Lady Bugs Revisited                                by : Patricia Marie Allen

My apologies to Roger Dangerfield. Et al.

 

I’m an all around jock. It’s the one thing I’m good at. I play short stop in Little League, quarterback on a Pop Warner football team and I’m a forward on the soccer team. I’d rather be playing sports than anything else. Well… almost anything else, but that’s what this story is all about. I need to give you some background first otherwise you won’t understand.

One day, when I was eight, my father was on his way home. He never made it. I’m not sure what happened, but his car was so smashed up, my mom had to get a new one. My life fell apart. What I remember of my dad is that he was a jock. He played ball with me. At eight, I could recognize a slider and a curve ball. What’s more, I could hit them, if they weren’t thrown too fast. My dad could throw them all at different speeds. I was learning to throw them when he died. All I wanted was for my dad to be proud of me.

It was in sports that I thought I could feel as if he was still there. Since then, I’ve poured myself into every sport I could. I’m a natural. Raw talent and determination, combined with some good coaching and hard work, gives me superiority in every sport. I’m good a jock, but I’m a loner. Oh I get along with my teammates but none are really good friends. What’s more I’m not a good student. I put so much into sports, I don’t have any energy left over for studies. That’s where I ran into trouble.

They banned me from all sports at school until I get my grades up. I was having sports withdrawal. To make things worse, my mom asked her new boyfriend to talk to me about my studies. The latest in a long line of jerks. They had been hitting on mom since dad died. The first one couldn’t even wait a month before he came around trying to take advantage of mom’s vulnerability. Luckily, mom was still too upset to pay any attention to his advances.

He was the first of a long line. They’re all jerks, looking for one thing. They think that the lonely young widow is and easy score. At eight I could see through that. Mom is a little slower on the uptake than I am. She believes that people are basically good. I know that the men who are attracted to mom aren’t. They’re a bunch of sleaze buckets. Ten of them put together couldn’t take my dad’s place. This latest guy is no exception.

He’s a real nerd. I think the most athletic thing he ever did in school, was join the chess club. He has a BA, and an MA in business management, but he’s much better at BS. He sells something. The thing that makes him bearable, is he is on the road so much. He says he wants to marry my mom, but he can’t make the relationship work when he’s not around much. Great excuse too not to make a commitment. For eight months now, he’s been showing up on weekends. He’s a real yo-yo. He shows up and glad hands me and brings mom and me presents. Mom goes gaga over hers, mine are pretty sorry.

He took me out for a coke. How lame. After we ordered the conversation really began to drag. It was so bad, it came to a complete halt. We just looked at each other until the order came.

"Look Martin," he said after taking a sip of coffee. "I know you don’t like me. That’s OK. You don’t have to like me. It would be nice for your mother if we could at least get along. She asked me to talk to you about your school work. But I’m not going to tell you to shape up. I don’t have the right. For that to do any good, you need to respect me. Respect can’t be bought and it can’t be ordered. It has to be earned. I haven’t earned yours yet. So until I do, I won’t pass judgment on anything you do. I will tell you what I expect you already know. You’re mother loves you very much and is concerned about your school work."

I just looked at him. I suspected that he was throwing BS. He sounded sincere, but isn’t that what they teach salesmen? Feed the customer a line of BS a mile long and sound as sincere as priest?

"I want you to know that I love your mother." Chuck went on. "I want to marry her, but if you and I can’t come to an understanding I’ll never ask her. I won’t ask her to choose between us. If you can’t accept me as your mothers husband, it will never happen. I think she senses that. God knows I’ve not even told her that I want to get married. Let alone that I see you and her as a package deal. She asked me to spend more time with you. I’m willing if you are. Who knows, we may find out the other guy is all right after all. What do you say are you willing?"

"Mom asked you to spend time me?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"She wants us to be friends. I want us to be friends. Give it a try, what do you have to loose?"

"OK, so if I give it a try, what do I have to do?"

"Nothing really, just give me a chance to prove myself."

"So, take your best shot. I’ll give you two months to convince me that you’re not just another one in the parade of jerks after my mothers body. Don’t look so shocked. Adults always underestimate kids. We know a lot more then you think."

"Maybe if we had some common goals we could forge friendship out of that."

"What sort of common goal could we have?"

"Making your mother happy."

"How can we do that."

"Well, I’m sure that she’s tired of ‘the parade of jerks’ as you call them wanting to get whatever they can from her without giving anything real from themselves. We, you and I, have the power to put a stop to that."

"How can we do that?"

"I decided to ask for a promotion at work. General sales manager in charge of the whole operation. That means I will have to leapfrog all the current regional managers. Right now, I’m a field manager. I have about ten salesmen under me and I coordinate their efforts as we cover our territory. A regional manager oversees ten teams in his region. As general manager I would be in charge of them all. If I can pull it off, I end up with a big raise and will be able to come home every night and we can be a real family. I just took over the job as interim General Manager. It’s temporary, I have to prove myself to make it permanent."

This is where things got sticky. To get the promotion, he had to appear to be at least a little bit of a jock. His company sponsors girls soccer team. He is expected to be the coach. The CEO, what ever that is, already knows that none of the regional managers know anything about soccer, so he claimed he did and asked for a shot at it. So he has the nerve to ask me to give him some pointers.

When I told mom what he wanted, she asked me, as a special favor, to help him out anyway I can. So I start telling him how a soccer team should function and it soon became apparent that he didn’t understand a word I was saying. Finally I told him to make the highest scoring player, from last year, team captain and have the captain assign the other players. She could run the team until he caught on. Then he told me that he had only one returning player. She had been second string and scored no goals at all. In desperation he asked if I could come and observe a practice and see if there was any hope.

So there I was, sitting in his car watching him and his ding-a-ling secretary trying to make something that resembles a soccer team out of twelve uniformed uncoordinated girls. They weren’t having much luck. They all ran like, well, like girls. Elbows tucked into their waists hands in the air and taking half steps. Their attempts at kicking goals or even just the ball were pathetic. Not one could control where the ball went. Five of them, count ‘em, five fell down when they tried. Even with no goalie defending, there was no goals scored. They had no idea of what team work was. When Chuck had them scrimmage, the ball was all over the field. In bounds, out of bounds it was all the same. A total disaster.

On the way home Chuck asked. "Well, what do you think?"

"How long till your first game?"

"Six weeks."

"It’ll never happen, not even if you knew what you were doing."

"I don’t know, six weeks is a long time."

"Look, in six months maybe, but six weeks never. If you had one player out there on the field that could play it might be different."

"What difference would that make?"

"Kids always strive to be as good as the best player on the team. The coach doesn’t have to tell them to, it’s just the way it is. That player could at least control the ball and have a chance at stealing it. The best player on your team is doing good if she doesn’t fall down running down the field."

"So if I had a player as good as you, I might stand a chance to make this a viable team?"

"Yeah, all you have to do is find a girl who’s a natural at soccer and desperate enough for someplace to play that she’s willing to join this bunch of misfits. "

"Your mother did ask you to help me anyway you can, didn’t she?"

"Yeah, but I’m afraid that’s the best I can do."

He stopped the car. "Martin, I hope you won’t take this the wrong way, but with your hair, and a little help in the chest department, you could pass as a girl."

"Oh, NO WAY. Not in a million years. If the guys ever found out about it, I’d kill myself."

"Nobody will ever know. Look just until the first game. You can drop out after that. I need you or somebody like you on the field. You said so yourself. You also pointed out that I don’t have a chance of finding a real girl."

"Mom would never go for it."

"So we don’t tell her either."

"What about your lunatic secretary?"

"She’ll have to know. I’ll need some help to get you outfitted to look like a girl. But she’ll keep the secret."

"No way. It’s just too crazy."

"Well, there goes my promotion. When I can’t even get them to look like a soccer team, my boss will know I wasn’t playing straight and can me for sure. I guess I can kiss a relationship with your mother goodbye. Without a job there’s no way I can ask her to share my life. Look kid, I’m sorry I asked. You don’t owe me anything. I’ll keep trying but in six weeks, I’m history without your help. No hard feelings."

He looked so pathetic I thought he was going to cry. We drove the rest of the way home in silence.

Later, at home, I had to ask. "Mom, how do you feel about Chuck? I mean, there have been a lot of men showing an interest in you since dad died. Most of them have been real losers. None of them seemed to care about us as a family and as soon as you figured that out, you cooled it with them. It seems to me that you haven’t shut Chuck off yet. Do you think he’s different?"

"I hope so. He hasn’t told me that he wants to be serious yet, but he acts like it. I know he’s not the kind of guy your dad was. You know, a sports nut, but I think he’s really a family man at heart. If he does indicate that he’s interested in making our relationship permanent, I’ll have to take the idea seriously. Do you think you could put up with him around here full time?"

"As long as he treats you right and doesn’t think he can take dads place, I can put up with him."

Chuck came by Thursday evening and brought mom some flowers. I was trying to do some homework on the patio. I could hear him through the open window when he came in. "I was driving by a street vendor and thought of you." He said.

"You’re sweet. Thanks." Mom said, putting the flowers in a vase.

"I can’t stay, I’ve got to get to soccer practice."

"How are they doing? Was Martin able to help at all?"

"Well not really. I mean he tried and all, but he was right. I really need at least one player who knows how the game is played. I just wish I could recruit one from somewhere."

"Well, maybe something will turn up."

"See you later, gotta go."

When he left I went in to get a Dr. Pepper. "Look what Chuck brought. Wasn’t that sweet?"

"Yeah real nice mom."

"He was on his way to coach soccer practice. He seemed really down. He doesn’t give the team much of a chance. Too bad you weren’t a girl, you could play for him. You’re good enough to make the difference."

"Yeah, too bad." I said going back outside.

I don’t know why, but I called Chuck in the morning. I caught him in his office. "Hi Chuck, it’s me Martin. I guess you really need the help bad. So if you can arrange it, I’ll help out the way you asked me to the other day."

"Oh Martin thank you, thank you. I’ll have my secretary pick you up after school."

"Don’t thank me yet. I might weird out on you yet and I might not be able to pull it off."

"Well thanks for trying. I’ll see you at practice."

Chucks secretary, Jackie was waiting for me in a company car when I got out of school. I walked up to the car. "Hi," She said, "you must be Martin. I’m Jackie."

"Hi." I said getting into the door she opened for me.

"You know, Chuck is the best guy to work for. I’ll do anything I can to help him keep the job." She was a real fruitcake. Like I ever really cared about Chuck. She just kept babbling on. "But I don’t have to tell you how great Chuck is. You’re practically his step son and it’s obvious that you think he’s great. I mean what you’re doing for him." It was a short drive to her apartment. She took me inside and told me to take off my shirt. Taking out a tape measure she measured my chest, waist and hips. I put my shirt back on and we went to the mall. She just kept babbling the whole way. "This is going to be fun. I really like being a part of the soccer experience. All I ever did before was schedule practices and team parties and all that stuff. I used to go to the games but I just sat up in the stands." On and on she went.

We stopped at a mall and she told me to wait in the car. I sat in the car for like a half an hour. She come back with some packages and then it was back to her apartment. There, I have to take off my shirt again. Out of one package she took a bra. I felt really weird when she put it on me. It’s one of those padded things. Then she told me to go into her bedroom and put on the rest of the soccer uniform.

She handed me another bag and told me she thought I could figure out the rest. In the bag was a pair panties. They all satiny and stretchy. I immediately marched out to the living room. "What am I supposed to do with these?"

"Well honey your anatomy isn’t exactly like a girls. You’ll need those to keep certain parts from showing through the shorts in the uniform."

"Oh yeah, I guess your right."

I put the panties on and the rest of the uniform. I was wondering about the bra. It didn’t make me look like Dolly Parton or anything but when I put on the soccer uniform, it was noticeable. This was not going to work. I looked like a boy, even with the bumps on my chest. I went back to the living room.

"Look this isn’t going to work. Anyone can tell at a glance that I’m a boy." I told Jackie.

"Don’t give up yet. I can work a little magic to take the edge off your boyish look."

In the bathroom, she leaned me over the sink and washed my hair. She trimmed it a little and worked it over with a blow dryer and a brush. She used a curling iron and hair spray. In about twenty minutes she had a really passable girls hairdo on my head. Then she put some lipstick on my lips. When I saw the lipstick I was afraid that it would be bright red, but it wasn’t it was a kind of peach. It was real close to the natural shade of my lips. It just really defined my lips and gave them a feminine look. As I looked in the mirror, I was hard pressed to say I even had lipstick on. She got some pressed powder, blush she called it, and using a brush, she dabbed some on each cheek. Then with another brush, this one was big and fluffy and had nothing on it, she smoothed the whole thing out so you couldn’t tell where the powder was and where it wasn’t.

"You’re gonna need all the help you can get." She said taking a file to my fingernails. Soon she had them all shaped nicely and a light coat of nearly clear polish on them. Again there was just enough color to change the texture and not enough to notice if you weren't looking.

In the end, I was standing in front of her full length mirror looking at a girl soccer player who moved every time I moved. She kind of looked like me, but not really. I put on a pair of knee socks and some tennis shoes. I was as ready as I was going to get.

We were back in the car and Jackie was threading her way through traffic toward the soccer field. I pulled down the visor to look in the vanity mirror. "Look, I’m getting shaky about this. I’m not sure I can do this. Are you sure that no one will suspect I’m not a girl?"

"OK, I’ll tell you what, we’re a little early. If I can prove to you that no one will suspect will you calm down and go through with it?

"Well, yeah, sure, but how are you going to do that?"

With that, she pulled into a little strip mall. She led me to a little boutique that specialized in young girls clothes. Inside she began to go through the dresses. One at a time she picked out three of them, handing them to me. She led the way toward the fitting rooms as we approached a clerk came up to me and said. "Would you like to try those on dear?" I shot a panicked look at Jackie.

"Oh go on Martha, we have time. How else are you going to be able to pick which one to buy." The saleslady led me back to the short hall with little stalls along each side. I didn’t know what else to do so I went in and tried a dress on. It was light blue and had short sleeves and wide neckline. The skirt was close fitting. It had a zipper up the back I was struggling with how to pull the zipper up when the clerk knocked on the door. "Do you need any help?"

"Ah, I’m having a little trouble with the zipper." I said. I don’t know why I said that. I really didn’t want to be disturbed. The clerk opened the door, I turned my back and she zipped the dress.

"There now, why don’t you go show your mother."

"Ah… OK." I wanted to tell her the Jackie wasn’t my mother, but the explanation wasn’t something I wanted to get into. So I walked back out to where Jackie was standing.

"Martha, that looks good on you. Turn around." Jackie said twirling her hand. "Let’s see what the others look like before we decide." She continued. "Go try one of the other ones on. Talk about feeling weird. Here I am trying on dresses, it wasn’t my idea what’s more, if I had known what she had in mind, I would have never gone along with it. I was caught off guard when the saleslady wanted to know if I wanted to try them on. I couldn’t very well say no. I mean, did you ever see a girl turn down a chance to try on a dress? This is all too weird. Having started down the path all I could do is to follow it to the end, and hope for the best.

I went back and tried on the next one. It was a sleeveless straight shift. It had a zipper in the back too, but the dress was loose enough that I could pull it up above my shoulder and catch the zipper. Then came that long walk back out to show Jackie. I did the obligatory turn. My heart was beating at an unprecedented rate. It had been since I walked into the fitting room. I mean I was nervous just walking into the shop. But I thought we would just be walking around, doing things a girl my age might do just to see if anyone noticed I wasn’t a girl. I had no idea that Jackie was maneuvering me into the fitting room and there by into a dress.

I though of the strangeness of the whole situation as I was putting on the third and last dress. It was a light pastel yellow. It had an elastic waist, three quarter length sleeves and a full flowing skirt. It felt light and airy as I walked out to show Jackie.

"Oh Martha, that dress is you. Turn around sweetheart." Jackie said. I did my turn a little too quickly and the skirt flared swishing around my legs as I stopped. It was a thrilling experience. I felt a little light headed. The salesclerk was right there to praise the dress on me.

"That dress is the best of the three. It looks gorgeous on you. If I were you I’d snap it up." She said.

"What do you think Martha? Look in the mirror and so you can see how it looks." Jackie told me as she pointed at the three way mirror. I went to the mirror and stepped in so I could get all the views it afforded. It really wasn’t me in the mirror. I became fascinated by the reflection. I twisted and turned watching the way the dress moved on me. It must have been five minutes before I realized that I could see my bra and panties right through the material. I began to get flustered.

I stepped over Jackie and said hoarsely in her ear. "I can see my bra and panties right through this dress."

"Oh don’t worry about it, you just need to wear a slip under it." Now go back and put your soccer uniform on and bring that dress back out here."

I came back out carrying the dress. Jackie was at the cash register with the salesclerk who was ringing up a slip. As I walked up, Jackie took the dress from me and put it on the counter. The saleslady took it and rang it up as well. Jackie handed her a credit card and we walked out carrying a shopping bag with them in it.

"Why did we buy this stuff?" I hissed at her.

"Chuck told me to get what ever you needed and put it on his card."

"Why do I need a dress? I’m just going to play some soccer with some girls for a while."

"Well, you never know. Sometimes girls who are on teams like to get together and do other things, you know."

"Well, I never hung out with the guys much on any of my teams and besides, I’m only going to do this long enough to get the girls up to speed. I probably won’t even be there long enough to actually play in a game."

"We need to be prepared just in case. But the whole exercise was to convince you that no one would suspect you weren’t a girl. Are you convinced now? I mean the salesclerk ushered you right back into the fitting rooms. They don’t take guys back there for any reason.

"I guess your right there. OK, I’ll quit worrying about it."

At practice, I was a little shy. I guess I really wasn’t convinced that just because the salesgirl wasn’t suspicious, that girls my own age wouldn’t be. But the all seemed to accept me at face value. Really, I was impressed with how vulnerable they all seemed. It was as if none of them were sure about themselves at all. On a guys team, about half of them would have been competing with each other trying to show off how good they were. Here, it was as if they were all waiting for someone else to take the lead.

Of course, Chuck being no kind of coach at all didn’t help. He had no idea how to pick out the natural leaders in the group. Of course, I’m not sure that any of these girls were showing any leadership potential anyway, so maybe I shouldn’t be to hard on him. I spoke up and asked. "Ah, … Coach, are we going to be doing any agility drills with tires? On my team last year, we did that a lot."

"Good idea Martha." Chuck said. He found the tires in the equipment shed and had me lay them out and demonstrate what we should do. While the other girls were tripping their way through the tires, Chuck asked. "What else should we be doing?"

"We should be doing juggling drills and passing drills and goal kicking drills."

"That’s a lot of drills. How do we do them?"

So I explained each of them in detail, between my turns at the tires. Soon, we each had a soccer ball and I was demonstrating my juggling skills. Each of the girls were attempting to copy me. "Martha, work with the girls having the most trouble. Give them some pointers."

The first girl I worked with was Cheryl. It turned out that she was the daughter of the company CEO. It was her first year playing soccer ever. She was really shy. So shy, she was the low self-esteem poster girl. I remembered a guy that was like that when my little league coach started with him. By the end of the season, he turned out to be the best shortstop in the league. The coach found something to praise about what he did. He ate it up. The kid tried a little harder on the rest and the coach praised each little improvement and gently suggested ways to improve his technique. I tried that approach with Cheryl. She could get the ball up in the air with her toe easily. So I started there I gave her a little tip about using the side of her foot to control just where the ball was going, so she could catch it on her knee. She picked that up quickly and I was quick to praise the improvement. I did similar thing with each of the other girls. On my advice, Chuck called daily practices with only weekends off.

The next day, we were all out going the length of the field with the ball. Chuck had me demonstrate how to give light side footed taps to keep the ball in close control. The second half of practice, we teamed up and practiced passing the ball back and forth to our partner. Cheryl was teamed with me. We were soon laughing and having a good time up and down the field. After each practice, Chuck and Jackie would give me a ride "home." Really, we would go back to Jackie’s apartment, where I would change my clothes and chuck would pick my brains about what else we could do. He was learning to be a soccer coach just one day ahead of the girls learning to be soccer players.

I’ve got to give the girls credit. In just one week of daily practice the began to show promise. At least none of them fell down during the tire drill and all of them had mastered running and control of the ball when no one was in the way. Most of them could successfully pass and pick up a pass.

The following week we worked on cross field passes and headers. That is using your head to pass the ball on down the field to another player or to steal a high pass from the opponent. We also worked on scoring. First we kicked with no goalie then with. We had to work with Mary, our goalie, on catching the ball instead of dodging it. After a while, she discovered that she could take a hit without dying. Then came scrimmage. All of the girls were surprised how much harder it was when someone tried to stop you. On the first scrimmage, we worked on avoiding the opponent. On the second, we worked on stealing techniques.

As far as mom was concerned, I was just hanging out and whispering in Chucks ear at the practices. She didn’t know I was a team member. It was just four weeks till our first game. I found myself restless on the weekends. I really was looking forward to my time with the girls. Monday through Friday, Jackie would pick me up after school and after a stop by her apartment, we’d go to practice. I got really good at hooking the bra behind my back and I began to like the feel of the panties. I even learned to put on the lipstick and blush myself. On Monday, I would do my nails and leave it until Friday. After all, you had to know what you were looking at to see I had polish on anyway. I still needed a lot of help with my hair, but Jackie said that would come with time. The scary part was I was impatient to be able to do it.

One of the pro teams was sponsoring a weekend soccer clinic. Chuck had a friend who had a friend who managed to get our whole team signed up. It was all day Saturday. I found myself excited about spending the whole day with the girls. We all turned up in our uniforms and made quite an impression on the instructors. We were the only girls to sign up and the only group who’s whole team turned out.

Chuck used his contact to talk to the instructor assigned to our team. When he explained that we only had one player with any experience the instructor paid special attention on us. I had been to soccer camp before. I never got that kind of attention before. Chuck had to leave early. He had to go to some big strategy meeting for work. He told us that the CEO’s wife would be by to pick us up after the clinic. I was supposed to have her drop me off a Jackie's.

She decided to have us all over to her house for a team party. I was impressed. I've never seen a house like that. It was huge. They had a swimming pool. She invited all the girls to go skinny dipping before changing their clothes. I begged off. When I was reluctant she asked me if it was my time of month. I had no idea what she was talking about but it seemed to explain why I didn’t want to go skinny dipping so I said it was.

Cheryl said she’d stay out to keep me company. Her mother suggested that I take a shower and change. I told her that I hadn’t expected to go anywhere after the camp and hadn’t brought anything to change into. Cheryl offered to lend me to something wear. Cheryl took me to her room and picked out a dress. I used her bathroom and showered and put on the dress she left in there for me. It was a loose shift. I had seen the sandals on the floor, but I was surprised to see a pair of powder blue panties with a wide lacy elastic waist band. The panties I had worn for the day were moist with perspiration. I hadn’t been looking forward to wearing them after my shower, so I tried on the blue ones. WOW! What else could I say? The stretch felt good, but these felt great. They were some kind of nylon or something very silky. I was glad that Jackie had thought to pack the lipstick and blush in my back pack for the camp. I was really glad that I had learned to put it all on. Although with the blue panties on, it took all my concentration to put them on. The panties occupied my attention.

Cheryl had showered in her mothers shower and wanted us to do each others hair. Luckily, she had short hair, like my mother. It had plenty of body. All I had to do was blow dry it and brush it a little. I faked my way through hair spray. She went to town on my hair. I ended up with quite a do. When she was through, she put on some perfume. When I told her how good it smelled, she offered to let me wear some. I couldn’t refuse, so I followed her lead and put some behind each ear and on my wrists. By the time we got through the all other girls had finished swimming and to my surprise, they had all brought a change of clothes. I guess, it’s a girl thing. Mrs. Jenkins had ordered pizza and rented some movies.

I really felt strange for the next three hours. I was used to being around these girls in a soccer uniform. I was accepted by them as a girl, but here I was in a real dress. What’s more, Cheryl’s mother was there. Talking with me while I was wearing her daughter’s clothes.

I was supposed to call my mother to come get me. What could I do? I couldn’t let mom see me dressed like this. So I called Chuck. He wasn’t home so I called his cell phone.

"Hi mom. It’s me Martha." I said when he answered. "I’m at the Jenkins house for a team party. I need a ride home." Chuck must have been driving. I heard the squeal of breaks.

"Martha? You’re where?"

"I’m at the Jenkins’ for a team party, mom. I need a ride home."

"Oh, I, ah, I’ll see what I can do."

About an hour later, Cheryl’s mother answered the door. "Martha, it’s your mother."

Cheryl hugged me. "You can bring my clothes back tomorrow." She said. At the door, was Chuck. He looked stunning in one of Jackie’s dresses. He also sported a long blond wig. He didn’t move until I closed the door. It soon became apparent why. He was wearing heals. I didn’t know they made them in his size. As he walked down the steps, his ankles wobbled so bad I thought he would stumble and fall with each step.

Jackie was waiting in the car. "Where did you get that dress?" she asked.

"I borrowed it from Cheryl."

"It looks good on you. You two make a great looking pair." She laughed.

"Well, I’ve got another problem. Cheryl is expecting me to bring her dress back tomorrow."

"Well, it’s a good thing that I bought that dress for you after all. Come over to my house in about noon, and I’ll get you ready."

"How am I supposed to get there?"

"I’ll drive you and drop you off at the bus stop. You can say you took the bus."

I changed to my own clothes at Jackie's and Chuck did the same. The next morning I awoke and remembered Saturday as if it were a dream. I took me an hour to convince me that it wasn’t just a strange dream. I wasn’t fully convinced until I brushed my hair and my wrist went in front of nose. It still smelled of the perfume. It was then, that I got dressed and headed for Jackie's. I was afraid to go, but I was more afraid not to. I had to return the dress or be found out.

Jackie had laid out my dress. Those words were strange. "My dress." Also laid out were "my slip" and a pair of panties I had never seen before and some knee socks. On the floor, was a pair of girls shoes. The heal was slightly narrowed and raised about an inch.

I stripped and hesitated only a moment before I put the panties on. They were just like the ones Cheryl loaned me except they were yellow. I put on my bra and slip, followed by "my dress." I put on the socks and slipped my feet in to the shoes. I was surprised how easy it was to walk with the little bit of heal. It was actually comfortable. Jackie had washed the dress and panties and had them in a sack along with Cheryl's sandals.

Jackie cruised downtown and found the bus that ran out to Cheryl’s neighborhood. She followed it at about three blocks. Even at that, she almost caught up to it. Finally we came to the stop and she stopped to let me out. She handed me a little purse.

"Here, you’ll need this. No girl would dare go anywhere without her purse." With that, I got out. Jackie leaned over. There’s bus fare in the purse. Catch the bus downtown and call me on my cell phone. I’ll come get you." Then she drove off. I was on my own. I suddenly realized that there was no one to fall back on. I had to be Martha all by myself.

I walked toward Cheryl’s. I was sure that someone would look out their window and call the cops because there was a boy in a dress walking down the street. I spent a fair amount of time looking over my shoulder. To my surprise, a lady walk around the end of her hedge, right in front of me.

"Oh, I’m sorry dear. I didn’t see you. Are you all right?" she asked.

"Ah, oh. Yes. I… I am." I managed.

"Nice day isn’t it?"

"Ah, sure is."

"Well, have a nice day and sorry again." She said stepping past me.

"It’s all right, you have a nice day too."

I walked on. I became acutely aware of my dress and slip swirling about my legs. I thought of how I had just talked to a complete stranger who assumed that I was a girl. Gaining confidence, I put a little bounce in my step. Cheryl's house was on a slight hill there were three steps up to the lawn level. I noticed how my dress flounced as I quickly stepped up the steps. I found it so thrilling that I fairly ran to the porch steps where there were six of them. I paid close attention to the over all sensations as I climbed them. My head was almost swimming as I rang the bell.

Mrs. Jenkins answered. "Oh hi Martha."

"Ah, I brought Cheryl's clothes back." I offered holding out the bag. I was hoping that she would just take it and I could be on my way.

"Cheryl is in her room. Why don’t you just take them up. She’s been looking forward to your visit."

I went in and was thrilled by the swishing of my dress as I trotted up the stairs. It was scary, beginning to like the feel of wearing a dress. I was dazed by the sensation. Cheryl’s door was open.

"Hi." I said as I walked through. "I brought your clothes back. They’re all washed and clean."

"Thanks she said taking them from me. I was just about to listen to some music." She said switching on her CD player. I was surprised to hear my favorite band. It turned out that we like the same kind of music. We talked while the CD ran its course. We like the same movies and food. She admitted to being kind of a loner. She said that she didn’t have and real friends and I was the first person she felt comfortable around. I had to admit, at least to myself, that I felt comfortable around her too.

After a while her mother came in. "Cheryl, I wanted to take you shopping this afternoon. Martha could come along if you like."

"That would be great. You have time, don’t you Martha?" I was enjoying myself so much I said yes without thinking about what I was about to get myself into.

Before I really realize what was happening, I was in an upscale department store with Cheryl and her mother. We were looking at dresses. They were gorgeous. I found myself wondering what some of them would look like on me. Cheryl was in trying on a dress when I looked around to see if anyone was watching. When I was sure the was no one looking, I held one of them up to myself in front of a mirror. Just then, from out of no where, a saleslady walked up.

"Would you like to try that on dear?" she said.

I was startled. "Ah, I’m just looking. I’m here with a friend and her mother."

"Oh, that’s all right dear, ladies come in here all the time and try on clothes with no intention of buying. I saw you looking at some others. Why don’t you get them and I’ll let you try them on. That way when you come back with your mother, you’ll know just what you want."

I really did want to try them on. I began to shake inside as I realized that. I picked out three more that had my curiosity up and followed the clerk to the fitting rooms. I got the fitting room right next to Cheryl. I tried each of them on. The first one was a light blue and had long loose sleeves. The skirt was full and knee length. The top part had buttons up the front. It swished when I walked.

The second one was yellow and had little short sleeves the were all flared out at the shoulder and had a thin cuff with a pearl button sewn on. It had a zipper up the back that was really hard to manage. Lucky the saleslady came by to check on me. She had to unzip it for me.

The next on was a green print. It had an elastic waist and I could just pull it over my head. The sleeves went down just past my elbows. I liked it because it was so easy to put on. The last one was two piece. The dress itself was just a pullover. The top had long sleeves and a close fitting neckline the required a single button at the back of my neck. This one was really nice. The skirt was long, almost ankle length. It was soft and silky.

Cheryl gave me a hard time because I didn’t come out and show her what I was trying on. She made me tell her all about them. I was surprised to find out that I really enjoyed talking about how the dresses looked on me and what I felt like while I was wearing them. Her mother took us out for ice cream on the way home. I never knew girls had so much fun just being girls.

About 5:00 I said goodbye and headed for the bus stop. I was on the bus headed down town before I realized I was on my own again. All of a sudden, I was nervous again. I watched everyone who got on the bus for signs of them suspecting that I wasn’t really a girl. No one even gave me a second glance. As soon as I got near a mall where I could blend in I got off and called Jackie.

"Hello."

"Jackie, I need that ride now."

"Martha? Where have you been? I expected that you would call hours ago. I’m having my hair done. I can’t get to you for an hour yet. Are you some place where you can stay for a while?"

"Well, I’m at a mall."

"Which one?"

"Ah… West Gate."

"Meet me in front of Sears near the Orange Julius at 6:30.."

"That’s over and hour. What am I supposed to do until then?"

"Window shop girl. That will keep you busy for more then that. But keep a watch on the time I have a dinner date tonight. I can’t have you in my apartment when my date shows up."

I began wandering around the mall. I had never window shopped before. I found myself looking in store windows at dresses and thinking about how it would feel to wear them. Jackie was right luckily the mall had a clock shop the had chiming clocks when 6:30 hit it sounded like a calliope gone crazy. I guess they set the clocks all a little off from each other so it isn’t deafening when they chime. I hurried to Sears and found Jackie impatiently waiting.

"Come on girl, the cars this way. You’re going to put a cramp in my evening if you don’t hurry up."

She led the way to her car. Soon, we were cruising the freeway. She looked at me with a quick glance.

"So what did you do all afternoon?" It caught me off guard. Without considering who I was talking to or what I was saying, I gushed over the trip to the dress shop and how I had tried on dresses and how cool it was. "Oh girl, sounds like you had fun!" she grinned.

It was then that I realized how excited I was when I told her about my adventure in the dressing rooms.

"Ah, Jackie…."

"Yeah?"

"Ah, I hope you don’t get the wrong idea about the dresses and all. I… I was, I was trapped, I had to do what ever it took to keep the saleslady thinking I was a girl."

"Un-huh." Her smile was ear to ear. I began to shake. She began to laugh. "Oh, don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone how much fun you had today."

By then we were at her apartment. I was told I had to get changed and get out in a hurry because her date would be there any minute. I quickly pulled on my pants before taking off the dress. I turned the dress inside out stripping the slip with it. I deftly unhooked the bra. Stuffing my feet in my shoes, I pulled on my shirt and hit the door on the run. As I walked out of the building a man came in. I recognized him as someone who had stopped by and talked to Jackie one day at practice. It wasn’t until I got home that I realized that I hadn’t changed my underwear. I still had the panties on.

The next week the team began to show some promise. The soccer camp had done its job. For the first time, I began to believe the we had a chance to finish some where besides dead last. Our goalie had made the most progress. She could even stop most of my tries when they were unassisted. Cheryl became a real play partner. She finally understood what I was trying to get across about setting up goals for someone else. The others had improved as well. We had a scrimmage that showed real promise. It was low scoring and active there were fifteen attempted and four goals scored on my side and the other had thirteen attempted and three scored. The scrimmage ran full game time and nobody quit because they were too tired.

We practiced hard that week and by the time Friday rolled around I felt good about us. Chuck was beside himself. He announced a team party for Saturday and said he was taking us all out for pizza and ice cream. In the excitement of it all, Cheryl and I hugged and jumped up and down. She made me promise to call her in the morning and tell her what I would be wearing.

On the way home Jackie was grinning at me. "When we get to my place you’d better take a shower and put your dress on. You can’t wear the same dress you did last weekend."

"What?"

"No girl would be caught dead in the same dress two weekends in a row. You don’t want the girls to think you only have one dress. That would be positively un-girl."

"Oh great." I said, but found it odd that the prospect of shopping for another dress was exciting. I did just as she suggested. While I was in the shower, Jackie laid out my clothes. This time the panties she laid out were a soft pink. They had wide lacy elastic at the waist. I put them on with relish. I hurriedly put on the rest of my clothes. Jackie used her blow dryer on my hair. She styled it a little more then she might have for soccer practice.

We hit the mall and spent about an hour. I tried on dress after dress. I just couldn’t get enough. I took all sorts of dresses into the fitting rooms. Most of them were great dresses but not the kind of thing you’d wear to a pizza party.

Some were close fitting, a sheath, Jackie called them. Some were short and sleeveless. Some were long and flowing with loose floppy sleeves. With each one, I went to show Jackie and to spend some time turning and looking in front of the three way mirror.

Finally I settled on a short shift that was sleeveless. It turned out that it was too short for my slip so Jackie bought a half slip for me. It’s like a regular slip except it was just the bottom half. It had an elastic waist like a pair of panties and was trimmed at the bottom with lace. Jackie said I needed a different pair of shoes. So I found myself sitting in the ladies shoe department while a matronly woman fitted me with a pair of casual flats. The whole experience was thrilling.

I guess it showed on my face. When we got in the car, Jackie was smiling a knowing smile. "You should see yourself girl. I can tell by the way you looked that you were having the time of your life. Bet you never thought you could have such a good time shopping did you?"

"What?"

"If you were any happier, you could die on the spot and not mind a bit. Parading in and out of the fitting room was the most thrilling thing you’ve ever done. I think you’re really getting into the masquerading as a girl aren’t you?"

"I don’t know about really getting into it. It’s just gotten easy to do. I’ve been doing it five days a week for five weeks. I just want to give a convincing performance. I just act the way I think a girl should."

"OK what ever you say. But mark my word. If you ever have to stop, you’ll miss it."

I got up early on Saturday and took a bus to Jackie's. I found it exciting to be on the way to put on a dress and go somewhere having people think I was a girl. When I got to Jackie's, I went right into her bedroom and changed. As usual, she had my things laid out. I don’t know where she keeps coming up with these panties. This time they were a light lilac color with a lace panel at each leg hole. After I dressed, I called Cheryl.

"Hi, it’s me, Martha."

"Hi Martha. What are you wearing today?"

"I've got on a yellow sleeveless shift and I’m wearing yellow flats and knee socks." I told her.

"Oh good. I’m going to wear my yellow sun dress. It’s got spaghetti straps. I’ll have to wear a strapless bra. I have some yellow flats too."

We chatted about nothing in particular for about half an hour. Then Jackie came out of the bathroom with hair brush in hand. She indicated that she wanted to do my hair. I told Cheryl I had to fix my hair. Jackie really did my hair real nice. She put a hair band in it and used a curling iron to give it a little shape. Then she persuaded me to go with a little darker shade of fingernail polish.

Chuck came by with a company mini-van and we went to pick up the rest of the girls. Cheryl was first and she sat next to me and we jabbered all the way to the pizza parlor. Once there, we ordered pizza and soft drinks. We all talked and told about our families. I really got to know the other girls. – How strange that I could say "other girls" when I know that I’m not a girl. But it just seems right to think that way when I’m with them. I'm just one of the girls. – It was different from when I was with the guys on my old teams. These girls shared everything. How they felt, what they liked and who they were interested in. With guys, the conversation is all surface. They are always trying to impress each other. Here, we were building friendships.

Cheryl invited me to come over to her house on Sunday but I begged off. That would mean I would have to come up with another dress. I already had two that I didn’t really need. Although, the thought of spending another day with her did seem attractive. The attraction was two fold. First, I really liked spending time with her as a person and second it would mean I’d have an excuse to wear girls clothes again. When I realized that wearing girls clothes was something I wanted to do, I got scared. I began to think that there was something wrong with me.

Before I knew it, the first game came around and I hadn’t even given any thought on how I would get out of playing. I just suited up as always and played.

The other team was good. We didn’t win, but they knew we were in the game. The score was five to four. Things were looking good. We went out for pizza afterward. On Monday we went back to practice. Chuck told us just how proud of us he was. We worked mostly on passing skills and goal scoring plays. It was a great practice. We really felt like we had a chance. After practice Mary handed out invitations to her birthday party to be held on Sunday morning.

Jackie was right there to say I would need a party dress. Friday after practice I showered at Jackie's and we went shopping again. I had a ball, so many dresses and so little time. I only had time to try on four dresses. I tried on really light chiffon dress, I think Jackie called it. It was really neat. It showed my slip right through it. It kind of felt naughty to wear it. Another one was long and came nearly to the floor. I really like the way that it clung to my legs when I walked.

The one I ended up with a blue dress that had a full skirt and long sleeves. Jackie insisted that I also get a special kind of half slip. One with several layers to it the one next to my legs was soft satin and then there were two layers of stiff kind of netting and another layer of bushed cotton. The effect was that when it was under the skirt, it made it stand out away from my legs. She also bought me a pair white tights and black patent leather flats. I was afraid that I’d look out of place, so dressed up at the party. But when I arrived, saw the other girls – there I go again, "other girls" – were dressed in similar dresses.

I really felt like I fit in. For the first time in my life, I had friends. It was really fun. After the party, I called Jackie on her cell and she met me at the bus stop. I was bubbling over with how much fun the party was.

"Oh Jackie it was cool. We play CD’s and danced. We talked and made up stories. Mary’s mother served a luncheon. We had finger sandwiches and tea. Of course there was cake and ice cream for desert. Mary got all kinds of neat things for presents. She really liked the nail care kit you had me bring." I guess I was babbling on like that for some time. I talked straight until Jackie parked the car. "Oh. I almost forgot. Cheryl wants me to come over next weekend. I, I guess I’ll need another dress, huh?"

"Yeah, I think so. I’ll tell you what we’ll go up and you can put on your shift and well go get another dress right now. I have time and I know you don’t have to be home for a couple of hours."

In an hour, I was back in a dress shop looking at summer outfits. I was drawn to the sun dresses. After seeing how great Cheryl looked in hers, I just had to have one. Of course with the sun dress, I needed a strapless bra. Jackie picked out a really great one. It was just right to match my other bra and it had this kind of sticky sort stuff around the edges of the bra so it wouldn’t slip down. I loved the way it felt. I wore my half slip with it and the whole sensation was just delicious.

Practice went well all week and on Saturday we played well at the end of the third period, we were tied at four each. We had possession and Cheryl and I took the ball down field. I had been the key person in most of our plays so they thought for sure that I would take the shot. At the last second Cheryl passed it to me, exactly what they expected. What they didn’t expect was that instead of taking the shot from the side, I kicked it in front of Cheryl, who took the shot without breaking stride. We caught them totally off guard. Cheryl and I and practiced just such a play for just such a time. Their goalie was totally out of place and no one was guarding her at all. Pizza after the game was a riot. We were all so pumped we almost got asked to leave the pizza parlor.

Sunday I got up early. I couldn’t wait to wear my sun dress. When I got to Jackie’s she was still in her robe.

"You must have gotten up with the birds. Come on in, I’ll get your things ready. You can do your make-up while I get dressed" She went into the bedroom and came back out in about ten minutes wearing pants and a blouse. "You can go in and change while I do my make-up." She told me as she came into the bathroom.

I went into the bedroom. This time the panties were white with a lace panel sewn across the front. I adjusted my half slip so that it wouldn’t show under the hem of the dress. I wore my original shoes. Jackie dropped me at the bus stop. I walked to Cheryl's.

Her mother let me. "Hi Martha, you can go right up to Cheryl's room." I went up, acutely aware of my dress and slip as I went up the stairs. Cheryl was listening to a CD when I came through the open door.

"Hi Martha. I’m so glad you’re early. I want to go for a long walk. It’s so nice out." We went out as soon as the CD was done. Cheryl and I talked as we walked. We mostly talked about school. We ended up at a park. It turns out that Cheryl likes swings, so we spent some time swinging. We sat under a tree and enjoyed the breeze. Every movement was exciting. Sun dresses are so comfortable. The fabric is so light that the slightest air movement causes it to caress the wearer.

We decided to run down a hill. It was fabulous. The freedom of running in a lightweight dress like that was incredible. The feel of the air rustling my dress and swirling up underneath was absolutely intoxicating. My half slip caressed my panties. That was very exciting. I had to sit on a park bench for a long time. We laughed for no real reason. I think Cheryl sensed my excitement at the feeling of running. I’m not sure if she understood it, I don’t think she could have, but I think she felt it.

We went back to her house and had lunch. Some how hanging out with Cheryl seemed natural. I didn’t have to hold back any emotion or thought. That is, except the thoughts about a boy wearing girls clothes. We could talk about anything. We caught the bus to the mall and hung out with the local girls for a couple of hours. I met several girls from Cheryl's school. She wasn’t really friends with them so we didn’t do too much with them.

We did go to a dress shop and fantasize how it would be to wear some of the really elegant gowns in there. We stopped by the arcade and checked out the action there. We rode the bus the wrong direction on purpose just to see where it went. We got back to Cheryl's about 4:30 and I told her I had to get home.

As usual, I took the bus to the next mall and called Jackie on her cell. "Hi I’m ready to go home."

"Oh Martha, I didn’t have anyway to get a hold of you. I’ve had an emergency. I’m on my way to Salem. I called Chuck. He said he’d take your mother out. They should be leaving in about a half an hour and he’ll see they stay out past 8:00. He said he would see that your back door would be left unlocked so you can get in. I’m sorry sweetie, but you’ll have to go home as Martha. They’ll be gone long enough that you could wait until after dark if you want to."

"Oh great. Well, I guess I don’t have any choice. Thanks anyway."

I decided to walk around the mall before getting on the bus again. I wanted to be sure to give Chuck plenty of time to get mom out of the house. I got on the bus about 5:30 and headed home. I really felt uneasy to be going into my own neighborhood in dress. I got off the bus a stop early and walked two blocks past my house and came at it from the opposite direction than usual. The final approach was through the alley. I quickly let myself in the back gate and went inside. I found a note from mom. She had fixed a plate of leftovers in the frig for me. I put in my dinner in microwave.

I didn’t bother to change before I ate. This was really kind of weird, walking around my own house in a dress. It was kind of exciting. Naughty if you will. The day had been so much fun, I wasn’t ready to have it end. If I had changed right then, that would have meant the day was over. Instead, I just stayed in my dress until 8:00. Then I went to my room and quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a tee shirt. I hid the panties, bra, shoes and socks in a shoe box on the back of my closet shelf. I figured it would be safe there because that’s where the other pair of panties were hidden. The ones from the Sunday when I changed at Jackie's so quickly. I hung the dress on the same hanger as my bathrobe with the robe over it. The whole thing went on the very end of the closet rod behind my old shirts. Mom got back about 8:30.

Practice was great all week and on Saturday we won our game going away. The score was five to three. Sunday mom had some big project at work to get ready for and would be spending all day at the office. I got up about 9:00 and went to the bathroom. I decided to get dressed before I ate breakfast. When I opened my closet I noticed my robe out of place. That made me think of last Sunday. Then I did a strange thing. I took out my robe and got the sun dress. I got the bra, panties and slip out of the shoe box. I took off my pajamas and put on the sun dress. Of course that was after I put on the bra panties and half slip. I slipped on the shoes and socks. In the bathroom, I brushed my hair back and put in the hair band. After that, put on my lipstick and blush.

It was the weirdest thing. I had no reason to do it but here I was wearing a dress. I fixed some breakfast and went out on the patio to eat. It was a nice day out. There was soft breeze blowing toward the house. I sat with my back to the house and let it caress my bare legs. When I had finished, I leaned back and closed my eye. For the longest time I just enjoyed the feeling.

Around 11:00 I got a little restless. I checked my purse I had ten dollars. I’m not sure why Jackie had put so much money in it. I guess she wanted to make sure I could afford anything that came up. I decided to do something. I knew that mom wouldn’t be home until dinner time. I let myself out the back gate and made my way back to the bus stop down the street. I rode the bus to the mall and had lunch in the food court. After that, I went window shopping. About 4:00 I got back on the bus and headed for home.

I cut it a little close. As I came in the back door, I heard the garage door open and mom’s car pull into the garage. I hurried to my room and pulled on my jeans and yanked my dress of over my head. I shed the slip and bra while kicking off the shoes. I stuffed my feet into my sneakers and pulled on a tee shirt. I kicked everything under my bed and after a quick stop in my bathroom, headed for the living room. Mom was still in the kitchen.

"Hi mom, I thought I heard you come in. Everything go OK?"

"Yeah hon." She said smiling at me. "I hated to leave you alone all day, but I really needed the time to prepare my presentation. I just can’t get that kind of uninterrupted time during the week."

"It’s OK mom. I didn’t mind."

"What did you do all day?"

"Oh nothing much, I slept late, spent some time on the patio enjoying the breeze. When I got bored, I took the bus to the mall and hung out for a while and then came home." I carefully avoided lying by not saying what I wore. Later that evening, I went back to my room and took care of the clothes under the bed.

That week, I thought about Sunday a lot. For the life of me, I couldn’t come to terms with wearing a dress when it wasn’t necessary. On Tuesday, after practice, Mom was late coming home. I got out the shoe box. I decided that the underwear was dirty. I had seen mom wash her delicate clothes in the sink before. I poked around and found her Woolite. I read the instructions and washed out the two pair of panties. I came up with four clothes pins and hung the undies in my shower. I knew I was taking a chance that mom might come in and notice something in the shower, but not likely.

In the morning, I checked the panties. They were dry, so I put them back in the shoe box. The next morning, I got the box down and decided to wear the panties to school. It was great. I had a secret. A special secret that no one else knew or could know. After school, I changed as usual at Jackie's. I carefully tucked the panties in a pocket of my jeans, so if she glanced in the room, she wouldn’t notice them. The ploy worked well, so I did it again the next day. When we got back, Jackie stopped me as I was about to go into the bedroom.

"Wait a sec, hon. I’ve got to use the bathroom." She told me. She went in to her room and tossed her purse on the bed. A few minutes later, I heard the toilet flush. "I’m through." She called. As I enter the bedroom, she retrieved her purse from the bed and dislodged my pants. As they hit the floor, the panties just tumbled out of the pocket. I had rolled them and they just unrolled, making it obvious what they were. I froze and looked at her. She was also frozen, just staring at the panties. She looked up at me. "I’m sorry, hon. I wasn’t supposed to see that, was I?" I just shook my head no. I was near panic. "Well… look, if your going be wearing those everyday, you’ll need more then you’ve got. Look I’ve got more in your size here in this drawer." She opened a drawer on her night stand. The look of panic must have been plain on my face. "Oh, don’t worry, I kind of thought that once you spent some time wearing girls clothes, you’d get to like it. I won’t tell anyone."

"I…" I started, then it sunk in what she had said. She thought I might get to like it. "You thought I might get to like it?"

"Yeah, I’ve heard of other guys that did just what you’re doing and they did too."

"Is that why you bought me so much stuff?"

"I guess so. Some how, I had the feeling that you’d find some use for it… sooner or later."

"I… I think I should be mad at you."

"Are you?"

"I should be, but somehow I'm not. But tell me about these other guys you’ve heard about. I feel really weird about this. Do you know that last Sunday, I was home alone and didn’t have anything to do, so I put on that dumb sun dress. I wasn’t satisfied with that, I ended up going to the mall."

"Whoa, you’re a little more into it then I thought you would be."

"What about these other guys who liked wearing girls clothes?"

"Well, I don’t know any of them personally, but I’ve heard on Phil Donahue, that most of them started when they were young and just kept it up all their lives."

"You mean, this isn’t just some phase that I’ll grow out of?"

"Apparently not. We should go to the library. There is a lot of information there."

"Is the library open on Sunday?"

"I think so. I’m not doing anything if you want to go."

"Well, I’ll let you know." I told her. I did take advantage of the panties in her night stand.

After the game Saturday, while I was changing, decided. "Jackie, is the offer for Sunday still open?"

"Sure, come over in the late morning."

I showed up at 11:00. Jackie answered the bell on the first ring. "I hope I’m not too early."

"No, not at all. I was just wondering when you’d show up. I called the library and found out they close at two, so it’s good that you showed up now. Did you want to change before we go?"

"You mean, become Martha?"

"If you want to." She said. I hadn’t thought of it. My heart began to race at the thought of it. I started to turn her down, but a half an hour later I was getting in her car watching to see that my the hem of my dress didn’t ride up too far and reveal more leg then it should. At the library, I was amazed at the number of books available on the subject. Most of them were clinical studies and really outdated. There were a few contemporary studies. They were pretty good, but would require a lot of study. There was a book that really spoke to me. It was about the difference between homosexuals, transsexuals and transvestites. Jackie checked out three of the studies and the book. She said I could study them at her house.

She stopped by the mall on the way home. "Why are we stopping here?" I asked.

"I’ve got to pickup some more pantyhose. I thought maybe you'd like to do a little window shopping.

I didn’t know why, but I got out of the car and followed her into the department store. Once there, I began to try on dresses. We bought two more. In the lingerie department, I got another slip and some anklets and knee socks and some tights along with an additional bra. I didn’t know why, I was still not sure of the whole idea but, I really enjoyed the whole thing.

Jackie was sure that this was not a passing thing. I felt like that when the soccer season was over, and I got my grades up so I could go back to playing on boy teams, I’d shed the practice, like a snake shedding it old skin.

After practice, that next week, Jackie encouraged me to shower and hang out a while after I slipped into something more comfortable. I began doing my homework at her place while I was wearing a dress. It turned out to be a perfect solution to my homework problems. Not only was it quite and away from the usual distractions, but Jackie, it turned out, was a well educated lady. She was a gifted as a teacher as well. She had a way of answering a question with a question that made you think. I began to get a glimmer of understanding in science and math. Two subjects that had totally eluded me. She also discussed my English reading assignments with me. The result was that when the class discussed them, I was able to take part and even bring up points that the teacher had to think about.

The next grading period rolled around and I was surprised that my grades went up a full mark in three of the five academic courses and gained a plus in the other two. Mom was ecstatic. My life was just about perfect. That’s when everything caved in. Mom, who usually worked Saturday afternoon to clear up paperwork, managed to get caught up on it and without notice decided to surprise Chuck and catch a game.

She got lost and came in late. So instead of bothering Chuck, she just slipped into the stands. Chuck didn’t know she was even there, until I was already on my way back to Jackie's. I guess she laid into him pretty bad and demanded that I quit the team. It was a real blow. We needed one more win to clinch the league championship.

When I got home, she laid into me. "Martin I saw you this afternoon at the soccer game. I guess you know that I’m not pleased. You’re not playing soccer anymore. Not for Chuck or for the school or anyone else. I don’t care if your grades are going up and you’ll be eligible next season or not. I’ll not have my son pretending to be a girl for any reason. I’ll expect you home from school no later then a half an hour after school lets out. I’ll be calling to check up on you so don’t get any ideas about defying me. And you can bet I’ll be keeping an eye on you Saturdays as well. Chuck I can kick out of my life, so he doesn’t have to suffer my wrath, but you… You have to put up with me for another six years. Right now, I am not a happy camper. You had better be walking on eggshells from here on out."

So much for a great soccer season. Chuck told the girls that Martha’s mother had pulled her from the team because of some family problems and they would have to win without her. The team was really bummed out by the news. By Wednesday they had begun to fall apart. Chuck called me after practice.

"Martin, the girls really need a pep talk. They’re really in the dumps about your not being able to play. Is there any way Martha could make one more appearance and boost their moral? They are convinced that they can’t win without you. But I think they can. What do you think?"

"Sure, they’re a long way from the clumsy novices they were before the season started."

"Well, it would sure be good if they could hear it from you. What do you say, will you, that is, will Martha come and tell them that?"

"Well, Mom calls and checks on me about forty-five minutes after school lets out. Then again about 5:00. If you could pick me up after the first call and be sure that I’d be back before then, I could do it." Jackie will be there before your mother calls and bring you to the field as soon as she does. You spend five minutes with the girls and she will take you right back."

On Thursday after school, Jackie was there to pick me up. We drove to my house to wait for moms call. She had a skirt and blouse and lingerie with her. "I picked these up for you. I hope you like them." She said. The blouse was white cotton with cap sleeves and a Peter Pan collar. The skirt was a green pleated knee length kilt style. I put them on while I waited for mom to call. Jackie did my make-up and hair because she was faster them I was. Mom called just as she got through.

"Hi Mom." I answered. I felt really naughty, talking to my mom while dressed as a girl.

"Hi Martin. Just checking and reminding you to do your homework."

"OK mom. Will do."

"Bye." I hung up. Jackie was already by the door.

"Let’s go. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get you back."

We jumped into her car and sped off. I was dreading this, but the girls had worked so hard, they deserved that championship. I tried to think what to say to them. Before I was really ready, we were there. As I walked onto the field, I was mobbed.

"OK girls. Settle down. I asked Martha to come and talk to you."

"Martha, are you coming back on the team?" One of the girls called out.

"No, my mother is adamant she won’t let me play. But I’m not here to talk about me playing. I'm here to talk about you playing. Coach tells me that you guys are convinced you can’t win without me. Well that's not true. Don’t sell yourselves short. Mary, do you think we could have won all those games if you weren’t the best goalie in the league? All of our scores wouldn’t have amounted to anything if every time our opponents kicked at the goal it went in. Cheryl, you’re the best secret weapon any team could want. You see how off guard we caught them when you took the score and not me? All of you are great. I've been playing soccer since I was nine. You guys are not only the most improve team I’ve ever played with, you are the best. The games didn’t hinge on me. They were all team efforts."

"But Martha, couldn’t you just play one more game?"

"No. I’m afraid that just isn’t possible."

"At least you could tell us why. I mean your mother let you play before, why not now?"

We had moved to the side of the field. I stepped into the equipment shed. "This is why." I said and unbuttoned my blouse. I slipped the bra up and showed my boy’s chest. "I’m not really a girl. I don’t expect you to understand, but I got banded from school sports. When coach told me about your need and asked me to help. I didn’t think I could do it from the side of the field. So… we hatched the plan to put me on the field. I was supposed to quit before the first game, but somehow, I didn’t. Well, my mom found out about me pretending to be a girl. She is very angry at me, and at the coach."

The girls were all taken back, as I stood there unmasked. I don’t know what made me do that. It was the last thing I wanted to do, be discovered, that is. I was immediately sorry I had done it. I just hoped that they would think it was just as I thought it was in the beginning. It was just to help get the team into shape. I didn’t hold out much hope of that. They were all just looking at me with their mouths open. Then Cheryl spoke up.

"Wow!" she said. "I think that was the bravest thing I've ever heard of. I don’t know any boys who would do that for a girls team. Martha… ah, no, I guess it’s not Martha is it? But I’m glad you did it. If you hadn't been here to encourage and teach us. We’d still be that disorganized bunch of misfits we were at the beginning of the season. How can we thank you?"

I was beginning to feel uncomfortable standing there with my chest exposed. So I pulled my bra down and buttoned my blouse as I talked. "If you really want to thank me. Go out and win that game on Saturday. I’d like to think that the chance I took in becoming Martha and hard work I put in helping you learn this game – not to mention all the trouble I’m in with mom and the trouble coach here is in – hasn’t been for nothing. You guys are a championship team. You deserve the trophy. If you don’t play your best on Saturday, it’ll all have been for nothing."

"We can win and we will. Won’t we girls?" Cheryl shouted.

"Yes!" They all chorused.

They all gave me a hug. Chuck called for attention.

"Now girls, Martha had confided a secret in you. One, that if it gets out, may cause some question as to the validity of this seasons record. I hope for the sake of the team and for Martha, we’ll all keep this quite. OK?"

"Oh yeah, coach. We wouldn’t do anything to hurt Martha."

I hugged all the girls goodbye and Jackie dropped me off in the alley and headed back to the field. I didn’t change clothes until I had to. This may be the last time I would be able to and I wasn’t about to end it any sooner then I had to.

They did win the game on Saturday. That qualified them for the regionals which they won and they took second in the state. Pretty good for a team that didn’t have a single player that could even run the length of the field in preseason practice.

By then school was out and mom had relaxed her vigilance over me. I still had my sun dress at home as well as the skirt and blouse. I did mange to wear them a few times. Just enough to know that I wasn’t going to shed this habit like a snake shedding its skin. I had dentists appointment one Saturday. It was routine cleaning and exam. I stopped down town for lunch at a burger joint. While I was eating Cheryl walked in. I couldn’t help staring at her. She was alone and noticed that I was staring. She looked back at me and tried to look away, then she looked again.

Walking over she said. "Do I know you? You look familiar."

"I don’t think you know me, but I know you."

"How could you know me and I not know you?"

"Well it’s a long story. I know you from a part of my life that could never be."

"You’re very cryptic. It this an attempt to make me curious enough about you to make me sit down?"

"Not really, but I don’t blame you for being curious. Maybe someday, I’ll write you a letter and explain."

"That sounds like an attempt to get my address."

"No, I have your address, I even have your phone number."

"I don’t believe you if you know all that, you know my name. What is it?"

"You’re Cheryl Carson. You scored the winning goal in the regional girls soccer championship this year."

"I do know you. Your Mar…" she hushed her tones and leaned in. "You’re Martha."

"Ah… yes." I said looking around to see if anyone noticed. No one did. Cheryl sat down.

"I've thought of you many times." She told me. "Every time I kicked a goal I remembered your advice. ‘Look at your target, not the ball.’ Every victory celebration was a tribute to what you gave us. The other girls all remember you too.

"I’m really sorry Martha can’t be around any more. I’ve never had a friend like Martha. I still consider her my best friend even though I know I’ll never see her again. I miss her."

"I miss her too. That part of me misses you too. I’ve never had a friend like the friend you were to Martha."

"You know Martha and I planned to see all the big movies this summer. I was going to go tomorrow at the two o’clock showing. Maybe you’d like to meet me there. You know what theater I mean?"

"Yeah, I know. I’ll try to make it. I’ll meet you out front." Just then Cheryl's mother walked in. Cheryl went to meet her.

I heard her mother ask. "Who was that you were talking to?"

"Ah, Martha’s brother. He came by to pick Martha up from practice a time or two. He recognized me and wanted to congratulate me on the team taking second in state."

The next day was Friday. I wrestled with it all morning. Finally, at 11:30 I took out my robe and got the shoe box down. By 12:30 Martha was ready. Slipping out the back door, I made my way to the alternate bus stop. It felt so good to be outside again. Cheryl was standing near the box office when I arrived. She smiled as soon as she caught sight of me.

"Martha, I’m so glad you could make it." We had a great time. The movie was out at 4:00. We wondered around the mall window shopping. Finally, we just had to go into a shop and try on some dresses. I lost all track of time. At 6:00 I noticed the time. I panicked.

"Oh no! Look at the time. My mother is home. What will I do?"

"Oh dear, I should have let you go right after the movie." Cheryl said remorsefully.

"It’s not your fault. But I need a plan. I have to get out of this some how." Then I remembered that Jackie still had a change of my clothes at her place. I ran to a phone and dialed. "Jackie, it me Martha."

"Martha? You mean really Martha and not Martin?"

"Yeah, that’s exactly what I mean. Look I’m in big trouble. Do you still have those clothes that I left over there. The ones that I left because you had to go to Salem that time?"

"You mean the pants and school shirt? Yeah. I’ve been wondering how I can get them back to you and how you could, or if you should get the other clothes."

"Well, I’ve gone out, that is Martha has gone out and I lost track of time. I know mom is home and I need to change. Can I come over and put the jeans and shirt on?"

"You mean right now?"

"Yes. Please."

"Well that will be a problem. You just caught me. I was on my way to meet Chuck. We have a company function to go to. I have to leave this minute or I’ll be late. I won’t be home until 9:30. If you can wait until then I’ll be glad to help you."

"Hold on a minute." I told her. "Cheryl. I can’t get the clothes from Jackie until 9:30."

"I know, I’ll call my mom and see if I can bring you home for dinner. You can leave at 8:30. That will give you time to go to Jackie's and change and still get home before ten, if she’ll give you a ride."

"Jackie, if I come over at 9:30, can you give me a ride home?"

"Sure."

"Thanks. If I’m not there by 10:00, I’m not coming."

"I’ll see you then." She hung up.

Cheryl called home. "Mom… You’ll never guess who I ran into… No… Martha… Could I invite her to dinner tonight?… Oh thanks mom, you’re a dear." She hung up. "She said it was all right. She has to meet dad for some business wing-ding. My aunt Sharon is there getting dinner."

I called my mother. "I mom, I’m at the mall hanging out with some friends. I’m gonna catch dinner in the food court. We want to catch a movie. It’ll get out about 9:00 or 9:30, OK?… Thanks mom. See you then."

We caught the bus to her house and got there just as Mrs. Carson was coming out to the car. She waved and we went into dinner. It was on the table waiting for us. We ate and went to her room. At 8:30 I caught the bus to Jackie's. She buzzed me in and I went up.

"Hi Martha, I wondered if I’d ever see you again. Been getting out much?"

"Hi Jackie, not as much as I used to. I’m really glad you could help me."

"Your pants and shirt are in my bedroom waiting." I changed and she gave me a ride home. On the way she made me an offer. "You know," she said. "I know that that sun dress is the only dress you have at home. From now on, just let me know and I’ll make arrangements to be home so you can change clothes. But don’t think I’m going to sacrifice my social life just so you can wear a dress."

"Thanks Jackie. I may need to take you up on that. I just wish that my mom was as understanding as your are."

I took Jackie up on her offer the very next Saturday. I really bothered me that I didn’t have the sun dress at home anymore. I left home at 9:00 in the morning. I changed at Jackie's and went to the mall for a couple of hours. Then I wore the dress home. Just before mom came home, I changed clothes and hid the dress inside my bathrobe. I met Cheryl for lunch a couple of times. We caught a matinee one afternoon. I managed to get all the dresses home. Each time, I took a shopping bag and brought my boys clothes home in that. That gave me a starter wardrobe.

The last day I was at Jackie's, she gave me a box. I opened it. It was a video tape. "What’s this?" I asked.

"It’s a tape of the two Phil Donahue shows with the crossdressers on them. I thought if you ever need to talk to your mother about this, you might be able to use the tape. I watched it. It really presents these guys in a good light. Maybe you should watch so you could feel better about yourself."

I took it home and watched. Jackie was right the shows were really good. I felt not so alone anymore. I put the tape away and changed clothes. When mom came home, I made up my mind to have it out with her. We really hadn’t talked much since she found out about Martha.

Over dinner, I asked. "Mom, are you still mad at Chuck?"

"Mad? After what he did to you? If I had my way they would make that kind of thing a hanging offense."

"Well, mom you know you did ask me to help him anyway I could."

"But I didn’t mean for you to let him turn you into a girl. I just hope it doesn’t scar you psychologically. If I had known that he would make you do that, I never would have dated him, let alone asked you to help him. I hope he blew the promotion because you weren’t there."

"Mom, the only reason he wanted to get the promotion was because he wanted to marry you and didn’t want to be on the road."

"I thought it was just money. He never mention that he wanted to get married."

"That’s why I decided to help him. He really wanted to marry you. He was resigned not to if he and I couldn’t get along. He said he wouldn’t even ask if I wouldn’t be OK with it. He didn’t want to make you choose between us."

"So he’s sensitive. That didn’t give him the right to force you to girls clothes."

"Mom, he didn’t force me. In a way, it was my idea. I told him that the only way I could help him were if a was a girl and could play on the team. Well one thing led to another and Martha was born."

"I guess you think it was my fault that you ended up dressing up like a girl."

"I don’t blame anyone. Really mom, it wasn’t Chuck’s fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. No one made anyone do anything. When all was said and done, I ended up having a good time with it."

"Wait a minute. You went to team parties. If you were Martha on the field, you couldn’t have worn your uniform to the parties. What did you wear?"

"Mom, before we go any farther, I think you'd better watch this video tape." I gave her the Phil Donahue tape. She put it in the VCR and began to watch. She watched in silence.

When it was over, she turned to me and asked. "Why did you have me watch that tape. Am I supposed to get some message from it?"

"Mom, I’m just like those guys."

"You like wearing girls clothes?"

"Yes."

"Chuck didn’t make you be Martha? You did those kind of things before?"

"Well, no. But I agreed to do it because I wanted to help Chuck make you happy. But if I were to be honest with myself, from the very first time I passed as a girl I liked it. It’s a kick having everyone who looks at me think I’m a girl."

"So… what are you telling me?"

"Chuck doesn’t know anything about me liking it. He thinks that every time I dress-up, I’m doing him a favor. The truth is every time he needed me to dress-up, he did me a favor. In fact, I’ve dressed up for no reason at all."

"I don’t believe you. I think you just feel obligated to Chuck for some reason and are defending him."

"Mom, that’s just not true. Well, it’s true that I feel sorry for Chuck and that I’m defending him. I think he got a raw deal. All he’s guilty of is accepting the help and keeping from you the exact nature of the help. We both had your happiness in mind."

"What did you mean you’ve ‘dressed up for no reason at all?’"

"Just that. When I didn’t have to be Martha for anyone, I did it just because I wanted to."

"Have done it since I pulled the plug on your soccer play?"

"Yeah. More then once."

"This is just too much for me. I can’t talk about it anymore."

That night, I decided to sleep with panties and bra on under my pajamas. In the morning, she was dressed for work. She looked at me for a minute. "Well, I’ll be back about 5:30. Do you think you can manage to be here when I get back?"

"Yeah. That shouldn’t be a problem."

"I put some stew in the crock pot. Could you turn it up to high about 4:30?"

"OK I think I can handle that." I got up and rinsed my cereal bowl. When it turned around, I saw her looking at me again. It was as if she had never seen me before.

"Have fun. See you later." she said, taking her coffee cup and a bagel to the car.

I went to the bathroom. In the mirror, I could see what mom was looking at. The material in the pajamas was thin enough to see my bra and panties right though. Only slightly in the front, but from back, where mom got her first view, it almost jump out and screamed.

She was giving permission in her own way. I got out a dress and slip. I put on the slip and put on my make-up in the bathroom. I put on the dress and some shoes. I got out my purse and called Cheryl. I made arrangements to meet her at the mall. We had a great day. We took in the matinee performance of a romantic movie. I headed home and turned the crock pot up just like mom asked. Mom was home at 5:30. We didn’t talk much over dinner. I went to my room to listen to some music. When I came out to get a cold drink out of the frig, mom was watching the Phil Donahue tape again. It was ending as I came back from the kitchen. She looked up at me.

"Martin. These guys really look like convincing women. When you dress-up do you look that good?"

"Oh yeah. Nobody would ever know that I'm a boy."

She squinted a little and studied me. "I just can’t quite picture what you’d look like as a girl. Do you have any clothes here? I mean, could you let me see how you look?

I was so excited I couldn’t hold back. "Wait here, I’ll be right back." I went to my room and put an outfit on. I did a quick make-up job. Not bad, even if I do say so myself. I ratted my hair and put the hair band in it. The shoes I wore were a pair of low healed pumps. When I went back to the family room, mom stared open mouthed for at least a minute.

"Martin?"

"No, Martha. I left Martin in the bedroom."

"You really like this?"

"Yes I really like to go out and walk around. The most fun is when I go to a dress shop and try on dresses."

"You like to go shopping?"

"Yeah, it’s a blast."

"Well, I can identify with that. I like to go shopping, and I always wished I had a daughter to take shopping."

"Well, mom, if you’re game, I’m game. I’d love to go shopping with my mother."

"Let me get this straight. You like girls? Your not gay or anything?"

"Yes and no in that order."

"And Chuck didn’t coerce you into this?"

"No. When the idea first came up I decided against it. He said he understood and thanked me for what advice I could give. It wasn’t until I became convinced of his desire to make you happy that I called him and volunteered."

"You volunteered? He didn’t use his salesman tactics to convince you to do it?"

"Not unless ignoring me was some kind of salesman’s tactic."

"How many times have you done this since I pulled the plug on your soccer playing?"

"I don’t know. Two or three times a week."

"If I told you to stop right now, what would you do?"

"I’d try, but I tried to not do it right after you pulled the plug. But I only lasted about a week and I just had to do it again."

"You don’t think you could stop if you tried?"

I hung my head in shame. "I don’t think so. And if what those guys on the tape said is any where near the truth, I must be right."

"Let me think about this."

I went back to my bedroom and got ready for bed. I left the panties and bra on. I had one pair of summer pajamas made of nylon. I slept in them. In the morning mom was awake before I was. She had gotten up early and gone some where. It was Sunday, and I had no idea when she would be back.

When I got dressed, I left the bra and panties on. I was wearing a sweat shirt and jeans. Unless I stood up and threw my shoulders back, you couldn’t tell I was wearing a bra. Mom came in about 1:30.

I’ve spent the whole morning at the library. I’ve just taken a crash course in transvestites. As near as I can tell, it’s terminal and the only down side is the family problem it causes. The only problems come when the family is intolerant they can cause a lot of guilt that leads to other self worth problems. I real want you too be guilt free as possible. So I’ve decided to tolerate it to the max.

"How big is your wardrobe? How many outfits do you have?"

"Well, I have four dresses and a skirt and blouse outfit. Why?"

"Well, if I'm going to have a daughter around, I don’t want to get bored looking at the same clothes all the time. Why don’t you put one of them on and we can go shopping. No girl can get along with only five outfits."

"You mean it? Right now?"

"Yes, right now."

I was in seventh heaven. My mom was taking Martha out shopping. For the second time, I got dressed for mom. We were in the car and at the mall in less then an hour. Our first stop was "The Woman’s Place." I was on my way back from the fitting room when Mrs. Carson spotted me. "Hello Martha." She said. "Doing a little shopping?"

Just then mom walked up. "Oh Hi Mrs. Carson. Yes. Mom, this is Mrs. Carson. Mrs. Carson this is my mother, Mrs. Jenkins. Mom Mrs. Carson is the mother of one of the girls on the soccer team, Cheryl."

"Please to meet you. Call me Louise." Mom said.

"Likewise I’m sure and you can call me Marie." Mrs. Carson responded. "Cheryl will be so glad to see you, Martha. All she talks about these days is Martha this and Martha that. She in the fitting room now."

Mom looked puzzled. Just then Cheryl came out of the fitting room. "Martha! What a surprise." We hugged each other and got busy telling each other just how great we looked in the dresses we were trying on. While we talked mom and Mrs. Carson became acquainted with each other.

"It was a shame that Martha couldn’t finish the season with the girls. They did quite well. They were league champions as well as regional champions and they took second in state. Cheryl says it was all because of Martha. She was the real spark plug of the team. Even after you wouldn’t let her play, she came and gave them a pep talk that encouraged them to play their hardest."

Mom just took it all in. "Well Martha has always been a serious competitor. I wish I could have let her finish the season. We’ll see about next year."

"I’m sure all the girls on the team would like that."

Cheryl and I tried on dresses and she bought two and I bought four. Back in the fitting room, I filled Cheryl in about mom. She was surprised, but no more then I was, about her sudden acceptance.

That day, I ended up with six dresses, five skirts and seven blouses. In the lingerie department, I took home a haul as well. A half dozen panties, three bras, two slips and various socks and pantyhose. Not to mention the three very girlish nighties. Mom bought me four pair of shoes as well. Mr. Carson was out of town on business so mom and Mrs. Carson decided to take their daughters to dinner. Cheryl and I couldn’t have been happier. We made a date for the next Wednesday to go to a movie.

That night, I spent my first night in a nightgown. At breakfast, mom commented on how good I looked. "Martha, that is a very fetching nightgown."

"Thanks mom, I really like it. Thanks for buying it for me."

"Your welcome sweetie. What are you going to do today?"

"Oh, I don’t know. I guess I’ll just enjoy being a girl."

"Well, be sure to be home for dinner."

So began my summer as Martha. Of course there were almost weekly shopping trips. Mostly we just tried on things. We only bought a few things each time. But we spent hours doing it. Cheryl invited me to come over for the Fourth of July. Her mother said I should bring my mother.

It was quit an affair. Most of the girls from the soccer team were there. All of the department heads from Mr. Carson’s company and several of their neighbors were there. It was in full swing when we got there. Cheryl grabbed me as soon as I got there and pulled me over to the other girls. We had a great time catching up. It was the first time I had seen most of them since the day I told them I was a boy. Of course Cheryl had told them that Martha was still in existence and they were all expecting to see me there. But talk about people expecting to see me, there was one I saw that didn’t expect to see me.

I had gone to use the powder room when I ran into Chuck in the hall.

"Martha? Is that you?"

"Hi Chuck. Yeah it’s me. I hoped I’d see you here."

"I thought Martha was history. I mean, you were doing it to play on the team. What are you doing here?"

"Well, while I was on the team, Cheryl and I became best friends. I never had any friends before. Oh I knew a lot of people, but they weren’t really friends. Cheryl and I can talk and say anything we want and we know that the other one won’t judge us and will always be supporting. Well, she was Martha’s friend, not Martin’s. If we were going to continue to be friends, I had to be Martha. Martin would have to start over and it could never be the same. Martin is a boy."

"Oh man. You know of course that your mother thinks I force you into girls clothes. I hope you’re being careful, when she hears about this, she’ll come unglued and blame it on me.

"Speaking of your mother, I thought you’d be some where with her today. Don’t you usually spend all the holidays with her?"

"Oh she’s here."

"She’s here? And you’re Martha? Wha… I… a… I… how… Your mother is here?"

"Yeah, I explained about how Martha came to be. And I convinced her that you weren’t responsible. I… I told her that I did it because I wanted to. I told her, that I didn’t stop when I stopped play on the team. I convince her that I would probably continue this all my life. So she decided to participate. She took Martha shopping and bought me clothes and everything."

"Your mother is here… She is participating in Martha. Oh wow. I don’t think I can take this all in right now." Just then, someone come up the stairs.

"Why don’t you go say hi to mom. I know she’d be glad to see you." I said turning for the powder room.

Chuck took my advice and looked up mom.

"Louise? Hi, I didn’t know you'd be at this shindig. It’s nice to see you again."

"Oh, hi Chuck I’m surprised you’d talk to me after the way I screamed at you the last time I saw you."

"It was understandable considering what I had done."

"That’s just it. You didn’t do anything. Martin told me the whole story. I unjustly accused you of making him do what he wanted to do. Can you ever forgive me?"

"Forgive you? I’d forgive you if ran over me with a Mack truck and backed up to and did it all over again."

"Chuck, is there any chance for us? Martin told me about why you wanted the promotion and I understand that the team came through and sealed it for you. By the way congratulations. Not bad for a first time coach. Maybe next year, you’ll take state too with Martha on your team."

"There’s as much chance for us as you want there to be."

That night, mom told me that Chuck proposed and she said yes. The wedding will be in August. There will be a bunch of people from Chucks job, I couldn’t attend as Martin and it would seem funny if Martha wasn’t there. Mom said she wants me, Martha, to be the maid of honor and Cheryl to be a brides maid. I hope it’s not the last wedding we’ll be into together. Of course, Cheryl's parents will have to be told before then.

 

Epilogue

I’m still a jock. I still play short stop, quarter back in football and forward in soccer on the school teams. I also play forward on Chucks team. Mom and Chuck did get married I really got a kick out of being Maid of Honor. Day’s I’m Martin super jock. Evenings and weekends, I’m Martha. That practice has done wonder for my home work. I’m quite a good student now. Cheryl and I are inseparable. It’s been that way for the last seven years. Next year I’ll be going off to college. I hope to be able in the next four years to let Cheryl's folks in on our little secret. We’ve already agreed we want to be in another wedding together.

finis—

 

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