I take a deep breath as I pin the translucent white veil to my elaborately-styled hair, before draping it over my immaculately made-up face. I fidget a bit in my dress, causing the voluminous strapless creation to rustle, especially as I adjust the low-cut sweetheart neckline. I nervously tap my feet in my low-heeled shoes (Low-heeled as my fiancé is only a couple of inches taller than me), before a call from the next room tell me that it is, at long last, showtime. I grab the bouquet of flowers from the nearby table and step out of my small annex with a wide grin on my face.

The next day, Jess tried to call me while I was getting dressed.  I saw her number on the phone.

"Fuck you for calling," and I hung up.  I was trying to decide what to wear.  I was not in the mood for a dress.  Given everything that transpired, my brain was not in dress mode.  I put on a white blouse, black wool skinny pants and a pair of black boots with a 3" heel.  I looked at myself in the mirror.

"You are ready to kick ass.  You are ready to kick ass.  You are ready to kick ass," I repeated.    I was armed for battle.

Still, 3 years earlier...

“I like your hair,” the patient at my counter says to me sheepishly. I’ve learned to smile and accept the compliment as best as I could. The patients over the last month have been ‘colorful.' I try not to laugh when I see a guy in something feminine, and it’s just so obvious. I mean how could anyone really think that they can go through life with such an obvious schism. There were others, I guess ‘they’ were the lucky ones, that were ‘passable.'

"...I think people might be staring," I whispered to Ophelia as we walked through the cramped shopping centre.

"What they wish to do with their eyes is their business, not ours," Ophelia replied, holding her head high even as every head we passed turned to look in our direction.

"Easy for you to say," I mumbled as I tried not to let my cheeks go too red.

We sit waiting for word from the doctors. Hours go by. Mom and Dad huddle on the couch. I curl up on my side on the other couch. Mom and Dad have offered to take me home. None of us really wants to leave. I’ve stopped watching the clock hours ago. It only made me more agitated. I can’t concentrate. I don’t have my books or my backpack. I have nothing to do but sit in silence.

Emily was lost on the worse night of the year. Fortunately she was found and there unfolds the tale. Click the link atop the picture for some more Seasonal Fluff.

Jack has dual multiple personality disorder where he hears and sees his feminine alter ego, Jill. The two generally work well together but soon have differing romantic priorities in college. Jack wants to date fellow classmate, Maria while Jill wants to cross dress as a woman in public. Their two interests collide resulting in a fight for mental dominance over their gender and romantic partner.

My heart beats faster at the breathtaking sight of the ballerina effortlessly performing her steps. From the tiara pinned to her blonde hair, through her beautiful, embellished tutu and soft pink tights to her shiny satin pointe shoes, she is the very image of grace, elegance and femininity. As I watch her dance in the mirror, I actually have to remind myself that the ballerina… Is me.

“Give her room!” one of the coaches yells out.
“She’s not moving.” Mutters one girl, Ellie, I think is her name.
“Try not to move her!”, That might have been Dianna.
“Oh S**t!”, that’s me…I'm trying to hide the air horn. I thought it would be an awesome gag to go to the first day the cheerleaders practice their lifts and test out the air horn. Well while they hoist one in the air. Or more precisely when my sister, Amber is in the air. She’s been down for a while. I’m sweating bullets. A couple of her teammates are standing in their practice outfits crying at their fallen teammate. The rest look on with concern.

“Mom says to come down for breakfast.” A young voice calls out and echoes through my room.

“Mmmm five more minutes… Just give me five more minutes…” I smile gathering the comforter up closer to me stopping it just below my chin.

“Okay, then I’m going to eat your french toast.” The smell of maple syrup is in the air as the steam hits my face. My eyes open as the plate is pulled away from me and my eyes focus their way up the hand, arm, shoulder then the face of someone who looks so familiar to me but I can’t place him.

Over the next few days the newest family of the Clan Wells Point melded into loving kindred. Since the women wanted to contribute to the CWP they thought of what they might do. They also took Becky to the CWP Daycare so she could get used to being around other children. Before the heart transplant she’d been too weak to mingle. Afterward she was too fragile due to her compromised immune system. Since recovering from her hospitalization thanks to the angelic intervention that seemed to be a thing of the past. Becky would join clan members Wanda Scott and Karen Harris in the pre kindergarten program at St. Michaels Elementary school which adjoined the middle/high school when school reopened in the new year.

On December 27 Wendy reached a decision. “Mom, can I ask a favor?”

“Of course, Wendy,” Helen smiled.

“Ohh lemme see, lemme see!” Vanessa beams with excitement as she pulls the small card from Rhonda’s fingers.

“Hey! I was still looking at it!” Rhonda looked ruefully at Vanessa.

“So where are you going first?” Sherry adds.

“Mom won’t let me drive…” I say sadly.

Sherry reaches for the card and gives it a tug. “My turn.”

“Careful! Don’t rip it!” I admonish the trio.

“It’s only a temporary, you get the real one in a month or two.” Vanessa chimes back.

In one of the most improbable reunions, Carla Rhodes, who was kidnapped almost seven years ago is finally reunited with her family a day before her 21st birthday.
{Cut to pre-recorded footage}

Jessica and Dan continue to learn about life in the other shoes - the good, the bad and a whole lot more...

When I woke up and looked over, Jess was up and looking at me. "Hey beautiful," she said, giving me a kiss.

"That's a wake-up call," I smiled. I had gotten used to her calling me beautiful. At first, it felt weird and mocking. Now it felt normal. "What time is it?"

"9:15."

"How long have you been up?"

"About an hour," she said.

"Why didn't you wake me? Weren't you bored?"

"I read the paper. Besides you looked so sexy lying there. “ I was wearing a teal satin nightie with lace around the neckline and hem. I had put it on the night before when we made love. “I can't believe you can sleep in that."

“Well, looks like we’re the first to arrive,” Stuart mused as he steered the car containing himself and his fiancée into the designated parking spot outside the studio where they’d be spending the rest of the day.

“If you think that means we can be the first to leave, forget it,” Jamie said with a smug grin. “Cheer up! I know you don’t like being on this side of the camera, but it IS only for one day, you won’t be wearing anything extravagant, and you yourself said this whole shoot was a great idea.”

After the doctors returned to their work Kelly, Ruth and Krista discussed what to do. Kelly was impatiently waiting to get to Ben’s side. Convinced the Clan Wells Point was as good as they seemed she decided to trust them to take care of Grant and Penny. That Ruth and others would be with her while she stayed with Ben only reinforced her budding belief in the Clan. Krista stayed inside in case they came to escort Kelly to the ICU while she headed outside to kiss her children goodbye. Ruth accompanied her to kiss Jamie and Jenny. When they returned Kelly hugged and thanked Krista before Krista headed out to the vehicles. It was 9:00pm when they left for the three and half hour trip home to the CWP.

Liz Rich and her daughter Diana Harris were waiting at the O’Brien homestead when the weary troop arrived from their extended Pennsylvania trip. The car seats with the sleeping children were gently moved to her car. It was only a short detour for Liz to drop Jamie and Jenny off at their home. Since Jamie was a senior no one had an issue with she and Jenny being alone in their house. The neighbors on both sides were close. Krista was swarmed by her parents as well as maternal grandparents and nana Scott. All were concerned about her burns.

When his mother dreams that the war won't be over by Christmas, and that he and all the other boys from school will be killed in the trenches, John changes his name to Joan and everything else flows from that.

Author's Note: This story contains non-violent rape, under-age sex, and cross dressing.

I took a deep breath as I marched into the living room where dad was watching TV. Defiantly, I stood between him and the television set, earning a confused stare from the middle-aged man.

"Something you want to tell me, Jason?" Dad asked as I dramatically placed my hands on my hips.

"Dad," I said in a loud, proud voice. "I- I'm gay." An eternity passed as dad's face remained neutral, before he simply nodded once.

"Okay," dad said. "Can I go back to watching my TV programme now?"

"Wh-what?" I asked. "Didn't you hear what I just said? I said I'm gay!"

Originally published December 18, 2002 to Classic BC

Eyes That Sparkle

by Keshara

Preface

A letter published in an agony aunt column I read many years ago inspired this story. It was from a lost soul who was desperate to find the true person they wanted be. You could say that it is based on a true story, but as for the answer to their dilemma I do not know?

On Tuesday October 28 Kylie was nearly bursting at the seams laughing as spun in a circle with giggling twins Sonny and Rayne clasped in her arms. Larry, Evelyn, Rachel and Tony exchanged perplexed frowns as they watched the bizarre behavior. When she noticed she was being watched she stopped spinning to smile at them.

“Callie’s going to be released,” Kylie squealed with delight as she bounced up and down on her toes. “The lawyer from Texas called! He determined Callie was so wracked with guilt by the murder she simply pled guilty to the chargers and that her public defender merely accept her guilty plea. No one even questioned if she knew her boyfriend intended to commit a crime. When he questioned the boyfriend he laughed declaring that Callie had no idea what he was doing and that no one had ever asked him that question. The lawyer presented the evidence to the Texas Attorney Generals office for review declaring his intention to pursue charges against the incompetent public defender, the overzealous prosecutor and the judge for gross misconduct for railroading an innocent victim. Once they reviewed the case and questioned everyone they fired the public defender and sanctioned the prosecutor and judge. Callie’s conviction has been overturned and all charges dismissed! They’re processing her release and will let us know when so we can make arrangements for her to fly home!”