I let out a long, loud sigh of relief as the bell rings to signify the end of yet another school day. Two years ago, I'd have given anything to be able to sit in a classroom dressed the way I am right now, but today I am almost desperate to get home and strip off the stiff grey skirt and black tights that are covering my lower body.

A Christmas Party - part 2


Bob gets invited to his office's Christmas Party. His colleagues convince him that life is more fun in a dress.

A Christmas Party - part 1


Bob gets invited to his office's Christmas Party. His colleagues convince him that life is more fun in a dress.

The beeps of the heart monitor were the only sound I could hear as I lay in my hospital bed.

“And remember to be careful, okay?” Janet said, trying not to smirk as the eighteen-year-old girl rolled her eyes before getting out of her car.

“I will,” Ellie replied with a sigh. “And thanks for the lift, but you don’t need to do this EVERY day.” Hint taken, Janet thought to herself.

“Well, it’s your Oyster Card,” Janet shrugged. “Give me a text when you’re on your way home, okay?”

“Sure,” Ellie replied with a nonchalant shrug of her own. “See you later, Janet.”

“Bye!” Janet said with a wave, laughing to herself as she drove away from the university.

 
Chapter 25 - A New Direction

"I can't believe that the week is almost over," sighed Scott.

"I know what you mean. It may not have been the vacation we expected, but this is a lovely place and I do want to come back again."

"It's odd to think that this may be the last time our family vacations together, even if our eldest child is not staying with us. I'm not sure I'm ready to have an independent child go off into the world to find their own way."

"Feeling like an empty-nester already, dear?"

"I suppose I am. Just because we aren't the first doesn't make it any easier."

"Peter will still be living with us, or perhaps Polly will, while she's in school. Oh my! I just called our son 'she,' didn't I?"

 
Chapter 24 - The Hot Springs

Polly, I've got to hand it to you," Little Rose said. "You have a lot of nerve taking your parents on a hike to a clothing optional hot springs. For that matter, you have a lot of nerve going anywhere where clothing is optional!"

 
Chapter 22 - Pillow Talk

Each day, any day, no mater how the humans packing the surface of this planet act, react, stumble, fight, love or hate, they must bow to the reality of physics. Sailors fear that if all the passengers on a boat should move to one side it could capsize, and that very thing has happened. Not even if some demagogue should convince the entire population of the Earth to all move to one side of the planet would it change the rotation of the Earth.

 
Photo by Mohammad Ali Jafarian on Unsplash

Chapter 18 - An Interesting Sunday

Sunday morning. The alarm went off at its usual time, much to Polly's distress. Even more to her distress, Sheila was up and disgustingly awake.

"C'mon sleepyhead, get up and look at the day the Lord has made." Sheila ordered.

"Mumble, mumble."

"Say that again?"

 
Chapter 14 - The Secret Spreads

By the time Polly and Sheila reached Rosemary's door, Polly was getting nervous. Very nervous. The day had gone surprisingly well. As one more anonymous girl wandering the aisles of the thrift shops, Polly was taken for just what she wanted to be: a teenage girl. Sheila's comment about people seeing what they wanted to see was very true. But now she was going to meet someone who knew Sheila well, and actually talk to her. If things went as planned she was going to change back to being Pete in this girl's house, there would be no secrets between them.

 
Chapter 12 - Popping a Question

"Let me get this straight, son. You're asking to spend the entire summer out in some cabin in the woods with your girlfriend and expect your poor, innocent parents to go along with this plan?"

 
Chapter 10 Confession

Over the next few months, Pete began to feel like a double agent. Something clicked between Pete and Sheila, and a medium-to-long distance romance began to blossom. Medium-to-long distance because they didn't live too far from each other, there is no such thing as a short drive in Portland traffic. They went to different schools so that shot holding hands in the halls and after school activities together, not to mention the old standby of doing homework together.

 
Photo by Eneida Nieves https://www.instagram.com/fari.photography

Chapter 9 - At the Cabin

Saturday morning.

Early Saturday Morning. Maybe it was because he had gotten only a few hours sleep each night during the week that Pete had finally gotten a good night's rest. In any case the alarm woke him and he was showered and dressed well before he had to be. Greatly daring, he had put on his bra and panties and filled the cups with the bags of rice. Donning his jeans and a very loose, sloppy sweatshirt he examined the image in the mirror and decided the modest B cups wasn't too obvious. Appropriate clothes for a day in the woods.

Chapter 7 - The Shopping Test

Cannon Beach is an unabashed tourist town. The City Parents - no sexism here with City Fathers, please - wisely kept the beach open to everyone, building the requisite yuppie condos far back from the shore. Come sunset you can see couples strolling hand in hand or dogs joyfully running flat out, all outlined against the sea and the setting sun. There's usually someone starting a fire from the driftwood with the family clustered close for the warmth.

Chapter 6 - The Date

Once Peter and Sheila were over the peak of the mountains and descending the western side the road followed a stream that splashed and danced over the rocks as it ran through the verdant forest. At each turn in the road a magnificent new vista was revealed and Sheila was enchanted by the scenery.

"I had no idea any of this was here, Pete. It's beautiful."

It was the first Halloween I was allowed to go trick or treating without my brother. I was going with a number of my school friends and one of their mother's so mom thought it would be ok. Andy had a new part-time job after school and couldn't get off until late. He blamed himself for everything that happened.

Head Above Water

I had gone camping once before that day.
It was in the backyard in a medium-size pink tent with my sister. We made it through the night and then went inside for lucky charms and Saturday morning cartoons.

Having a tent was something I wished I had that night as I woke up with bugs of every shape and size crawling all over me—including a water bug that’s had no issues with sitting on my face.

Funny thing happened at Helen's birthday party.