Bonnie Jeanne: A Day At The Beach

by Janis Elizabeth

 

Before my Bonnie Jeanne persona emerged from the closet, Mom and I would take several Saturday day trips to the beach during the summer. Usually at the beginning of the week, Mom would suggest a Saturday trip. This meant, if we were going to go, that I had to help out some so that the housecleaning, normally done by Mom on Saturday, could be deferred until the following weekend. I would try to keep things straight around the house and would dust the shelves and furniture.

Then on Saturday morning, we would leave early; make the hour and a half drive to the beach and stay late, enjoying the sun, the smells and the salt air for most of the day. Usually we would eat dinner at the beach before returning home. Mom would always pack a big mesh bag with towels, suntan lotion and other things that we might need. I would either wear my swimming trunks under my jeans or simply wear my trunks as a pair of shorts. Sometimes, Mom would ask Aunt Meg and Carolyn, if she was home and not busy, to accompany us. It was usually a fun day for all, although Carolyn and I tended to regularly get on each other's nerves.

School had ended a few weeks ago and I was living as Bonnie Jeanne full time for the summer. My hair had grown longer and Tina had created a nice feminine style for me that looked nice and required little care. I even had my first permanent, even though I was more interested in having body in my hair rather than curls and ringlets. It was such a wonderful time, experiencing perm rods, end papers, permanent solution and all of the other items that go into having a permanent. It took Tina a good two hours to do my perm and I relished ever minute I was there. That day, Mom was also getting a permanent, sort of a mother-daughter day at the beauty salon. During my appointment, Tina added to my photo collection with quite a few shots taken at various stages of the permanent process. The two pictures that I really love are the ones where Mom and I are close to each other with our heads covered with perm rods and also where I am seated under the plastic dome of the hair dryer, pink shampoo cape over my clothing, pink hairnet on my head, reading the latest teen magazine.

Thoughts of going to the beach really hadn't crossed my mind as of yet, since I was enjoying my first feminine summer. I was very surprised, therefore, when Mom suggested that Bonnie Jeanne be introduced to the joys of a trip to the beach on the following Saturday. I was even more surprised, and somewhat concerned, when Mom said that she had already invited Aunt Meg to join us. What would I do if Carolyn were to come along? How would I explain either the way I would be dressed or even myself as Bonnie Jeanne to her? More importantly, how would I be able to withstand the scorn and ridicule that I knew she would surely heap upon me? I felt sure that, in her eyes at least, I would be no more than her sissy cousin who was wearing a dress. I expected no sympathy at all from her. I tried to explain my concerns to Mom but she wouldn't hear of it. Instead, Mom handed me a large shopping bag from the big department store at the mall, saying I could wear this outfit on Saturday. She told me to go and change into it and let her know when I was ready to be seen.

Reluctantly, I took the bag and slowly headed for my room. Once there, I removed my denim wrap skirt, my white cotton blouse and my lingerie. The bag contained a lovely one-piece girl's bathing suit in a pink and black print. Before I put the bathing suit on, I made sure that my dancer's gaffe, a recent addition to wardrobe to keep my feminine front from being spoiled by an unsightly bulge, was properly in place. I carefully stepped into the bathing suit and pulled it up, slipping my arms through the shoulder straps. I then stood and admired myself in my new bathing suit. It had a slight scooped back, the leg openings were cut a bit high up my thigh exposing more of my legs than perhaps I should have and the top, thankfully, had a nicely padded bra. I must say that I looked rather cute in it.

Also, in the shopping bag was a new pair of open toed sandals. I had wanted a pair of this type of sandals ever since summer began. Now I would be able to show off my nicely polished toenails, which Tina and I had continued to maintain since my first pedicure. Quickly, I slipped them on my feet and gazed down to see my frosted pink toenails showing through. I stood and walked, feeling how comfortable they were. Mom had also gotten me a thin, almost sheer, top and matching long wrap skirt in a black and blue print to wear as my bathing suit cover. Lastly, she had included a very summery straw hat for me to wear, either on the beach or the boardwalk.

As I was putting the hat on, Mom called out and asked if I was decent. I told her that she could come in. When Mom entered my room, she looked me over carefully and told me how cute I looked in the top and skirt. She was eager to see how I looked in my first feminine bathing suit. I removed the outer clothing and stood there before her in my bathing suit. Mom smiled at me and nodded approvingly. She had her camera with her and took several pictures of me in my new bathing suit.

I took this moment to again express my concerns about Saturday, not so much about having Aunt Meg along since she already knew about me, but about Carolyn possibly coming also. How would things be explained? Who would be the one to explain them to Carolyn? Worse still, how would I live with the derogatory comments she would make to me and the tales she would spread about her little sissy cousin. Mom took my hands in hers and had me look at her. She assured me that I was worrying far too much and that I should just wait and see what happens. Halfheartedly, I said I would hope for the best even though I didn't expect it. Mom said we could cancel our day at the beach if I didn't want to go. I assured her that I really did want to go and I thought my new outfit was very pretty. Still, I had my concerns. Mom again tried to assure me that I was worrying about something that may not even happen.

The rest of the week went by quickly. Since we were not going to be home Saturday, I donned my pink and white dress, tied my scarf over my head and did the cleaning on Friday. It seemed to take longer today than usual since I was working by myself. However, I still managed to finish before Mom got home. After a quick shower, making sure I protected my hairdo with my pink plastic shower cap, I freshened up and touched up my makeup. I changed into a green shirtwaist dress with a full skirt. I had also put on a garter belt and stockings, recent additions to my wardrobe, and then slipped into my heels. I had easily mastered the low heels and could hardly wait to try higher heels. Mom told me I had to be patient. I would be wearing the higher heels soon enough.

Mom brought home a veggie pizza for us for dinner so that we wouldn't have a lot of dinner dishes to clean up afterwards. As we ate, she told me that I had done a very good job in cleaning the house. She said she would pack our beach bag now rather than in the morning. Smiling, Mom said she was going to include, in addition to our usual things, two old-fashioned white rubber bathing caps for us to wear to protect our hairdos when we went into the water. I smiled and said that I could hardly wait to see her wearing a bathing cap. She smiled back and said I might be surprised at what she did. Mom said she had the towels, suntan lotion, sunglasses and some books and magazines for each of us, in addition to our bathing caps.

That night, at bedtime, I made sure that my bathing suit cover, my sandals and my bathing suit were ready for me to quickly put on in the morning. I then changed into a knee-length mint green waltz length nightie with a nylon overlay. It felt so nice and soft against my body. I went to the bathroom and performed my nightly task of removing my makeup and cleansing my skin. I then put on my satin hairdo protector and climbed into bed to sleep. My dreams that night were a mix of pleasant thoughts of a day at the beach and tormenting ones about how my cousin Carolyn would treat me. However, the next morning, I was awake early, feeling refreshed and ready for some fun in the summer sun. I quickly got myself ready. Mom had told me that I didn't need to wear very much makeup for the beach and that I could always apply what I needed after we left the beach.

Mom was waiting for me in the living room. She was wearing a very pretty floral shift over her black and white one-piece suit with the scooped back and the high leg openings. She was holding our beach bag as she asked me if I were ready. I smiled and nodded my head, hoping inside that Carolyn would not be coming with us. We got into the van and drove over to pick up Aunt Meg.

After Mom parked the van, I got out and slid into the back so that Mom and Aunt Meg could sit up front and chat as we traveled. Just as I was settled in, I looked at the open front door of the house and noticed not one but two people emerging. Aunt Meg had chosen a short denim skirt and a white cotton blouse as her swimsuit cover. Her suit, styled similarly to Mom's, was navy blue with several white stripes running diagonally across the front. The other person coming out of the house was my cousin Carolyn. She appeared to be wearing a two-piece bathing suit in light green, which she filled very nicely. My cousin was very pretty and had a well-filled bra. She hadn't put on her tee shirt yet, although she did have a pair of navy satin running shorts on. Her shoulder length black hair was pulled into a ponytail and was covered with a baseball cap. As I saw her approaching, I wanted to hide in the corner. Better yet, I wanted the floorboards to open and instantly swallow me, so I wouldn't have to face the coming torment.

While Aunt Meg put her beach bag in the back of the van with ours, Carolyn got into the backseat with me, smiled and said 'Hello.' She apparently didn't recognize me at first. After a few seconds of studying my face, she gasped audibly in recognition and said "Brendan, is that really you?" I turned away from her so she could not see my face, nodded sadly and said "Hello, Carolyn." Carolyn continued to stare and asked that I turn and look at her. When I did, I noticed she had a big friendly smile on her face. She first reached out and hugged me and then she said, "You look very pretty Bonnie Jeanne. When Mom said that you and Aunt Linda were borrowing some of my clothes from when I was younger and why, I wondered whether you would even be close to being passable as a teenage girl. That is why I really wanted to tag along with Mom and go to the beach. I think it is so much nicer having a younger female cousin than having a younger male cousin. Brendan and I didn't get along too well when we were together." With that, she leaned over and gave me another hug.

During the trip to the beach, Carolyn and I chatted more than we ever had. She asked me how I had selected my feminine name and I told her of the lyrics of the song that I liked which contained the phrase 'bonny Jeanne." I told her about my beauty salon appointments and how Mom and I would wear matching pink and white dresses while we did the housecleaning. Occasionally, she would lean over and whisper something to me in secret and we would sit there and giggle over it. She asked me to describe my bathing suit, which I did. She also asked me which of my new outfits I liked the best. I thought for a minute and then said that her pretty light blue satin party dress with the short puffed sleeves and the full skirt that could only be set off by wearing a starched crinoline underneath was probably my favorite. She smiled and said that dress had been one of her favorites also.

Although I didn't realize it, because I was enjoying talking with Carolyn, Mom and Aunt Meg were closely watching and listening to us talk. They were both hoping that everything would be well between us. It must have been because, all of a sudden, I realized Mom was pulling into a parking space at the beach. The hour and a half trip had flown by quickly, with Carolyn and I talking the whole time.

As we got out of the van, Carolyn took a good look at me in my outfit and said the colors went well with my complexion. I slipped my straw hat on my head to provide some protection from the sun's rays. Carolyn said that she would help me apply suntan lotion once we got to the beach. We made our way down the two blocks to the beach. Carolyn and I walked ahead of Mom and Aunt Meg, chatting and talking about the variety of items on display in the little shops that lined the street. Carolyn pointed to a pair of red satin shorts with a handprint and the words "Spank Me" in white across the bottom. She smiled mischievously and said she might enjoy getting a pair, although she wasn't sure how her Mom would react when she saw it. I smiled and said I thought it was cute but that I wouldn't have those words on my bottom. Carolyn laughed at my comment and whispered that I really didn't know what I was missing. I looked at her in disbelief as she smiled knowingly.

On the beach, we spread out our blanket and our towels, put up the umbrella and covered our exposed skin with sunscreen. Mom handed me my sunglasses and a book to read. Carolyn also got her sunglasses and a book from Aunt Meg. We lay on our towels reading and absorbing the sun's rays. Mom had brought her camera and was taking some pictures of my first day at the beach. At one point, Carolyn suggested that we go into the water and get our suits wet. I said I was ready but that I first had to get my bathing cap from Mom. As I took my white rubber cap out of the bag, Carolyn was intrigued by it, saying she had never worn a rubber bathing cap while swimming. She asked Mom if she had another one. Mom smiled and handed Carolyn a bathing cap that matched mine. She said that she still had extras for herself and for Aunt Meg. Carolyn laughed and said she would believe that her mom would wear a bathing cap when she saw it. The adults watched as we pulled the caps over our hair and fastened the straps under our chins. They told us to be careful in the water. Before we headed into the surf, Mom got pictures of us smiling, standing with our heads together, our rubber bathing caps covering our hair.

We headed for the water, our hair properly protected. Carolyn and I eased into the water, getting our suits wet a little at a time. After a few minutes, we both dove into an oncoming wave to get completely wet. I was glad I had on my bathing cap to protect my hairdo and said so to Carolyn. She smiled and said that, while it was kind of old-fashioned, it was nice. Soon Mom and Aunt Meg joined us in the water. Both women were wearing their bathing caps, much to the surprise of both Carolyn and I. What an interesting sight the four of us made. There we were, four women in up-to-date swimsuits with old-fashioned bathing caps over our hair. We got many looks, some strange and some envious, even from a few men. Mom made sure that she had a passerby take a picture of the four of us, smiling, with our heads together, properly protected with the bathing caps. Carolyn and I were in front with Mom and Aunt Meg in back of us.

When we returned to our blankets, we dried off, and removed our caps. Carolyn offered to apply some more sunscreen to my back if I would do hers when she finished mine. I gratefully accepted her offer. I knelt on the towel while she rubbed the cream all over my back and my shoulders. When she was done, we changed places and I applied her sunscreen. I told her she had lovely, soft skin. She smiled and thanked me for the compliment. As we again lay out on our towels, soaking up more of the sun's rays, Carolyn confided that, when she first heard about Bonnie Jeanne, she expected to see some grotesque caricature with me dressed as a girl. However, she continued, she was pleased with how cute I looked and how much nicer I was to be around than Brendan had been. I smiled and thanked her for her kind words.

We were not able to stay out for too much longer that day, as some dark clouds suddenly appeared threatening rain. As Mom and Aunt Meg packed the beach bags, Carolyn and I put our cover us on over our suits. We were able to get under an overhang in front of some stores on the Boardwalk when the storm hit. Mom and Aunt Meg asked us to keep an eye on the beach bags while they briefly went into one of the stores. When they returned, both Mom and Aunt Meg were wearing belted, clear plastic women's raincoats with attached hoods. We were each handed one to put on and keep dry. Carolyn commented that she hadn't seen anyone wear this type of raincoat in quite some time. I had to agree with her, even while I was buttoning mine up and tying the plastic belt around my waist. I then pulled up my hood to protect me from the rain. Carolyn joked that next we would be getting clear plastic rain boots that we could wear over our heels, if we were wearing heels.

We window shopped along the Boardwalk, hoping the rain would let up some. When it didn't look to be easing any, Carolyn suggested we freshen our faces and do our makeup. I was able to find some seats under a pavilion near where we were. Carolyn was smiling as she watched as I removed my compact and applied powder to my face. I then applied some blush and a little eye shadow. Lastly, I pulled my tube of pink lipstick from my purse and carefully applied some to my lips. As I carefully blotted the excess onto a tissue, Carolyn whispered to me that it looked like I had been applying and using makeup all my life, since I did it so effortlessly. I smiled at her for her kind words.

Since the rain showed no signs of letting up, Mom suggested that we have dinner at a nearby restaurant and then drive home. We were all in agreement on this. Fortunately, we found a place that only had a fifteen-minute wait. Carolyn and I took off our raincoats, shook them to remove the excess water and then folded them and held them over our arms. When we were seated, our table had an extra chair, so that we all were able to place our raincoats over it along with our beach bags.

During dinner, Carolyn suggested that we excuse ourselves and go to the ladies' room to freshen up. Once I was in the stall, I realized that I practically had to undress so that I could properly empty my bladder. In a way, I was envious of Carolyn and her two-piece suit. It seemed to make things easier. When I finished and was dressed again, I emerged from the stall and found Carolyn waiting for me. She smiled and asked softly if I had started to use maxi pads yet. I replied that I used them on occasion and I found it to be very uncomfortable having the pad between my legs. I whisper also that I was glad that I didn't have the other attendant problems that came with wearing a maxi pad. Carolyn almost laughed as she considered my comment.

We returned to the table and finished the meal, engaging in the normal small talk with Mom and Aunt Meg. Just before going back outside, we all put on our plastic raincoats again. I made sure that my raincoat was properly belted and that the hood was up before going into the rain. I was also enjoying both the feel and the plastic smell of my raincoat. We made our way to the car and started the trip home. Evidently, Carolyn and I were more tired than we realized as we fell asleep in the back seat. When we awoke, our plastic covered heads were touching as we had leaned in towards each other as we slept.

As we dropped off my Aunt and my cousin, Carolyn took my hand and said she really had a good time with Bonnie Jeanne and that she hoped to see her on a regular basis from now on. With that, she leaned over and gave me a big hug and gently kissed my cheek. She whispered to me that she thought I was really pretty. She also said she would do anything she could to help me enjoy my new persona. I thanked here and assured her that she would be seeing more of Bonnie Jeanne.

As Mom and I drove home, I was already starting to ask her how soon we could again go to the beach and if Aunt Meg and Carolyn would go with us. Summer was too short to only have one trip to the beach.

 

 

 

*********************************************
© 2002 by Janis Elizabeth. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without limitation, all articles, text, images, logos, compilation design) may printed for personal use only. No portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed electronically, or otherwise made available without express written consent of the copyright holder.