“Going on a date with the next pretty girl?” Mary demanded to know.
“It’s not a date. We are just going out for coffee.” I replied maybe a little louder than I intended to.
“Oh sure. That’s why you had that big smile on your face the whole time Lilly talked to you.” Mary insisted.
“Can a girl just be happy to make new friends?” I answered, starting to feel a little angry.
“Riley, come on! Don’t play games with me. I know you inside and out. You need to settle down. You are way too hyper while flirting with all of those girls.”
“Listen, I don’t want to argue right now. Can we do this later?”
“Sure.” Mary responded and walked away without another word.
I felt like crying a bit but I also felt angry and worked up. I knew Mary was right and I knew she had been warning me countless times. On the other hand, I want to keep exploring and making new friends. I want to have that freedom and if sometimes I get a little flirty what is the harm?
I decided to ponder this some more. I needed to clear my head. I went back to my dorm. Alice wasn’t there when I entered. I was actually a bit relieved. I wanted some alone time. I decided to make myself comfortable with a book on the couch. After reading for a while, I decided to text Sammy and see how mad at me she was. I was surprised that she responded. She suggested we talk on the phone.
“Hey, Sammy. How are you?”
“Not very good. I am still mad at you. I am not sure how long this will last but that is how I feel right now.”
“I understand. I don’t want to say I am sorry again, because I don’t think it will help you. Maybe after a while, you could possibly consider still being friends? If you find it within your heart. If not, I would understand.”
“It is not impossible. I cried my eyes out. I need some more time and space. I will get back to you eventually. However, I wanted to tell you something.”
“What do you want to tell me?”
“That I miss you. A whole lot.”
For a long moment, everything was still. Neither of us talked. Then, beautiful memories were going through my mind. All of our fashion shows, our rides to the mall, the awesome time we had with Angela at the German Christmas market, the fun times with Mary and Alyssa, the silliness, and of course our first encounter in the pantyhose section at Macy’s.
“Are you still there, Riley?” Sammy wanted to know.
“Oh, I am sorry. My mind just drifted away for a minute.”
“What were you thinking about?”
“I thought about how you “caught” me looking at pantyhose at Macy’s.”
“Oh, that. You had this cute look on your face. I could see that there was a pretty girl hiding right away.” Sammy said, giggling a bit.
“Thank you. Without you, I wouldn’t be at this amazing school and I wouldn’t be Riley of course.”
Sammy was silent for a few seconds.
“Maybe. I believe though that Riley would have come out to play either way. Anyways, are you taking any interesting classes at CBH?”
“I am. My favorite class by far is philosophy.”
“Why is that?”
“The writings of Sokrates and Aristotle are so interesting.”
“Oh yeah? What’s her name and is she cute?” Sammy wanted to know.
I was shocked for a moment.
“Liliana and yes. Am I really that easy to read?”
“I am afraid so. The excitement in your voice was an easy giveaway. If I could see you right now, I bet I could see it written all over your face. It’s okay, Riley. I can understand why you feel this way. A new school and a new life. Nobody knows about Randy. I can see the appeal. You are one of the girls. You don’t have to worry about football players who are lurking in the hallway so that they can harass and assault a trans girl who is just going to her locker minding her own business.”
This made me cringe and smile at the same time.
“That is true. Even though this girl knows how to defend herself.”
“Of course she does. Nobody will ever forget the school-wide famous kick in the nuts. Even though nobody besides you and Mr. football player Mc slime ball has actually seen it.”
Football player Mc slime ball? That made me giggle on the inside.
“Wait a minute. That is still being talked about?”
“Oh, darling. You have no idea.”
That comment actually made me giggle out loud.
“I like that we can talk to each other again.” I said to Sammy.
“I like that too. Don’t think everything is back to normal again though. I’m still very hurt and I can’t believe that you dumped me this quickly.” Sammy said, letting me know her feelings.
That made me cringe a bit because I knew that this was the truth.
I didn’t know what else to say. Sammy was the one who spoke again after a minute.
“Let’s talk some more another time. I hope that things will continue to go well at your new school.”
“Okay. That sounds good. Bye.”
“Bye, Riley.”
I took a short breather and decided to take a little break. Knowing that Sammy probably won’t hate me forever had a calming effect. I felt a little better but getting so excited every time I meet a new, cute girl made me think a bit. I knew Mary was right. We had conflicts in the past but the thought of her being really upset with me made me sad. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I decided to continue reading. After a while, I dozed off and got woken up by Alice who was suddenly standing next to me.
“Hey, sleepy head. Wake up.” Alice said gently.
“Hey. I must have fallen asleep.”
“Evidently. Listen, your sister told me to remind you that the basketball game will take place tomorrow and you are supposed to go to a practice session tonight. Mary will be there too but she said that you are probably on your own for dinner. Were you two fighting or something?” Alice wanted to know, seeming concerned.
“Yeah, I think so. I screwed up big time. She was mad because I flirted with Liliana. She wants to go out with me right after the basketball game.” I told her.
Both of us remained silent for a moment.
“Oh no! What did I do?” I asked while being close to tears.
Alice realized this and hugged me.
“I don’t think it is that bad. It’s a bit annoying. I get that. You are simply trying to find out who you are. Maybe Mary has been a bit too harsh?” Alice suggested.
“Maybe. Maybe we both made a mistake.”
Alice gave me another hug.
“It’s okay. Just leave her alone for now. She might just need time to think. She’ll come around.”
“I think you are right. Can we get dinner? When is the basketball practice?”
“It’s in roughly two hours.”
“Darn! We have to hurry. We can get dinner after practice.”
After flirting with, I mean talking to Lilly and being lectured by my big sister, I totally forgot about basketball practice. I wondered how Mary would act toward me and these thoughts made me nervous. Alice and I made our way to the gym a little while later. I was kind of hungry so I ate some fruit and little snacks. We eventually made our way to the event of the evening.
“Alice, I don’t think I can play. I don’t even have gym shorts, a jersey, or sneakers.” I insisted while we walked to the gym.
“Darling, that has all been taken care of. One of the girls on your team, Sidney, approached me yesterday to let me know that they will have all that for you in the locker room.” Alice assured me.
“Sidney, huh? That’s a nice name.” I commented.
“Riley, don’t even start again. Focus on your basketball skills. If you have any.” Alice fired at me.
Where did that come from? Instead of getting upset about it or seeing it as an attack, I decided to move on and stay in a good mood.
“You’re right. Don’t you worry! I will try to be as good as Lebron Jordan or Michael James.” I said proudly as we entered the gym.
“Lebron Jordan? Seriously? Good luck with that.” Alice wished me with a smile and pointed towards the locker rooms while pushing me in that direction a little bit.
I was a bit confused. Did I get the basketball players wrong again? I have to find some time to educate myself regarding this topic.
“Alright. I will see you after practice.” I told her while giving her a kiss on the cheek.
I had to walk toward the other side of the gym to get to the locker room. There were quite a lot of people here, considering that this was only a practice and a practice game. I looked around and I was delighted to have spotted Lilly with her beautiful, long red hair which was easy to notice, considering most people had blonde, black, or some shade of brown hair.
I decided to walk over there to say hi.
“Hey, Lilly. How are you? It is good to see you.” I said while smiling.
“Oh, Riley. Good to see you too, sweetie. I can’t wait to go out for a coffee after the game tomorrow.” Lilly told me, seeming excited.
“I can’t wait either. I have to go to the locker room now. I will see you soon.” I assured her.
Once I entered the locker room, a tall girl came up to me and introduced herself.
“Hi, Riley. I am Sidney. It is nice to meet you. Glad to have you on my team.” Sidney said.
Sidney had sandy blonde hair, was very athletic and tall, and was also kind of cute. She had warm and beautiful blue eyes.
“Oh, thanks. I am excited to play with you.” I told her.
“Great. Let me introduce the coaching staff to you. They will be here at practice and tomorrow during the actual game since this is more of an organized event and not just a pickup game. Oh, and I also have a jersey, shorts, and sneakers for you.” Sidney let me know.
“Thanks so much. I can’t wait to get started.” I cheerfully said. I meant it. I started feeling a bit more confident about this challenge.
After meeting the coaching staff and the other players, we got ready for warm-ups. I was told that the other half of the team was in a separate part of the locker rooms. That’s why I didn’t see my big sis yet. Some of my teammates kept asking me about Mary and her slam dunk. It appeared that someone recorded her dunking with their phone and the video went viral at Cherry Blossom Hill.
Fine. My big sis can dunk a ball. If I would be a little bit taller, I could do it too. Wait a minute. Was I feeling jealous? Or just competitive? I told myself to focus on practice. Sidney gave me the jersey, shorts, and sneakers. I changed and soon followed the other girls back to the basketball court.
A few minutes later, the other half of my school’s team, or my opponents tomorrow, came out too. Mary was right at the front and seemed excited as well. We gave each other a quick look but I could not read what she was thinking or feeling.
I focused on the warm-up and I tried to listen carefully to what my teammates and coaches were telling me. Coach Karl, a really nice man, checked on me several times and asked if I needed help. I was fine with most of the warm-up and stretching. Soon we were getting ready for our practice game.
Coach Karl blew his whistle and everyone lined up in the middle of the gym. My opposing team seemed to wear the slightly more colored home jerseys of the Cherry Blossom Warriors while my team was wearing the lighter-looking away jerseys.
The tip-off was won by my sister and her team. Coach Karl asked us to play hard but not too hard since he needs healthy players for the second half of the season. I could certainly understand that.
Mary’s team showed good offense right away and scored. My team was going forward next but lost the ball quickly. Mary was able to steal it and throw a great pass to one of her teammates who scored with a nice layup. Four for them, nothing for my team. This was starting to annoy me already.
We moved forward again but one of my teammates missed the jump shot. The other team got the rebound and guess who scored for them on the fast break?! Yes, my big sis.
Zero to six. This was starting to get a bit embarrassing. Meanwhile, coach Karl called for a time-out, so that he could talk to us.
“What is going on?” he demanded to know.
“I am not sure. We are just not moving the ball forward fast enough.” Sidney told him.
“That sounds about right. Get moving, ladies.” the coach told us.
We all nodded and got back into the game. The atmosphere already felt like game day. There were a lot more people here than I anticipated. Just for practice. I reminded myself to ask Sidney about it. I focused on the game but when I had a moment I tried to see what Lilly was doing.
Moving forward with determination, I was able to find a spot where no player of the opposing time was for the moment. I tried to see where the ball was and before I knew it, it was coming right at me. I was able to hold out my hands to catch it, which I did successfully. I decided within a split second to go for the basket which I narrowly missed. However, one of my teammates was able to get the rebound and score for us. Yes! Our first two points. Two to six.
I started feeling more confident and this showed on the court. I called for the ball quite often and most of the time, I passed which lead to points. Sometimes I went for it though and I actually did score a few times which I could not believe. It felt good.
Mary and I made eye contact every so often but not a lot else happened between us. She was doing a good job but it felt a little like she was holding back a bit. Maybe she was saving her energy for the actual game. Since this was only a practice game, it was much shorter than a regular game. When it ended, the final score was 31-39 for the home jersey Warriors. I was exhausted and laid myself flat on the court. I closed my eyes. When I opened them, I looked into the faces of Lilly and Alice. Sadly, Mary wasn’t there. She must have left already.
Both were holding out their hands for me. I grabbed one hand from each of them and they pulled me up.
“I think you need a shower.” Alice said jokingly while acting I would smell to high heavens.
“I think she is right.” Lilly added.
All three of us started laughing.
“Alright, alright. I will. Thanks for coming, Lilly.” I told my cute classmate.
“You’re welcome. I am still looking forward to our date tomorrow.” Lilly said with a big smile on her face.
“Me too. Of course, I will shower after that game too.” I assured my favorite person to discuss philosophy with.
“ Great! I will see you tomorrow afternoon.” Lilly said, smiling and taking off.
“Now it is just us two. What do you want to do after your shower?” Alice inquired.
Meanwhile, the gym was nearly empty. It felt kind of strange to see it this way since it was filled up pretty well not too long ago.
“I am not sure. Do you want to grab a bite to eat and then maybe talk about this day?”
“Sounds like a good idea.” Alice replied.
We walked back to our dorm where I grabbed some shower gel, shampoo, a couple of towels, and other toiletries to hit one of the private showers. Once I was refreshed, Alice and I went to the cafeteria to get some dinner. I sent Mary a text to invite her to come along but I did not receive a response which worried me.
“Overall, what do you think?” Alice asked me looking thoughtful.
“The practice game was good. Everyone was nice and I especially liked playing for coach Karl. He is fun and very smart. The most amazing thing was that I scored four points.” I pointed out, feeling proud.
“Yes. That’s great. I was very impressed. Maybe you want to try out for the Warriors?”
“Who knows? It’s kind of funny. I just had to think about how my dad desperately wanted me to try out for the soccer team at my old school. I always refused. Now I am considering trying out for a sport I have never played before. Crazy!”
“I can understand that you feel this way. What about your sister Mary?”
“I am not sure. We never had a fight like this. It worries me. On the other hand, it is probably better to get the different opinions, emotions, and perceptions out in the open. I am sure she’ll come around.” I said, not sounding very convincing at this moment.
“How do you feel about the game tomorrow?” Alice wanted to know.
“Pretty good. I think the practice game was a lot of help.”
“Fantastic. I am sure you’ll do well. Maybe Lilly wants to sit with me when I watch you two sisters play basketball.”
“Awesome. Let’s go back to the dorm so we can get some rest. I need my sleep. I am excited about tomorrow but also a bit sad because it will be Mary’s last full day. The day after that, Mary will fly back to Oregon.
I fell asleep quickly and woke up feeling well-rested. Basketball was the first thing that popped into my head. I was so amazed that I am actually able to score sometimes. The next thought included Mary. I hope she won’t leave tomorrow without having discussed our disagreement or misunderstanding. Whatever one wants to call it.
I got dressed and had a big breakfast so that I was strong enough tonight. Soon I was sitting with Alice in our homeroom. The school day went by quickly. Lilly and I had fun with philosophy again. The afternoon came and it was time to prepare for this epic event.
I grabbed a water bottle and some other items I might need and Alice and I made our way down the gym again. It was still a bit early, but the gym started getting crowded. How amazing. Shortly, Lilly spotted us and waved for us to come over. We chatted a bit. Alice and Lilly decided to sit together and cheer for team Riley. Yay!
I went into the locker room where Sidney greeted me with another pair of fresh and clean basketball attire. I was pumped and ready to go. Soon we were on the court for some warm-ups. It was nice to see and talk to coach Karl again. He was very caring and asked if I needed help with anything.
After warm-ups were completed, we walked out to the court. People started cheering and applauding. It seemed like the entire school was here. Insane!
We lined up in the middle of the court. The referee got the teams set up for tip-off which Mary yet won again. Mary seemed very concentrated and determined. The game started off pretty evenly. Mary scored a few times, I was able to pass the ball quite often for assists and I scored twice again which was even more amazing because it was only the first quarter.
I played as hard as I could. It showed. I was able to defend several times successfully by covering my opponent closely and thus forcing turnovers.
Mary also played hard and scored countless times. Sidney, who was my team captain, had a close matchup with my big sis often. They both seemed evenly matched. Again, Mary and I made eye contact every once in a while but never for too long.
Soon I was substituted so that I could have a bit of a break. That gave me an opportunity to evaluate this weird event from the outside. When I was in the game, I did not notice the crowd that much. I was too focused on my tasks.
What an amazing atmosphere that was. Just a fun game during the mid-season break. While I was sitting on the bench, I observed coach Karl a lot. This guy was amazing. He was tough, fair, caring, and smart. I totally could see myself playing for him. I would probably learn a lot.
Mary was substituted too. I also observed her closely but she hardly gave me any eye contact which was fine. The game went on and it seemed evenly matched. The score at halftime was 32 for my team and 36 for Mary’s team.
I welcomed half-time since it gave me the opportunity to freshen up. We went back to the locker room and soon coach Karl gave his little halftime speech. He encouraged us to show more offense so that we can even the score or maybe take the lead. When we were on our way out again, coach Karl asked me to wait a minute.
“Hey, Riley. Nice job out there. Considering you never played before, you picked this sport up quickly. Keep up the good work.” he told me with a smile.
“Thanks coach. I will!” I assured him.
The second half began and I was in the lineup again. I continued playing hard. I wanted to impress coach Karl.
I scored a few more times. Sidney decided to fire up the hyper jets and started to go on a scoring streak. Every basket was a hit. She was on fire. It turned out that I was able to give her a fair number of assists. I enjoyed this more and more.
Sidney seemed unstoppable which Mary decided was unacceptable. She covered Sidney more and more aggressively. I think that this made Sidney mad. She responded with insane determination.
We were on the attack again and Sidney, who was covered by Mary, decided to dunk on her which she was able to do. Mary almost lost balance when she tried to block Sidney but she was able to catch herself. The look in Mary’s eyes was outright scary. It communicated something like ‘This means war’.
Sidney high-fived me when we retreated back to our own half. I felt like celebrating which was a mistake because the other Warrior team attacked us with light speed. Before I knew it, Mary blew past me and dunked the ball with a determination that I have not seen before. The basket was literally shaking from this effect. The crowd went wild.
I had no idea what was happening. Coach Karl called for a time-out. The score was 51-52 with Mary’s team having the lead. It was the fourth quarter and there were only nine seconds to play. Coach Karl looked at me and Sidney. He was holding a little board with a basketball court printed on it. He drew some arrows and showed us where we were to position ourselves for this, hopefully being able to win this game.
He told one of my other teammates to pass the ball to me.
“Riley, I want you to pass the ball then to Sidney, who will position herself here.” he pointed to a spot near the paint.”
“Sidney, all you have to do is to score from there.” he told her.
Sidney nodded. She and I both looked at the coach and at each other. We nodded and soon we were back in the game. This was it. Time to be a hero.
My teammate who did the throw-in passed the ball to me. I looked for Sidney, made eye contact with her and passed the ball. However, out of nowhere, my sister came flying at me to block the ball. She was not very successful. She got a hand on it but the pass still happened. However, it was deflected and did not get to Sidney.
Fortunately, the ball got into the hands of one of my teammates who passed it to me again. I did not think. I simply reacted by passing it right back to Sidney, who dunked it with all of her strength. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion.
I looked at the game clock and it said 1.1 seconds left. The score now was 53-52 for my team. Mary’s team had the ball back but they were not able to get the ball anywhere near our basket before time was up. At least they tried. The buzzing noise that ended the game filled our ears loud and clear.
I raised my arms to celebrate and hug my other teammates. The crowd went wild and everyone congratulated me for my assist and Sidney of course, for her amazing, game-winning dunk. What a feeling that was. Sidney gave me a big bear hug. Now I know for most of the game, both teams didn’t play super hard because coach Karl said that he doesn’t want any injured players. I do believe though that everyone did their best and played their hearts out.
I wondered how I would do in a regular season or playoff game. I’m sure not as well as today since I just started learning how this game works. I do believe though that this game had the right kind of mix. It was fun, yet still competitive.
When I looked around the gym, I saw Mary lying on the floor, looking exhausted and disappointed.
I walked over to her. I bent a little bit and extended my hand. She realized that I was there. She turned her head and looked me deep in the eyes.
I returned her intense look and felt a wave of relief washing over me. I noticed a tiny smile on her face that was getting bigger by the second.
I tried to pull her up slowly. A few seconds later, Mary was up and let herself fall into my arms. We hugged intently for a while. Two sisters against the world. Nobody and nothing could shake us.
During this intense hug we were both crying. We held each other close a little bit longer and then finally let go.
“I am so sorry, Riley. I think that I was way too harsh.”
“No, I must admit that my flirting with cute girls has gotten way out of control.”
“I think we are both right.” Mary finally said.
I agreed with that statement. I looked around and only just now noticed Alice and Lilliana standing near us, watching the whole thing. Both had beautiful smiles on their faces.
“I am so glad you two made up.” Alice said.
“Me too. Even though I didn’t know you two were fighting in the first place.” Lilliana added.
Mary was holding her arm around me. We were both smiling.
“I could not agree more. Now, I need to get my shower. See you in about 45 minutes, Lilliana?” I asked my philosophy partner.
“Sounds great. I will be at the bookstore waiting for you.” Lilliana said excitedly while scampering away from us, moving those beautiful hips that were wrapped up in a tight skirt.
Mary and I hit the showers near our dorm. I preferred one of the private showers and so did Mary. We both met in my dorm briefly to discuss the rest of the evening and tomorrow. Thinking about Mary leaving me made my stomach sick. However, I knew it was necessary. I need to be my own person and solve my own problems. It is great to have my sisters advice and opinion any time I want to, but I can’t just rely on her all the time. I think I have grown in that regard. I don’t feel as depended on her which was a good thing.
Mary and I agreed to make the goodbye quick. I will see her soon again for spring break and we could always text, call or video chat.
“I am sad to see you go big sis. I will miss you like crazy.” I told her while snuggling up next to her on my bed.
“I know. I will miss you too, babe. You have grown so much in these last few months and even during your first few days here at CBH. I could not be more impressed.” she told me while playing with my hair a bit.
“You are the best, big sis. I know we need to go our own ways. I can’t wait to dive into the musical stuff. I wonder how it will be to work with Madison.” I pointed out.
“Don’t worry about that. You showed that primmadonna that you are not someone she can mess with. It seems like she respected you for calling her out on the way she treated you.” Mary remarked.
“That’s right. She did. I actually thought she was kind of sweet at the end.”
“Just sweet? Or cute also?” Mary asked me with one eyebrow raised.
“I don’t know.” I said with a mischievous smile on my face.
“Your little smile says everything.” Mary said while looking at me in disbelief.
About two seconds later, she jumped right on top of me and started tickling the hell out of me.
“Ahhhhh….stop! Stop!” was all I was able to mutter.
We were both laughing our behinds off. I tried to fight back but Mary was too strong. After another thirty seconds or so of heavy tickling, she finally let go of me.
“You are nuts!”
“Hey, if I can’t even win a basketball game against my non athletic, nerdy little sis then at least I want to win a tickle battle.”
“Ha! I have to say, my last pass to Sidney was brilliant.” I said feeling super proud of myself.
“Well, I was almost able to steal the ball from you at the end.” Mary said in her defense.
“The emphasis is on almost.” I pointed out trying to sound cool.
“That’s it!” Mary yelled while trying to jump on me again.
This time I was on guard. I anticipated her move and was able to evade this maneuver. Mary was standing on the side of the bed, a little bit perplexed that I was able to avoid her second assault. While she was a little confused, I jumped on her back which surprised her.
Mary threw me on the bed and tried her next tickle assault. All of the sudden, Alice walked into the dorm and seemed surprised and confused with what was going on.
“What do you two think you are doing?” she demanded to know.
Mary and I both said “nothing” at the same time. The next second we broke out in loud laughter.
“Weirdos!” Alice said while giving us a look like we just lost our marbles.
Mary and I looked at each other and the next second we both jumped on her and started a sisterly tickle assault.
All three of us ended up on my bed. A huge and crazy pile of silly girls laughing their butts off. We had to stop eventually due to exhaustion. All three of us snuggled a while in silence. It felt so nice. Alice was the first one who talked again.
“Riley, you better get ready for your date with the cute red head.” Alice told me.
“Yes, you are right. I got to pick a nice outfit and make my way down to the bookstore soon.
“I can help you my darling!” Alice said enthusiastically.
“Great. That would be wonderful.” I responded, starting to feel excited.
“I thought this wasn’t a date.” Mary said, trying to sound non judgmental.
“Well, technically it isn’t.” I answered.
“What does that mean?” Mary wanted to know.
“I hope it doesn’t mean anything.” Alice added while walking up to me and giving me a kiss on the lips.
This move took me by surprise. I returned the kiss and we both looked each other in the eyes.
“Let’s get you dressed and ready to go.” Alice urged me while smiling the entire time.
I also couldn’t stop smiling. My knees felt weak while Alice was helping me get dressed. She picked a grey woolen sweater, a dark greyish skirt and black tights. I looked at myself in the mirror and I thought I looked cute.
“What are you two going to do?” I inquired.
“Probably make out.” Alice said, trying to sound casual.
“Very funny.” I responded.
Mary walked over to Alice and put an arm around her shoulder.
“Don’t worry about us, babe. You go have fun with your red headed hottie.”
“Alright, alright. I’m leaving. I will see you later.” I said and left.
I could feel pain in my legs while walking towards the main campus where the bookstore was located. Looks like I am not used to this much exercise at a time. Considering I had a practice game and a “real” game two days in a row.
While walking toward the book store, a lot of thoughts were going through my head. I replayed the basketball game one more time. All these intense moments and of course the final play for the win.
My favorite memory though was Mary and me hugging and making up. I was so glad that we were talking again.
I finally made it to the bookstore. I looked for Liliana but she apparently wasn’t there yet. I found myself a book, a place to sit and started reading. After a short while, I was taken back to the real world by a soft: “Well, hello there Miss Riley.”
That could only have been my favorite red head.
“Hey Liliana. I hope that you don’t mind that I got myself comfortable with a nice book.”
“Oh, not at all. Why don’t we find a table in the Café and get ourselves a tea or hot chocolate.” Lilly suggested.
“That sounds good to me.” I responded and I gladly followed her.
I loved spending time with her. While walking, I noticed her stylish outfit. She was wearing a cute crème colored skirt, similar colored tights and a gorgeous brownish sweater. I also noticed that she put on some nice perfume. She smelled lovely.
We found ourselves a cozy corner table, got ourselves some hot chocolate and a pastry and started chatting away. She told me a lot about her family and where she grew up and what she liked to do for fun. Turned out that she has two sisters and a brother, that she grew up in Maine and that besides reading ancient philosophy, she liked to play chess, go shopping, learn about and create her own fashion and she especially loved to travel.
“I want to travel to so many countries. I can’t wait to see Australia, Japan or South Africa. How about you, Riley? Tell me more about you? Besides being in class together, we didn’t really have a chance to talk about personal things yet.” Liliana asked me while seeming so thrilled to learn more about me.
“Well, before I tell you anything else about me, I have to tell you something important.” I said, not sure how to begin.
“Okay.” Lily said looking at me intently.
“I used to be a boy.” I said softly.
Liliana seemed confused.
“What do you mean?” she asked, not sure if she heard me right.
“Well, my name used to be Randy. Now it is Riley.” I told her, carefully watching the expression on her face.
“Oh, okay. I cannot believe that. You are such a pretty girl.” Lilly replied still seeming unsure about what to make of this.
“You think I am pretty?” I asked her feeling excited.
“Of course. I never would have guessed. The way you look, talk and move is just like any girl. You are a fast learner.”
“Thanks so much. I am glad you are not mad at me because I didn’t tell you sooner.”
“Oh no, I am not mad at all. Just surprised. Tell me all about how that happened.” Lilly insisted.
Of course, I told her about as many things as my mind was able to process. Lilly was amazed that it all started with a pair of pantyhose and lead to this moment in the Café at this wonderful private school.
“Wow, that is unbelievable!” Lilly said seeming excited to have learned about my short life story so far.
“You really kicked a football player in the, you know, nuts?” she inquired.
“Yep.”
“I think you just became my personal hero.” Lilly declared.
“Awww, you are so sweet. By the way, what time is it? My legs are feeling more sore after this intense basketball game.” I told her.
“It is almost 8:30. We have been sitting here for over three hours.” Lilly told me seeming shocked.
“Darn it. I need to spend a bit more time with my big sis. She won’t be leaving until around noon. I’m sad but on the other hand I know that I have to go my own way.”
“I can understand that. I can definitely tell that you two are close but like you mentioned, a girl has got to go her way.”
“Isn’t that the truth. Well, thank you for a wonderful date. I enjoyed it a lot.” I told this cute redhead, feeling a bit shy.
Lilly looked at me with big eyes, leaned over toward me and gave me a short kiss on the lips. I did not expect that and therefore felt perplexed. Lilly was still smiling, said her “Good night” and turned around slowly. She nonchalantly left the library.
What a feeling this was. Lilly was a wonderful person and so cute. I leisurely made my way back up to my dorm. Oh, wait a minute. Alice and Mary will be there and they will bombard me with questions. Should I tell them what happened? Should I make something up? I was not sure. I didn’t want to lie but I also didn’t feel like being lectured again.
When I reached my dorm, I knocked on the door and let myself in.
“Hi there.” Alice and Mary said at the same time.
They were both sitting on the couch watching a show or a movie.
“Hi girls! How was your evening?” I wanted to know.
“Pretty boring. We just watched a show on Netflix. More importantly, how was your evening?” Mary inquired.
“Well, Lilly and I had a good time.” I said trying to act causally.
Both of them gave me intense looks.
“Hold on there. She kissed you, right?” Mary blurted out without prior warning.
I just stood there dumbfounded.
“How do you know?” I demanded to know.
“Oh sweet girl, that’s an easy one. It is written all over your face.” Mary claimed.
Alice nodded. Fortunately, she still had a smile on her face.
“Really. Oh well, it was delightful. The kiss was short and sweet. I have made a decision though.” I told them both.
Alice and Mary seemed confused.
“I loved the date with Lilly but I am not going on any more dates with her. I might meet her just to hang out as friends. Nothing more. Alice, do you want to be my girlfriend?” I asked her, feeling bold.
Alice and Mary both looked shocked. After a minute or so they both seemed to have recovered.
“Are you sure about that?” Alice asked me while trying to hide a big smile.
“Totally. I have been flirting way too much and I need to calm down. When you helped me pick the right outfit my knees felt shaky and all I wanted is to be close to you.”
“Okay. So you won’t leave me for the next cute girl that will show up on your radar?” Alice wanted to know.
“No. I am done.”
“Not even for a cute little red headed hottie like Lilly?”
“Promise.”
Alice came running to me and gave me a big hug and a kiss. This was so sweet.
“I think that I have learned a lot in these last few days. I need to calm down. I have been way to hyper. I am especially thankful, to you Mary for calling me out. Even though it didn’t feel nice. I simply need to get more comfortable with being uncomfortable.”
Alice and I were still hugging while Mary came up to us and joined our snuggle session. We all decided to sit in my bed and take a little break. It was getting late and I started feeling really tired. I could feel the basketball game and the excitement of my “date” with Lilly and becoming Alice’s girlfriend. I think this was almost way too much excitement for one day. All three of us were silent for a while. Mary was the first one who talked again.
“Babe, I thought this through. I think we should say good-bye tonight before I go back to the airport. You won’t see me much in the morning anyways since you will have to go to class. What do you think?” Mary said while tears were streaming down her face.
Of course, I already started crying when she started talking. We both hugged intently for a while. When I looked at Alice she was crying too. I needed a minute to regain my composure.
“Sadly, I think you are right. I have to be strong. I don’t like it but it has to be done. I will be brave. Keep going at it in Oregon. They don’t know how lucky they are having you.”
“Awww, you are so sweet. I think this applies to CBH as well. Once you become even more confident, you will dominate this place. I am actually a bit worried about that. I know I said it before but I think I created a monster.” Mary said, while laughing a bit.
Alice and I were laughing as well.
“You might be right. This monster is very loving but it has teeth too.” I pointed out while making a growling noise.
“I can attest to that. You were so determined on the basketball court and you simply had fun with it. It was so amazing to see that. Wait until I’ll tell dad. He will think I am making this up.”
“Ha, I had a similar thought during the game. He is never going to believe that.”
Mary, Alice and I laughed out loud.
“Okay, babe. I think I should go back to the princess suite and go to bed soon. Tomorrow will be a long day for me even though I don’t have to leave until noon. Take good care of Alice and yourself. I will be back home during spring break when we can reunite and maybe have another fashion show or two.” Mary suggested.
“Definitely, we got to hang out with Alyssa and Sammy some more. I will tell you all about my adventures at this beautiful school and with this cutie here.” while looking at Alice.
Alice still had tears running down her face.
“You two are the cutest and most loving sisters I have ever known. I can’t wait for more adventures with both of you. I hope to see you again soon too, Mary.” Alice said while seeming overwhelmed.
“Come hell or high water, maybe you could come to our house during spring break for a little while?” Mary suggested.
“That sounds wonderful” Alice responded.
The three of us hugged again. Mary held my hand for a while when she slowly walked to the door.
“See you soon my love!” Mary whispered in my ear while opening the door and slowly slipping away.
Alice came up to me and hugged me. We did our night routine and I fell into a deep sleep once my head hit the pillow. What adventures are going to wait for me here? I couldn’t wait to find out. Deep inside I felt ready.
The alarm woke me up with this annoying sound l despised so much. Last night’s sleep didn’t feel restful. I had to think about my big sis right away which made me sad. This sadness did not last very long because I knew I had to fight my own battles. I remembered the musical meeting which made me feel excited. I actually was looking forward to seeing Madison again. I wanted to get to know her more. I remembered that she mentioned she was going through some stuff. Maybe I could help her by being a good listener.
I made myself get into the shower and prepare myself for the first day at my wonderful new school without Mary. Thinking about philosophy class with Liliana made me feel excited.
After getting dressed, Ally was getting herself ready too. We walked down to homeroom, mostly silent. I enjoyed the feeling of not having to talk all the time. I think that most people feel the need to talk when spending time with another person. They see it as being socially awkward if time together isn't spent in conversation. I had to disagree. I enjoy mutual silence as much as having a good conversation.
The school day went by quickly. Lilly and I sat together in the cafeteria during lunch. After getting comfortable in our booth, Sidney stopped by to talk for a second.
“Hey Riley, I hope I am not interrupting anything. I just wanted to tell you that you rocked during the game. The whole team was so proud of you. Maybe you want to try out for next season's team?” Sidney wanted to know.
I was totally shocked by that approach and wasn’t sure what to say.
“Well, let me think about it. I had a lot of fun even though my whole body has been hurting after the game.” I let Sydney know.
“That sounds good. Take you time with that decision. There is no reason to rush it. You know where to find me. I will see you later.” Sydney said.
“Okay. Thanks.”
“I think you should do it. It would be a lot of fun.” Lilly assured me.
“It would be. However, I will be very busy working on the musical. I need to be ready as a back up. I am taking this very seriously.” I let my philosophy partner know.
“I can see that. I’m sure that you’ll be a wonderful back up.” Lilly told me.
“Aww. thanks! You are the best!” I told Lilly who gave me a big smile.
“Hey ladies. What’s cooking?” Allie asked who made herself comfortable next to me in the booth we were sitting.
“Not a lot. I was just saying to Lilly that I am excited about the musical meeting this evening.”
“As you should be. The meeting will be at 7 this evening. Everyone is excited to meet you.” Allie let me know.
“I am very excited to meet the cast and crew too.” I assured her.
“Alright, we have to get ready for our afternoon classes.” Allie said and with that we finished our lunches and went on with our school day.
A lot of thoughts were going through my mind when I walked the beautiful hallways of my new school. It didn’t even feel new anymore since I experienced a lot within a short week. Mary being here with me made my adjustment easier. It was so great to have my big sister here with me but I also believe that I have become more confident and that I would have been able to do this by myself. Kind of a crazy thought. Considering how shy I was when I was still Randy.
I turned around and noticed the now empty hallways. Everyone must be in their next class already. I need to pay better attention. Surely enough, I got a lecture from the teacher for being late.
The rest of the day went by quickly and soon it was time for the musical meeting. Alice and I walked down together. I felt excited and nervous at the same time. When we arrived at the classroom, Madison approached me as soon as I entered.
“Hey there, Princess! Oh, sorry! I meant Riley.” Madison said jokingly.
“Very funny. This is exciting. I can’t wait to meet everyone.” I told her.
“Great. Let’s find some places to sit.” Madison suggested.
“That’s alright. I have to talk to Mrs. Taylor quickly. You two find yourselves a place, I will join later.” Allie let us know.
“Okay. Let’s sit over there Prin…I meant Riley.” Madison suggested while pointing at some seats in the right corner.
That was fine with me. Madison and I got comfortable. Soon more and more members of the musical would enter the room.
A lot of students approached me and introduced themselves to me, asking if I was the new girl. I liked the sound of that. After a bit of chit chat the room got quiet.
“Hello everyone. Before we begin, I would like to introduce to you our new backup Belle, Riley.” Mrs. Taylor said while smiling at me.
Everyone cheered. I felt a bit shy but great.
“Please introduce yourself to her if you haven’t done so yet. One another note, we are pressed for time. We want the musical to be a success. That’s why we have to work hard so that this will come true. Please head over to the auditorium for practice. Get within your usual groups. I will come around and check in with everyone.” Mrs. Taylor let us know.
Allie, Madison and I slowly made our way over there. We were chit chatting a bit which was very nice, because I loved talking to my new girlfriend and I was curious to find out more about Madison. She has grown on me already.
When we entered the auditorium, I was in awe. It was smaller than most auditoriums I have seen but it was nothing short of beautiful, intimate and functional. It had a nice friendly layout. This part of the school had an oval shape which made it seem warm and friendly. The smaller size made it feel more intimate while it still seemed to be able to serve its purpose which was to have a large space for plays, presentations and all sorts of other events. I liked it a lot because I felt welcome there.
After talking a bit more to all the other girls and Madison introducing me to her friends, we were able to find a quiet spot to practice our lines. It was a bit hard to stay focused because a lot of the other girls were doing the same thing. A short while later we got into it and soon I forgot all the surroundings. My main focus was on Madison. We both seemed to be able to concentrate and I felt a lot better about being back up Belle.
Eventually, the musical director called us to order. I could not believe an hour and a half had gone by. On the way out, Madison wanted to introduce me to her friend Maria who will play “The beast” in this lovely little play.
“Hi girls. So this is the famous Riley who made herself known with that legendary basketball game.” Maria said to both of us.
“Yes, that would be me. And you are?” I asked carefully.
“I am Maria. I will be your play partner if Madison loses her voice the night before the play.” she told us while laughing.
“That is not funny.” Madison told her, seeming a bit grumpy.
“Just teasing. I am sure you will be fine. Maybe we can all hang out and I can get to know you a bit more.” Maria suggested.
“Sure. We could practice our lines too.” I added.
“That sounds like a good idea.” Madison said while smiling a bit but seeming a bit sad.
“Well then, ladies. I got to go back to my dorm. I will see you around.” Maria told us while smiling at me.
We all hugged and after Maria left I asked Madison if she wanted to walk together which she agreed to.
“How did you like your first musical meeting?” Madison inquired.
“It was interesting and fun. Everyone was so friendly.” I told Madison.
“That’s true.” Madison said who seemed a bit distracted when she commented on my impressions about the musical meeting and crew.
“Are you okay? You look a bit sad.” I asked Belle number one.
“People can see that?” Madison said, seeming a bit nervous.
“Yes. It is written all over your face.”
“Oh, well. It’s not really a big deal. It’s pretty much nothing…I…oh…who am I fooling? I’m mad because my boyfriend back home cheated on me. I found out because one of our mutual friends accidentally spilled it out. I don’t want to bore you with details.” Madison let me know while seeming ready to cry.
“ I am so sorry. That really sucks.” I told her.
“Thanks, Princess!” Madison said with a bit of a smile.
“You are welcome. If you want to talk, I will listen.” I assured her.
“Aw, thanks. You are the best. I think we went past my dorm” Belle numero Uno pointed out.
“Oh my, that’s what happens if you’re not paying attention. Let’s go back that way so that I can get ready for bed” Madison suggested.
“Sounds good. Do you want to practice lines tomorrow again?” I asked her, hopefully not sounding too excited.
“Sure. Maybe you can come back to my dorm again and we can practice lines. Oh, and I think we should try on some of our outfits for the musical. I also would like Allie and Maria there” Maddie proposed with a smile on her face while entering her dorm.
I did not expect that. A private fashion show with Maria, Allie, Maddie and me. How delightful. It’s hard to get rid of a girl addiction when you’re at a place that has nothing but girls. There was no escape. I was trapped and I didn’t hate it.
I was thrilled to see that Allie was back in our dorm. We talked about each other’s days while snuggling on the couch. I loved my new girlfriend and roommate. Even though I had to think about Madison, Samantha, Alyssa, Angela, Lilly and the new girl that I met at the musical meeting, Maria.
Why can’t I have ten girlfriends at the same time? I asked myself. This made me laugh. I think that was too much. Even for me.
The next day Allie, Madison, Maria and I talked about getting together in her dorm to practice a little bit singing but mostly to try on some dresses and be silly. We accomplished these goals with warp speed.
„Hey Riley, how do you like this pretty dress?“ Allie asked me, while laughing like a crazy person.
I looked at her and burst out laughing because short little Allie was basically swimming in one of Madison’s dresses she placed on her bed for us to try on. The dress Allie has chosen was silver colored with sparkles. It looked gorgeous but also silly because Allie was just too tiny for this pretty piece of clothing.
Madison and Maria had the same reaction as I did and all three of us were laughing so hard we had trouble breathing.
„Let me try it.“ I insisted.
„Princess, you are only a little bit taller than Tinkerbelle here. That wouldn’t work either.“ Madison said while pointing towards Allie. Maria and I started laughing like two crazy people.
I couldn’t help myself from laughing so hard that I fell out of my chair. Meanwhile I was able to see Allie standing with an open mouth looking shocked. However, I thought I could see a little mischievous grin on her face.
„Tinkerbelle? That’s it!“ she yelled out while lounging herself at Madison who didn’t expect that and looked shocked.
Within a few moments, Allie was on top of her, tickling the hell out of this tall girl.
I decided it was unfair to leave me out of the fun. I jumped right into the middle of the scene and soon we were all in a big pile sitting right on top of each other. Poor Madison was on the bottom and therefore I thought it would be a good idea to get off her since she seemed to have trouble breathing.
I was able to slowly get off this crazy pile of tickling. I got up and threw myself on the couch. Allie and Madison followed shortly after me. We all had to calm down a bit and try to breathe normally. Once I regained composure I was able to speak again.
“You girls are so much fun. I enjoy being with you so much.” I let those three young ladies know.
At the end of the day, I decided to FaceTime with Mary since I haven’t talked to her that much lately. Of course, we sent each other texts all the time but we were both very busy with our studies and of course all the many activities people do in high school and College.
“Hi Mary! I miss you big sis.” I told the best sister in the world.
“Aw, I miss you too babe. How are things going with you?” Mary inquired.
“I have to say, things are moving along well. There are some hiccups here and there but who doesn’t have those?” I asked.
“You are absolutely correct. Everybody has those. Take me for example, I failed an important math test.” Mary told me with a normal expression on her face.
I was actually a bit shocked. Mary always seemed so perfect, smart and witty. After thinking about it some more though, I came to the conclusion that everyone screws up every once in a while and that that makes us human.
“Are you okay?” I asked her, feeling worried.
“I am fine. I can retake the test soon if I want to. I simply need to prepare myself better.” Mary let me know.
“That makes sense. I am having fun here at school. The musical preparations are becoming more intense now.” I told her.
“That is understandable. I hope you are enjoying this experience to the fullest.” Mary asked, seeming curious.
“I am. All the other girls here are so nice. I even was able to become friends with Madison. She is just a bit rough on the edges but has a soft, loving heart.”
“That’s great. I am happy for you. I wish I could be at the musical.” Mary told me, seeming a bit sad now.
“I know, that would be so awesome. Maybe somebody will film it and make a video?”
“Yeah, that is possible.
The next few days and weeks went smoothly. I enjoyed my time at this wonderful school so much. Cherry Blossom Hill and I became a part of one another. Lilly and I had a good time at philosophy class. Allie and I had fun getting to know each other and being girlfriends. I was able to get to know the entire musical crew. Maria, also known as the Beast, was awesome to work with. She had a lot of confidence and seemed a bit masculine. However, in other ways she was very feminine which I thought fit her easy going personality very well.
Every time we practiced Beauty and the Beast, I felt protected and comfortable when she was holding me in her arms or when we were dancing. I could sense that Madison seemed a bit jealous when she watched us. Maybe it was just my imagination. I am still learning how to read people.
A few weeks later, one of our last practice sessions was taking place. I felt solid about being back up Belle. Allie and I walked down to the band room together. Quite a few girls were already there talking to one another. It was nice being there and taking it all in. I loved being part of the cast.
A few days before our last rehearsal I found time to talk to my big sister. We decided to FaceTime.
“Hey big sis. How are things in Oregon?” I asked her, feeling curious.
“Pretty good. I am enjoying my studies.” I told her.
“Listen, I wanted to wish you good luck for your performance at the musical. I know you will be ready if you need to step in, Mary assured me.
Soon we were getting started. I had a lot of fun but also started feeling a bit nervous. The big day was coming closer. In two days we were going to have our big rehearsal and in four days we were going to perform on the stage. What a thought? If everything went normal, the only thing I had to do was to support our cast by simply being present.
It was the day of the last practice session when Allie, Madison, Maria and I had lunch together in the cafeteria. We were allowed to basically skip our afternoon classes so that we had more time to prepare for the big day. Of course, we had to make up our work. All four of us were excitedly talking in anticipation of the big day.
“I can’t wait for the musical to start. All of the hard work we did for preparations will be paying off.” Madison told us.
“That’s right, chica!” Maria said with a big smile on her face.
“You two are a wonderful Beauty and the Beast. So cute!” Allie told us, sharing her thoughts.
“I second that. Also, let’s not forget all of the people behind the scenes who are making this production possible.” I added to the conversation.
“Absolutely. Thank you, Allie for your awesome sewing skills by making our costumes pretty and fit perfectly.” Madison said with a humble look on her face.
“Thanks to our wonderful backup Belle who is taking her role very seriously.” Maria let everyone know.
“Aww, you are all so cute. Will we be meeting at the usual time?” Allie wanted to know.
“I think so. At least I haven’t heard anything different.” Madison said.
“Okay. I have to finish lunch and then I will meet Lilly in the bookstore.” I let my group of wonderful friends know.
“Woohoo! Are you going to meet with your so-called Philosophy girlfriend?” Allie said while teasing me.
“Ha ha. Very funny. I promised her that we are going to discuss Sartre a bit more.” I told this crazy group of girls while pretending to be upset by this comment. A few seconds later everyone was laughing.
When I made my way to the bookstore, I had to smile. How lucky was I to be able to go to this school, to have a new girlfriend and to be a part of this group of amazing girls. On top of that, I have a super awesome sister and fantastic parents.
Of course, Lilly and I were excited to spend more time together outside of the classroom. Once we settled in our favorite spot in the cozy book store, we started chatting away.
“Oh, Riley. I am so excited about the musical. I cannot wait to see it.” Lilly told me, seeming thrilled.
“Yes. I am very excited too. I have been very impressed by what I have seen during practice. All of the cast members are taking their job very seriously. The focus and concentration I see just astonishes me day in and day out. I think we are ready.” I told my philosophy partner.
“That’s great. I am sure that it will go incredibly well.” Lilly assured me.
Lilly and I kept chatting away about all kinds of things. Sartre was totally forgotten. I guess the old man could wait. Soon we had to go to our afternoon classes. I enjoyed my classes as always. It was not going to be much longer and I am going to have to change into my Belle costume. The final rehearsal was here. I felt so excited and nervous at the same time. Allie helped me put my dress on.
“You look beautiful.” Allie told me.
“Aw, thank you dear. I feel so pretty wearing this dress.” I told her while admiring myself in the mirror in our wonderful dorm room.
“You are very pretty. I kind of wish you would be Belle number one so that I could see you perform. I bet you would look even cuter while acting on the stage.” Allie said, seeming a bit thoughtful.
“Really? That is so sweet of you. I can’t wait to see the play. I am sure it will be awesome.” I let my girlfriend know.
After posing a bit more, we made our way down to the musical room. From there our director asked us to go on the stage. We were going to practice everything in detail. She warned us that it is going to be a long night. We should go to bed right away when we are back in our dorms. I was sure that nobody was going to have to convince me of that. I felt tired already.
I chatted with a few other girls before we started. I found Madison right away. Of course, she looked stunning in Belle’s beautiful dress.
“Are you ready, Princess?” Madison wanted to know.
“As ready as can be.” I assured her.
She nodded approvingly while the final rehearsal started. It was a bit hectic from the beginning but I still felt good and mostly calm. I was amazed when Madison was on the stage the first time in her dress. Her singing, acting and coordination was brilliant. It was an excellent performance. I could not stop smiling.
Maria, the girl who played the beast, was great too. She played the male part very convincingly. Our director kept shouting directions and sometimes some of the girls seemed annoyed but I guess this is normal for the big rehearsal.
I was a bit nervous when the rehearsal started but after a few minutes I started feeling comfortable. The director divided every act of the musical into two parts. The first part was with the main cast, the second part was with the back up actors. It felt a little bit chaotic because we didn’t have back ups for every actor. However, I loved playing with Maria because I felt so comfortable and vulnerable when I was acting and dancing with her. She made me feel safe. I was worried about my lack of experience but once we got started I stopped thinking about it and simply enjoyed being there. Wearing this gorgeous dress made me feel so happy.
After an exhausting two hours we were done. There was a final meeting where some flaws and a lot of positives were discussed. We were told to do our best but not try to be perfect. I thought that was excellent advice. Madison and I decided to go back to our respective dorms together so we could have a little chat.
“You did really well during practice.” Maddie told me.
“Thanks. You too. Your voice is so pretty.” I told her.
“Aw, thanks Princess. I always loved singing. I can’t wait until tomorrow. I’m sure we will all do an excellent job.” she predicted.
“I agree. Everyone was so professional. I can’t wait either. Even though I will not be performing.” I told Bell numero uno.
“Yeah, but your role is so important. Don’t sell yourself cheap.”
“You are right. I will see you tomorrow. Thanks for everything.” I said, when we arrived at my dorm.
“Thank you, Princess.” Madison said while leaning over to give me a hug.
While we hugged, I was thinking that we probably look super cute. Two pretty princesses hugging. I wish someone would have taken a picture. Finally, we let go and I entered my dorm. What adventures were waiting for me?
Allie was not in our dorm yet. Before Maddie and I left I saw her talking to a few other girls. Maybe she simply got hold up. I entered the dorm and let myself fall onto my bed. The whole excitement of the musical preparations had worn off and I realized how exhausted I was.
Next thing I knew, I fell asleep. When I woke up again I looked at my alarm clock which said 1:47 AM. Our dorm was completely dark. Alice must have put me under the cover. I was able to see that she was sleeping in her bed. I was still very tired and soon enough I heard my alarm clock making that ugly noise. It was time to get up. The musical was coming closer and closer and I could not wait.
Allie and I both dragged ourselves out of bed. We decided to get dressed quickly and have a little breakfast in the cafeteria before we’re going to class. The musical kids and crew were done with school after our morning classes. We most definitely needed that time.
The school day went by fast. Alice and I hang out a bit more after our morning classes. We didn’t talk a lot because each of us I assumed were trying to focus on the tasks ahead. I felt thrilled and nervous at the same time. My hands were shaking a bit.
In the early afternoon, the entire musical crew went down to our cozy auditorium and started getting ready. Everyone was super focused and I also would like to point out that Mrs. Taylor did a nice job of offering support when needed but also not being too pushy or hectic.
An hour before our big performance, she summoned the whole crew and told us regardless of how the musical is going to end, how proud she was of all of us for being a part of this amazing crew of girls who will be acting and singing.
Allie helped Madison and I get dressed. Allie wanted to take a picture of both Belles which we agreed to of course. I thought that Madison and I both looked cute and stunning.
Slowly I could see how the auditorium was filled with students, parents and teachers. I could see Lilly sitting near the front row in the middle of this great part of our school. We had about half an hour to go. I was able to calm down a bit. Madison took me aside for a moment because she wanted to talk to me about something.
“Hey Riley, how are you feeling?”
“I am okay. Quite a bit nervous. But also calm at the same time, which is kind of weird I guess.” I told her.
“I think I know what you mean. I often feel that way right before performances.” Madison let me know.
“I understand. You seem a bit like something is bothering you though.”
“Yes, I actually am. My parents are here and I want to do well for them. However, they have a bit of an obsession about perfectionism. It always kind of made me nervous. Maybe that is why I have been feeling stressed and a bit grumpy for a while. As you know, on top of that I broke up with my boyfriend back home. Lots of stuff going on in my life.” Madison told me with a serious and concerned look on her face.
“Oh, I am so sorry to hear that. I understand your concerns. You must have felt a ton of stress and pressure. The expectations of a perfect performance are simply unrealistic. What is perfect? How is it defined? I don’t think that perfectionism exists and therefore it is not something you or anyone else can achieve. There is always room for improvement. Anyone can trash a great performance and complain. You know and I know that you are the best Belle this school could have asked for. You are an excellent singer and actress. I believe in you and if your parents complain, bring them to me. I will gladly teach them a lesson if you want me to.” I dramatically let my new friend know.
“Wow, that was great Riley! Thank you!”
“Glad you are feeling better, Belle! Now go out there and show people who the musical boss numero uno is!”
“Got it.” Madison responded with a big smile on her face.
By now, the auditorium was close to completely filled. The excitement was rising. You could feel it in the air.
Our big show was about to begin. I was so excited to be a part of this. It was also nice to be behind the scenes and observe everything from a distance. The singing of all of the actors was amazing. The performances by Belle and the beast were excellent. Rightfully, our crew got a huge round of applause every time they finished a song or when there was a little break.
Intermission happened. We all took a break and hugged. From the corner of my eyes, I could see Madison and Allie whispering in each other's ears and giggling and sometimes looking in my direction. Oh boy! I knew that those two were up to no good.
Not even a minute later, our musical director joined them and they were whispering some more. I needed to know what the heck was going on so I decided to walk on over there. Once I was with them, our director left because she seemed to be busy talking to other students.
“So, what are you two up to?” I inquired.
“Nothing. Why would we be up to anything?” Allie, trying to sound innocent, asked me.
“I don’t know, maybe because you two were whispering and laughing a bit and looking in my direction the entire time?”
“No, we are totally innocent.” Madison told me, while having trouble not starting to laugh.
The next moment, Madison came close to me and asked me very seriously if I trust her.
“Of course, I trust you.” I assured her.
“Great. So whatever I am going to do, just follow me, okay?” Madison added.
I was a bit confused but agreed.
“Awesome. Get ready.” Madison said, while Allie could not stop smiling.
I guess I was going to find out soon. Intermission was over and the second part was about to begin. The audience welcomed the crew back with a huge applause.
I continued to enjoy the performances of our awesome musical crew. Before the last act was about to happen, there was a final but short break. This gave everyone a little bit of time to focus and discuss anything if needed.
All of a sudden, Allie, Madison, Maria and Mrs. Taylor came up to me which they seemed to have planned a bit earlier.
I was totally confused but curious about what they wanted.
“Yes? What can I do for you?” I asked.
“Well, Riley. You said that you trust me and that you would follow along if I asked you to?” Madison wanted to know.
“Yes, I think so. Why?” I wanted to know.
“We have decided that you should do the final act with Maria together. It is only fair since you worked so hard on preparing for being a backup.” Madison told me.
“What? Are you crazy? Mrs. Taylor, are you okay with this?” I urgently wanted to know.
“Yes, I am. Madison made some good points.” she answered.
“You are not allowed to chicken out.” Allie said in a matter of fact kind of tone.
“That’s not fair. I am not prepared for this.” I protested.
“Yes, you are, princess! We have all prepared for this moment. I want to share this with you. You can do it.” Madison told me.
I was ready to protest again but Madison, Maria and Allie gave me a big hug.
“Alright. I will do it.” I told my friends, seeming not so sure.
“Okay, we have about three minutes, Mrs. Taylor said. Everyone get ready for the final act.”
My knees were weak but I was determined to not let my friends down. I was nervous as hell facing such a big audience. They are probably going to be confused about this much shorter Belle but what the heck!
Once I came out on the stage and looked into Maria’s eyes, I forgot about the audience. She had such passion and so I did my part. I sang as well as I could, I danced as well as I could and I acted as well as I could. The audience gave us a huge standing ovation and Madison came back on the stage again so that we could both hold hands and bow. It felt fantastic wearing this beautiful dress and being loved by so many people.
At the end the entire crew was on stage and everyone got an even bigger standing ovation and the loudest applause I ever heard.
Once we were back behind the stage again, we all hugged and congratulated one another. What an amazing energy and so many feelings and emotions that I was flooded with. I have never experienced anything like it.
“You were amazing!” I told Madison while giving her another hug.
“You were too, princess! Bravo!” Madison told me.
“Aw, thanks. Maria, you were an excellent beast. I felt so protected in your arms” I let her know.
“You were great, Belle! “ Maria assured me.
Out of nowhere, Allie came up running to me and gave me a big hug.
After many more hugs and congratulations, Lilly came up to me.
“Hey, there is my philosophy partner. Great performance!” Lilly said while hugging me.
“Yes, thank you! I appreciate your support.” I told my friend.
“Everybody is so proud of you.” Lilly assured me.
“Thanks, darling. It was so much fun.”
After a lot more congratulating and hugging and kisses, Allie and I made it back to our dorm. It was way past midnight but that did not bother any of us. Eventually we both fell asleep. Of course, I told my big sister Mary and my parents know all about the musical and that I actually had a chance to perform.
The next few weeks went by so fast. I had a lot more fun with my friends and of course I learned a lot here at Cherry Blossom Hill. Before I knew it, the last few days of school were among us. About a week before school was over, Mary and I had a conversation through FaceTime about this upcoming summer. Mary was already home because College was done earlier.
“Oh sis! I can’t wait to see you! I missed you so much.” I let my big sister know.
“Same here. I want to do a million things with you. The same goes for Alyssa. She also can’t wait to see you.” Mary let me know.
“Actually, I have an idea. What do you two think of a possible fashion show? Since it will be summer, we could do this outside and we would have a lot of room.” I pointed out.
“That sounds exciting. I think that Alyssa and I would agree.” Mary added.
“I think I should invite Sammy too. I don’t know that she would actually accept but you never know. At least, she and I should maybe meet at Claire’s Cafe so that I can apologize to her in person for my quick exit from our relationship.” I said, feeling thoughtful.
Mary looked at me silently and slowly nodded.
“Wow, babe. I am impressed. Looks like you learned a lot more than philosophy and science and how to sing, act or dance at Cherry Blossom Hill.” Mary let me know.
“I agree.” I let her know with a little smile on my face.
“Oh, before I forget. I wanted to ask mom and dad if I can invite Allie to stay with us for a week or so since she is my girlfriend and it would be fun to have her at our fashion show.” I let Mary know.
“Okay, I will go shopping with mom later and I will try to toss around the idea so that she can get used to this a bit more.” Mary assured me.
“Thank you, sis. You are the best. I hope that Allie’s parents are okay with this idea too.”
“Aw, thanks. Also, dad and I will pick you up at school when you come home for the summer. I can’t wait to see you. Alyssa can’t wait either.” Mary told me.
“How exciting. I will see you in about a week. Love you big sis.”
“Love you too, babe.”
After this conversation I asked Allie if she would consider staying at my house for a fashion show and a lot more silly girly fun. Allie was excited and liked the idea. She had to ask her mom and dad first who eventually after speaking to my parents on the phone agreed to this. Mary did not have to work hard to convince my mom either.
Soon the last day of school arrived. Allie and I packed up our things and we were ready to go. It was decided that Allie would come to our house right away and after the week was over my dad and I would take her to the airport to go back home.
At about 12 PM I saw my dad pulling his car into the parking lot and of course, Mary was with him. Allie and I ran down the stairs and once I saw my big sister I ran into her arms giving her the biggest hug ever.
“Mary, I missed you so much.”
“I missed you too, babe.”
After a few more hugs, I had eyes for my dad whom I gave a big hug as well.
“Dad, this is my girlfriend Allie. You never got to meet her because you already left after I moved into our dorm and Allie had classes during that morning of course.” I let my dad know.
“I remember. It is so nice to meet you.” dad said while shaking her hand gently.
We packed all of our stuff and soon were on our way home. This time I was sitting in the back with Allie and Mary was riding in the front next to dad.
Allie and I told Mary and my dad all about our super awesome musical. They both seemed amazed and excited at the same time. We even showed them some pictures from our show. A few pictures even showed me on stage wearing that beautiful yellow dress.
“I can’t wait to show mom all of these.” I said when we were almost home.
“She already loved hearing about you performing on stage. I think it was an excellent idea to give Madison a break and to tag you in, babe.” Mary let us know.
“I am not sure if I would use the word “excellent” but I liked it. I was hoping that not too many people were confused about the much shorter Belle that was on the stage all of a sudden.” I replied.
“I wouldn’t worry about it. If they got confused or even upset about it they can kiss my you know what.” Allie said, sounding determined.
Everyone in the car started laughing out loud.
“Those are some strong opinions.” Mary said while still laughing.
“I like that.” Dad added to our fun time.
A little bit later, we pulled into the driveway. Mom was already waiting for us and came running towards the door. We all hugged again. After putting stuff away and eating an early dinner, the three of us giggling girls decided it was time for a conference to discuss fashion show plans and I needed to talk to them about Sammy.
“Can Alyssa come to our fashion show?” I asked my big sis.
“I think so. She would not want to miss that.” Mary pointed out.
“So, as long as we do it within a week the day doesn’t matter. Are you two still smooching?” I asked Mary, feeling a bit frisky.
“Maybe, a lady doesn’t talk about those kinds of things.” Mary replied with a big smile on her face.
Allie and I laughed a bit but we moved our topic back to the fashion show. We planned whose clothes we will use, what accessories we will need, what music we should pick, what kind of snacks and drinks we need and so on.
We decided that our fashion show would take place in our yard the next upcoming weekend. We recruited mom and dad to take pictures. Our preparations went well. There was one more important thing to do which is talk to Sammy. I texted her and we both agreed to meet at Claire’s Cafe the next day. Mary dropped me off while her and Ally went to the mall to do some shopping.
I gave Sammy a careful hug when she arrived. We both ordered an iced tea and a sandwich.
“Thank you for coming.” I told Sammy, who seemed not to be too mad at me. At least that’s what I observed.
“You are welcome. You look good.” Sammy told me.
“You do too. Before we continue exchanging more awkward pleasantries, I wanted to apologize to you for dumping you so fast when I met Allie at Cherry Blossom Hill. I should have tried harder to make our relationship work but I gave up too quickly.”
“Thanks, Riley for saying that. As you know, I was hurt a lot. However, I worked my way out of the dark clouds and I have a boyfriend now.” Sammy let me know.
“Oh wow, that’s great. What’s his name?” I inquired.
“His name is William and he is super sweet.” Sammy told me.
“Great. I am very happy for you.” I assured Sammy, who seemed more relaxed now.
“Thanks, Riley. Oh, before I forget it. I have a gift for you.”
“What is it?”
“Wait a minute. Let me get it out of my purse. Ah, here it is.” Sammy said while reaching out a hand holding a small package.
I took it from her and realized it was a pair of black sheer pantyhose.
“Oh, wow. Thank you so much.” I said.
“This is how our story began.”
“Yes, that is very sweet of you.”
“I definitely saw girl potential in you and I had a feeling this was only the beginning.”
The End