Cross Training

by Jennifer White

 

"Andrew, come here!" yelled Eileen Haworth, a mother of three, struggling to make ends meet. Her son Andy was a junior in highschool, and the captain of his tennis team already. He had played first singles ever since his sophomore year, and he had only lost twice in two seasons on the varsity team.

"What is it ma?" he replied, running into the room. He was trim and fit, and still growing. He had all the potential in the world to be a top athlete. The only thing lacking for the Haworth family was financial resources. Being a single mother of three, Eileen struggled just to pay the bills. She couldn't afford to join a tennis club like some of the others at Andy's school. Nor could she send him to a tennis academy for the summer, as did the parents of other top players. But that was about to change.

"You've been accepted!!!" she said. "Coach Patel is going to give you a free ride scholarship at his academy in Ft. Lauderdale. You're going to Florida Andrew!"

Andy was beside himself with excitement. He never thought that this day would come. Based solely on his ability, and his financial situation, he was going to get a full ride to a prestigious tennis academy, where he could hone his game, and become a top performer.

Coach Patel was famous, having coached several ranked players. He had a reputation for using unusual methods, but you could not argue with his results. And now Andy was going to sunny south Florida to train.

 

* * *

 

A limo was there to pick Andy up at the Ft. Lauderdale International Airport. He had never rode on a plane before, let a lone a limo. It was so hot and humid there! He hadn't been prepared for that, having grown up in the north. The sun shown, there were palm trees everywhere, and it was like a dream come true.

He rode in the limo to the tennis academy, where a valet greeted him, and carried his bags for him, off to his dorm style room. The academy was so plush, that he even had a room of his own. No bratty little brothers, no strange roommate. *His* room.

Andy was nervous as he met Coach Patel. He was an imposing man, completely bald, tall, dark leathery skin from years of exposure to the hot tropical sun, deep booming voice, and although aged sixty, still in great physical shape.

They talked at first, just exchanging pleasantries. Then the coach got down to business. He explained how the academy worked. Andy would play tennis every morning, every afternoon, and every evening. In between, they would work on other aspects of his physical fitness.

"I have always believed," started the coach, "that all-around physical fitness is the key to winning. The best all-body workout, with the least wear and tear on the body, is swimming. You will spend much time in the pool, as we work on building the proper muscles for your body, to optimize your game. You are to report to the pool immediately, so we can run some timing tests on you, as a baseline."

Swimming to improve his tennis game? Coach Patel *was* known for unorthodox methods. Andy decided that this was just one example of it. It sounded reasonable.

 

And so Andy found himself standing at the starting block at the pool. One of the many assistant coaches held a clipboard and a stopwatch. She was tall, and like the other women at the academy, she looked pretty, intelligent, and intimidating.

"I am Coach Diane Wilson, your swim coach. When I say go, you are to swim to the end of the pool and back twice. Ready.....set......go!!!"

Andy dove into the water, which was surprisingly warm, as if he had just jumped into a bath. Back home, the water was always cold, even in the summer. But not here, in July!

He swam as hard as he could to the far end. He turned, and headed back. Now he was half way done, and he could feel himself beginning to tire. Even before he completed lap three, he could feel the lactic acid in his muscles. He made the last turn, and swam for home. He gave it all he could, but he was faltering, and his technique became sloppier. When he mercifully hit the end, he was gasping, out of breath.

"Two minutes, and twenty three seconds" said the coach, noting the time on the clipboard.

"Is that good?" said Andy, between gasping breaths.

"Lindsay just clocked in at one minute and thirty seven seconds" he replied, pointing to a young girl who was sunning herself on one of the lounge chairs around the pool.

And stared at Lindsay. She was a blonde haired goddess. They didn't have girls like her back home! She looked like a model. She had a young, perfect body, long hair, long legs...the whole package. She was a young man's dream. He was instantly in love.

"What does she do here?" he asked, as he gawked at her.

"She plays tennis. Both boys and girls attend the academy here."

Andy put meeting Lindsay at the top of his list of things to do.

 

* * *

 

Coach Patel evaluated Andy's game, as he hit against another young man his age, and then played a set against him. He wrote many note into his little book, which he would use to plan Andy's training program. Problem areas needed to be dealt with. Swing flaws needed to be corrected. But one problem was worse than the others, and needed to be corrected the most: Andy's footwork.

 

"Andy, this is Coach Katrina. She is the footwork coach here at the academy."

"Hello" said Andy.

"Hello" replied Katrina, who was a tall, elegant redhead. She had that athletic look to her, and she moved with the poise and grace of a cat.

Andy followed her down the hall to a large room. There was a hardwood floor, and mirrors all around the room. It looked more like some kind of gym than anything else. There was also a barre that ran along some of the walls. Andy didn't know what it was, and he wondered if it was used by handicapped people to help them walk. As he stared at it, Katrina talked.

"Andy, your largest flaw is your footwork. Take a look at these photographs they took of you during the match. Here you are, ready to return serve. Notice how your feet are flat on the ground, your weight on your heels. And here is another of you waiting for a ground stroke. Again, your feet are flat, and your weight is on your heels."

Andy nodded. He never had a great coach, and nobody had ever told him this before.

"In order to be quick on the court, and to get the best possible jump on the ball, it is critical that your weight goes on the balls of your feet. Now from our experience, when we tell someone this, they listen for a while, but soon after, they revert to their old habits. For this reason, we will retrain you, to create a new habit."

Andy nodded. It sounded reasonable.

"I have a method that is unorthodox, but it works. Take off your shoes and socks."

Andy did as he was asked, as Coach Katrina went over to the wall. She slid one of the glass panels to the side, to reveal a closet. Inside were many boxes.

"What size shoes do you wear?" she asked.

"Ten" he replied.

She pulled out a box, and walked back to him.

"We will begin on your footwork" she said. "You will wear these."

Andy took the box from her, and removed the lid. He peeled back the tissue paper, and gasped.

"You gave me the wrong pair" he said. "This are women's shoes."

They were high heel shoes; pink, loopy and strappy. The thin heel had to be six inches high he decided.

"No, those are the right ones. Put them on."

They might look good on Lindsay, but not on him! He wasn't going to wear shoes that were made for a chick.

"I can't wear these!" he protested. "They are made for girls."

"First of all" said Katrina, "you must do what I tell you. If not, you will be expelled from the academy, and sent home. A bill for our services will be sent to your mother, and we will expect her to pay it in full. You are here on a full ride, so you had better decide what you want. Do you want to do what we think is in the best interest of your game, or do you want to go home?"

Andy didn't want to go home! He wanted to stay here in the sun and the heat. He wanted to meet Lindsay. He wanted to become a top tennis player. And he didn't want a huge bill sent to his mom. He would disappoint her so much if he was expelled! He had no choice, really. He sighed, and started to put the shoes on.

"You made the right choice" said Katrina.

After he had them on, he stood up, although he teetered a bit in them, having never worn heels before. They changed his center of gravity considerably.

"If you put your weight on your heels, you will fall over" said Katrina. "But if you keep it on the balls of your feet, you can learn to walk in these. In addition, the floor is slippery, so if you don't take small, balanced steps, you will fall. These are the first things you need to learn to improve your footwork."

Andy was stunned. He never would have thought that wearing chick's shoes would help his tennis footwork! But Katrina wasn't done yet.

"Once you can walk in these shoes, you will learn to dance in them. I will teach you several complex steps, which you will learn to execute gracefully. Once you can glide over the dance floor in heels, your footwork on court will improve a hundred fold."

And so Andy took his first teetering steps in high heels. Katrina held his hand, as she taught him the correct posture, the correct way to position his weight, and taught him the basics.

After fifteen minutes of drills, he was able to walk on his own fairly well, but it was hardly stylish or graceful.

"Very good Andy. We will work on this *every* day, until you can move in heels as if it was natural to you. By the time you are done, you will look graceful. And your footwork on court will be *so* much better."

After another fifteen minutes of additional drills, Andy's feet felt sore, as did the muscles in the back of his legs, which were unaccustomed to walking with a sloped shoe.

"Now we will work with music" said Katrina, who walked over to a table in the corner, and started playing music. It was 'big band' music, from a bygone era.

"Dance with me" she said. "I will lead, and you will follow."

Andy held on to her, as he balanced in his heels. She started to teach him the basics of dancing. He didn't know enough to realize that she was leading, the traditional role of the man, and that he was dancing as the woman in the couple. His education had really started to begin.

 

 

After the dance lesson, Katrina had one more thing for Andy: a pair of pink tennis shoes. They had a plastic-like coating on the outside, with was sparkly and pink colored. Just like his high heel shoes.

"They will remind you of your footwork drills you learn here with me" she said. "And for that reason, you will only wear *these* shoes on court. If they wear out, come see me for a new pair."

From that day forward, Andy only wore the pink shoes.

 

* * *

 

In between the swimming, the footwork drills, the tennis drills and the match play, Andy was kept very busy. Yet he managed to find the time every day to make an excuse to "bump into" Lindsay, or to stop by to watch her hit the tennis balls. She looked so cute in her little white outfit. She favored short white skirts and skimpy tops. And now she knew Andy, was becoming his friend.

The boys and the girls weren't allowed to see each other after 9:00pm, but in the few minutes of free time each evening, he would go for a walk with her, and ask her about her day. He was a good listener, and soon, they were becoming friends. Unlike many of the other boys, Andy didn't come on too strong with her, which was a big plus.

Most of the guys came from rich families, and they were used to getting what they wanted, when they wanted it. But with his humble roots, Andy had more humility than them, and a smaller ego. Lindsay found that refreshing and appealing. They were bonding very well, and Andy's time with her was the highlight of each day.

 

"I'm going to let you in on a little secret" said coach Wilson, as they reviewed Andy's slow progress in the pool. He had improved to three minutes and eleven seconds. Still quite a ways from his goal of two and a half minutes.

"A secret?" he said.

"Yes" she replied. "You want to improve your time in the pool, right?"

"Of course" he said.

"Then you need to take advantage of every edge you can get. Now do you know what 'drag' is, scientifically speaking?"

"No" he said, not having taken a physics class yet.

"When an airplane flies, it cuts right through the air to go fast. But when it slows down, you know how the end of the wings move?"

"Yeah, I saw that when I flew here."

"That is to slow the plane down. Instead of a smooth surface cutting through the air, the wing scoops the air, creating drag, which slows the plane down for landing."

"Wow, I didn't know that" he said.

"Or if the plane was made of a rough surface instead of smooth metal, it would have more drag, and wouldn't cut through the air as easily. The same thing goes for being in the pool. Water moving over a surface acts a lot like air does when going over a wing."

"I see" said Andy.

"And so, the less drag you have in the pool, the easier you cut through the water. That means that if your muscles were exactly the same, and your technique the same, if you could reduce the amount of drag on your body, you'd get a faster time."

"Cool!" said Andy. "How do I do that?"

"It's quite simple. Something all competitive swimmers do. They shave off all their body hair. The legs, the arms, the chest, the armpits, *everything*. Then they wear a cap on their heads. And bingo, with no extra work on your part, your time will improve. Not a lot, but you're trying to shave off every second you can. Tomorrow, when you report here, I'd like to see you hairless, and we'll see what effect it has on your time."

"Sounds good" said Andy.

 

That night, after saying good-bye to Lindsay after their walk, Andy went to the shower in his room, and shaved off all of his body hair. He even shaved the little bit of peach fuzz on his face, which he had been letting go to look cool. Getting a good time in the pool was more important than that now.

The next day, when he swam, his time improved by five seconds. Not a lot, but enough to make his progress look good. Coach Diane told him that he needed a lot of work on his technique, but that he'd come around in time.

From that day on, Andy shaved his legs, chest and underarms every couple of days, to make himself hairless.

 

* * *

 

Andy's footwork lessons with Coach Katrina continued. He was getting more and more comfortable walking around in the high heels, and he was starting to get fairly good at dancing. Some of the more complex maneuvers like being spun by his partner or being dipped still were out of his range, but he was getting there.

He didn't notice any improvement on court yet, but Katrina kept assuring him that it would help out in the long run. The hot pink tennis shoes were a little bit embarrassing to wear at first, but he was used to them now, and they *did* remind him to stay on his toes, not is heels.

He thought he was doing pretty good at the baseline, hitting forehands and backhands, but Coach Patel himself came storming out on court that day, and began to yell at him.

"How many times have I told you Andy, you need to keep your knees bent, and stay low? You keep standing up, and you miss the next shot. I yell at you to stay low, and you don't do it!"

"I know, coach" he said. "I'm trying my best to remember."

"Not good enough. You try for a few points, and then you stand right up again. We need to break you of this habit, immediately. If you can't stay low, you can't be a top player."

He turned to one of his assistants, and spoke to her, out of Andy's earshot.

"Coach Leslie will take you to the pro shop. She knows what needs to be done to make sure you don't keep standing up on court. Report back here when she is done with you."

"Yes coach" said Andy.

He followed Leslie, yet another highly attractive assistant at the academy. That was one thing Andy loved about being in Florida: there seemed to be attractive girls and women everywhere you looked.

He went into the pro shop with her, where they sold tennis clothes, racquets, and all sorts of accessories. He took a seat while she went around to several of the clothes racks. He wondered what in the world she was doing.

When she finally returned, she had two garments in her hand.

"I'm not wearing that" he said.

In her left hand, she had a white tennis skirt. In her right hand, she held a pair of frilly pink tennis panties, which had a pocket built in so you could put a spare tennis ball under your skirt when you played.

"Yes you are. You heard Coach Patel. This is not an option Andy. He'll kick you out if you don't do what he tells you. Now go into the dressing room, and put these on."

"But why? Why do I have to wear a skirt?"

"You'll see once it's on. And don't feel bad. He does this to a lot of the guys to break them of their bad habit. Don't argue. Just put them on."

Andy went into the little dressing room, and he felt sick to his stomach. He took off his baggy gray shorts, and pulled down his boxers. He took the pink tennis panties, and pulled them on. They felt all soft and snug up against him, but they had all this lace and junk, making them unmistakably girly and feminine. He hated them! He quickly pulled the white skirt on over the top of them to hide them.

But that was just as bad, seeing himself in a skirt. He walked out of the dressing room to show Coach Leslie, blushing bright red.

"You've got it on wrong" she said. She gave the skirt a tug, and pulled it up several inches. Now, his pink frilly panties were visible below the hemline.

"No!" he said. "You can see the stupid panties!"

"That's the idea" she said. "If you stand up straight, anybody on-court will see your panties. But if you keep your knees bent and stay low, then they won't be as noticeable. You'll quickly learn to stay low, by doing this."

"I don't know" he said, still staring at himself in the mirror.

"But your shirt is too long, and it doesn't go with your skirt" said Diane. "Put this top on too. You'll like it. It's a lot cooler than a T-shirt."

It was a tank top, with thin straps over the shoulders. Andy put it on, and felt silly in it, but it *did* cover less of his skin, and it *did* feel cooler already.

"It feels funny" he said. "Kind of tight in the chest."

"That's because it has a built-in bra" she said. "You don't need that of course, but that's what you feel. You'll get used to it in no time. Now lets get you back on court."

"But I feel so foolish dressed like this!" he said, looking at himself in the mirror. The short skirt really showed off his muscular legs, which were clean shaven.

"I think you look cute" she responded in a kind tone of voice. "And if you don't like it, you can just learn not to keep standing up. The sooner you learn that, the sooner you can stop wearing this."

 

Andy went back out on court, and couldn't help but notice all the smirks from the guys. He hated most of them, because they were rich brats. They had coaches at their country clubs since they were young, but he was mostly self-taught. So he caught more flak from Coach Patel, and now he had to wear a tennis skirt, panties, and a tank top on court.

That made him really bear down and concentrate on staying low when he hit the ball. As much as he hated to admit it, by the end of the session, he was hitting the ball much more consistently.

"Two weeks" said Coach Patel.

"Two weeks what?" asked Andy.

"You'll wear that for the next two weeks. And then we'll evaluate if you can move on or not. Now go shower up."

Andy walked with his head down. He was stuck in a skirt for the next two weeks.

 

* * *

 

"You're sitting wrong" said Lindsay.

"What?" said Andy.

"I can see your pink panties" she said. "I know...Coach Patel is making you do that so you learn how to keep low, right? It's his standard procedure. But you're sitting with your legs wide apart, and I can see right up your skirt."

Andy blushed red. It was bad enough having the guys make fun of him for having to wear a skirt, but now he was catching flak from Lindsay too.

"See how I sit with my legs crossed? Try that."

Andy crossed his legs like Lindsay.

"When you're in a skirt, try to keep your ankles together, and your legs crossed when you sit. That way, nobody gets a free peek at you."

Andy looked very glum. Lindsay sensed this and leaned closer to him. She gave him a peck on the cheek.

"I saw you hitting out there today. You're getting better every week."

Now suddenly, Andy's total outlook on life shifted. He was suddenly on cloud nine, feeling elated. Lindsay liked him! She noticed his tennis game! And she had kissed him! Suddenly, everything was right in his world, and wearing a skirt didn't seem like it was much of a problem anymore.

 

* * *

 

Andy's swimming technique had improved dramatically. And he was getting a better jump off of the block when Coach Wilson said 'go'. As a result, his time was down to 2:43. Just thirteen more seconds to shave off, to reach his goal. He was in better shape now, and he didn't get tired until the forth lap now.

Coach Katrina said his footwork was getting better, as he glided over the floor in his high heels shoes, as he danced with her. He was even able to execute a dip now, and a spin. He was getting more and more graceful every day.

Only Coach Patel seemed upset with him. Today, they were working on serves. Some of the other boys were consistently serving the ball at 100 mph. But Andy could only get his serve to come in at 87 at the best.

"Andy, it's not strength that brings a fast serve. It is technique. Your friend Lindsay serves harder than you do, and she's just a skinny little thing. You're getting out served by a girl."

Standing there in a tennis skirt and pink shoes, that commend wasn't exactly appreciated by Andy, and it drew even more snickers from the other guys.

"I've told you a hundred times, son. It's your chest that's the problem. What way was your chest pointing when you made contact with the ball?"

"I don't know" said Andy.

"And that's the problem. You're opening up too soon, and losing all of your power. You need to keep your shoulder closed. If you turn your chest and shoulders too soon, you lose torque."

"I know, coach" he replied.

"I've told you over and over. Now you need something to remind you, so that you know which way your chest is facing at all times. You need pointers. Coach Leslie, can you come here please?"

 

A few minutes later, Andy was with Leslie back at the pro shop. This time, she had something different for Andy. Something terrifying.

"What are those?" he said.

"Breast forms" she replied.

"They look like...."

"Like boobs" said Leslie. "I know. That's what they're made for. You see how my chest sticks out because *I* have boobs? They always point forward. I'm used to having them, but when we put these on you, you're going to feel hyperaware of them. You're going to know at every second that they are there, and which way they are pointing."

"And I'll remember to keep my shoulders closed" he said, seeing the logic of it, as terrible as it was for him to have to contemplate putting them on.

Coach Leslie had him take off his tank top. She dried his chest with a towel, then had him lay back on a bench. She used a special sweat-proof glue to attach the breast forms to his chest.

After letting the glue set for five minutes, she gently put a sportsbra over the top of them.

"Why do I have to wear this? I thought you said this top has a built-in bra."

"You need extra support" she said. "What would Coach Patel say if one of these fell out when you're drilling? You'd get screamed at. This is for your own protection. When you're off court, wear a regular bra. I'll have a supply sent to your room. That will let the glue last longer. When it wears off, wash your chest off thoroughly. Then reattach them. Coach will make you wear these for about two weeks. Then he'll evaluate your progress."

Andy put his top back on, and looked in the mirror.

"I feel like a girl" he said.

"Why do you say that?" asked Leslie.

"I'm wearing a skirt. I've got a bra on, and it looks like I have boobs. I look like a girl in this."

"Don't be silly" she said. "In Scotland, the men wear kilts. That doesn't make *them* girls does it?"

"I guess not" he said.

"And you don't have real boobs. Just breast forms. They don't make you a girl. Just think of them as pointers."

Andy scowled. He didn't quite buy her logic, but he was in no position to argue. Back on court he went, with his new fake boobs.

 

The guys howled with laughter when they saw him, which made him so upset that he was about to cry.

"She's looking pretty hot" whispered one guy to another, making sure that Andy could hear it.

"I wonder if she's scoping us out. She must want to date us" said another one. Andy blushed, but didn't feel like arguing with them anymore. It was pointless.

 

"Problems on your serve, huh?" said Lindsay sympathetically as Andy walked with her to the cafeteria for lunch. He was so glad that she was kind and supportive about him having to do this, unlike the guys. In fact, the other girls were just as kind to him. Only the guys acted mean. He was spending more and more time with Lindsay and her friends these days, instead of hanging out with the guys. He just preferred their company.

 

 

After lunch, it was time to go swim again. But there was a problem.

"I can't go in the pool like this" said Andy. "Now with these things on my chest. Plus, without a bra, I don't know if they'll stay in place."

"Well, you *have* to do your crosstraining. You *have* to swim" said Coach Diane.

She thought about it for a while, then told Andy to follow her. They went inside the building where the locker rooms were for the pool. She returned from her office with something for Andy.

"You can wear this. It will cover them up, and give you some support" she said.

She was holding a women's one-piece swimsuit. It was bright pink with white trim. He was horrified to see it, but it would be better than to wear nothing, and have his fake boobs exposed.

He went to the locker room, and put it on. Then he came out to the pool.

"I gave you this one because it is made from the latest high-tech fabric" said Diane. "It has microfibers grooved with a pattern to improve the flow of water over it. Sort of like a shark's skin. While having those bumps on your chest will slow you down a bit, you'll find that this suit will shave off more than enough time to make up for them. Plus, since they float, you won't have to spend as much energy to keep yourself on top of the water. All your energy can be directed to moving forward. Lets see what you can do."

 

Andy swam, but he did two seconds worse than the last time. But it wasn't as big of a drop-off as he thought he might have, given that he now had two large bumps on his chest. He would have to train harder to get his time improved.

 

* * *

 

"Coach, I've got a problem."

"Sure Andy. What's wrong?" said Coach Patel.

"It's the guys. I understand why you're making me wear this skirt. I'm staying down a lot better than I did before, and I can see the results. And I understand why I've got to wear these chest pointers. I'm keeping my shoulder closed, and I'm serving a lot better."

"Exactly" said the coach.

"But it's the guys. They're all over my case. They pick on me, they tease me, they threaten me. Can't you do something to stop them?"

"No" he replied.

"What?" said Andy. "You can't be serious!"

"I am" said the coach. "You see Andy, I can't just kick these boys out for teasing you. Their parents pay me a lot of money, and it is because of all of them that I can afford to give scholarships to hardship cases, like yourself. You have *them* to thank for being here. If I kick them out, I'd have to send you home too."

Andy was really upset now.

"But they're calling me a girl! They tell me that I should be playing tennis with the girls, and not with them."

"I think they're right" said Coach Patel.

"What?" said Andy, the color draining from his face.

"You heard me" said the coach. "I think I should move you to the girl's program."

"But why?" he replied, as he started to cry.

"Well Andy, first of all, you get along *so* much better with the girls. They all like you. You don't have any friends among the guys, but you have lunch with the girls every day. They will accept you in their program, and you will do much better among them."

"No! I want to play with the guys."

"Then you'll have to put up with their teasing."

And was trapped. Neither choice was acceptable.

"You'll get to play tennis with Lindsay every day" said Coach Patel. "I'll make you her doubles partner."

"When can I start?" he said.

He hadn't thought of that! He'd get to be with Lindsay, *all* the time. No more idiot guys making fun of him; he'd be with the girls. Instead of hitting with James or Andre, he'd be partnered with Lindsay!

 

"Now a couple of things. You'll have to move to the girl's dorm building" he said. "You'll be with them night and day, so you need to be in the same location as them, to be on *their* schedule."

"Okay" he said.

What boy of highschool age wouldn't dream of living in a girl's dormitory? It was a fantasy come true for him.

"Also, so I don't get in trouble with the social do-gooders, I'll need to reregister you. If a male is living in the girl's dorm, we'd get a huge fine. I'll put you down in the paperwork as 'Kim' instead of 'Andy'. Just a paperwork thing. You're okay with that, so that you can move in to the room next to Linday's?"

"Sure!" he said.

Whatever the paperwork said, it didn't matter. He'd be next to Lindsay now! In the next room! Wow, this was unbelievable.

 

* * *

 

And so, Andy found himself living in a room with the name tag "Kim" on it, right next to Lindsay's room. He was woken up, told to shower, dress, and eat breakfast with the girls. He was extremely nervous, but they were all warm and accepting of him.

Instead of making fun of him for wearing a skirt or having boobs, they *complimented* him on dressing so nice, and looking so good in a tank top.

"I wish *I* had boobs as nice as yours" said Justine.

"And you have legs to die for" added Venus.

"Yeah, but just remember that Kim is *my* doubles partner" said Lindsay, proudly.

Andy didn't like being called "Kim", but he certainly wasn't going to criticize Lindsay in front of the girls!

 

As a guy, his first thing of the day was swimming. But now with the girls, he started with ground strokes and volleys instead. And when the guys were doing that, he was in the pool with the girls.

"Great time Kim!" said Diane. "Two minutes and thirty-five seconds! You've passed your goal!"

"I thought I had to hit 2:30" said Andy, confused.

"That is the standard time for a boy" replied Diane. "But you're registered as a girl now. And for girls, the standard time is 2:40. So you've done it! You've reached your goal!"

Everyone crowded around, and applauded, as Coach Wilson announced that 'Kim' would now get a gold star on the board, having reached her timing goal in the pool.

"I just don't think it's fair to give the girls an easier time than the guys" he said, shaking off their congratulations. "Look. Lindsay can serve the ball as hard as I can. Why shouldn't she, or *I* for that matter, have an easier goal than the guys do?"

"Kim's right" piped up Justine. "I've beat 2:30 lots of times. We call could do it if we really wanted to."

"Yeah" added Serina. "Just because we're girls doesn't mean we can't swim our laps in 2:30."

Suddenly, Coach Wilson had an uprising on her hands.

"You all seriously want me to raise the bar for you, and change your goal time to 2:30, just like the guys?"

"Yeah!!!" they all said.

"We want to push ourselves too" said Jen.

"Then let's consider it done" said coach Wilson. "The new target time for all of you girls is 2:30, just like for the guys."

 

There were lots of cheers for Kim when they were done.

"Thanks for standing up for the girls" said Lindsay. "Nobody has ever done that for us before. We all really appreciate it."

"You're welcome" said Andy, not believing how his little comment had started a landslide. And now, suddenly, he was very popular with each and every single girl in the program. They all wanted to be his friend, and he was delighted to have all the girls shining their attention onto him.

 

* * *

 

At lunch, Lindsay put her hand on Andy's back as she congratulated him again for standing up for the girl's equal treatment.

"Ow" said Andy.

"What's the matter, Kim?" she said.

"I've been getting bad sunburn on the back of my neck since I had to switch to these little tops."

Since the first day, Andy had added several other girl's tops to his collection, so he wouldn't have to wear the same one each day. But not having a collar like his old shirt, his neck kept getting sunburnt. Even the sunscreen he wore sweated right off, and he got burned.

"I've got an idea how I can help you" said Lindsay. "Come to my room after we eat, and I'll try to help you."

 

In her dorm room, Andy felt excited, yet threatened. He had never been in a girl's room alone before, let alone the room of the girl he was secretly in love with. She was digging through her closet.

"Here we are!" she said.

"What is that?" he asked, looking at the items in her hand.

They looked like long locks of hair, with some kind of thing at the top of them.

"These are hair extensions. Now hold still, let me put them in for you."

Andy sat still as she fiddled with them. When she was done, she told him to go to the mirror. He looked at himself. Behind his head, he had long locks of hair covering his neck.

"Until you can grow your own hair long enough to cover your neck, you can use these. Or we can go find a good wig for you. The hair will keep your neck shaded, and you'll be burn-free."

"Thank you! Thank you so much" he said, giving her a spontaneous hug. He hadn't thought of extending his own hair in back. Now he wouldn't get that painful sunburn.

 

But the next day, he complained to Lindsay that he was still getting sunburn on his face.

"What do you use?" he asked. "Your skin always looks great."

"Let me put some on you" she said.

Lindsay took out her foundation, and applied a coat to Andy's face.

"There. Now you're protected from the sun. Just don't rub your face, or you'll wipe some of this off."

"It looks weird" he said. "Like my skin is all one tone."

"You're right. Let me fix that" said Lindsay, who applied a little blush to his cheeks, and a puff of colored powder around each eye.

Now he looked better, *and* he was protected from the sun.

"I'll get you a jar of this, so you can put it on every day" she said.

"You are so kind to me" said Andy.

"No problem, Kim" she replied, giving Andy a little peck on the cheek. That was enough to make him feel elated again, and even more in love with Lindsay that he was before.

 

* * *

 

"You're not going out in *that*, are you?" asked Justine, as Andy got ready to go out with the girls to see a movie.

"Why? What's wrong?" he said.

"We're all dressed up nice, and you've got jeans and a T-shirt on" she replied. "And tennis shoes! You can't come with us, if you're looking like that!"

"Then what should I wear?" he asked.

"Lindsay, can you help your doubles partner?" said Venus, annoyed at Andy's poor choice of clothes.

"Come with me silly" said Lindsay, pulling Andy into her room. She dug through her closet, and pulled out a new outfit for him.

"You want me to wear *that*?" he said, with fear in his voice.

"If you want to go out with us? Yes."

She had selected an outfit for him that was appropriate for a *girl*. It consisted of a white skirt with closely spaced vertical red stripes, and a white cami top with thin little straps.

"And get those heels you wear to your footwork class" she said, as she sent him back to his room to put the outfit on. "And don't forget your makeup."

"Makeup?" he said.

"Yeah, the stuff you've been putting on every day on your face? That's makeup, honey."

Andy felt in a daze as he put on the outfit. He didn't realize it was makeup that he had been wearing. He never thought of it that way. He put on his shoes, and went back to Lindsay's room.

She hurriedly fixed his hair a little, applied more blush to his cheeks, along with mascara and lip gloss. Then she gave him one of her old bracelets she no longer wore, and one of her old purses.

"You need to fit in with us, Kim" she said. "Or you can't hang with us outside. Nothing personal, but you need to learn how to look like a pretty girl. We're just doing this to help you."

"I understand" he said, staring at himself in the mirror. Now he really *did* feel like a girl, as he gaped at his image.

 

He went to the movie with the girls, and quickly forgot about his new clothes. He was used to wearing heels by now. He was used to wearing a skirt. He was used to long hair, and to makeup. In no time, he had adapted to his new outfit, and it no longer bothered him.

After the show, they took him shopping, and helped him pick out a bunch of new outfits, along with several pairs of shoes. They were all from rich families, so their parents wouldn't even notice a few hundred extra dollars on each of their credit cards.

Lindsay took him to the jewelry store, where she bought him a pair of diamond stud earrings, and paid to have his ears pierced on the spot. She also bought him a necklace with a silver heart on it. He put it on, and felt a shiver go up and down his spine.

Next, they went to the lingerie store, where they bought him a supply of bras, panties, slips, nighties, nylons, and a pink bathrobe. Then it was off to the department store to stock up on cosmetics.

 

It was quite a haul, and when they returned, each girl came by to remove his "junky" boy clothes, and replace them with the "cool girl clothes" they had purchased for him. Now his dresser and closet were full of only clothes appropriate for a girl.

 

* * *

 

The girls were all having a party on Saturday Night, as they watched the Women's finals of the U.S. Open tennis tournament. They gathered in Serina's room, and Justine's room next door. Andy laid on the bed next to Lindsay. Some of the other girls were on the floor, painting each other's toenails.

"Your turn Kim" said Venus.

"Oh, I don't know" replied Andy. "I don't paint my toenails."

"You do now" replied Lindsay, giving him a shove forward. He had to sit there, as the girls applied a bright red nailpolish to his toenails.

"Do you want to know a secret, how to improve your time in the pool?" asked Justine, who had dropped by Serina's room to check on things.

"Yeah, sure" he replied, eager for anything that would help.

"These" she said, holding up her hand.

"What, you fingers?"

"No silly, my nails. Look how short yours are. Look how long mine are. They act like little scoops, letting me pull more water with each stroke. You need to have long nails like these to shave off those last few seconds."

"But it would take months to have mine grow like that."

"Not if we use these on her" said Venus, handing acrylic nail extensions to Andy. "Instant long nails!"

"Yeah, that would be cool!" said Jen.

Andy could only sit there helpless, as the girls applied the long nails to his fingers, shaped them into ovals, and painted them the same red color as his toes. He had given up fighting these little feminizations. Truth be told, he loved all the female attention he was getting, and how the all made such a fuss over him.

Now he had long nails, freshly painted, to go with his toes.

 

* * *

 

"I see you've done your nails. They are very nice. That is a good choice of color for you" said Coach Katrina, as they danced together.

"Thank you" said Andy, as he dipped.

"Your footwork has improved remarkably" she continued. "You are getting really good at dancing."

"Thank you" he said, shyly.

He was so used to being in heels now, that they had become second nature to him. And all the dance lessons were paying off. He moved beautifully across the dance floor, reacting to Katrina's lead.

And he was proud of it. It had been hard work, after all.

 

That day, with the longer fingernails, Andy reached 2:31 in the pool. Just one second to reach his goal now! It was right there, within reach. He had been eating healthier since arriving at the academy, and he had been taking the daily vitamins they gave him. He hoped that his nutrition was helping him with his growing fitness.

All of his hard work paid off the next week, when he finally reached his mark. He had improved all the way to 2:30.

 

"Kimie's" tennis game was improving too. Teamed with Lindsay, they were the number one team among the girls. Nobody could beat them. And slowly but surely, the name 'Kim' was moving up the ladder in the girl's singles bracket as well. Only Venus and Lindsay were ahead of 'her' now.

 

* * *

 

It was a big night at the Academy. Summer was almost at an end, and the school year would start soon. The students at the academy would have to split their time between classroom education to train their minds, with the tennis and fitness training they received. There was an "end of the summer" tennis tournament, along with a dance afterwards. It was the only social occasion for both the guys and the girls to interact formally.

 

'Kim' entered the tournament in girl's singles, where 'she' was seeded number 3. 'She' was also in women's doubles, seeded #1 with Lindsay. The early rounds were a breeze, as she swept past the unranked opponents, while the doubles team was deadly as always.

There was a scare in the quater finals, where Jen put up quite a fight, before losing to Kim 6-4, 4-6, 7-5. Kim's next opponent would be Venus, which was a scary thought.

But 'Kim' put that out of 'her' head, as the doubles final started. Teamed with Lindsay, they powered their way to an easy 6-2, 6-1 victory. But then that afternoon, came the big test of playing Venus.

Venus started out on fire, blowing 'Kim' off the court. It was love to five in the first set before Kim got on the board at all. But that changed the momentum of the match, and suddenly, the found themselves tied 4-4 in the second set. With Venus serving at 30-30, Kim got a break by hitting a ball that clipped the net, and fell on the other side of the court for a cheap point. Venus lost her cool, and double faulted. That let Kim serve out for the set. They would go to a third set.

Venus was fast, and covered a lot of ground quickly. But Kin was staying low, using great footwork, and really battling for points. Since Venus was so quick, Kim started to hit the ball *behind* her, as she ran out of the corners. She used her own speed against her in this way, and Venus started making more mistakes. Kim capitalized on this, and took the final set, for a grueling 1-6, 6-4, 7-5 victory that took almost two hours in the hot sun.

'Kim' was excited about the win, but 'she' hugged Venus, and told her what a true champion she was. They kissed each other on the cheeks like friends, before Kim ran off to see who on the other semifinal. To her horror, it was Lindsay. She would have to play her close friend for the championship.

 

 

* * *

The next afternoon came the finals. Both Kim and Lindsay started out playing sloppy at first, with Kim eeking out a 6-4 first set. But then Lindsay gained in confidence, and used her strong serve to win the second set 6-3. Once again, it would go to a third set.

Lindsay used power, and put Kim on the defensive. 'She' had to be a counter puncher, to keep up with the barrage from Lindsay. Yet, each player managed to win their own serves. Kim felt a rush as an ace tied the score at 6-6 in the third set. They would go to a tiebreaker to decide it.

Each player won their service points, until a crucial serve from Kim at 4-4 floated long. Lindsay was now up a "minibreak" at 5-4 in the tiebreak. She served, Kim returned it, and a really battle for the point began. Each player ran side to side, hitting tremendous shot after show. Lindsay used topspin to pound the balls into the backhand corner on Kim, who replied with a big slice that stayed low to the ground and skidded. But eventually, Kim's superior fitness paid off, when Lindsay tired first on the point, and hit the ball into the net. It was 5-5, back on serve.

Feeling the effects of being winded, Lindsay hit a backhand long on the next point to go down 6-5. Now Kim had the minibreak, with a chance to serve for the match. All match long, she had stayed back at the baseline, as was her habit. Lindsay was just blocking her serve back, floating a reply. Now was the time for a surprise.

Kim served and volleyed, coming into the net immediately. Lindsay didn't see it coming, and hit a floating return. A rush went through Kim, as 'she' pounded the weak shot into the corner with an overhead slam, to win! Kim was the girls' champ!!!!

 

There was a lot of applause, and even Lindsay was happy for Kim, as 'she' accepted the silver plate for the trophy. Girl's champ of the academy.

 

Kim and Lindsay showered, then got dressed in something casual. They went to the grandstand to watch the boy's finals. Kim's skirt was ruffling in the breeze as 'she' held Lindsay's hand, and watched Roger crush Andre in straight sets.

Now it was time to go and get ready for the banquet, and the dance afterwards.

 

Lindsay had bought Kim an outfit just for the occasion. It was a light pink dress, silky and soft. The skirt was a shimmery satin, and a crinola underneath made it poof out. It was a perfect match for the pink shoes that Kim danced in.

Just for the occasion, Lindsay had also bought a new wig, which she put onto Andy's head. His own hair was getting longer, but the wig had long locks down below his shoulders, and it was beautiful.

Lindsay put a lot of extra makeup onto "Kim's" face for the big occasion. Then they went to the gym, which was set up as a banquet hall.

 

After long boring speeches, they ate, talked, and had a great time. And then, it was time for the dancing. The girls stood against one wall, with the guys at the other end. One by one, a guy would come over, and ask a girl to dance. Most of the girls had a guy they were friends with. But none of the guys were friends of Andy's so he was a "wallflower".

 

"I'd like to have your attention please" said Coach Patel. "It is time for the traditional champion's dance. Please clear the floor for your boy's singles champion, Roger, and the girl's singles champion, Kim!!!"

There was a thunderous applause, and the girls were pushing Andy forward. He had no choice but to go over to Roger, and dance. Roger started to dance to the music. leading. And 'Kimmi', being so well trained in dancing, naturally started to follow his lead. He dipped 'her', spun 'her', and they did all the moves together.

"Wow, you're a great dancer Kim" he said in amazement when they were done.

"Thanks" replied Andy, shyly.

Now they had a slow dance, and 'Kim' was shaking as he leaned in to let Roger hold 'her'. When it was over, Andy ran off right away, back to Lindsay.

"That Roger is cute" said Lindsay. "I think he likes you."

Andy looked back at her with fear in his eyes. He didn't want to be known as someone who would date a *guy*. He ran out of the gym, and back to his room.

 

* * *

 

"Coach Leslie, I don't know what to do" said Andy, as he sat in her office.

"What's the matter, Kim?" she replied.

"You know how I was Andy when I arrived here. But then I became Kim. Well, everyone is treating me as if I really was a girl now. Even the girls. Even Lindsay now. What's going on? What is happening to me? How come even *I'm* not fighting what's going on? I've been letting them turn me into a girl, and I'm not trying to stop it. I'm so confused! What's happening to me?"

"Kim, you *are* becoming a girl. That's why you have all these conflicting emotions."

"No! That can't be true! How can I be becoming a girl?"

"Hormones. You've been taking hormones ever since you arrived here. They are female hormones, and they're changing your body. They're changing your brain. You are becoming more passive. Your brain is being rewired, so that you're starting to think like a girl. You *are* becoming one of *us* now."

"No!" cried out Andy, as the tears started to flow. "It's not true!"

"Kim, take off your bra. Take off your boobs for me. Let me show you something."

Andy did as she asked. He removed his girl's tank top, his white lacy bra, and then worked off his fake boobs.

"Look at how much bigger your nipples are. Look how the dark ring of color around them is bigger. And look at how they are raised up. Your *real* boobs are coming in. You are becoming a girl."

Andy was crying full out now.

"Haven't you noticed how smooth your skin has become? Or that you're getting wider hips, and rounder in the butt? Haven't you noticed how you've got curves now, and how much better a dress fits on you?"

 

Andy looked at her through his tears, and scolded her in an angry voice.

"When I tell my mother what you've done to me, she's going to sue you all! You're going to be in big trouble."

Leslie surprised Andy by laughing.

"Kim, dear, don't you understand? This was all your mother's idea in the first place."

"What?" he replied, in a shaky voice.

"When she first applied to get you in here, we rejected you right out. You'll never be a top player in the boy's bracket. You just don't have the right tools and the right strokes. But then she suggested that you might make an excellent girl."

"No...." he whispered.

"As a girl, you have a chance to be a top player. You'll get a college scholarship. You might get ranked. You might even have a shot at going pro. But before that can happen, you're going to need an operation to remove that unsightly bulge in your pants."

"No! You can't do that to me!" he said.

"Your mother signed a release form. You are still a minor, and she has the final say-so on your medical decisions. She said she always wanted a daughter anyway. You are scheduled to go in tomorrow. You'll emerge as a real girl. Just wait until you see yourself in panties, laying flat against you in front. Think how much better you'll look in a skirt. And with your own real natural boobs growing now, you don't need the breast forms anymore. You're a girl now. You *are* Kim. You can't stop it, and you can't change it."

"But I love Lindsay. And she loves me!"

"She loves her girlfriend Kim. She doesn't love the boy Andy. She agreed to help you with your initial transition, and to act like a big sister to you. You didn't even fight it, as she helped turn you into a girl. Look how easily she got you wearing skirts when you weren't on court. Look how easily you accepted wearing makeup, having your nails done, or getting earrings. You're a girl inside already. You just don't realize it yet."

"I'm not a girl!" said Andy.

"You cannot deny the truth."

Leslie picked up the phone, and make a call. A few moments later, Lindsay herself walked up outside the office. Leslie talked to here where Andy could hear.

"Lindsay, do you like the boy Andy? Would you ever date him?"

"No Coach. He's a real wuss. He couldn't even stand up for himself like a real man. No girl would ever want to date *that*."

"And what about Kim?"

"Oh, she's a wonderful girlfriend! I'm so glad that I know *her*. She is a very special person, and I treasure our friendship."

"Now Lindsay, would you ever consider dating Kim?"

"No way! She's a chick! I don't go that way coach. I need a guy. I've been looking at Roger a lot lately. He's yummy. I think he's got a think for Kim though, and I wouldn't want to hurt my friend by trying to steal the guy who is so sweet on her. But no, I could never date another girl."

"Thank you Lindsay, that will be all. You can go now."

 

"See Kim? Even your precious Lindsay thinks of you as a girl. You're already a girl in her eyes. A little plastic surgery may change how you look on the outside, but she already knows who you are on the inside. She knows that you are already a girl. Now, you need to learn to accept it. Tell me that you're a girl. Now!"

Andy was so crushed from what Lindsay had just said, that he had lost his will to fight all together.

"I'm a girl" he said glumly.

"Tell me that you are Kim now, and forever."

"I am Kim. Now and forever."

"And sign here, that you agree with having the surgery."

Andy took the pen in hand, and signed the papers.

 

"Very good Kim. You can't eat anything the rest of the day, because they're going to have to put you under in order to operate on you. When you wake up, you'll be a real girl. I can't wait to see you when you come back."

Kim went back to her room to pack for the hospital. It was just a minor procedure she was going to have, in order to make herself look prettier, like Lindsay or Venus. She would be back soon after, and start training for her career in tennis. Her fate was sealed, and she had no choice but to accept it. She was a girl now. The hormones were doing their work. Now it was time for the doctors to help. Soon she would be complete.

  

  

  

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