled until they fell asleep.

*****

‘Click’ "Good morning! Today is Wednesday and this is Morning Edition!" These were the first words to invade Charlene’s consciousness. Other than the day of the week, it seemed to start the same everyday!

"How can anyone be in that good of a mood at this time EVERY day?" Charlene mumbled as she got out of bed and headed for the bathroom. As Charlene completed her morning duties, she wondered what this day would bring. She realized that Diana was still here so that would mean fewer clothing changes, but you never know, with Jane Thompson. She could have Marie as acting drill sergeant all morning. That wouldn’t be too bad since Charlene thought of Marie as a kindly aunt. Or, she could be given the day to study and complete her reports. That would be the most logical way to keep Joan and Charlene out of the way so Jane and Diana could visit. That made the most sense to Charlene as she finished her shower. As she stepped out of the shower, she noticed a bra and panty set sitting in it’s normal place. That meant Marie was in the bedroom this morning.

"Morning Marie" Charlene stated as she exited the bathroom.

"Bon jour to you Charlene!" Marie said in an overly cheery voice. "Ms. Thompson was very specific in what outfit she wanted you to wear this morning. Otherwise, I believe you do very well at getting yourself ready in the morning. I have left everything you need out, including the cosmetics I would use on you. You may change them if you think something would look better. See you for breakfast!" Marie pointed to things as she headed out the bedroom door.

The outfit was similar to one Charlene had worn the first few days of the clothes changing drill. A pale rose blouse with a matching tea length skirt. Under the skirt was one petticoat. The lingerie she put on in the bathroom were a rose colored satin. On the bed she found a matching garter belt and suntan shaded hose. The ensemble was finished with matching two-inch heeled sandals.

"Must be some silly thing about Ms. Phillips being here…" Charlene muttered to herself. She proceeded to get ready for the coming day.

After donning her clothes, checking her hair and makeup one last time, Charlene did a last twirl to make certain her petticoat wasn’t bunched. Seeing all was in order, she headed out the door toward breakfast.

Breakfast turned out to be a less strained affair than supper the night before. Jane actually looked more relaxed in some strange underlying way. It was like she was trying hard not to smile but couldn’t keep the good mood from floating to the surface. Charlene wrote it off as something to be wary of. She never liked when her school principal smiled like that. It usually was the calm before the storm.

"Children! It is now eight-thirty-five. We need to leave in six minutes! You both have nine o’clock appointments! Be ready, I’ll be at the front door with the car." Jane and Diana rose and left the room.

After the two ladies left, Charlene just looked at Joan with a shocked expression on her face. She finally thought to ask a question. "Six minutes for what? She doesn’t expect me to go away from here dressed like this?"

"You’re dressed just fine, go refresh your lipstick, grab a purse and be back here quick! When Aunt Jane says be ready, we have to be ready!" Joan replied heading for the stairs.

"But… But… But, I CAN":T go out dressed like this, what will people think?" Charlene gasped, trying to keep up with Joan.

"If you just act normal, no one will see anything but a girl! If you act all scared and weird, then people will look at you and call the men in the white coats because they will think there is a crazy girl walking around town! Now we have to hurry or Aunt Jane will be in a very bad mood the rest of the day." Joan explained as she hurried toward her room door.

Charlene hurried her lipstick application, grabbed a purse, shoved in lipstick, a compact and some tissues and headed back out the door. She saw Joan coming out of her room at the same time.

"I was coming to tell you to remember a purse. I’m glad you remembered it yourself. It makes you look more like a girl if you have all the right things with you. We better hurry, I hear the car." Joan hurried Charlene towards the steps and down they went.

Charlene had no time to think about what was happening, the next thing she knew, she was getting into the back of the same car she arrived in a week ago.

"Ms. Thompson?" Charlene asked, getting more timid as the safety of the academy disappeared behind them.

"Yes Charlene?" Came Jane’s reply. She was fully aware what the question would be and by the scared expression on Charlene’s face, she knew she had her off balance again.

"Umm… Sorry… Umm… where are we… Umm… going?" Charlene asked when she could find her voice.

"Oh! We are on our way to the ‘Marisha Chalet’. That will be our first stop of the day. I am certain you will find it quite interesting." Jane replied.

Charlene nodded her head too afraid to ask anything else. She just sank down a little more in the seat to try to hide from view.

Jane noted that Charlene was getting shorter, the farther she drove. She waited a little bit and as she pulled up to a stop light next to a commuter bus, she said. "Charlene, are you all right? You seem to be shrinking back there, please sit up straight so I can see you in the mirror."

Charlene almost jumped up hard enough to hit her head on the roof of the car. Then she looked out the window and saw the bus. There was a gentleman in the bus window, looking at her, when she made eye contact, he smiled and nodded. At that point, Charlene turned very pale and sat very still for the rest of the trip, only looking out the front window of the car.

Getting out of the car in the parking lot of their first stop was one of the hardest things Charlene had ever done. It took every ounce of will power to open the door and exit the car gracefully. Charlene tried very hard to put a smile on her face and headed after Jane and Joan toward the front door.

Charlene noticed the distinct odors associated with a beauty salon. He had been going to a salon, at a local mall, for a haircut for a few years now. There wasn’t anything really different about this one, other than being dressed as a girl and not knowing what was going to happen next.

"Charlene! This is Sandra, she will be taking care of you today. Behave for her as you would for me! I expect a glowing report when I return." Jane looked Charlene directly in the eyes, daring her to say something not in character.

"Yes, Ms. Thompson. Hello, it is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Sandra." Charlene squeaked out in a very nervous yet quiet voice. After a stern look from Jane, she remembered to curtsey.

"Hi! Charlene, right? Well come on back with me and we’ll get started. Don’t worry Jane, she’ll be just fine! See you later! Oh! Hi Joan, I think Carolyn is almost ready for you." Sandy waved at the two ladies. She grabbed Charlene by the hand and led her back to the farthest chair away from the door. "By the way, call me Sandy. Sandra is what my mother calls me when I’m in trouble! Have a seat and we’ll get started." Sandy headed back to ask Jane a question.

Charlene, sat in the chair as ladylike as she could. When she looked toward the front of the shop, Jane was chatting with Sandy and they were looking back at her. Sandy finally shook her head, grabbed a couple of books off a table and headed back toward Charlene. When she arrived she laid the books in Charlene’s lap and proceeded to secure a shiny pink cape around her neck. "You might want to look through those and pick a style that you would like. Jane said you should pick one appropriate for living at the academy, whatever that means." Sandy laughed a little to herself as she settled in and started to look over her charge’s tresses.

Charlene tried to look through the books, but every page held a more curly style than the one before. She laughed to herself, ‘there isn’t any way I have enough hair for any of these styles’.

Sandy was looking over her shoulder and every time she did something, she made sure she rubbed her breast or her hip against Charlene. It took a few minutes, but Sandy finally noticed the little shortness of breath that all of Jane’s charges get when her antics were starting to arouse them. ‘It’s show time!’ She thought as she turned to pick up a brush and start on Charlene’s hair.

Charlene had been buried in the books trying to hide inside them, but not daring to look anywhere else. ‘This lady keeps rubbing her tits against me! Thank goodness I’m sitting and have that petticoat on!’ Charlene thought to herself. She felt Sandy start to brush her hair.

"What have we here? A hair piece? Charlene, why do you…" Sandy’s voice trailed off for a minute while she started removing the fall from the back of Charlene’s head.

Charlene sat petrified. ‘Oh god! She knows!’ Was the only thought to go through her mind.

"Hmm… Let’s see. Not really looking at hairstyles, very scared when coming in here, a fall on your head. You’re not really a girl are you?" Sandy whispered while looking directly into Charlene’s eyes. She could see the panic enter when she made that statement.

Charlene felt the panic rise in her. She didn’t know what to do, This lady KNEW! ‘Oh my God! Oh, my God!’ was running through her head.

Sandy grabbed the girl’s arm to steady her. "Don’t go fainting on me yet! We need to have a little talk!" Sandy turned the chair around so that Charlene faced her instead of the mirror.

"So, you’re a boy, being put through Jane’s program." Sandy stopped while Charlene tried to catch her breath. "Well, my little sissy-boy, we are going to have some fun today! You are going to act like the sweetest girl! Everything I suggest for you, you are going to gush about and beg Jane to let you do it! If you don’t I’m going to lift up that pretty skirt of yours and show everyone in the store what a little sissy you are. Nod yes if you understand me." Sandy said with an evil grin.

Charlene was visibly shaking from what she had heard Sandy say. She had no idea what would happen next. She knew she had to put on the best performance of her life if she was to get out of here with no one else finding out she was a boy in skirts. She looked at Sandy and reluctantly nodded her acceptance of Sandy’s terms.

"Good, let’s get started, shall we?" Sandy smiled sweetly and turned Charlene back to face the mirror before returning to remove the fall from Charlene’s head.

Charlene’s mind was racing a mile a minute. None of the thoughts were coherent, they were just flying through her mind. She was shaken from her panic by Sandy’s voice.

"Found anything you like yet? I think we should look together for a minute, won’t that be fun?" Sandy smiled and gave Charlene a look that dared her to challenge that idea.

Charlene choked and finally found her ability to breathe again. She looked back at the book and decided she was beaten so she might as well play along. "That would be nice. I never know what to choose when I look at all these styles. Is there one that would look nice and not be too hard to duplicate?"

"Hmm… Well, Ms. Thompson wants something a little classy for today. I guess you have a few more places to go after we are finished here." Sandy replied, happy to see that Charlene had given in to her demands. "I think something like this would look lovely on you and it wouldn’t take more than fifteen or twenty minutes to redo in the morning." The hairdo was curly and had little tendrils that hung down in front of the ears. It was held back by a headband and was just a mass of curls that cascaded down to the middle of the shoulder blades.

"But, I don’t have that much hair!" Charlene looked at Sandy stating the obvious.

"Not a problem! Shall we begin?" Sandy said with huge smile. Sandy escorted Charlene to an area of sinks across the shop. "This is Michelle, she’s going to shampoo your hair. Charlene managed to get gum in her hair from her little brother. After they cut it out, it almost makes her look like a boy! I need her hair clean so I can add extensions until it grows out." Sandy laughed and looked at the shocked expression on Charlene’s face when she said her hair made her look like a boy.

"Hi! Sit over here and I’ll get you shampooed and ready for Sandy to work her magic! Gum! God, that is the worst! I know all you can do is cut it out. I’ll bet you had pretty hair before that happened…" Michelle continued to chatter on about gum, hair, what happened to some other people and goodness knows what else. Charlene was just glad she didn’t have to say much, just lay back and let this girl wash her hair.

The hair washing was the most relaxing part of the day so far! It always caused Charlene to almost fall asleep when the stylist at home did it. As always, the relaxation ended all too quickly.

"There! All done, let’s get you back to Sandy’s chair and I’ll leave you two alone." Michelle was smiling as she led Charlene back to a salon chair.

Sandy approached Charlene with a big smile on her face. "All clean? Let’s start with these extensions. They’ll give you long enough hair so we can turn you into a real ‘boy magnet’!"

Charlene’s breath caught when Sandy mentioned ‘boy magnet’. That was the last thing she wanted. She decided to chance a question. "Sandy? Will the style be easy to duplicate? I mean, there are times that Ms. Thompson doesn’t give me much time to change before we are busy doing something."

"Don’t fret over that sissy-boy! You will be cute as a button and you will know how to keep it up when I get through. Now smile and look like you are happy to be here!" Sandy replied.

Charlene got very quiet. Inside was a raging storm of emotions she had never felt before. She was angry at Sandy for treating her so bad and calling her a ‘sissy’. She was scared out of her mind, that someone would hear Sandy and discover she really was a boy in skirts. Then she was really upset because she had been enjoying the attention from Michelle when she had her hair washed. It was quite a range of faces that flickered across her face as Sandy started to separate her hair into sections.

The work of adding the extensions progressed slowly and a few times Sandy pulled Charlene’s hair hard enough for her to let out a little yelp.

"What’s the matter Charlene, not strong enough to handle a little hair tug?" Sandy asked. "Remember, you should be happy and smiling because of the beautiful hair you are getting today!"

"Most of the time it’s okay, but every once in a while you pull my hair pretty hard and it hurts! It has happened enough times that it is hard to keep a smile on my face." Was Charlene’s reply.

"Sometimes you have to suffer a little to be beautiful, sweets!" Sandy gave an extra tug to show her who was the boss.

It seemed to take forever for Sandy to finish attaching all the extensions. When she was finished she moved Charlene to a dryer chair and turned it on. "The glue that fuses the extensions is set by heat. You get to sit here and read magazines for a while. Here are a couple of good ones, just for you!" She handed Charlene a copy of ‘Vogue’ and ‘Seventeen’. "It should keep you busy looking at all the clothes, makeup and hairstyles for a while."

Charlene looked at the magazines and did her best to choke down her real emotions. She then pasted a smile on her face and said, "Thank you Sandy. I haven’t read either of these issues yet!"

Sandy leaned over and whispered in Charlene’s ear "You learn pretty fast! I think we will get along just fine, my little sissy-boy!" She then left Charlene to sit under the dryer.

Charlene’ cheeks turned red. This time it wasn’t from embarrassment but from anger. She had tried very hard to follow this Sandy’s rules and here she was still taunting her on a regular basis. Charlene bit her lower lip and glared at the retreating stylist for a minute. Then decided that compliance was the best course of action at the moment and went about looking through the magazines half-heartedly.

It seemed like forever before Sandy came back for Charlene. She led Charlene back to her station and there set the books of hairstyles on her lap again. "Now! Let’s see if we can pick out a style that will look absolutely stunning on you, shall we?"

"Okay." Was the only word that came out of Charlene’s mouth.

The two of them looked through the book three or four times, narrowing down the choices with each pass. Finally, Sandy steered them back to the style she had pointed out originally and declared it to be the one that would look best on Charlene.

Charlene, looked at the picture for a moment and then at Sandy. She finally decided she had to say something. "Sandy, if you had decided this was the hairstyle I would look best with, why did we have to look through all the other ones?"

"For fun! I told you we were going to have some fun! Other girls just love to look through the books and decide whether a style would look good on them or not. You do want to be like all the other girls, don’t you?" Sandy asked.

"I guess so. I mean, yes, I do!" Charlene realized her mistake as soon as she said it.

"You guess? You mean you don’t know for sure? Well, then I am just going to have to turn you into a real girly-girl! That way you won’t have a choice!" Sandy smiled and turned toward a cabinet next to her station.

It took about five minutes and then Sandy came back with a bottle and some long strands of cotton. She placed the cotton around Charlene’s head and then proceeded to wet down all of Charlene’s hair with whatever was in the bottle. After all the contents emptied onto her hair, Sandy placed a plastic cap over the top and set a timer. She then handed Charlene the same ‘Seventeen’ and told her to enjoy.

Charlene finally was reading an article on how to choose the correct hairstyle for your face when Sandy came over to her.

"Times up! Let’s get you rinsed so we can get on to the fun part!" Sandy smiled and led Charlene back to the sinks one more time. The warm water felt good as Charlene tried to relax and let some of the tension leave her body. Once again that part of this ordeal was over way too soon.

Charlene found herself back in the salon chair, this time Sandy started by sectioning her hair and wrapping it around a lot of rollers. All were wound fairly tight, but since Charlene had been trying to look like she was enjoying her salon experience, Sandy was being a little more gentle. After what seemed like eternity, Sandy added another very smelly solution to the rollers, placed a plastic cap over her head again and announced that part done.

Charlene figured it was back to the dryer and having to read ‘Seventeen’ again but Sandy motioned another girl over to her station. Charlene’s heart skipped a few beats but after a short conversation, the two ladies turned to Charlene. "Charlene, this is Tina, we were just discussing your nails. I thought acrylics about  ¾ inch past your tips would be fine, she said a little less than  ½ inch would be more practical, what do you think?" Sandy became quiet and just smiled at Charlene.

Charlene sat there and looked at Tina, then Sandy and finally at her own nails. Knowing full well that Sandy could expose her anytime she wanted, Charlene tried to be a little tactful. "I don’t really know. I mean, like, I want them to be feminine, but if they are too long won’t they like, get in the way of everything I have to do? I mean, I have to like, use a computer at the Academy and if my nails are too long won’t they like, cause like problems?" Charlene tried to sound like some of the girls she knew from the valley back home.

Tina answered first. "Yes they will, and it is really hard to get zippers up or jewelry clasped. I told Sandy that what she asked for was way too long, but Sandy always likes to go a little over the top! Have you ever had false nails before? (pause) No? Then we definitely want to go with the shorter ones! Sandy, you just leave… Charlene is it? Yes, just leave Charlene in my hands and her hands will be beautiful! I’ll go get my stuff, be right back!" Tina turned and almost ran across the shop to get her cart.

Sandy was a little miffed that Charlene didn’t just gush about wanting long elegant nails attached. She decided to whisper to her, while Tina was away. "I thought I told you to gush over everything I suggested, today, sissy-boy! What happened?"

"I… I tried to sound like I wanted long nails, but Tina just seemed to take over the decision of what length to make them! I’m… I’m sorry,

Sandy, I’ll try harder from now on. Should I ask her to make my nails longer?" Charlene looked at Sandy for an answer.

Sandy studied the scared teen’s face and then shook her head. "No! Tina is right, if you have never had acrylics before, the shorter length will be better. We’ll add length for one of the more formal occasions I’m certain Jane will have you attend in the future."

Charlene shook her head ‘ok’ and then it dawned on her what Sandy had said. "Formal… In… The future?" she managed to squeak out, just before Tina arrived with her cart of supplies. Sandy just smiled at Charlene and walked away.

Tina set up her work area and decided to do the pedicure first. "You’ll have to remove your pantyhose, follow me!" She led Charlene to a small changing room. "I’ll be right here waiting for you."

Charlene stepped inside, closed the door and unclipped her stockings. She carefully removed them and when finished, didn’t know what to do with the hose. Sticking her head out the door, she asked Tina, "What do I do with these?"

Tina took a look at the hose, "Wow! Stockings! I don’t see girls wearing them often! Do you have a hot date tonight, or is it just something Ms. Thompson has you do?

Panic hit Charlene. She audibly caught her breath. Tina noticed the look right away. Charlene finally gathered her wits and replied. "Umm… It’s a Ms. Thompson thing. I haven’t worn pantyhose since I arrived at the academy. It’s always stockings and a garter belt." Charlene’s cheeks flushed bright red.

"It’s okay! I mean, like I know she runs a finishing school, so I guess stockings do make you feel a little more sexy and they are classy! Just roll them up and put them in the pocket of your smock, they’ll be fine!" Tina replied and led Charlene back into the salon.

The pedicure was nice, although Charlene could have done without the red polish. Tina seemed to think it was the best color for the outfit and when she was done with Charlene’s hands, she would look lovely.

The application of the acrylic nails was a pain, literally! As Tina roughed up Charlene’s nail surface, there were times it actually hurt. Tina was very apologetic and was a lot more careful after the first few times. Eventually she finished and Charlene had ten perfect toes and ten beautiful nails. The soft red complimented Charlene’s skin tone perfectly. For a moment, Charlene even thought they were pretty.

"There! All set and you will still be able to type with a little practice!" Tina smiled at Charlene as she put away her tools. "Doing things like buttons and zippers will take a little trial and error, but you’ll get the hang of it fast enough. I have to go do a fill on Joan, see you later!" Tina waved and pushed her cart over to the chair Joan sat in.

Charlene spent a few seconds admiring her new nails, ‘They really do make my hands look like a girl’s!’ Charlene thought as she admired Tina’s handiwork.

"I knew you liked all this sissy-stuff, sissy-boy! Sitting there admiring your nails, just like the prissy girl you are!" Sandy whispered in Charlene’s ear.

Charlene stiffened and almost jumped straight out of the salon chair. It took her a second to calm down and then glare at Sandy. Rather than bite at Sandy and be subjected to possible exposure as a boy in a dress, Charlene decided to play the game. "Sandy you scared me! I hope I didn’t ruin the wonderful job Tina did on my nails." Charlene waved her hand in front of her face and looked at each nail closely. Turning back to Sandy, she smiled and said, "Aren’t they lovely?" She stuck both hands out as she had seen some of the girls in California do.

"Yes, they are! It’s time to finish your hair, so Carol can do your makeup for you." Sandy started removing all the rollers she had placed in Charlene’s hair. When she was done, she took her back to the sink, rinsed her head, added another chemical and rinsed it out too. Finally she toweled off Charlene’s hair and returned her to her station.

Charlene took a quick peek in a mirror as she walked past, she thought she looked like a drowned rat! ‘Hopefully I don’t look too bad when this lady is done with me!’ she thought as she sat back in the chair.

Sandy fussed, dried, picked and scrunched Charlene’s hair for the next five minutes. She surveyed her handiwork for a minute then took a small pair of scissors and did a little trimming of the bangs. Finally, she pronounced Charlene done.

"So-o-o… what do you think?" Sandy asked as she turned Charlene to face the mirror.

Charlene was expecting the worst! A head just full of juvenile curls, like this ‘Shirley Temple’ person her mom used to talk about. She looked in front of her and thought the girl in the next chair had the exact hairstyle she had asked Sandy for, then realization dawned on Charlene. It wasn’t another girl, it was her!

Only it wasn’t! The person in the mirror was a very bright blonde! The hair framed her face and softened her look. There was no doubt in your mind that when you looked at this person she was a girl!

"Th… Tha… that’s me?" Charlene pointed to the image in the mirror, and the image pointed back at her. She suddenly pulled her hands up and covered her mouth as she gasped audibly.

"Yep! You turned out okay. After I get a few sessions with you, there will be no doubt you’re a girl! Now, just quit getting gum in your hair and you’ll be all set!" Sandy smiled and Michelle giggled over the ‘gum’ comment. "Now, let me see if Caro is ready for you." Sandy looked over toward the chair Joan was sitting in.

Sandy waved at the lady and she nodded her head, so I was escorted toward Joan. I have to admit, I thought Joan was good looking before we came to this place, but now she was absolutely beautiful! Her hair and makeup were just perfect! She was enough to make the boy in me think very unladylike thoughts!

"Oh my goodness, you look beautiful!" came out of Charlene’s mouth before she could stop herself.

Joan looked up, smiled and said "Thank you Charlene, Carolyn is the absolute best makeup artist in the area, I’m certain you will be just as beautiful when she is done with you!"

Charlene had been staring at Joan for a minute while this Carolyn person did a few finishing touches to her hair. Sandy whispering in her ear jolted her from her admiring stare. "Just think sissy-boy! You’ll be just as beautiful in a little while! Doesn’t that make you just gush with excitement?"

That startled Charlene enough to make her gasp a little. Then all the nervousness returned. ‘Did Carolyn know he was a boy? Did Sandy tell anyone about him? God! How do I act when I’m in this chair?’

"Okay, Charlene! Ready for you!" Carolyn smiled and motioned to the now empty chair.

"Where did Joan go?" Charlene asked as she sat in the chair.

"Just behind you! You were busy looking at something when we were done, so I told her not to bother you, just go over and have her nails filled." Carolyn talked as she placed a cape over Charlene’s clothes.

"Oh…" was Charlene’s only reply as she noticed Joan talking with Tina, as she had her nails redone.

"First we are going to remove what makeup you have on. It looks like you have been taking lessons from Marie, is that true?" Carolyn asked.

Charlene was surprised. This lady just seemed to act like this was something she did for everyone that walked into the shop. "Umm…. Yea… Umm… Marie taught me how to do my makeup. I… I really hadn’t learned much about it before…"

"Ah… Mom wouldn’t let you play with makeup yet!" Carolyn nodded her head in a knowing way. "That’s okay! We’ll have you looking fabulous in no time! Now! Pay attention, I’m going to show you a few tricks, that even Marie doesn’t know!"

"First we start with face care! You have to remove makeup properly and then cleanse your face and moisturize it, otherwise you will get acne." Carolyn went into ‘instructor mode’.

It seemed like an awful lot to remember. Cleanse with this, then use an astrin… astringent… yes, that was it, then a toner and finally a moisturizer. All this and Carolyn hadn’t even started on makeup yet! Charlene finally had to ask a question. "Carolyn? Is all this stuff really needed?"

Caro stopped and looked at Charlene. "Not for a ‘tomboy’. All you do is wash your face and go! But, if you are at Ms. Thompson’s finishing school then yes, all this is necessary for you to look your absolute best all the time! Oh! Please call me Caro. No one around here calls me Carolyn. That’s only when I’m in trouble!" Caro smiled at Charlene and then returned to business.

"We are now ready to start your makeup. Pay close attention, I know Ms. Thompson will probably have you try to duplicate what I teach you today, okay?" Caro asked.

Charlene nodded her head and tried to sit up straighter and pay attention. Still believing that if she did everything Jane Thompson asked of her, she could get back to being Charlie and go home!

Caro took her time, matching foundation shades to Charlene’s skin, then showed her how to properly dab it on and set it. She did one side of Charlene’s face and then had Charlene do the same thing to the other side. This went on through, foundation, concealer, eyeshadow, blush and lipstick.

Charlene tried hard to please this lady, knowing that she would probably report back to Jane before they left. If nothing else, she wanted her to say she was a willing student.

"Voila! To quote Marie! You are more beautiful than before!" Caro stated as she turned Charlene to face the large mirror behind her workstation.

Charlene had seen her hairstyle so that didn’t surprise her. What shook her more was the perfection of her makeup! Her skin was flawless, the color subtle, yet it made her softer and her eyes sparkled!

Charlene looked hard at the reflection in the mirror. As hard as she looked there was no sign of ‘Charlie’, just Charlene.

Caro allowed the shock to subside on Charlene’s face when she had first seen herself in the mirror. ‘This one came out very well! No doubt she is anything but all girl! Well, on to the next phase.’ She thought before talking to Charlene.

"Charlene! I’m going to talk to Ms. Thompson a moment. Be right back." Caro said as she headed toward Jane Thompson.

Charlene just nodded her head while looking in the mirror for some indication that Charles was still there. There just wasn’t any! She must have been enthralled by her reflection since she didn’t notice Jane and Caro return to where she was seated.

"Charlene? My you look absolutely lovely! Carolyn, my dear, you and Sandra have outdone yourselves with this girl! How can we ever thank you for bringing out such inner beauty?" Jane exclaimed in her well-rehearsed manner.

Caro was beaming as usual and replied "Well, Jane, I was wondering if Charlene would mind being my model for my cosmetology class this morning? I can show the girls all the tricks to make themselves as lovely as Charlene. Plus! It will give Charlene a chance to meet some other girls her own age. Won’t that be great, Charlene?" Caro asked with a smile.

If it weren’t for the makeup on Charlene’s face, the casual observer would have seen all color drain from her cheeks. As it was, Caro and Jane noticed the look of fear creep into her eyes.

"How long is this class, Carolyn?" Jane asked, checking her watch.

"It’s just an hour. Are you on a tight time schedule today? I could plan on using Charlene another time?" Caro offered. The pleading look on Charlene’s face was almost too comical for Jane to keep a straight face. But years of doing this very thing to many a young man kicked in and Jane replied without missing a beat. "No, That will be fine. We do have another appointment, but it isn’t until after lunch. I was just going to do a little window shopping with the girls until then to educate them in the correct style of clothing for a young lady of their position in society. However, I believe that your class and the additional instruction in makeup is something Charlene needs more of at this time. Charlene, you may stay and assist Ms. Beale with her class." Jane said as if it was granting Charlene’s secret wish. "I’ll return in an hour. Would it be alright for Joan to attend the class also?"

"Well, Joan doesn’t really need this class, it’s about the basics and she is pretty good with her makeup." Caro replied. "But, Charlene may be a little more comfortable with her here. Oh! That’s why you want her here, how silly of me. Of course she can stay! I’ll just use her to help some of the other girls when they are having problems. See you later Jane!"

With that the conversation was over and Jane headed toward the exit. Charlene just sat in the chair not knowing what to do next. She had just had a shock of what she looked like after being transformed and now she was to be the model for a makeup class with a bunch of girls her age!

‘At least Joan is here. I’ll know her at this class anyway. God! How did I get into this mess? Well, I guess it could be worse, Jane could have taken me window shopping! When mom went window shopping, she always stopped at two or three stores and tried on clothes… Oh God! She wouldn’t make me… Oh God! She probably would!" Charlene started visibly shaking when she thought about having to try on clothes that she, Jane and Joan saw while ‘window shopping’.

While Charlene sat there thinking horror stories about walking past stores with Jane, the girls for the cosmetics class started to arrive.

The amount of chatter from the group of girls gathering for the makeup class soon brought Charlene back from her waking nightmare about shopping. Upon seeing the growing group of girls, she finally realized just what Caro had volunteered her to do!

"Girls! Quiet down now so we can get started! Young ladies!" Caro finally got their attention, they settled down and looked her direction. "We are going to do this in the back room where we always meet. I have a guest model today, so all of you will get a chance to see and answer questions." Caro walked over to Charlene. "This is Charlene. She is a new student at The Thompson Academy and has just had her colors and foundation matched today. We are going to see what a difference the correct makeup can do for you. Come along Charlene." Caro then led the procession of girls into the back of the store.

Charlene was scared out of her mind! Here she was in the middle of a pack of teenage girls. Every teen male’s dream! Only she was dressed as a teen girl! A rather ‘high class’ teen girl, but none the less, a teen girl. This only made Charlene seem more shy and reserved. She figured the best thing to do was be quiet and look as embarrassed as she felt. When she entered the back area, Caro pointed to a stool in front of the classroom area.

Charlene tried to be as prim as she could muster while trying to sit comfortably on the stool. Caro went through all her welcomes and introductions. Then she turned to Charlene.

"Alright girls! Here is Charlene! I have just finished her makeup, I want to know what you honestly think of it." Caro asked the class.

There was a bit of silence and finally someone said "Her complexion looks flawless! How did you do that? Another voice asked how she had made her eyes sparkle. And so the ice was broken and the questions started flowing. After taking more questions than she could remember, Caro decided to start answering the girl’s queries.

"First, we will remove the makeup from one side of Charlene’s face." Caro noted the look of horror on Charlene’s face. "Don’t worry Charlene, we will have you returned to your stunning self before the end of class." Caro then proceeded to use some makeup remover and cold crá¨me to demonstrate the proper way to remove makeup. After Charlene’s face was clean, Caro asked the class "What do you think is her best feature?"

There was a lot of whispering and pointing from the girls, all of which had Charlene squirming in her chair for fear that they saw through her masquerade.

Joan was the first to respond. "She has a cute nose." There was a lot of nodding from the other girls along with some more pointing and nods of agreement.

"I agree. Anything else? I see a lot of you looking but no one saying anything I can hear!" Caro prodded the other girls.

"Charlene has very pretty eyes! They look large even with her makeup removed." A tall athletically built girl said from the back row.

"Very good Mindy! I like her eyes too, although her nose is great, Joan. The eyes are something we can use makeup to greatly enhance. A nose can be done in a few simple steps! We’ll start with the nose and I’ll show you." Caro stated and then reached onto her makeup cart for some foundation.

In a few moments and with the use of two different colored foundations, Caro made Charlene’s nose appear larger. Then a quick removal and she made her nose look smaller. Charlene thought it made quite a change in her appearance.

"So which looked better on Charlene?" Caro asked. Everyone agreed that making your nose look smaller would be the better way to go.

Caro then proceeded to show them how to improve their eyes. She only did one side on Charlene for demonstration purposes, when she was done, she told Charlene she would have to match what she had done.

Matching the three colors of shadow, liner and the white powder highlights took Charlene about three times as long as it took Caro to do. Finally, with the help of one of the girls named Michelle, she finally got it so it looked like the eye Caro had done. Charlene actually felt a bit of pride in her accomplishment. She returned the coaching favor for Michelle and even called Caro over to help when they were both stuck on how to finish making Michelle’s eyes sparkle.

By the time the makeup class was over, Charlene was chatting with a couple of the girls like they were old friends. This surprised Caro. When she asked Joan about it, Joan had no answer. Joan figured Charlene would have been just as scared and quiet as she had been at her first makeup class all those months ago.

The hour was up and Jane returned from her small excursion to ‘The Style Shoppe’. She had left to confer with Brenda Franson about Charlene and to make certain appropriate juvenile styles of clothing were available for her to try on. She was very pleased. So far the day had been going as planned and Charlene seemed to be learning what it was like to be on the receiving end of some of the bullying she had dealt out over the years. Jane knew there was still a lot of anger inside her and that she wasn’t letting it show yet. That just meant a rather large explosion when the time came. It would be mostly bluster, but Jane would still be ready for it when it came. As she walked into the salon, she did not immediately see Charlene. Joan was with Caro and the gaggle of girls from the cosmetics class were still milling around trying different things they had learned on each other. Needless to say, she was a little confused!

"Carolyn? Where is Charlene? I expected her to be ready to go by now! I don’t see her." Jane said as she walked up to Joan and Caro.

"She’s right there, Jane! A regular little social butterfly if you ask me! You sure she’s new to all this? Caro responded pointing out Charlene in the middle of the group, demonstrating how to put on eyeliner for another girl.

Jane stood and watched for a moment. In all her years of training boys to be civil, refined young ladies, she had never had one become involved in any of the classes she arranged. Unless she had forced the situation, of course… This was something she would have to file away and watch carefully with Ms. Hawkins. Something had happened while she was here. Just what was to be determined later. Maybe Diana would have a little insight tonight.

Jane walked over to Charlene. "Charlene! We have an appointment in forty-five minutes. Are you ready to leave?"

Charlene stopped in mid sentence when she heard Jane’s voice. She turned to see her standing there with that smile on her face that she didn’t trust. She replied "Yes, Ms. Thompson, I am ready to leave." She started looking for her purse.

"Charlene! Where are your manners? I should think you would introduce me to your new friends. That would be the appropriate thing to do!" Jane stated. She could see all the girls Charlene had been talking to were just as embarrassed as she was.

"Of course, Ms. Thompson, I’m sorry, I was rather… Umm… pre-occupied when you arrived. Ms. Jane Thompson, I would like you to meet Michelle and Janet. They were my partners for different portions of the makeup class. Michelle, Janet, this is Ms. Jane Thompson, of Thompson Academy." Charlene did a short curtsey and stepped back a half step.

"A pleasure to meet both of you. I hope to see you again when Charlene comes in for styling and makeup lessons. We really must be going. Come along Charlene." Jane finished with the pleasantries turned and headed for the door where Joan was waiting for her arrival.

Charlene looked at both Michelle and Janet, rolled her eyes, shook her head and followed Jane toward the door. The two girls had to use every ounce of self-control not to laugh as Charlene left the salon. After Charlene was gone, they decided that maybe wanting to attend Jane Thompson’s finishing school was not as high on their list as they once thought.

The trip back to the car was made in silence, which was fine with Charlene. She had many things to mull over in her mind. The one that bothered her most was how everyone in the makeup class had accepted her so easily as another teenage girl. This bothered her male self-image the most. After all, Charlie was all boy! Rough and tumble always getting into trouble one way or another. Charlene, was all soft and easy and always seemed to be prim and proper even when she didn’t want to. That was the confusing part. Was it the clothes? Was there something about dressing as a girl that just naturally made one more quiet and reflective? Charlie didn’t know but it seemed Charlene was going to find out, if Jane Thompson had anything to say about it!

Jane was thoughtful as she drove toward their lunch destination. She had previously had recalcitrant boys that took to skirts easily, mostly she could see through the ruse that they tried to portray and she had a few ways to make certain that Charlene was not like that. She thought about it quickly and decided that the afternoon at ‘the Style Shoppe’ would tell her more about what was going on in her latest charges’ head.

Charlene sat quietly and looked out the window. She saw they were pulling into a Country Club. ‘No surprise there! This lady probably OWNS the place!’ went through her mind as Jane pulled to a stop at the entrance to the dining area.

Two valets quickly came around the car and opened the doors for Jane, Charlene and Joan. This took Charlene off guard and the valet noticed it. "Sorry to have surprised you, I hope you enjoy your meal!" The young man had a hard time taking his eyes off Charlene’s legs.

Jane noticed his stare. "Jonathon! Ms. Hawkins is my newest student. I should inform you she is only fourteen!" She gave the young man a look that warned him to act nice ‘or else’.

"Sorry Ms. Thompson! I was just noticing how lovely Ms. Hawkins is. Not that you or Ms. Carlson aren’t as lovely…" Jonathon’s face was beet red and he was losing his cool composure, being found out like that.

Jane let out a little laugh. "Dear Jonathon! I will tell you a little secret. When you find yourself digging a deep hole that you do not wish to be in. The first thing you have to do is stop digging! To let you know, we will only be here for lunch!" Jane handed the stunned boy a five-dollar bill and headed for the club entrance.

Joan was giggling over the encounter while Charlene was pale and terrified. Charlene had never had anyone, let alone a boy pay attention to whatever she did. No one ever paid attention to her at all! The experience put Charlene back on her guard. Joan noticed and whispered in her ear. "Sandy and Caro did a great job on you! You have no idea how pretty you are, so take the attention you just got as part of this experience because you will get a lot more if Jane decides to keep you for a while."

Charlene just looked at Joan in shock! The expression was one of a fish out of water. Charlene’s mouth opened and closed a few times, but nothing came out! The Doorman, who wished the two of them a lovely meal, brought the two girls back to reality.

Charlene was now scared silly once more. Here she was in a country club, about to sit for lunch with all manner of people and she was just ogled by the valet outside. To say that she was unnerved would be an understatement. She was always darting glances around to see if anyone was pointing or laughing at her.

Joan finally noticed and whispered to her "Take a deep breath! Everything you learned at the house is exactly what you do here! You look more like a girl now than I do, so take a deep breath and act the part! Just do everything you would do back at the house and you will be fine."

Charlene looked at Joan, nodded her head and took a deep breath. It did help a little, then she decided to concentrate on doing everything properly at the table.

Jane watched as Joan took the lead in trying to calm Charlene’s fears. ‘I knew she was ready to be a big sister! So much compassion in that one. I definitely did not see that side of her when she first arrived.’

After everyone had been seated by the Maitre’di, Jane said to the girls "We have time for a light lunch. Please order appropriately." She then looked over her menu.

Charlene thought about a light lunch. She had been nervous enough at the salon that she hadn’t thought about eating. Now in this place she wasn’t sure just what a lite lunch consisted of. After a short look at the menu, she decided the fruit plate and a glass of diet soda would probably be approved by Jane.

Every few minutes, someone coming over to the table to talk to Jane interrupted Charlene’s thoughts. This led to a round of introductions, the politeness that Joan displayed was mimicked by Charlene. This seemed to please Jane as she complimented Charlene’s appearance and made certain everyone knew she was her newest student. Some of the names sounded like ones Charlene had learned in American history. Rockefeller, Chase, Morgan, and Steinbrenner were a few of the ones she remembered. They were all well off and had others with them that seemed to do their bidding.

Eventually lunch was served and Charlene made sure she cut the pieces small and chewed until her mouth hurt. She was not about to be reprimanded in such a nice place. During all of this, Jane questioned Joan and her about the fashions for the rest of the summer and coming fall seasons. This topic seemed to hold a great deal of interest for Jane today. Normally she was more interested in world events so this was a bit of a change. Jane was just talking about the return of knee high boots as a fashion for fall when an older lady came gushing up to the table.

"Jane, dah-h-hling! How good to see you again." The lady spoke.

This surprised Charlene. It was a good thing she was taking small bites and small sips of her drink, otherwise, passing food through your nose was most likely a faux pas, Jane would notice immediately!

Jane calmly finished her bite and turned to the new arrival. "Edith! I didn’t know you frequented this club for lunch. How are you?" Jane greeted her long time friend.

"Just having lunch with a group of ladies from the cotillion committee for the town Labor Day celebration." She noticed Joan sitting next to Jane. "Joan dear, how nice to see you again. Are your studies going well?"

"Hello, Mrs. White. It is very nice to see you again too. Yes, they are going quite well. Ms. Thompson is a very good teacher. I am progressing through my studies at a very good rate." Joan replied.

"That is so good to hear. I would think your piano training is getting quite good! I may be able to talk Jane into letting you give a recital at the Labor Day celebration. Maybe as part of our cotillion?" Edith looked to Jane. Without giving her a chance to reply, she continued. "Who is this lovely creature? You must be a new student of Jane’s." Edith said, looking directly at Charlene.

Jane, always slightly annoyed at Edith’s high brow antics answered. "Edith White, may I introduce you to Miss Charlene Hawkins, Miss Hawkins, this is Mrs. Edith White." Jane nodded toward Charlene in some sort of cryptic signal.

Charlene saw Jane’s nod and the threatening look that accompanied it. She stood and offered a limp hand to Mrs. White. "Pleased to meet you, Mrs. White." As a final thought, she dipped a small curtsey.

The smiles on Jane and Edith’s faces told Charlene she had done the right thing.

"Jane! Are you certain she is new? Such a charming a young gu-url! You simply must allow her to be part of my cotillion. With Charlene and Joan there, every eligible boy from miles around will want to attend!" Edith White was almost giddy with the prospect of Joan and Charlene being in her cotillion.

Joan smiled politely but Charlene started to panic. If she didn’t have makeup on, Jane, Joan and Edith would have seen her face visibly pale! Charlene felt her stomach flip as she thought about this cotillion thing and the fact that there would be ‘boys’ there. They would think he was a girl! ‘Oh god!’ was all she could think before Jane responded.

"Edith! What a lovely thought! I am so sorry to have to turn down your offer this time though. The R.O.T.C. commander, Mr. Brent Hayden, recently contacted me. He is short two girls for his float honoring our service men and women in the Labor Day Parade. I already promised him the girls would help by being on the float and attending their display afterward. I truly am sorry, I think both girls would have enjoyed the cotillion." Jane apologized to Edith.

Edith looked a little downhearted. Normally Jane jumps at a chance to have her girls attend one of her cotillions. After thinking over what the girls were doing for the parade and the current state of the armed forces, she decided this was a very good thing. "In that case, I accept your decision to not participate in the cotillion. I think it is very patriotic of the girls to be a part of something that honors our armed forces. However, I do expect to see them both at the Oktoberfest dance. You will ensure that they are in appropriate outfits, like the last girls?"

Jane thought for a moment. She remembered the period correct costumes she had made her boys wear. They both looked like that actress… Sandra Bullock in ‘Miss Congeniality’. After thinking for a moment, she replied. "I’ll mark it on the calendar. I believe Marie has those outfits in storage. I’ll ask her to check for sizes and such when we arrive home."

"Marvelous!" Edith replied, very pleased to have Jane and her girls at one of her functions. "I’ll just leave you all to your lunch. It was nice to see you again dear. Ta-ta girls!" With a wave of her hand, Edith White went off in search of someone else to talk into coming to her ‘High Society’ functions.

Jane took out her personal planner and made a few notes, when done, she looked at the two students. "Well girls. It looks like your social calendar is filling rapidly! I dare say, we shall all be very busy over the next few months." Jane noted the look of resignation on Joan’s face and the fear in Charlene’s eyes. Her message had conveyed it’s meaning to both students. Joan now knew she wouldn’t be leaving soon and Charlene was worried about being found out in a social situation. ‘Not bad for only having to make one comment!’ Jane thought as she sipped her iced tea.

The rest of lunch was eaten in relative silence. Jane did this so that each girl could come to grips with their own situation. When she felt the timing was right, Jane spoke. "Girls, please finish, we have to leave or we will be late for our next appointment." After that comment Jane wiped her mouth and folded the napkin on the table. Charlene knew this was the signal that lunch was over.

As the trio headed for the exit, Jane remarked "Girls! Now would be a good time to powder our noses we have a lot of things to accomplish this afternoon." Jane walked directly to the ladies’ powder room door and entered.

Charlene stopped short and was run into by Joan. "Oomph!… Ummm… sorry." Charlene mumbled after making sure Joan was okay.

"What’s wrong?" Joan asked. She had been out with Jane enough that using the ladies’ room was no big deal anymore.

Charlene whispered "I can’t go in there!"

"Why not? Just go in, enter a stall, do what you do at the house and leave! Just make sure you stop and wash your hands and reapply you lipstick, otherwise Jane will have a fit!" Joan whispered back to Charlene.

"You sure? I mean, well I guess… well the way I’m dressed… Oh! I don’t know what I mean anymore!" Charlene was upset and confused as she finally decided she should just go into the rest room and do as Joan suggested.

Jane listened in the restroom as the click of two sets of heels indicated her students had finally entered the sanctuary of the lady's powder room. ‘I see Joan did her job to get Charlene to enter without having to call me. I’ll have to compliment her tonight.’ thought Jane as she finished her business and went to wash her hands, touch up her makeup and wait for the two students.

Joan automatically went through the same motions as Jane did. Charlene was still a little scared and hesitant about what she should be doing after leaving her stall. She watched Joan and tried to copy everything she did, aware that Jane was standing there watching her. After she had completed everything and all was back in her purse, she looked at Jane.

Jane just nodded her head and pushed the door open as she led the way out of the clubhouse and back out to her car. The car was sitting there idling by the entrance as they exited the restaurant. Jonathon was right there to hold open the doors for Jane and Charlene. A different valet took care of the door for Joan. In a very short time, all three were settled and Jane was headed off to their next stop.

It was only a ten-minute drive to ‘The Style Shoppe’. When Charlene saw the window display, she knew that was where they were going to stop next. She had just started to calm down after the trip to the bathroom. At least her stomach had kept lunch down! However, just looking at all the frills, lace and petticoats in the display window caused Charlene’s stomach to lurch. She could just imagine how many dresses she would have to try on.

"Come along girls! We are just on time for our afternoon appointment!" Jane waved toward the entrance of the store.

Charlene wasn’t sure what to expect, but she knew it probably was not going to a pleasant afternoon. She trailed behind Jane and Joan as they approached the store.

The tinkling of the front door bell brought Brenda Franson’s attention to the trio entering her store. She knew Jane was coming and immediately started to size up the new student, Charlene. ‘Very nice! She will look very nice in most of the outfits Jane likes for her first visit.’ Betty thought as the small group threaded it’s way toward her position in the store.

"Jane! Joan! How nice to see you again! Who is this lovely young lady with you today?" Brenda embraced Jane and gave a little ‘air kiss’.

"Hi Brenda, it is nice to see you again too! This young lady is Miss Charlene Hawkins. Miss Hawkins, I would like you to meet Ms. Brenda Franson. She is the owner of this fine shop and a very good friend!"

Charlene stepped forward, did a little curtsey and replied softly "A pleasure to meet you." Charlene extended her hand in a limp fashion as she had seen Joan do earlier.

Brenda was impressed. Taking Charlene’s hand she replied. "I see Jane has been teaching you a lot! Joan was here just a couple of weeks ago, so I know you haven’t been at the academy long. You have learned quickly my dear. Let’s step over here, I believe we have some lovely summer dresses that will flatter your figure and make all the boys stare at you all summer long!" Brenda continued to hold Charlene’s hand and guided her over toward a rack of frilly dresses.

There were those words again! ‘boys staring at you all summer long.’ That was the third or fourth time today, Charlene had heard that phrase and it still caused her to jump. She didn’t want boys to stare at her! She wanted to do the staring! However, this lady didn’t seem to know Charlene was anything other than a young student at Jane’s academy so Charlene figured she had best go along and try not to give herself away.

Brenda noticed Charlene looking at the rack of dresses as they approached. Letting her worry for a few seconds she finally intoned "I see you like our new summer dresses! They are gorgeous, but Jane called and gave me a rundown of your coloring and sizes! I had Sally go around and pick a few outfits ahead of time so you wouldn’t be overwhelmed by all the choices. Jane did say you were a bit of a ‘tomboy’ before coming to her school so I thought a girl nearer your age would choose things more appropriate!" Brenda smiled at Charlene as she led her past the rack of dresses and into a fitting area.

The first area they passed through was just a row of cubicles, exactly as you would find at any clothing store. They went past six or seven doors and then went through an archway at the end of the hall. Once inside Charlene could see that this was a private showing area.

It heralded a return to an earlier age, something to Charlene that was ancient, like the nineteen-sixties! The walls were off-white with a small, elevated stage at one end. There were four banks of mirrors set about the stage at angles so that a viewer could see all sides of the dress when you stood in the middle of the stage. Two small settees covered in off-white watered silk thread were positioned so that the mother, aunt, whoever, could be comfortable while their darling daughter tried on a myriad of dresses and frills. The valances, behind the mirrors, were draped in a diaphanous fabric, lending elegance to the otherwise dated room décor. A small curtain hung in front of the stage with a bank of lights partially hidden from view. There was a panel of switches next to the stage that appeared to control all the lighting, so one could see how the dress looked in daylight or evening light.

Charlene noted that Brenda Franson was leading her over to a rack of clothes set by the back wall of the stage. Next to the rack was a linen covered table with many piles of lingerie in an assortment of styles and colors. As they approached this area, Charlene had the sickening feeling she was going to be changing clothes a lot this afternoon.

Charlene’s fears were not only well founded, but she was given the added stressor of having a very pretty salesgirl named Sally assist her in changing clothes.

"Hi! I’m Sally! You must be Ms. Thompson’s new student. I’ve helped a couple of her newer students, including Joan with her first fitting. Just relax! It will be a lot of fun! Think of it as a game of ‘dress-up’." Sally was perky if nothing else. Her smile and enthusiasm were infectious and Charlene had to smile and take a deep breath.

"I must admit, I’ve never seen this many frills on clothes before. What in the world do you do with all of this?" Charlene asked Sally.

"It’s easy, once you get the hang of it. It took me a couple of weeks working here before I figured out how some of the clothes were to be worn. From your look you were probably a tomboy before Ms. Thompson got hold of you!" Sally said, appraising Charlene.

"You could say that." Charlene blushed through her makeup.

"I thought so! It seems Ms. Thompson gets a lot of tomboys. She does a great job of turning them into ‘proper’ young ladies!" Sally let out a giggle. "I hope you don’t have to wear all this stuff when you go home!"

That comment made Charlene snort! ‘Not likely!’ she thought.

"I don’t think my mother goes for this much frill on a regular basis," she told Sally after regaining her composure.

Sally smiled at her response. "Let’s get started, otherwise Ms. Franson will be in here wondering what happened to you!" With that comment, Sally walked over to the dress rack and looked at a list hanging next to it. She checked the list, then walked over to the rack and selected two hangers.

The hangers were covered with a garment cover so Charlene had no idea what the first outfit would be. As Sally headed for the pile of lingerie, Charlene decided she should step into the cubicle and start to undress. "No sense making this go any slower than I have to! God! Jane is probably timing me!" Charlene muttered under her breath. That last thought about Jane timing her brought out another snort.

"What’s so funny?" Sally asked as she followed Charlene into the cubicle.

"Oh! Well, nothing really. I mean well, Jane, I mean Ms. Thompson has been timing my ability to change clothes quickly for the past week and I figured she was probably doing it now!" Charlene replied.

"That’s weird! How fast are you supposed to be able to change?" Sally asked.

"For casual and makeup touchup, about thirty minutes. More formal I think she was happy with an hour, but I had help with that." Charlene replied.

Sally looked really surprised. "You mean she actually sets a stop watch and sees how long it takes? Goodness, It takes me an hour just to get out of the bathroom in the morning!"

Both people giggled at the remark. Then Sally got down to the business of trying on clothes. She slid the covers off the first outfit of the day. It was a rose colored, tea length dress with a lot of eggshell colored lace all around the neck, arms and hem. There was an embroidered detail of roses on the bodice using a matching colored thread so the bodice was monochromatic except for the lace trim. There was a thin eggshell colored belt, which hung loosely around the waist, and the flair of the skirt told Charlene there would be a petticoat or two under the skirt when she was dressed.

"The other garment bag holds the two petticoats that go under the skirt." Sally told Charlene. "Here is appropriate lingerie and stockings for this outfit. I’ll just step out. Call when you are changed and I’ll help you with the petti’s and the dress." Sally then left the cubicle.

Charlene took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. "Here we go again!" she muttered to herself. She proceeded to change into the new lingerie. When she was done she took the first petticoat and stepped into it. After she tied it off, she called Sally. "All set, Sally!"

Sally entered the room and was surprised to see that Charlene already had on one of the petticoats. Normally the girls that came into the shop tried to delay getting dressed in this much frou-frou as long as possible. "I see you are in a hurry to get dressed. Hot date tonight?" She giggled at the shocked look on Charlene’s face. "We’ll just slip this second petti and your dress on, then we can see about makeup."

The second petticoat slipped over Charlene’s head and slid into place. Sally did some fluffing and rearranging of things to be sure it hung correctly. She held up the dress for Charlene to slip under. All the practice at the academy had prepared Charlene for how to get in and out of garments like this, so she knew what to do without coaching from Sally.

The dress lay over the petticoats just right, with just a hint of the tulle edge showing. The bodice was close enough to Charlene’s size that it hugged her upper body and emphasized her imitation curves. After Sally demonstrated the proper way to hang the loose belt off her hip, Charlene turned to look in the mirror.

It was still a shock when she looked in the mirror. There stood a very pretty young girl in a very nice dress. The style was a little young for her apparent age otherwise there wasn’t anything unusual about the image in the mirror. That was the most disturbing part. The fact that Charlene was all one could see, no sign of ‘Charlie’ anywhere.

"Are you okay?" Sally asked.

Charlene took in a quick breath. "Umm… Yea. I’m… I’m fine. I was just thinking." Charlene looked a little more critically into the mirror, examining her makeup. "I think the makeup I have looks right for this outfit. What do you think?" She tried to save the situation and set Sally back to being her helper.

"I agree. I think those colors will go just fine with most of these outfits, we may have to change lipstick once or twice, otherwise, your makeup looks great! Did you do it?" Sally responded, back in sales mode.

"Partially. Our first stop was at "Marisha Chalet". I had my hair, nails and makeup done before we came here. I guess the makeup was correct for me." Charlene replied with a shrug.

"Oh! Carolyn did your makeup?" Sally asked. After Charlene nodded, she continued. "No wonder you look so good! She did my makeup for prom. She also did it when I was a bridesmaid last year. I never look that good when I do my own makeup!"

Charlene didn’t know what to say, so she just nodded her head like she understood what Sally was talking about.

"Well, you look ready for your first cat-walk! Just walk out to the end of the stage and stop. Ms. Franson will instruct you from there. See you in a few minutes!" Sally pointed toward the stage and then hurried off to do whatever her next job was for this day of changing clothes.

Charlene slipped on the matching heeled sandals and fastened the ankle straps. A deep breath and she was ready to leave the changing room.

It couldn’t have been more than fifteen or twenty feet from the changing area to the stage area, but it seems like a five-mile walk when you dread what you know is coming next.

As Charlene stopped to get her breath, the lights dimmed and the stage lights turned on. A light bit of piano music started playing and Charlene thought that Joan had been talked into giving an impromptu recital. That would be typical Jane! She was trying to figure out whether to walk out onto the stage or wait when she heard Ms. Franson’s voice behind her.

"Charlene? Now! All you have to do is walk out there to the end of the stage and stop. Ms. Thompson will ask you to turn one way or the other and then she will have you spin around in a circle. After that, she will ask you to try on the next outfit. Sally is putting that together now so it will be in the changing room when you finish. Ready?" Brenda Franson asked Charlene.

Charlene took a deep breath to calm herself and nodded. "I can do this. It’s only Jane and Joan out there. This isn’t any different than showing up for a clothing inspection at the house." Charlene muttered to herself. With that as her final straw to grasp onto, Charlene headed onto the stage to show her first outfit.

Charlene walked to the edge of the stage and stopped. After a few seconds, she assumed the stance that Jane preferred her students use when in her office. ‘Stand straight, feet and knees together, hands clasped behind your back, look straight forward and smile!’ Jane’s voice droned through Charlene’s mind as she stood there waiting for instructions.

"Very pretty!" came Jane’s voice from beyond the glare of the lights. "Turn to the right please, Charlene. (Pause) Now turn to the left please. (Pause) Face the back of the stage please. (Longer pause) Please turn back toward me. (Pause) Yes! Very pretty! That is very flattering on you. You may change into the next outfit."

Charlene hurried back to the changing room to find Sally waiting. "I’ll help you out of the dress and petticoats. You can change your lingerie while I hang all of the clothes."

Charlene slid out of the dress while Sally lifted it over her head. The same procedure followed for the top petticoat. While Sally was organizing those two items, Charlene untied and stepped out of the final petticoat.

"Call when you need help! Oh! The box contains a couple of silicone breast forms. Ms. Fransen thought you might need them for the next outfit." Sally pointed to a box next to the black bustier on the table.

Charlene nodded and Sally left with both arms full of frills. Looking at the lingerie, Charlene decided she better hurry before Sally or someone else came in to ‘help’ her change her lingerie. So far, everyone was treating her like she was a girl and this was the most natural thing in the world. ‘No sense in screwing up this deception.’ Charlene thought as she removed her garter belt and hose.

The new lingerie were things Jane had Charlene in and out of a few times, so she knew how to put on most of it. The only problem was with the bustier. It had twenty small hooks up the back and Charlene’s hands just didn’t seem to turn the correct way to get them all hooked. The ‘Breast Enhancers’ as the box said were shaped to cradle what little Charlene could actually pull forward as Marie had done in a similar situation. This pushed her chest flesh up and toward the middle giving the illusion of ‘C’ cup breasts and quite a bit of cleavage! The box claimed to increase a girl’s bust by two cup sizes. Charlene thought they looked huge! Everything was in place, black bustier, black garter belt, black hose and black ‘Boy Cut’ panties when Sally knocked on the door.

"Ready? I have to show you a few things about this dress." She said as she opened the door before Charlene could answer. "I see you had a little trouble with the bustier. Let me help." Sally redid the bottom four hooks and then checked the box for the breast forms. "Turn around, let’s see." She said as she urged Charlene to turn around. "Looks very nice! That much cleavage will definitely get the boys attention!" Sally giggled. After seeing the shocked look on Charlene’s face she decided to get back to business. "This dress is strapless. So you need a decent bustline to hold it up. That is where the breast forms come in. As a little added insurance we install hooks and eyes under the arm of the dress and on the bustier. That way you can just hook the dress onto the bustier and it won’t slip down. It’s more important with this dress since it is satin. Even though it is lined, it will still slip down without the hooks." Sally explained as she showed Charlene the little hooks on the inside of the dress and the eyes on her bustier.

"Just step into the dress and I’ll show you how it works." Sally handed the dress to Charlene.

The dress was dark blue satin. Floor length with a small train out the back. Strapless, it rode just above the cups of the bustier, leaving enough cleavage to draw unwanted attention to Charlene. Before zipping up the back, Sally showed Charlene how the two hooks just dropped into the eyes and held the dress up. With the dress hooked to the bustier, it actually sat an inch higher than Charlene thought it would and covered a bit more of her new found cleavage. Sally produced a pair of black three-inch heeled sandals and helped Charlene put them on, since she was in the dress and trying to figure out what to do with all the skirt material. Once complete, Charlene looked in the dressing room mirror.

Charlene had lost count of how many times she had been surprised by the image in the mirror today. ‘What was this? Number ten or number twelve?’ She thought as she stared at the image in the mirror.

"Pretty awesome, huh?" Sally said after letting view her image for a few moments.

Charlene shook her head back to reality. "Yes. Sometimes I look in the mirror and the me I know just isn’t there! Like now it sort of shocks me and scares me a little."

"Scares you? Why would it scare you? It’s just a game of ‘dress up’." Sally replied.

"Umm… well, I’ve never done this much ‘dress up’ until I arrived at Ms. Thompson’s. It’s all so new and different." Charlene replied, hoping her answer would satisfy Sally’s questions.

"Oh! I’ll bet you were a ‘tomboy’ then. Ms. Thompson does seem to get those once in awhile. But every one I’ve seen ends up just as girly as Joan in a month or so. Don’t worry, your jeans will still be there when you get home!" Sally said with a smile.

Charlene laughed with Sally over her jean comment. Then realized it had only been a few days since she was last in jeans.

Charlene walked to the stage and saw Joan heading off toward another changing room. Joan waved and smiled, then hurried into her area to change clothes. "Guess this clothing thing is something Jane does to everyone!" Charlene muttered to herself as she approached the edge of the stage.

Another round of turning and then a little walking back and forth and Jane dismissed Charlene to change again.

The next three hours were a whirlwind of clothing changes. Charlene had to model everything from lacy party dresses a six-year old would love to formal gowns appropriate for prom or the theater. Each had it’s own matching bra, panty and garter belt. Jane ‘Hmm’d’ and ‘Ahhh’d’ at the various outfits instructing Charlene to turn, walk, sit, twirl, all so she could see the outfit from various angles.

After showing a proper British schoolgirl uniform to Jane, Charlene returned to the changing area to find the clothes she had put on that morning on the hanger along with her original set of lingerie.

After a deep sigh of relief, Charlene changed back into the outfit she had started the day. Remembering to check her makeup and hair before leaving the changing room, she felt like another of Jane’s tests had been passed. She made it through this ordeal without anyone in the shop finding out she was really a boy under all the frills and makeup. This thought made Charlene smile as she left the changing area. She waved goodbye to Sally when she saw her gathering the last of the clothes and covering them on their hangers.

"We are over here Charlene!" Jane said from the checkout area of the store.

Charlene walked over toward Jane and Joan. She could just make out that Jane was leaving instructions for the delivery of whatever she purchased to the academy.

"Thank you so much Brenda and I’ll expect the packages delivered by five o’clock!" Jane said to Brenda Franson.

"No problem Jane. It was good to see you again. Nice to see you again too, Joan and a pleasure to meet you Charlene. I am certain you will learn a lot from Ms. Thompson. See you next time!" Brenda said her good byes and turned to go arrange for delivery of whatever Jane had bought.

Charlene didn’t give it much thought. She figured there wasn’t any mention of buying any clothes for her. She knew she had a closet full of girl clothing in her room and she was certain that she could convince Jane to allow her to return to being male after Diana left. Charlene decided that this entire afternoon was just Jane’s way of going through the clothes changing drill one more time.

Jane’s voice broke Charlene from her thoughts of freedom. "Joan, Charlene, we must hurry, Marie will have dinner ready and I do not wish to be late!" Jane headed for the car at a brisk walk.

As Jane was heading toward the car, something in a store window caught her eye. She made an abrupt change in direction and headed into another lady's boutique. This one was called ‘Simply You’.

The ‘ding-dong’ of the door chime announced their entrance and it didn’t take long for a lady about Jane’s age to greet them.

"Hello, welcome to Simply You’! How can I help you ladies today?" The lady asked.

"I’m Jane Thompson and this is Miss Joan Carlson and Miss Charlene Hawkins. I saw a summer weight coat in the window as we passed by. Is it appropriate for rainy days?"

"Yes, it is. It is a lightweight coat, they use a water repellant built into the thread so it never needs to be re-treated. My name is Betty Hanson and I am the owner of this store. It is nice to meet all of you." Betty had escorted the three of them to the rack of coats while she talked.

"We need two of them, one for each of the girls. Joan came to my school last winter and only has heavy coats. Charlene is in the middle of a wardrobe realignment and this will fill out her trousseau very nicely." Jane stated.

The next twenty minutes were spent trying on coats. Joan ended up with an off-white one while Charlene seemed destined to be in shades of rose or pink. Jane finally decided the pale pink one was her color and then a matching purse had to found to go with it! After an extensive search through the purses, a suitable one was found and they were checking out, for the third time that day.

"Thank you ladies and please stop back again." Betty said as she handed the credit card receipt to Jane.

"You seem to have quality clothing here, we most definitely will be back. Come along girls we are late."

The ride back to the academy seemed to take a lot less time than going into town had that morning. What Charlene didn’t know was that Jane always takes the more scenic route into town on a student’s first trip. It seems to soften her charges up a little more by letting them fret over their situation a little longer. In some cases it had even led to the break-through that Jane needed for them to embrace their feminine side and act completely female from that day forward. Those were far and few between, but one can only hope that the technique had served her well with Ms. Hawkins.

Arriving back at the mansion, Charlene let out a sigh of relief. Jane heard it and thought that it was a good sign. After the episode with Michael and his attempted suicide, Jane was much more careful in her observation of new students. The addition of the microphone and security camera in the bedroom had been particularly hard for her to do. She hated having to violate her student’s privacy like that but her fear of a repeat of Michael finally made the decision for her. Setting the camera to only go on when set from her study or her bedroom had been her rationalization that her students would have privacy as long as there were no problems.

Jane handed her coat to Marie on her way in the door, gave Diana a hug and then the two of them disappeared into Jane’s study, closing the door behind them. Joan headed up the steps to put away her coat and freshen up for dinner.

"Ah Cherie!" Marie said. "You look tres magnifique! You are very beautiful! Now, hurry upstairs and freshen up for dinner. It will be on the table in seventeen minutes!" Marie finished hanging Jane’s coat in the front closet and hurried back to the kitchen.

"SIGH……" A very loud audible sigh escaped Charlene’s throat. Gone all day and now back to the ‘hurry for this’ and ‘hurry for that’ routine of this… this…. Academy place! A second sigh as loud as the first escaped past Charlene’s lips as she headed for her bedroom to wash her hands and redo her lipstick for dinner.

*****

Jane and Diana entered the office after a brief moment of pleasantries in the hall. Jane had Diana close the door while she hurriedly opened the cabinet doors where she kept the security monitor.

"Pleasant day today, dear?" Diana asked in order to get Jane’s attention.

Jane was preoccupied trying to get the monitor turned on and adjusting the volume on the control console. She had forgotten Diana was even in the room. When Diana spoke, she jerked up with a start.

"Actually Charlene did quite well! She was scared about going to town, which is appropriate. Then Sandy did her marvelous job of ‘discovering’ her secret. That kept her off balance and very meek for most of the morning. Caro did a superb job on her makeup, it would never enter your mind that she was anything other than she appears. The fashion show was more like she was on auto-pilot, she went through the motions but I could see there was no joy in it for her, yet. She has not figured out that most of what she tried on will be delivered here in a few minutes. I believe she thinks this was some sort of torture exercise devised by me!" Jane responded to Diana’s query.

Art/ Diana let out a laugh. "Who said it wasn’t some sort of torture exercise?"

Jane gave Diana a dirty look, but Diana just kept laughing. Jane turned her attention back to the monitor to see Charlene’s reaction to the day’s events.

*****

Charlene walked into her bedroom, kicked off her heels and headed for the bathroom to relieve herself and ‘freshen up’ for dinner. "God, it feels good to walk flat-footed again." She continued on to the bathroom. Less than ten minutes later, Charlene emerged from the bathroom, slipped her heels back on and headed for the door. As she approached the door, there was a knock followed by Marie’s voice.

"Cherie, are you decent?" Marie asked.

"Come in Marie." Charlene responded.

The door opened and Marie entered followed by two rather large young men carrying a large box and an armload of garment bags. The look on Charlene’s face was priceless. Marie just wished she had her camera.

"Place the box on the bed and hang the bags on the bar by the closet." Marie instructed the men.

After they were finished one looked at Charlene, "Thank you for shopping at ‘The Style Shoppe’, I hope you enjoy your new wardrobe. Bye Marie, Bye Miss." He tipped his hat and motioned to his partner to leave. They left and shut the door behind them.

Charlene stood there looking from the garment bags to the box on the bed, to Marie and back again. All the time her mouth was moving like a fish out of water but no sounds were coming out.

Marie moved over to the closet door and then spoke to Charlene. "I took the liberty of removing most of the clothes from here. I knew you would need the room for your new wardrobe. There is also plenty of room in your dresser and in the vanity for your lingerie and cosmetics. I have informed Ms. Thompson that dinner will not be ready for another hour, I was not certain when you would be back, so I just put everything in the oven when you arrived home. Now you have plenty of time to put all your lovely things away properly before dinner!"

Charlene was staring at Marie like she had gone mad. "My… My new wardrobe?" she squeaked out.

"Yes, Cherie, all those lovely outfits you tried on today? They are all here including the lingerie. If you like I’ll be back in few minutes to help you hang up everything, I would like to see what you bought today! I must check on dinner before I come back, why don’t you start putting your new lingerie away while I am gone?" Marie touched Charlene on the shoulder as if to nudge her toward the large pink box on her bed. When Charlene finally started to move towards it, Marie left the room and headed for Jane’s study.

*****

Jane and Diana watched the arrival of Charlene’s new wardrobe on the security monitor. Charlene didn’t seem depressed, just very surprised when the two men delivered all the clothes.

"Didn’t you tell her you were buying a new wardrobe?" Diana asked.

"I told her what I tell every new student! We have appointments so you have to hurry up. Most of the time when you go shopping, I would think that most males assume you buy something. I imagine Charlene figured this was just one more of my little tortures before I relented and let her back into ‘boys’ clothing." Jane replied.

"Well, she definitely didn’t expect all those clothes, that’s for sure" commented Diana.

"I noticed. This is still a game of dress-up to her. We will have to find some other way to tear down her brutish bravado." Jane said thoughtfully.

Marie entered the room to see Charlene sitting on the edge of the bed not certain if she should touch the box on her bed or not. One would think it would bite her if she touched it!

*****

Charlene sat on the edge of the box looking at it for a few moments. "What am I going to do? If all this is for me there is no way Ms. Thompson is going to let me go back to being Charlie any time soon." She said as she looked at the large pink box. "I wonder if all the lingerie is in there. What a silly question, of course it is! You know Jane Thompson wouldn’t do things half way. If anything, there are extra pieces of lingerie in there!"

Charlene sat for another couple of minutes mulling her situation over in her head. She finally decided she better start to put things away before Marie came back to help her. She knew Marie would ‘oohh and aahh’ over each delicate piece before folding it carefully and placing it in it’s appropriate drawer.

Charlene finally stood and opened the box. Every piece of lingerie was carefully wrapped in pink tissue paper. Another deep sigh and Charlene picked up the first wrapped piece to see what it was.

After unwrapping four or five items, she knew every piece of lingerie she had tried on was in the box. It was devastating! She had figured today was just a show to put her through her paces and keep her scared. She had been very nervous except for that Sandy woman, who really did scare her. Now it seemed as if Charlene was here to stay for a very long time! That caused Charlene to shed a few tears. This time they weren’t tears of frustration or ‘crocodile’ tears. These were tears of regret. Regret for all the things she had done that sent her to this place in the first place.

"How could I have been so stupid! Why did I have to fight at school? Why did I have to steal when I was visiting my Aunt and Uncle? Why was I a bully all those years…" Charlene wailed as she sat down on her vanity stool and cried. She cried for a good five minutes and finally looked in the vanity mirror, there sat a girl with streaked makeup. It was easy to see she had been crying. The black streaks down her cheeks gave it away. The redness of her eyes showed deep, deep sorrow. If Charlie saw a girl in that state, he would have asked what could possibly have happened that was so-o-o terrible. The only problem was Charlene knew what was so terrible. Charlie! Charlie was the one that got her into this mess. Charlie was the one that caused all the trouble, all the stealing and all the years of being a bully. Charlie did it all. Charlene grew very angry at herself and finally out of frustration and not being able to blame anyone else, she threw the pink thong in her hand at the mirror. Then she broke down into another round of tears.

*****

"I believe that is my cue to return to Charlene’s room." Marie said as she headed for the door. "Dinner will be a little delayed, I have set the oven to keep it warm, it will be fine." With that last comment Marie closed the door and headed for Charlene’s bedroom.

A long deep sigh came from Diana’s direction. "What?" Jane asked with her eyebrow raised.

"Janey my love, if you only realized how effective your technique for shattering the male ego was! Charlene is not in jeopardy of killing herself. I know you have seen that too. This is not a repeat of Michael!" Diana said. The nodding of Jane’s head showed she had heard him. Diana continued. "What you have done is make him or her realize that this is not a game. There is no other choice now, but to bow to whatever you demand. I believe you are seeing the first true remorse that Charlie has ever felt for the things he has done."

"Charlene! We must remember to always use her name, not his. I believe you are correct, this child is right where she should be in the grand scheme of things. Today is designed to break down any leftover male bravado and make her realize there is only one way out of skirts and that is through me. I believe this trip accomplished that very well." Jane said to Diana.

"I’ll stay tonight and share the watch with you. I know how you fret over your young ones." Diana said in Art’s voice.

Jane looked up from the monitor. A small smile crossed her lips. "If only it were so easy for Charlene to change her orientation to life!" She returned to watch the crying figure on the monitor.

*****

Marie entered the bedroom singing to herself. You wouldn’t think she had a care in the world as she closed the door and turned to look at the despondent Charlene.

Marie was always the mother hen or the friendly aunt to the boys that arrived here. This one would be no different. Marie’s smile changed to an expression of concern as she hurried toward Charlene.

Charlene had heard the door open and close between her sobs. She looked up just in time to see Marie’s smile change. This made her sob again, knowing that Marie was on her way to comfort her.

"Cherie! What is the problem? Are you alright?" Marie sat on the bed next to Charlene. She wrapped an arm around Charlene’s shoulder and sang a soft French lullaby into Charlene’s ear. This caused the floodgates to open and Charlene started hiccup-sobbing all over again.

After a few minutes, Charlene’s crying settled down and she sat up from her position, snuggled into Marie’s arm. Marie handed her a tissue, which Charlene used to wipe away some tears and blow her nose. Then she looked at Marie with the expression of a lost puppy on her face.

"Tell me what is causing such a sorrowful look on your face little one. I can not believe anything can be so terrible as to cause you such pain. You should unburden it to me and I know you will feel better. I promise!" Marie said to Charlene after she had dried her eyes a second time.

Charlene looked like she would cry again after Marie spoke but decided she probably could tell someone what was on her mind. In a flood of emotion, Charlene told Marie about always being the small one in school. She was always picked on by the other children and getting into all kinds of fights. How becoming the school bully and terrorizing all the other kids helped her seek revenge on weaker children. She told about visiting her relatives and being caught stealing. Charlene finally told Marie about how maybe Ms. Thompson was right. Maybe Charlie was such a bad person that the only way to save her soul and make a decent life was to get rid of him and only let Charlene emerge as the controlling factor in her life. All of this came out in a rush of words and when it all ended, Charlene started crying again and buried her head into Marie’s shoulder.

Marie stroked Charlene’s shoulder and held her for a few moments. After the crying started to subside once more she handed Charlene another tissue and waited for her to compose herself.

"You need to talk to Ms. Thompson after dinner. Her area of specialty is psychology and she is very good at helping young people find out who they really are. Right now, when you look in the mirror you only see Charlene. That is how it is supposed to be to comply with Ms. Thompson’s demands. I assure you that as Ms. Thompson promised, it will not always be so. She has never broken a promise yet that I am aware of and I have worked for her for many years!" Marie told Charlene while she helped her wipe away her tears.

"Okay." Came out of Charlene in such a small voice that even Marie barely heard it.

"Now! We need to put away all your lovely things and we need to hurry! Otherwise dinner will be ruined!" Marie stood up and dragged Charlene with her. The two of them managed to put away all the lingerie and as Charlene surmised, Marie had to ‘ooh and ah’ over each piece before tenderly folding it and placing it in it’s appropriate drawer.

The hanging bags went a little faster as Marie only had Charlene hold up four or five of the outfits to show her how they would look. In less than fifteen minutes Charlene’s complete new wardrobe had been put away.

"Cherie. You have about fifteen more minutes until we eat! I would suggest you try to repair your makeup. Crying has totally ruined your face!" Marie said as she headed for the door.

"Thank you, Marie. I’ll be down as soon as I can fix this mess!" Charlene replied with a small smile. She watched Marie leave and then turned toward the vanity with all her new cosmetics. Looking in the mirror, she mumbled "This could take a little time!"

After completing her makeup repair, Charlene hurried downstairs for dinner. She arrived at the bottom of the steps just as Jane and Diana were leaving Jane’s study.

"Good evening Ms. Phillips, Ms. Thompson. Are you headed for the dining room?" Charlene asked in as polite a voice as she could muster.

"Good evening Charlene. You look lovely this evening." Diana replied

The trio continued to the dining room where Joan was waiting for their arrival. After everyone was seated, Marie served her usual fantastic dinner.

Dinner became a review of the day for the benefit of Diana and Marie. Charlene was quizzed over her choice of hairstyle and the fact that she had extensions added and then the blonde hair color, which brought out the blue of her eyes so well. This line of questioning kept a rosy glow on Charlene’s cheeks since she wasn’t used to getting such compliments. Charlene was also asked about the clothes that appeared after they arrived home. Joan had similar questions but Charlene received the lion’s share of inquiries.

Jane remained fairly quiet during dinner. Diana asked all the questions and Jane only added commentary on which outfit looked particularly good on either of the girls and how Charlene’s new hair length and color was absolutely perfect for her facial shape and skin tone.

Charlene was just starting to eat a wonderful fruit and chocolate parfait when Diana asked. "Charlene. You don’t seem particularly happy with today’s outing. I would think a young girl, such as yourself, would be bubbling over at the prospect of a complete makeover and wardrobe."

Charlene stopped mid bite, carefully finished what was in her mouth and then replied. "I wasn’t prepared for all the changes that happened today. Adding the extensions and the change in hair color was… a surprise! The complete new wardrobe was totally unexpected. My closet was rather full this morning and I didn’t expect to buy much of anything to add to it."

Jane nodded her approval. Diana continued to probe.

"Your salon visit was a surprise? I would have thought Jane would have instructed you on the proper presentation for a young lady. A salon visit to create ‘A New You’ so to speak, would be very appropriate!"

Charlene blushed a little at the remark of her becoming a ‘proper’ young lady. All things considered, it seemed Diana had no idea Charlene wasn’t really a Charlene. She thought how to reply and stay in character.

"Ms. Thompson has worked very hard at getting me to understand the finer points of becoming a woman. I guess I just didn’t think I was ready for such a drastic makeover in both my hair and wardrobe. But I must be ready or I am sure Ms. Thompson would not have taken me on this day long trip." Charlene replied.

Jane spoke for the first time during this conversation between Diana and Charlene. "You did very well today. I only noticed one or two mistakes in you behaviors. They were minor, however we will work on them over your time here so that they do not recur. Marie! I must compliment you on making such a wonderful meal when we were not here at our appointed time. One of the other things we will work on is making certain we are on time from now on."

Jane wiped her mouth, set down her napkin and rose to leave. She turned to Charlene and Joan. "The rest of the evening is yours to do as you see fit. Ms. Phillips and I will be visiting for the evening and will retire at nine-thirty. She is leaving tomorrow and I am certain she will need some sleep before the morning. If you need anything, just find Marie." Jane turned and headed out the dining room door.

Before she exited, Diana spoke. "Jane, dear? I would like to see what this new wardrobe looks like that you bought for Charlene. I don’t believe she needs to put on a fashion show, although that would be very nice. I just would like her to show me what the outfits look like. Maybe hold them in front of her so I can get an idea of what they look like on her. It won’t take long, I’ll meet you in the parlor when we are through. Is that alright with you, Charlene?"

Charlene looked at Joan for help. She gave Charlene a little nod and took a quick look at Jane. Charlene looked at Jane, who also nodded her head. There seemed little choice. Charlene would put on a fashion show for Ms. Phillips.

"That would be fine, as long as I am not stopping you from visiting with Ms. Thompson." Charlene replied hoping Diana would take the easy way and decide to visit with Jane instead.

"Wonderful! I haven’t had a chance to look over a completely new wardrobe in a long time. It will be fun, you’ll see!" Diana said with the biggest grin on her face. She rose to follow Jane out the door. "Oh! Who’s turn is it to help Marie tonight?"

"Mine." Joan stated. "Charlene helped last night and we were in a hurry this morning so it’s my turn to help Marie."

"Oh good! I’ll just ‘powder my nose’ and meet you at the top of the stairway, Charlene. Have a good evening, Joan. See you in a minute Charlene!" Diana smiled and waved as she left the dining room.

Charlene let out a deep sigh and visibly slumped in her chair after Diana left the room.

"What are you thinking, Charlene?" Joan asked from across the table.

"More clothing changes! Why couldn’t she just go talk to Jane for the evening and leave me alone?" Charlene let out another sigh and shook her head.

"It might not be too bad. Want me to come with? I might be enough of a distraction that she won’t ask you to try anything on!" Joan said with a smile. Inside, Joan knew exactly what Charlene was going through. On her first trip to town, Diana Phillips wasn’t there but Darla insisted that the two of them parade around like fashion models for Marie. That was almost worse than trying the clothes on in the first place! Marie oooed and aahhed about how lovely the items looked on her. It was very embarrassing.

"That would be nice. If she does insist I try on some of the clothes, I’ll need some help with a couple of the dresses. My arms just don’t twist that way!" Charlene replied as she rose from the table and started clearing her place. Having to show Ms. Phillips her new wardrobe had taken away her appetite.

Charlene placed her dishes in the kitchen and then headed for her room. She knew Diana wouldn’t take too long to powder her nose and she didn’t want her just standing around in the hallway waiting. Charlene couldn’t imagine what type of punishment Jane would think up if she found out she had kept Diana waiting. As Charlene neared the top of the stairs, she heard Diana’s voice behind her.

"Ah! I see you are already on your way to your room! That is wonderful! I can’t wait to see what lovely things you picked out today!" Diana exclaimed as she made her way up the stairs. She ushered Charlene into her room and sat on her vanity stool. "I’ll just sit here. Now show me every piece of clothing you bought today! I want to see it all!" Diana smiled and the enthusiasm in her voice made Charlene feel she was genuinely interested in the clothes and not in trying to embarrass her.

The next hour was spent carefully taking each piece of clothing out and showing it to Diana. Sometime during the showing of the lingerie, Joan entered the room and took a seat on Charlene’s bed. Charlene had smiled at her when she noticed she was there.

Diana praised each item as more beautiful and feminine than the previous one. Charlene thought it was a little overkill, but the lingerie was very nice and all made of silk, satin and lace. Not a cotton panty to be found! Showing the outfits was actually a little easier. All Diana wanted was for Charlene to hold up the dress or top and skirt in front of her so Diana could get an idea of how they would look.

This made Charlene happy since she didn’t have to change clothes every five minutes. Eventually she ran out of clothing that had been purchased that day. When she told Diana that was the last outfit, she seemed disappointed.

"That was such fun! I should have come along today, but my schedule has been so hectic, I thought the rest would do me some good. I use this place as a get-away from my everyday life. Jane has such nice taste and she is always instructing young girls, such as yourselves, in the finer things in life. It is like a vacation from the hustle and bustle of the real world to visit for a few days." Diana let out a sigh. "I’ll be leaving after breakfast tomorrow so I’d better get back to Jane or she’ll think you kidnapped me! Charlene, thank you for such an enjoyable time! I always enjoy the company of younger women. It is so invigorating! Joan, it was nice of you to come and offer moral support for your friend. I’ll see both of you in the morning. Good night!" With that comment Diana got up and left Charlene’s room, closing the door behind her.

Joan and Charlene looked at each other. Joan started to smile and finally started to giggle. Charlene looked at her new friend and started to giggle too.

"I don’t think she knows I’m a boy!" Charlene told Joan.

That comment made Joan laugh out loud. If only Joan could tell Charlene what she found so funny about that comment!

*****

"Janie, I don’t think you have to worry about this one being another Michael! I don’t believe he is a Caitlyn either! So tonight we should be able to enjoy ourselves before I leave to go back and teach young people to be good psychotherapists!" Art said to Jane as he removed his wig and placed it on it’s wig form.

"I’ll agree that at the moment Charlene does appear to be coming along nicely. She has followed the plan almost perfectly! I think after Michael, Kenneth and Caitlyn I am just being overly cautious at this stage of the game. I know my technique works! It has helped many boys and a few girls become proud well respected people in our society!" Jane replied with emphasis. She walked over to the vanity where Diana was disappearing and Art was returning. "You need to hurry up, dear! I really do want my husband here… all night long" she whispered the last three words in Art’s ear.

*****

"Some evening to myself!" Charlene muttered under her breath as she scanned the late edition of the newspaper. "Spend all day in a salon, then act as a human ‘Barbie’ doll and all evening making nice to some lady friend of Jane’s!" Charlene let out a big sigh. "I’ll never get that assignment done on time! Jane will probably make me rewrite that term paper on time again just for torture!" Charlene giggled a little at that thought. She thought of all the kids she knew at home that would die if they had to write that length of a term paper. After reading a few of the main articles and couple of the business section articles, Charlene took the paper over to Joan’s room and knocked on her door.

"Just a moment!" Joan said from behind the door. It took Joan about three minutes before she opened the door, she had just showered and had on a robe and her hair in a turban.

"You washed your hair? I was told not to wash mine for at least two days!" Charlene exclaimed when she saw the turban on Joan’s head.

"That’s because you had a perm done today! I just had a trim and set. I won’t get a perm for another three or four weeks. What’s up?" Joan asked.

"Oh! I… I brought the paper over for you. Some evening to ourselves, huh?" Charlene asked Joan.

"Yea! I sort of figured it would go like that. When I got my new wardrobe, Darla Ann was here and she wanted to put on a complete fashion show for Marie! I was so sick of changing clothes after that day." Joan shook her head.

"You went through this too? What happened to all your clothes? I mean the ones you brought with." Charlene asked, surprised that a girl as pretty and well dressed as Joan wouldn’t have this type of wardrobe at home.

"Umm… Well… I was a bit of a tomboy when I showed up here. You know, jeans and tee-shirts kind of stuff. The first day, Marie took all my clothes and packed them away. I was told that when I learned to be a perfect young lady, they would be returned to me." Joan replied, not certain how much to tell Charlene.

"They did the same to me! Only I was told I had to wear only girl’s clothes in order to stay." Charlene paused in thought for a moment. "Maybe she did that to you as sort of a force you to learn to be a lady thing. You know, like ‘No pants until you learn to be a lady!’ like a carrot dangling in front of a donkey. That would make sense." Charlene replied.

"Well, I didn’t like it any more than you did! I mean I did bring my own clothes. But since I’ve been here I’ve gotten used to all this super feminine stuff and it isn’t so bad!" Joan replied with a smile. "If she’d just give us a little more time than the bare minimum to get ready for things, it would be a lot easier."

Charlene nodded her head along with her friend. The two of them commiserating about the injustice of Jane’s teaching techniques.

"I’d better go take a shower or Marie will be up here insisting I shower with her in the room! Goodnight Joan." Charlene said as she turned to head back to her own room.

"Goodnight, Charlene. I’ll see you at breakfast!" Joan replied and then shut her bedroom door.