by Angharad
Jack @ the Greenstalk.
By Angharad.
Author’s Note. I wrote this a while ago for a certain young person who enjoys my stories. It could stop here or it could run to another episode (but no more). Comments from readers would be appreciated. After the mayhem of Falling Off A Bike, this is a gentle tale.
“Where’s your case?”
“Erm, upstairs.”
“Well go and get it then.”
“Erm, okay.” Jack bounded up the stairs to his room and picked up his bag and struggled to take it down to the hallway where all the others were waiting.
“Is that it?”
“Erm, no, I have my back pack too.”
“Jack, use that lovely head of yours for more than wearing hats, will you. Go and get it, and hurry.”
He moved his bag out of the way, into the lounge doorway, then, once more he bounded up the steps and collected his back pack, a blue nylon bag with shoulder straps. He also picked up his baseball cap, which he pulled on with difficulty over his unruly mass of auburn hair.
He’d had a difficult time of late, his cystic fibrosis had been playing up after he’d got a cold and it had turned into pneumonia. He’d spent two weeks in hospital and another month at home taking foul tasting medicines and having physiotherapy to help him breathe. It had cleared loads of gunge off his lungs and his breathing was almost normal again, but his mum felt a short holiday in the sun would boost both of them. Thus they were going off to some island in the Mediterranean, at least he thought it was the Med, maybe it was the Caribbean. At twelve years old, going anywhere but school was an adventure.
His mother looked at her son, he was small for his age as kids with CF often are. Apart from their lungs being a problem, they also often had problems with their alimentary systems, meaning they didn’t develop as quickly or as big as healthy children. So he looked much younger than he was, and more delicate than he was, at least when he was well, he was as boisterous as any other boy.
They boarded the waiting taxi after Sally set the alarms and locked up the house. The dog was in kennels for two weeks and the cat would be fed by their neighbour — she spent half her life there anyway, showing the usual gratitude cats have for human generosity, by totally ignoring them.
Although, Tuppence, as the cat was called, was never far from Jack when the boy was ill, which was a great comfort to him, Snowy, the black Labrador, was similarly bonded with the boy although he wasn’t allowed in the bedrooms.
Jack’s father, John, worked in the petro-chemical industry as a geologist, so he spent long periods away from home. Currently he was in the wilds of Alaska, and whilst his job brought economic comfort to the family, it meant his son was a relative stranger.
In truth, when it was realised that Jack had CF, John had gone off on a drunken bender unable to believe that a son of his was anything but perfect. It had also created difficulties with Sally and although they stayed married, the relationship was far from happy. Hence John Parrish, found work which minimised his contact with both his wife and sickly son. From a distance, in a desert or frozen wasteland, or even a platform in some murky ocean, he got on fine with his family.
Jack idolised his absent father, which was encouraged by Sally, who despite her own issues with John, felt every boy should at least have some respect for his father. John sent them the odd email, sometimes with photos, especially when Sally told him how Jack pored over each one sometimes for hours on end. Then just in case they were lost, he’d print each one off and stick it in his scrap books, he had a box full of them.
Sally was pleased that Jack had stopped asking where his dad was, accepting her answers of, ‘his work is so important to the country,’ or ‘the government asked him to stay and help,’ or the old standby, ‘the weather is so bad, the planes can’t land or the boats can’t sail.’
In the taxi and airport bound, Sally cuddled with her son, both were excited by the prospect of two weeks of sun and fun. The airport was as boring as usual and the security checks and baggage checks were ever tedious, but they smiled throughout, knowing they’d soon be forgotten as the holiday progressed.
Jack amused himself with his book, he was reading Robinson Crusoe, and he half wished they were sailing so he could get shipwrecked and look after his mum. However, he wasn’t sure he wanted to kill and skin goats like the hero of his book, nor did he really want to fight pirates. He liked pirates, especially ones as nice as his hero Jack Sparrow, in the recent film he’d seen. He was a Jack too and relatively small against most of the other men.
After a long flight, where all people did was eat or sleep, they finally arrived in the Caribbean, and Paradise Island. A bus whisked them off to their hotel, ‘The Greenstalk,’ and when they got there, the first problem was discovered.
Jack had his back pack, it was his hand luggage on the plane but that was all. Somehow his luggage didn’t arrive with his mother’s. She was furious and spent most of the afternoon on the hotel phone talking to the airline.
Knowing Jack was a responsible kid, she gave him some money and told him to get a pair of shorts and tee shirt. She ruffled his long shaggy hair and told him he needed a hair cut or she’d put it in pig tails. He poked out his tongue and pulled on his cap and went off to the row of shops they’d seen when they arrived.
He trotted off to the shops, feeling hot in his jeans and hoodie; shorts and tee shirt were bound to be cooler. However, by the time he’d got to the last of the outlets selling clothes he was feeling very hot and bothered. All the stuff that would fit him was either very young in style or very girlish. He didn’t really want a Tellytubbies tee nor a Care Bears one.
In the end he settled for a pink one which had some lace around the neck and sleeves, and a matching pair of shorts with patch pockets, sadly surrounded with lace. The shorts also had quite wide legs and no fly, so he thought he’d have to improvise when he went to the loo, pull the leg up or whatever.
He ignored the confused looks he got from the salesgirl, he’d held them up against himself, instead of trying them on. He’d also not seemed too interested in the free pair of socks that they gave with the shorts, but she’d popped them in the bag anyway. He trotted back to the hotel and his harassed mother.
“Hi kiddo, did you manage to find something?”
“There was only one outfit that would fit me.”
“Well let’s see then, did you try them on?”
“No, I thought I’d better get back.”
“Okay lovely boy, lets see them, oh they’re a bit pink.”
“I told you, it was the only one in my size.”
“Come on put them on and let’s see, they have got to be cooler than jeans.”
Turning his back he pulled off his trainers and then disrobed. He pulled up the shorts which didn’t sit very well with his boxers. So he took them off and pulled on the shorts again. They fit better than he thought, although they were kind of girlish, and he’d have to pull them down to pee.
As he pulled on the tee shirt, Sally had to fight the smirk that was trying to cover her face. He’d bought girl’s stuff, and with his hair as it was, he looked like a prepubescent girl.
“Whaddya think?” he asked turning to face her.
“Was that all they had?”
“This or the Care Bears.” He blushed. “It’s a bit girly isn’t it?”
“A bit,” echoed his mother.
“Oh sh…ugar,” he corrected himself as his mother frowned then smiled at him.
“I did say you needed a hair cut.”
“What?”
“Well, with that outfit you do look a bit like a girl,” she thought, ‘actually a lot like a girl.’
“Oh bum.”
“Well put the socks on.”
“But they have frills on them.”
Sally shook her head, ‘as if the shorts and tee shirt don’t?’ “Your feet will rub in your trainers if you don’t, and it’s hardly as if the rest looks exactly butch anyway.”
“Oh bum.” He sat on the bed and pulled on the socks which were short and had a matching frill of lace around the top, in keeping with the shorts and tee shirt. He scuffed his trainers back on, they were comfortable but looked stupid.
“Come on, let’s go and get some dinner.”
“What, I can’t go out like this.”
“Why not?”
“Because I look like a girl.”
“So, does anyone know you?”
“No, but I’m a boy.”
“As your mother, that fact had been noted some time ago. However, I didn’t buy the outfit, you did.”
“But Mum, I can’t.”
“Jack stop whining, you sound as girly as you look. At least with your long hair you look like a girl, so we shouldn’t have too much trouble with you passing as one for one night.”
“No way.”
“Jack, I’ve had a hard day and I am hungry. Now you either come out with me as you are and we get something to eat and maybe find another shop where we can get you some more suitable clothes, or you go to bed without any dinner.”
“Why can’t you bring some back for me?”
“Because I don’t want a room smelling of food all night, and besides, I don’t see what the problem is.”
“You don’t look like a girl.” He looked at his mother and her startled expression. “I mean you do look like a girl, but you’re supposed to, I’m not. I’m supposed to be a boy.”
“So what difference does that mean in going out for some food apart from using the ladies loo if the need arises.”
“I can’t do that!”
“Well you’d better go now then, because in two minutes, we are going to dinner, and I mean, we.”
The thought that he could lock himself in the bathroom for two weeks seemed attractive until his tummy started to rumble, and he felt quite hungry. He surrendered, determined never to wear this outfit again. In fact as soon as they got back, he was going to rip it to shreds, thus guaranteeing he wouldn’t wear it.
The evening was humid and part of him was quite glad he’d worn the cooler clothing. He blushed when the waiter addressed him as ‘Miss’, but he didn’t burst into flames, so he just accepted it. It was easier than saying he was a boy with a strange dress sense.
The meal was nice and Sally insisted he come to the loo when she went. He decided acquiescence was easier than refusal, and he was pleasantly surprised that ladies toilets were probably nicer than men’s.
They found a nearby shopping mall, but not many shops were still open, so Sally was only able to get a similar outfit in white, which looked a little less feminine and she bought him some white panties to wear under the shorts. Finally, when he was looking at some comics, she grabbed a thin cotton nightdress for him, so at least he’d have something to wear in bed for a night or two. Maybe the airline would have located his bag by then.
He protested at the nightdress, but gave in when she told him the alternative was to sleep nude. He was a little self conscious of his naked body in front of his mother and opted for the cover she offered. Once he got used to something loose around him he decided it was actually comfortable, though he would never admit it, especially to his mother.
The next morning, Sally was getting ready for breakfast when she looked around he was dressed in the pink outfit again, pulling on the socks. She decided to say nothing, saving her breath for the argument with the airline.
She ran through her memory of leaving the house, the taxi driver had a bag, she had her second bag, and Jack had his backpack. “Jack, do you remember bringing your bag from the house?”
“Erm,” he blushed.
“Because I don’t. I had my bag plus the one with the towels and stuff and your clothes were in your bag. You brought your sack with you, but not your bag. I only remember taking two bags through the check in.” She paused looking at him, “You left it at home didn’t you?”
“Erm,” he shrugged and the blush intensified.
“Well you have two sets of clothes, you’ll have to make do with those for the next fortnight.”
“What? Dress like a girl?”
“Why should I spend any more on you, you’ll never wear them again, it would be a waste of money. You have two sets plus half a dozen pairs of panties, that should do you unless we have some sort of accident.”
“What about swimming?”
“I’ll get you a swimming cozzie and some more sandals, but if you want anything else, you can jolly well pay for it yourself.”
“My money was in my bag.”
“What?”
“The hundred dollars Dad sent me, it’s in my bag at home.”
Sally shook her head. “Well maybe it will teach you not to be so dopey. You’re twelve years old not six. How about acting it, not your shoe size?”
He stood hanging his head in shame, “I’m sorry,” he said with some tears running down his face.
“Oh Jack, don’t cry. Here, dry your tears.” She handed him a tissue and hugged him. “Come on, lets get some breakfast.”
“They went down to the hotel’s capacious dining room and settled down at a table with cereal and fruit juice.”
They were just about to leave the table when a girl about the same size as Jack turned into him, covering him with cereal, milk and fruit juice. Her mother was coming just behind her.
“Zoe, why didn’t you look where you were going, that little girl’s clothes are ruined.” She put her tray down and rushed to help, grabbing a handful of serviettes to try and wipe off the debris.
“I’m so sorry, um ….”
“Jack,” said Jack.
“Sorry Jacqui, I hope you have some spare clothes upstairs.”
“Not really, I left my case behind.”
“You left your clothes at home? She didn’t did she?” The remark was aimed at Sally.
“We think so or the airline lost them.”
“Oh my dear, you must borrow some of Zoe’s, she has far too many anyway. What room are you?”
“472,” said Sally glancing at the key fob.
“Were just opposite, we’ll pop over after breakfast if that’s okay?”
“I suppose so,” said Sally not wishing to seem ungrateful.
They grabbed some fruit and went back up to their room. Sally made Jack put his nightie back on and washed out the soiled garments in the washbasin. Jack sat on his bed and read some more of his book.
About half an hour later, there was a knock at the door. “I’ve put several things in here, have a try if they don’t fit or Jacqui doesn’t like them, just drop them over at 475.”
“It’s very kind of you, but I’ll just buy her a couple of outfits,” protested Sally.
“No, you take them, we have another two bags of her clothes yet, she won’t use half of it.”
“Thank you very much.”
With that Zoe’s mother disappeared back to her own room leaving Sally standing with a holdall full of girl’s clothes.
“I’m not wearing that.” Jack flounced around in his nightdress as Sally pulled out a yellow sundress.
She laid it on the bed, next was a pink dress with short sleeves. Two training bras, some blue shorts, a blue top, a denim skirt and a blouse, plus a red bikini and some red jelly sandals.
Sally checked the sizes, they were about the same as Jack’s current wear. “Just try them on.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“They are girl’s.”
“So were the ones you were wearing.”
“That was an accident.”
“Why, colour blind are you? Pink lacy stuff, what all macho men wear is it?”
“It was all they had.”
“So is this, all we have. It wouldn’t be if you hadn’t left your bag behind. So come on just try it on.”
“If I do, I’m not going to wear it out.”
“That’s your prerogative.”
He tried it all on and it all fitted him reasonably well. Even the bikini looked the right size. The jelly shoes could have been bought for him and he agreed they were comfortable, although he had no intention of wearing them.
Sally handed him a towel, “Come on, let’s go down and try out the pool.”
“What?” He blanched, his pale creamy skin looking even paler against the red bikini.
Stand there a minute, she went to her bag for a moment, then came back brandishing a hair brush and something red in her other hand. She proceeded to brush his hair into a central parting and tied the two halves with red scrunchies into two pigtails.
“Right let’s go, she grabbed her large frail and his hand.
“What if someone notices?”
“Notices what, some scrawny girl in a red bikini?”
“Are you enjoying being beastly to me?”
“How am I being beastly?”
“Making me dress as a girl.”
“Whose fault is that?”
“You said you’d buy me some new swimming trunks.”
“I said I’d buy you a new cozzie, we’ll do that this afternoon, if you behave yourself.”
“I feel so stupid.”
“Let’s go and have a swim, if things still feel awkward we’ll go shopping after lunch, okay?”
“All right,” he shrugged, what would it matter for two hours or so. The bikini top felt strange but otherwise it was comfortable and the ruffles on the front hid any tell tale bulge.
They met Zoe and her mother at the pool and the two kids swam and chatted, while their mothers sat and sunbathed and talked.
“How old is Jacqui?”
“Twelve but she has CF so is small for her age.”
“My Zoe is eleven next week. Did the clothes fit?”
“They did, thank you. Can I give you something for them?”
“No, certainly not, she won’t miss them. She has so many, it’ll make some room in her wardrobe.”
“I had managed to buy a couple of things yesterday, but we haven’t really been out yet, thought we might go this afternoon.”
“Be careful where you buy stuff, some of it is a real rip off.”
“Yes, I will. I’m not going to buy much, I can wash it overnight and if it wears out so what.”
“Exactly. Zoe, do you girls want an ice cream?”
“Sue gave Zoe a five dollar bill to get themselves a drink or an ice cream from the shop just behind them.”
They reappeared a few minutes later licking pink and white cones. A hour after that they had their lunches out by the pool and when Sue mentioned Sally and Jacqui were going shopping, Zoe wanted to go too.
The two mums agreed and Jack gave his mother a bit of a look, but seemed otherwise okay.
“Let’s go as twins, wear the yellow sundress Jacqui and I’ll wear a green one that’s the same style.”
“I was going to wear shorts,” said the beleaguered boy.
“Oh go on, lets pretend we’re sisters, it’ll be great fun.”
Jack was a bit overwhelmed by Zoe’s enthusiasm and gave in, it seemed easier than trying to resist.
Back in their rooms, he said to his mother, “Am I doing the right thing?”
“That’s for you to decide, I know you are going to make one little girl very happy but that shouldn’t be at your expense. If you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to.”
“They think I’m a girl.”
“Yes, in that pink outfit you did look rather girly.”
“It won’t kill me will it, and you won’t tell Daddy about it will you?”
“Not unless you want me to.”
“I don’t.”
“I won’t then.”
He slipped off the bikini and showered. Sally did his hair for him, giving him a high ponytail, which suited him well. She also rubbed sun screen on his arms and shoulders after he donned the sundress.
The dress was yellow, with thin shoulder straps and a ruched bodice. It clung to his skinny body emphasising his thinness.
“Gosh Jacqui, you look as thin as a super model.”
“Can’t help it, I don’t put on weight.”
“Lucky you,” said Sue.
“Let me paint your nails, then we’ll be more matching,” said Zoe showing her painted fingers and toes.
Resignedly, Jack allowed her to paint all his finger nails and then his toe nails, assuming his mother had some remover. Finally, he had to agree to having some pink lip gloss.
Zoe generously produced a spare pair of sun glasses for him to use, although she only had one little handbag with her, so made Sally promise to buy him one. Sally grinned as she nodded.
“But why didn’t you bring a little bag with you.”
“All that stuff was in my big bag and we forgot it.”
“Oh, so you’ll have to buy one.”
“Why, I can do without it, I have my backpack.”
“Ugh! That’s like a boy’s one.”
“I’ll buy you a little bag Jack,” said Sally.
“Jack makes you sound like a boy,” teased Zoe.
“So.”
“But it’s obvious you’re a girl.”
“It is?”
“Well yes, boys don’t wear dresses.”
“Maybe I do.”
She looked at him questioningly for a moment then began to laugh. “Don’t be silly, I can tell the difference between boys and girls, and you are not a boy.” This judgement did wonders for Jack’s ego, like knocking it down a flight of stairs!
Sally watched intently as the two kids chatted, she noticed how Jack didn’t claim to be a girl nor did he agree when Zoe told him he was, he just let it ride. So technically, he hadn’t told any lies, just not confirmed or corrected wrongful assumptions.
“Come on girls, let’s do what girls do best — shopping!” Zoe and her mum high fived, whilst Jack shrugged his shoulders.
They took a taxi to the town centre and Zoe insisted they get Jack a small handbag. Eventually, one he picked up met with her approval and also matched his red jelly sandals. Sally paid for it, and also a small purse. She gave him twenty dollars and told him that was his pocket money. He thanked her and put the purse in his new bag. It was a drawstring type and meant he had to put the rather short strap around his wrist, to say he felt self conscious was an understatement, but no one seemed to pay him any attention.
Sally whispered that he needed to show more enthusiasm looking at girl’s clothes and things or Zoe was going to smell a rat. He was actually totally fed up, but began to role play and copied Zoe. He held up several dresses in front of himself and when Zoe went to try some on, Sally told him to do the same. They had adjoining changing cubicles, and he was rather shy about showing anyone what he looked like. Sally made him open the door and seeing he looked fine made him show the others.
Two of the dresses he modelled were really nice, a blue and white one and a red sundress. Sally asked him to choose which one he liked best. Embarrassed he chose the red one because it matched his jelly shoes, so Sally gave him the money and told him to go and pay for it. Sue took the other dress and buying one for Zoe, also bought the blue one for Jack. When she gave it to him, he was even more embarrassed.
“A girl can’t have too many dresses, Jacqui.” She said, and taking a cue from his mother, he gave Sue a hug and kissed her on the cheek, to thank her. “I suspect you might have been a bit of a tomboy until recently,” she said smiling.
“Erm, you could say that,” he blushed.
“Well now the girl bug has struck, enjoy it!” they all laughed including Jack, although he and Sally had a different interpretation on what had just been said. In their minds, the ‘girl bug’ had a name, it was called Zoe!
After dinner they relaxed in their room and Jack spoke with his mother. “I quite like Zoe and Sue, but I hope they aren’t going to be with us all our holiday.”
“They fly home at the weekend. So we’ll be able to have some mother and daughter time together.” Sally said this almost tongue in cheek, but she wanted to see his reaction.
“Okay, I’d like that.”
She nearly fell off her seat. “Did you hear what I said?”
“Yeah, like just you an’ me.”
“I said mother and daughter.”
“Yeah, like so what?”
“So you have no objections to it?”
“Like, what’s the point? You’ve as good as told me it’s my own fault and now everyone thinks I’m a girl anyway, I like, can hardly suddenly turn up as a boy.”
“It would be difficult, but not impossible and your wardrobe would be rather limited.”
“Can I like wait until after Zoe leaves before I make my mind up?”
“Of course you can. That’s five more days, you need to get a hair trim so maybe we could arrange that at the hotel salon?”
“What! You’re not cutting all my hair off until I’m ready to like, go back to being a boy.”
“I wasn’t suggesting a buzz cut, just a tidy up to take off the straggly ends. If you like we could get some highlights too, or even a perm.”
His eyes nearly popped out of his head. “What do you mean?”
“Get a few streaks of a contrasting colour put in, blonde would probably be best, but maybe something very different like purple.”
“Purple? Only Goths have purple hair, yuck!”
“Okay no purple, what about some curls?”
“I like it as it is.”
“So just a tidy up?”
“If I must.”
“I think it would be a good idea, don’t you. It hasn’t been done for months.”
“Okay, but nothing too girly.”
“Would I do that to you?”
Jack said nothing but the look he gave her meant she knew he wasn’t sure about it anymore.
Sally called the hair salon and they had a couple of spaces, so they both went down. Jack had to be reminded not to forget his bag, which he did more than once. Because he looked and dressed younger than his age, his mother was consulted more than he was about his hair.
He was concerned they would cut it too short and blow his disguise and he’d never had his hair washed at a salon before, usually having dry cuts when it was cut. However, having got over the novelty of lying back in a chair to have it washed he began to enjoy the experience. The girl who washed his hair had such gentle hands and he was feeling so relaxed.
“You have lovely thick hair young lady,” said the hairdresser.
“Do I?”
“Uh huh, you sure do. Right wrap this towel around it and lets see what we can do to pretty it up for you.”
“I erm don’t want it too girly.”
“You’re a sophisticate are you?”
Barely knowing what the word meant, Jack nodded and the hair dresser laughed showing a row of very white teeth enhanced in their whiteness by her dark skin.
She led him to her work station and set to work with clips and combs and scissors. His hair had never been subject to such attention and he was loving it. It was sending little shivers down his spine and when she asked him questions he’d just nod because he wasn’t listening. He was totally rapt in the sensations of someone playing with his hair.
He was half aware of some cold, smelly stuff being put on his hair but didn’t take too much notice. When curlers were rolled with his hair, again he was more into the sensation than the cause, even when they were rolled quite tightly.
Suddenly his hair was all covered in these plastic things and the girl put some cotton wool around his hairline and then put a hair net over him. It was all so strange, then she put him under a dryer and gave him the control knob. As soon as she left him he turned down the heat that was frying his brain.
He couldn’t see his mother, but assumed she hadn’t left him. One of the salon juniors brought him a cold drink and he asked her where his mother was. She informed him, she was in the room next door having her legs waxed. Jack wasn’t sure exactly what that meant but at least he knew she hadn’t abandoned him.
He drank his juice and the stylist came to check his hair, it was nearly dry and she took the control, saw how low the setting was and turned it up. “Try and leave it there this time or we’ll be here all day.” He sort of blinked his agreement.
After his head had felt like it had been microwaved, he was taken back to the washbasins and his hair was washed again, then the curlers were removed and it was washed again and then conditioned. Jack was nearly asleep from the relaxing massage of his hair. Then he was bundled up in a towel again and taken back to a work station, but not the one he’d been too at first.
His hair wrapped in the towel he was laid back and told to relax. “Your mum is having a facial and asked me to give you one. Have you had one before?”
“Erm no, I don’t think so.”
“Oh you’ll like this Jacqui, it’s very relaxing.”
He did too. She cleansed his skin and rubbed in toners and moisturisers, gently massaging all parts of his face. Then he felt some pricking at his bows and on opening his eyes saw she had tweezers in her hands. He froze, it seemed awfully close to his eyes and he didn’t want those injured.
Finally, the woman pencilled lightly across his eyebrows, put some mascara on his lashes and a hint of eyeshadow and some fresh pink lipgloss.
“You need to get your ears done girl,” said the woman and Jack not quite understanding what she meant agreed. “It’ll make you seem so grown up and your mother will be pleased.” That was it he agreed.
She pulled off the towel and examined his ears making tiny marks on the lobes, then she put some sort of little machine next to it and he felt his ear ping. It didn’t hurt and he couldn’t see what was happening, so when she did the other ear, he was still mystified.
“Keep turning them and put the lotion on I’ll give you before you go.”
“Turning them?”
“Yes, the studs, otherwise they stick and the holes will heal.”
“Ah, okay.” He still wasn’t sure but he knew the girls in school had ear studs which meant he’d just had his ears pierced. Oh poo, now they’d think he was a fairy when he went back to school.
He was led back to the original hair work station and could see for the first time what had happened. He could hardly see his ears anyway, his hair was a mass of curls and looked to be twice as much as he’d started with. He really did look like a girl and his make up, he was looking at a face he might expect to see on a sister if ever he had one. It made him feel cold all over, what had he done?
Unable to move with the shock, he let the stylist dry and style his hair, by the time she finished he looked like a fourteen year old girl, but what about school? He really would need that buzz cut or he was dead when the brawn brained footballers and rugby players saw him.
“Wow Jacqui, don’t you look nice?”
He looked up and saw Sue standing behind him, then Sally appeared beside her.
“Gosh, your hair looks different, and you had your ears pierced, shouldn’t you have asked me first?”
“I thought you wanted me to.”
“I don’t mind, I’m just a bit surprised Jack.”
“Did I do wrong,” his face screwed up ready to cry.
“No sweetheart, not at all, they look very nice.”
“We’re just going for dinner and wondered if you’d like to come too,” said Sue.
“Sounds like a good idea doesn’t it Jack?”
Jack shrugged, “I guess,” he said and stood up from the chair.
The stylist came up with a small bag, “The lotion for your ears, do it twice a day for a couple of weeks and don’t forget to keep turning them. Plus the eyebrow pencil, the mascara and lip gloss. Any problems come back and see me, okay?”
“Okay,” nodded Jack unsure what she meant but to agree seemed the quickest way to get out of the place and he wanted out.
Seeing himself in the mirrors of the salon and then in the glass in the door, he realised he looked very girlish, so he knew he was stuck with the role until they went home. He just hoped he didn’t meet anyone who knew him until he got his hair cut short and began to resemble a boy again, or as close as he usually did.
Jack@ The Greenstalk. (conclusion).
by Angharad.
“Wowee!” exclaimed Zoe as the beleagured boy followed the two women out of the beauty salon, “You look like a princess.”
Jack blushed as red as any fire engine. He looked at his mother who smiled.
“I think Zoe just paid you a compliment,” Sally said wanting to add, young lady, but she resisted the temptation.
“Erm, thanks Zoe.”
“You got your ears pierced too. Wowee!” she squealed again, “Anything else I should know about?” she giggled.
Jack blushed furiously, he looked at the two older women but they seemed to be enjoying things. If he hadn’t felt responsible for the whole situation, he’d have possibly reacted aggressively, instead he took it on the chin.
“Yeah, I got a boob job and I’m having my bum lifted next week.” He kept a straight face and his mother and Sue paused for a moment, then after the shock eased they began to snigger and in moments they were all laughing loudly, even Jack chortled a bit.
“Where did you get those terms from?” asked Sally.
“From the magazine I was reading in there,” he indicated the salon behind them.
“A boob job maybe Jacqui, but I think you’re a long way from needing a bottom tuck, you have a very neat bum, if you don’t mind me saying.” Sue smiled warmly at him and he shrugged.
Zoe poked him in the chest, “Boob job, you’re flatter than me, an’ I’m like a pancake.”
Once again Jack blushed. Looking at Sally to rescue him and this time she took the hint. “Shall we get some dinner then?”
Sue suggested a restaurant and they flagged down a taxi to go there. She and Zoe had a Caribbean style meal, with mangoes and sweet potatoes whilst Jack opted for a fish dish.
When the food came he sprinkled it with salt and Zoe’s eyes bugged out. He noticed and shrugged. Sally intervened, “Jack has to eat salt because her condition means she loses it.”
Zoe continued to look astonished. She’d been told that too much salt was bad for you.
“I have CF, which means my body can’t retain sodium or potassium. I have to eat more of them or I get sick.”
“What’s CF?” Zoe was now more concerned than curious, she didn’t want her new friend to get sick.
“Cystic fibrosis.”
“Zoe looked blankly at her friend.
“It’s a disease which affects the lungs and alimentary system.”
“Ali what?”
“What Jacqui is trying to say sweetie, is that she has a lung problem which also affects her tummy, so she doesn’t put on much weight and has to eat more salt and things than you do because her body can’t store it. If you ate as much salt it could make you have high blood pressure but Jacqui’s body is different to yours.” Sue showed her new found knowledge.
‘You can say that again,’ Jack thought to himself.
“It’s a condition she was born with,” added Sue and Zoe looked on in amazement at her suddenly knowledgeable mother.
“How’s the fish, Jack?” asked Sally.
“Yeah, it’s okay thanks, Mum.” The red snapper tasting something like cod and the chips were nearly as good as at his local chip shop.
Sally ate her own meal, a chicken salad. She wanted to keep her weight stable this time, usually she put it on when away on holiday.
After dinner they walked back along the beach towards their hotel, Zoe and Jack paddling as they went, running in and out of the waves which occasionally splashed above their knees.
“Jacqui seems to have discovered her femininity,” said Sue to Sally as they walked along behind their gambolling offspring.
“Yes, it’s happened quite suddenly,” said Sally, coughing as she spoke to avoid laughing.
“I suppose it can. Zoe’s always been a bit of a pink princess, so it’s been refreshing to meet a girl who isn’t.”
“Do you consider having any more children?” asked Sally, although her attention was fixed on the two children who were examining something on the beach.
The two women walked on a pace. Then they could see what it was. It was a turtle which had some fishing line wrapped around its mouth and Jack was trying to untangle it. Zoe was trying to help, but was largely getting in the way.
“If only I had my back pack, I’ve got a torch in there, that would make it easier.”
“I’ve got a little torch thing on my key ring,” Sue pulled the device out of her bag which was snatched by Zoe and shone on the unfortunate creature’s snout. The sudden light seemed to paralyse the turtle and Jack made some progress in unhooking some of the line. Some of it seemed to be wrapped around the carapace as well and he followed it back with Zoe shining the little torch to help.
Sally had been digging about in her bag for a few minutes and eventually pulled out a small pair of scissors, “Will these help?”
Jack looked up and beamed, “You bet,” he said and he took them and began snipping at the line. This time the progress was more rapid and in five minutes the unfortunate reptile was heading back to the sea.
“And look where you’re going next time,” shouted Zoe as it disappeared into the waves.
“That was very kind of you, to help that animal.” Jack looked up at his mother, wondering why she’d said such a thing, it was after all how he’d been taught to behave.
“I was only helping to put right something that another human had caused.”
“Very noble,” said Sue.
“I think she’s very brave,” said Zoe.
“So are you, you helped me do it.”
“Yes, I suppose I am,” Zoe puffed out her chest.
“Well my daring damsels, it’s back home to bed I think, and we’d better hurry or it’s going to be too dark to see where we’re going.” Sally steered them back towards the road.
A large moth fluttered around Zoe’s head, and she shrieked and ran to her mother. It flew around Jack’s and he tried to catch it, to see what it was.
“Ugh! Do you like creepy crawlies?” said Zoe from the safety of her mother’s arm.
“I don’t mind them, I was trying to see if it had big antennae.”
“Big what?”
“Feeler thingies on it’s head, if it did it was male, if not it’s probably female.”
“Oh,” said Zoe, “What do you mean?”
They came up past a streetlight and there were several moths walking around on nearby walls and the pavement.
“Look, this one had like feathers sticking out of it’s head. It’s a male, this one doesn’t, they’re like thin wires. That’s female, I think.”
“Gosh, aren’t you the clever one, obviously a budding blue stocking,” Sue smiled at Jack. He had no idea what she meant, but he wasn’t going to be wearing stockings of any colour if he could help it.
“She gets her love of science from her dad, he’s a geologist,” offered Sally, at which Sue, ahhed and nodded.
That night as Zoe got into bed she said to her mother, “ Jacqui is really clever, isn’t she?”
“She is, but so are you, you just know about different things. She’s teaching you about what she knows, animals and science and you’re teaching her to be more of a girl. You know lots more about makeup and stuff than she seems to.”
“I’m going to teach her some more tomorrow, Mummy, if I need to, can I borrow some of yours.”
“I’d rather we bought some more, I don’t like sharing mine with anyone else, eye makeup particularly can cause problems with infections.”
“Ooh, I hadn’t thought of that, you let me borrow it.”
“Yes darling, but you’re my daughter, Jacqui isn’t and with her health problems, who knows what she might catch or might pass on to you. So we’ll buy some more tomorrow.”
“Can we go and get it early then?”
“If you like, how much will you need?”
“Some eyeliner and shadows, some blusher and some different lipsticks.”
“Why not pop in the salon and see what they have there, they may have some old stock.”
“Yes I will. Thank you Mummy.”
Across the hall, Jack was slipping on his nightdress.
“I think you quite like that now, don’t you?”
“Yeah, it’s alright.” He answered to his mother’s question, “but I’m not wearing it at home.”
“Who said anything about that, but I think I’d better get you another one tomorrow.”
“Why, this one’s still okay?”
“Jack, that was a typical boy answer. You can’t wear the same thing every night, it needs washing, besides, I saw a really nice one when we were on the way back from the restaurant.”
“Whatever,” sighed Jack. When he thought about it, he knew she was right and even boys didn’t need to be smelly, unless they were really lazy. That reminded him of Smelly Melly, a boy in his year but thankfully not in his class, who had a body odour problem. The smell of his armpit could stop a charging elephant at two hundred paces downwind.
“You were very patient with Zoe tonight.”
“She’s okay, I guess.” Jack twisted the studs in his ears, they pinched a bit and then stung when he put the lotion on. They were still stinging while he brushed his teeth.
“I’m glad you spotted that turtle’s problem with the fishing line, you were really brave and compassionate to intervene.”
“She seemed to know I was there to help her.”
“How did you know it was a female?”
“She’d been up to lay her eggs, Zoe and I scrubbed out her trail afterwards.”
“I wondered what you two were doing.”
“According to a book I read, the locals will follow the tracks and dig them up and eat them.”
“So you got rid of the tracks?”
“I hope so, can we go and see tomorrow?”
“I should think so. How do you like being a girl?”
“It’s okay, except all the fussing with clothes and hair and things.”
“I thought you enjoyed some of that, you did in the salon, didn’t you?”
“Erm, it was okay, I suppose.” He blushed like a jar of strawberry jam.
Sally kissed him on the cheek and he went off to bed with his book.
Sally awoke in the night, she’d had a bad dream. In it she’d had a fight with John, who’d come home and discovered his son walking about the house in a dress and make up. He’d flipped and they’d almost come to blows until he’d stormed out of the house threatening to call Social Services, because she was obviously abusing his son. He called her a pervert amongst other less repeatable things.
She went to the bathroom and checked on Jack, he was fast asleep. She worried that she’d maybe called out in her sleep. If she did he didn’t hear her or at least he hadn’t woken. In the poor light of the room, he looked like a beautiful, angelic girl. She felt her heart beat faster as she thought how much he meant to her. She loved him and would never harm him, even John should know that.
She went to the mini-bar and poured herself a stiff drink, which she took to bed with her. Before the end of the holiday she had some serious thinking to do. Jack seemed to be quite enjoying himself role playing a girl, but what if he liked it so much, he wanted to do it at home?
She took a large gulp of the rum and coke and it made her cough. Jack stirred and she tried to hold her breath for a moment. He seemed to breath deeply again and she sipped the drink more carefully.
They had another ten days to sort out things and quite honestly, she couldn’t see Jack going all girly, it wasn’t in him. He’d rather be poking about in compost heaps than putting on makeup. Nah, he was all boy, this was just a bit of fun as he explored himself and other gender roles. She finished her drink and slipped back off to sleep.
Sally woke a little late that morning, her sleepless period had made her sleep in. Jack had made her a coffee and was shaking her gently. She awoke to the vision in yellow of some nice angel who was obviously coming to take her to the afterlife.
“Mum, wake up or we’re going to be late for breakfast. I’ve made you a coffee.”
She readjusted her vision and saw it was her son wearing the yellow sundress.
“Thank you darling, you look very bright this morning.”
“They said it would be rather warm, so as this is the coolest thing I have to wear, I put it on.”
“Clever girl,” said Sally without hesitation. “I must get you some smellies, have a squirt of my cologne for now.”
“Oh, okay.” He went to the dressing table and picking up the bottle squirted some over his throat and down the front of the dress.
“That’s enough!” she called, “You’ll end up smelling like a French tart if you carry on.”
“Is that like an apple tart?” He asked knowing perfectly well that it couldn’t be.
“Not quite. Ask me when you’re older.”
He sniggered his response, now having a good idea what it meant.
At breakfast they met with Sue and Zoe, by the end, Jack had agreed to go and play with Zoe and Sally had a couple of hours to go shopping. She jumped at the chance.
Two hours later, she came back with the new nightdress, some eau de toilette, plus a silver bracelet and necklace set. She dumped her purchases in their room and went to knock on Sue’s room. There was lots of laughing coming from within, which got louder as the door opened.
“Sally, gosh is it that time already? Zoe and Jacqui have been playing at makeup artists.”
“Oh!” ‘Blimey,’ she thought, then nearly fainted when she saw the results. “Jack, is that you?” The vision in front of her looked like a show girl, dark lines around her eyes, false eyelashes dark shadow and the brightest red lipstick and nails. The latter looked as if they’d grown proportionally as long as the eyelashes.
“Yes, Mummy, do you like the sophisticated look?”
“It’s rather different,” she said guardedly. Then she looked at Zoe, who looked a bit like Roy Wood, the rock singer. “You look rather different too, Zoe.”
“Yes, I rather like it, Jacqui did it for me, an’ I did Jacqui.”
“I see,” said Sally, although she didn’t really.
“I went down to the salon and they gave us this whole bag of samples,” she had a plastic carrier obviously half full of makeup.
“That was enterprising of you?”
“The rest is history, although I hadn’t quite noticed how creative they’d got. I erm, got a bit involved in the latest ‘Bridget Jones’, well actually, it’s not a Bridget Jones at all, it’s Olivia Joules, but it’s by Helen Fielding.” Sue seemed to have talked herself into a corner.
“Fine, they’ve obviously enjoyed themselves, although I think we’d better tone it down somewhat before lunch, don’t you think?” Sally was quite enjoying her moment of power.
“Mummy do I need to take it off before lunch?” The question from Jack caught Sally on the back foot.
“What? Yes, you do, that would be a bit much for an evening out let alone a snack at the poolside.”
“And the nails?”
“Okay, you can keep the nails for now, but the face has to go.”
Jack’s face lit up, “Okay.”
He then proceeded to apply cleansing milk to some cotton wool pads and wiped off the garish cosmetics. Sally, made an excuse and while they were all busy in Sue’s room, she poured herself a vodka and tonic and downed it in three gulps. This was getting a little out of hand and she was not sorry that Zoe would be gone in few more days.
She had barely finished her drink and was rinsing the glass when there was a knock at her door, she answered it and Jack and Zoe waltzed in, with relatively clean faces but with red talons on their fingers.
“That’s better girls, now are you going to change into your bikinis and have a splash before we eat?”
They squealed in the affirmative and Zoe went back to her room while Jack came in with his mother.
“I got you a new cozzie,” she handed him the bag.
He opened it and picked out the contents, a bikini very similar to the red one Zoe had given him, only in bright pink and white, the ruched panties hiding any bulge he might have there. He pulled off his dress and knickers and tried it on immediately.
‘What a change in a two or three days!’ Sally thought to herself, she suggested he tucked himself back in the bikini bottom and it fit better. He seated himself at the dressing table and applied his waterproof mascara and lip gloss and Sally stood watching him with mouth gaping.
“Am I doing it wrong, Mummy?”
“What! Oh, erm, no darling, you’re doing it very well. I was miles away then.”
At dinner, Jack wore his new bracelet and necklace, which Zoe loved and oohed and ahhed over. He’d pleaded to be allowed to wear the eye liner and applied it so well, that Sally was beginning to feel uncomfortable watching him doing it. She kept wondering what sort of monster had she unleashed, and would she ever get her son back. Duck and water also came to mind.
At the end of the week Zoe and Sue left and Jack was quite upset, even though he was invited to go and see them when he got home again. He promised he would, although Sally didn’t feel quite so confident in the invitation being answered., especially as they usually ended in a reciprocation and there was no way she wanted Jack running around the neighbourhood looking like a juvenile Kate Moss.
He slumped on his bed after they’d said goodbye to his latest best friend.
“Your makeup is all messed up,” said Sally.
“I don’t care,” said Jack sniffing.
“Well I do, if you’re going to be my daughter for the rest of this holiday I expect you to keep it tidy or I won’t let you wear it.”
He huffed himself off the bed and removed it with the wipes she’d bought him. Then he went back to his bed.
“Well aren’t you going to re do it?”
“What’s the point?”
“I thought you enjoyed doing it?”
“Yeah, but without Zoe, it isn’t as much fun.”
“Oh I see. So looking nice for me doesn’t count then?”
“I’m sorry,” he ran over to her and hugged her, “I’m sorry, Mummy.”
“That’s okay darling, I know you miss her, but a week ago you’d never even met her. So have you enjoyed a bit of girldom?”
“Oh yes, Mummy.”
“You realise this is just a bit of fun and will have to stop when we get home.”
“Will it, I thought we could continue in secret and when I go to see Zoe.”
“Honey, I’m not sure seeing Zoe is such a good idea, for one thing, in a short while her hormones are going to be bursting out all over and yours might too, but in a different direction.”
“That’s okay, she knows and promised to help me get a sex change oper….”
Sally felt the room spin around as she fell backwards on to the bed.