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Soccer Queen             by: Andrew

 

Part 2

Chapter 6

David woke feeling rested and refreshed. Remembering what had happened the last time he got out of bed, he carefully swung both legs to the floor and waited until the night gown had settled round his legs before standing up.

As he was putting his slippers on, he reflected on the previous evening. Meeting the boys at the cinema had been a shock. Samantha's advice to react like a girl had been hard to follow when he was expected to kiss another guy. But, the more he did it, the easier it was. *I must be thinking like a girl now* he thought.

When he reached the bathroom, he looked in the mirror and was glad his mother had come after him last night. She had explained that leaving makeup on was bad for the skin, and had shown him how to use cold cream to remove it. He was amazed when he saw all the colour on the pieces of cotton wool his mother had used to remove the gunk from his face. After his face was clean, he had again washed Samantha's bra and panties, and had hung them up over the shower rail.

As he turned to lock the door, his mother walked into the bathroom and suggested he have a bath instead of a shower that morning. She put the plug in and turned the taps on and then, from a bottle she was carrying, poured a large amount of crystals into the bath. The water immediately started to foam, and David looked at the water with dismay. *Jeez* he thought. *I haven't had a bubble-bath since I was about five years old.*

His mother smiled at him and left the bathroom, allowing him to lock the door. Once he was alone, he stripped out of his night gown and slid into the bath.

He lay back and relaxed, thinking about all his mother and Samantha had done over the last two days. He thought he understood Samantha - she wanted him to play for her team and by making him resemble a girl she could manage that. His mother was more difficult to get a handle on though.

She seemed to be taking this thing a whole lot more seriously than he would have believed. It was almost as if she wanted to make him into another daughter. Take yesterday for example. He had been trailed round the shopping centre - mall as the Americans called it - buying *girls* clothes and shoes.

When he had washed himself, he got out of the bath and dried himself. He noticed that the plaster between his legs had come off in the water, so he cut another strip and replaced it. Looking into the bath, he spotted the old plaster, stuck in the drain. He picked it up and disposed of it down the toilet.

Returning to his room, he noticed that his mother had laid out his clothes for the morning. They consisted of a knee length skirt, one of the bra and panty sets they had bought yesterday, and his new trainers.

Sighing resignedly, he put the clothes on, remembering to put the breast forms into the cups of the bra. When he picked up the breast forms, he noticed a hairbrush and a carrier bag on the vanity. Looking in the bag, he saw Samantha's underwear and realised that he should return it today.

Remembering what the stylist had told him, he picked up the brush and started pulling it through his hair. As he was brushing, the steady rhythm gave him a relaxed feeling. *No wonder girls like having their hair brushed* he thought. He carefully brushed the inward curl at the bottom, wondering when he would have to use a curling iron, and where to get one!

His mother was waiting for him, with breakfast things spread out on the table before her. As he sat down, she told him that they were returning to the shops for some things they had forgotten the day before.

David listened with surprise, wondering what else he could possibly need. When his mother had finished speaking, he asked "Where's Dad ?"

His mother said "He had to return to work to write a report on the problems they had over the last two days. He'll be back tonight."

After finishing his breakfast, David took the carrier bag of underwear and walked round to Samantha's house. When she answered the door, he handed her the bag and asked her if she wanted to come to the mall.

Samantha jumped at the chance, and ran up to her room to drop off the carrier bag and pick up her purse. They then returned to David's house, where his mother was waiting. "I asked Sam to accompany us to the mall today, Mum," he said.

"OK, Davina," she replied, "Just don't get carried away. We aren't made of money, you know."

David laughed softly at the joke, and they walked together to the bus stop. The same two old ladies were waiting at the stop, and complimented David again on how pretty he was. They also clucked over Samantha, and David wondered if they ever stopped talking. As the bus carried them to the shopping centre, David and Samantha discussed the previous evening and giggled about the boys and what they had said last night.

At the shopping centre, their first stop was the salon where David had received a complete makeover yesterday. His mother asked to see the cosmetologist who had worked on David the previous day, and requested a list of the cosmetics she had used on her daughter the previous day.

The cosmetologist took a piece of paper and a pen and started writing. She then handed the completed list to Mrs. McCall, and they took the piece of paper to a department store in the mall.

When they showed the salesgirl at the cosmetics counter the note, she looked at David and then collected a number of bottles and tubes, which she put in a bag after scanning them for their price. David nearly had a heart-attack when the total was announced, but his mother handed over a credit card seemingly without concern.

They then walked to the leather goods department where his mother bought David a white handbag. When he saw what she was buying, David got a bit jumpy. *Now I need a HANDbag* David thought, unconsciously echoing the intonation he had heard in a film at one time.

She also selected a girl's wallet for David to replace the one he had at home.

All the cosmetics were emptied in the bag and David's mother showed him how to carry it over his shoulder. David looked at himself, and compared his looks to those of Samantha and other girls of the same age. *I now look 100% like them* he thought. *But Becky was right - I do look out of place with- out some jewellery.*

David mentioned the lack to his mother, and they walked to the jewellery department where they looked at the selection of costume jewellery. David selected some cheap bangles, a broach with a semiprecious stone set in silver-coated wire and a necklace of orange beads. He also tried the rings on, and found one that fit - it was a simple sliver-plated circle with a wire flower on top.

After paying for their purchases, David put on the ring and one of the bangles. *That looks better* he thought as he put the rest of the jewellery into his handbag.

They then wandered round the mall window-shopping. In one of the stores, they saw a dress that Samantha was drooling over. It was a three-piece, the top consisting of a sleeved tunic made from a fine-mesh net, with a green snakeskin waistcoat and a miniskirt also made from green snakeskin.

Mrs. McCall looked at Samantha's face and said "That's a bit sophisticated for you, dear. Give it a few more years."

After wandering around for a few hours, they went to the food court where they all ordered a salad for lunch. The visit to the ladies following the meal was less of an ordeal for David this time. With a full set of makeup in his bag, David set to work trying to recreate the look the cosmetologist had created the day before.

Samantha saw what he was doing, and started to laugh. When David looked round with an injured expression, she said

"That's too much for daytime. Besides, you look like a clown. Here, clean it off and I'll show you what you need. You'll need a lot of practise to be able to do your face like it was last night."

When his face had been redone, with only a touch of lipstick and eye-shadow, he had to admit that it looked more appropriate. David then turned to Samantha and asked if she would teach him how to apply makeup properly.

They returned to the bus stop, and David was glad that they didn't have as many bags as the last time his mother had brought them here.

Arriving at their houses, Samantha suggested they practise football (soccer she called it) for a while. David agreed, and went into the house to change. He quickly realised that the only appropriate clothing he had was an old Hibs strip, with "Jackson" sewn on the back. Darren Jackson had been his favourite Hibs player before the club sold him during the off-season when they were demoted.

When he tried a body-swerve, his hair flew into his eyes, so he decided that he needed something to keep his hair back. He went down the hall and asked his mum for something that would keep his hair out of his eyes. She went to her room and returned with a pink hair ribbon.

David started backing away, but it was useless. His mother caught him, and tied his hair back into a ponytail with a large bow with long ends flowing down his back. David thought he must look about seven years old, and sighed in resignation.

He met Samantha in front of the garage doors they were using as a makeshift goal. She looked at him and said "That's a nice shirt you're wearing. What team is that ?"

"Hibs. They just got promoted back into the top league, and I'm going to miss next season when they play all their old rivals again."

"At least you'll be able to get the scores on the Internet" Samantha told him.

"Hey, what a cool idea! Do you know how to find them ? Have you got a computer ? Mine won't arrive for a couple of weeks."

"Later, Davina. Let's practise soccer again and you can show me some more of your moves."

"OK," David replied. "You start."

They played for about two hours, until they were both hot and sweaty. Then Samantha offered David a drink to cool down.

When they entered Samantha's house, her mother looked up and smiled. "Hello girls, you look hot. Do you want a drink of something ?"

By this time, David was growing accustomed to being referred to in the feminine. He just sighed as Samantha said "That's what we're in for," as she led the way into the kitchen.

She grabbed a couple of cokes out of the fridge and tossed one to David. He caught it yelping "Hey, Careful! I don't want to get sprayed when I open this thing!"

Samantha laughed as she opened her own coke and took a swallow. David also laughed, having seen the funny side of the situation. He managed to open the bottle without losing any of the coke, and they sat and talked about their morning at the mall.

When they had finished the cokes, Samantha took David upstairs to her room, where she turned on her computer. After it was connected to the Web, she asked what they should search for.

After some thought, he told her "Hibs, results, current"; he reckoned that that should find what they needed. When the search was completed, he was stunned to discover that the first item on the results list was hosted by the Hibs club of the USA! He definitely needed to find that site again, so he copied down the address, intending to bookmark it when his own computer arrived.

Of course, the site currently displayed a great big "Victory" banner, in celebration of their achievement at winning the First Division championship, and being promoted to the Premier League.

Samantha laughed delightedly and said "You must support the best team!" as she closed down her computer.

David just smiled - he knew that next season would be harder, with the likes of Rangers and Celtic. Not to mention their old city rivals, Hearts.

For the next hour, Samantha proceeded to give David his firat makeup lesson. David suddenly looked at the time, and realised that his mum was expecting him back for tea. He made his excuses to Samantha and left to return to his own house.

As he walked over to his own house, he saw his dad's car in the driveway. He became frightened again, as he realised that his dad had never seen him in a skirt. He wondered what his dad was going to say.

 

Chapter 7

David approached his house, the sound of voices raised in argument coming through the door. As he inserted his key in the lock, he heard his mother saying "I WANTED THIS TO BE A NEW START FOR EVERYONE, ESPECIALLY ..." she trailed off as the door opened and David walked in.

His father was sitting with a thunderous look on his face. he looked at David and said in a cold voice "Your mother has told me what has been happening while I have been working these last few days. I'm not at all pleased. I mean, look at you. You're dressed like your sister, and from what your mother says, you're acting like her. I can't stand this. I'm going out just now, but I'll want to talk to you later."

As he said this, David's father brushed past him and stormed out of the house. His mother just sighed, as if she had been expecting this sort of reaction.

David was really worried. He had not noticed his parents having any problems, but then he had not been paying much attention lately. Due to his exams and training, he just hadn't had the time. He was also slightly frightened - there had been a note in his father's voice he didn't like.

"You'd better be in bed by the time your father gets home, Davina," his mother sighed as she turned to him. "He isn't a pretty sight when he's drunk."

Now David began to realise that his parents' marriage might not be as ideal as he had assumed. He looked at his mother and asked "He isn't hitting you, is he ?"

Again, his mother sighed. "Not yet," she said, "but he was getting worse before he got the promotion. I thought the move to America might change him, but he was already smelling of drink when he got home this afternoon. He's never let the drink affect his work, just weekends and such, but he's not due in until Monday.

"He probably won't be home until he's had a skilful, and he can be a vicious drunk. You'd better let him sleep it off.

"But this topic is too depressing to discuss now.

"I haven't had time to make anything because I've been arguing with your father since he got home. Let's go out for something to eat tonight; you choose where.

"Go and shower and change; you can't go out looking like that. "Dress nicely and put you heels on - you might as well get used to wearing them while I'm there to help you with your balance."

When David had finished, his mother took him back to his vanity table. She told him that she was going to show him how evening makeup differed from daytime.

As they left the house, David reflected on his mother's words. It looked like his father was having problems, and they might spill over onto the rest of the family.

He almost missed his mother muttering "Oh, God! He's got the car. I hope he'll be all right."

David suggested they ask Samantha to join them. When his mother agreed, they walked over to Samantha's house, with David stumbling at every step, and rang the bell. Mrs. Davis answered the door and David asked if Samantha was in. Mrs. Davis called out "Samantha, it's Davina for you," and held the door open for David and his mother.

Samantha ran down the stairs and hugged David. "I thought you were going home to get something to eat," she said.

"I was," David replied. "But mum didn't have anything ready, so we're going out to eat. Do you want to come ?"

While they had been talking, their mothers had been discussing the same subject. Samantha looked hopefully at her mother and received a smile and a nod of permission to go.

As they walked towards the bus stop, Samantha nearly fell down laughing as David tried to walk in the high heels. She started throwing instructions like "walk toe-to-heel", "one foot in front of the other" and "sway those hips" at him. By the time they reached the bus stop, David was almost walking gracefully, though his cheeks were burning.

David and Samantha were also arguing about where they were going to eat. David fancied something Italian while Samantha favoured a Chinese meal. In the end, Mrs. McCall ended the discussion by telling them that they would go to the food court at the shopping centre for a salad.

"Aw, Mum, you said I could choose," complained David.

"That was before you two girls started arguing about where to eat. It's only a meal, for heaven's sake!"

David sighed with relief when he sat down on the bus. His feet were already killing him. Samantha laughed when he told her this. "Now you know how women suffer for our beauty." she said unsympathetically. David wondered why women allowed themselves to be put through this torture.

Walking through the shopping centre, large numbers of men and boys stared at the group. Knowing that he looked as female as his mother and Samantha, David realised that they were all being eyed up. Having eyed up many girls in the past, David felt really uncomfortable being on the receiving end of these looks.

Sitting in the food court, David thankfully kicked off the shoes and sighed with relief. Samantha noticed and again teased him unmercifully about the price women paid for beauty.

"Those shoes are certainly not designed for walking in," he said to Samantha. She just giggled and repeated her comments.

After they had ordered their salads, they sat discussing the days events, with Samantha pointing out the cute guys looking at them. David shuffled his feet and giggled nervously every time Samantha did this.

The arrival of the waiter with their food stopped their conversation for a while. They resumed the discussion after they had started eating their meal.

"I found a site on the Web that'll keep me informed about the progress of Hibs next season," David said. "And it's from the Hibs supporters club of America!"

"That's nice," commented his mother. Samantha sighed as she realised that he was going to be spending a lot of time on the computer following his team. Maybe she would have to follow them too.

When they had finished their meal, they retired to the ladies room to repair their makeup and take care of other business. They were all laughing at the boys who had been ogling Samantha and David.

They spent some time window-shopping in the clothes stores, with Samantha again looking longingly at the green snakeskin dress. David laughed at the look on her face, but had to admit that it was indeed a very nice dress.

David and Samantha nagged at Mrs. McCall until she finally agreed to take them to a movie. Without the presence of the boys, David found he could concentrate on the film better, but at the same time knew that this evening wasn't as exciting as the previous one had been.

After the movie let out, they caught the bus home. As they approached the house, David was concerned to see a black-and- white police car sitting in front of the drive.

A young police officer approached them and asked if his mother was Andrea McCall. When she replied in the affirmative, he looked embarrassed for a moment, then said "I am sorry to have to tell you this, Mrs. McCall, but I have some bad news for you. Your husband was involved in an accident earlier this evening, and is in intensive care in the hospital in a serious condition. We can take you there now, if you want."

Mrs. McCall broke down in tears and nodded in agreement. She asked David if he wanted to come, but he was too tired to do anything else that night. He asked if he could stay with Samantha overnight,

"If it's all right with Mrs. Davis," responded his mother.

Samantha ran off to ask her mother, easily receiving permission for "her friend Davina" to sleepover while "her" mother went to the hospital.

David had mixed feelings about the whole situation. On one hand, he was extremely frightened for his father's safety. On the other, he was relieved that the confrontation he had been dreading had been delayed again.

He ran into his house for a change of clothes, his night gown and slippers, and his toothbrush. With a great sense of relief, he changed the high heels for the flats. Once he had packed everything into an overnight bag, he walked over to Samantha's house again.

They were both feeling very solemn after hearing about David's father. They got changed into their sleep wear and walked down to the front room, where they joined Mrs. Davis watching TV until bed time.

When they returned to Samantha's room, they were both so tired that they fell asleep immediately, cuddled together in her bed.

 

Chapter 8

Waking up cuddled next to Samantha was a pleasant experience for David, but he could *really* feel the plaster between his legs. Then he remembered the events of the night before and lost the pleasant feelings.

In the bathroom, David noticed the plaster between his legs was working loose, so he looked for a replacement. He noticed a pack of Band-Aids in the medicine cabinet, but they were the type with sticky stuff all round. Taking a pair of scissors, he carefully trimmed one so that he wouldn't be sticking any- thing on his penis and used it to replace the old one.

When both he and Samantha were washed and dressed, they both walked down to her kitchen. There, Mrs. Davis had obviously decided that a proper meal would make them feel better. The smell of cooking bacon had been giving them hunger pangs since they first smelled it as they walked down the hall.

After breakfast, Mrs. Davis offered to drive David to the hospital. This was a relief to David, as he had wondered how he was going to get there. Samantha asserted that she was going with him "to provide support".

It was a quiet drive, with a pensive David imagining all sorts of dire possibilities. Samantha was also worried, she hoped her new friend would be OK, and that her father wasn't too badly injured.

A very tired Mrs. McCall met them at the hospital. "He's still unconscious, but should wake soon. When he does, he's going to have some difficult decisions to make.

"You see, he was drunk last night and was slow to stop at a red light. He ended up crashing into the back of a pickup truck carrying a load of steel rods. One of the rods fell through the windscreen and smashed into his groin. The doctor tells me that it has completely severed his penis and crushed his scrotum.

"They have stopped the bleeding, but are unwilling to make any further repairs until they have talked to him. It will be his decision how he lives his life from now on.

"They can't even re-attatch his penis, as was done for John Bobbit. After slicing it off, the rod then hammered it into the chair. There's nothing left of it."

As his mother described his father's injuries, David felt sympathy pains in his groin. He had a thought, though.

"How come he's unconscious ? Didn't the air bag stop his head from colliding with the column ?"

His mother then told him that the rod had speared through the air bag making it explode. This had pushed his head back against the headrest with terrific force.

David and Samantha were then led along to the ward in which David's father was lying. He was surrounded by wires and tubes and appeared to be sleeping. A monitor above his bed gave off a steady beeping noise as it traced his heartbeat.

After a quick look, David collapsed in tears, and Samantha practically dragged him to the ladies' room. She held him and rocked him in her arms, murmuring "It'll be alright, Davina. He'll get better," as she did.

When he had recovered, she led him back to the ward. David stared down at his father, feeling really scared. What if he didn't recover ? How would he live if he did ?

David's mother returned with a cup of coffee, and told them she was going to stay with his father until he woke. She gave David some money to buy food, and suggested he stay in his own room.

"I'm wondering what we should do about Gail," she said to him. "Should she be told about your father, or should we let her finish her camp in peace ?"

"I don't know, mum," replied David, "but if Dad doesn't get better, she'll be devastated if she hasn't seen him."

Mrs. McCall made up her mind. "I'll call Irene. She can collect Gail from camp and drive her to the airport. We'll have to change the arrangements for her flight." She then walked to the nurses station and asked if there was anywhere she could make an international call from.

While she was away, David held onto Samantha as if he were drowning. Samantha hugged him back, murmuring encouragement in his ear.

Eventually, Mrs. McCall returned. "That's taken care of. Why don't you girls go home now. You can't help your father, Davina, so why don't you go hang out with your friends ?"

David really wanted to stay with his father, but knew his mother spoke the truth. She would be staying with his father, and any extra people would only get in the way.

Samantha turned to David and said "Come on, Davina. It's just upsetting you to be here. Let's practise soccer, or some- thing."

With a last tearful glance behind him, David followed Samantha out of the hospital to her mother's car.

****

Gail McCall was really worried. She had been tidying up after tea, when the Captain had called her over to her tent. What had been really surprising had been to see Irene Robertson, her mother's best friend, sitting on a camp stool.

The Captain had indicated that she should sit, and she was glad she had. No sooner was she sitting, than Irene had told her that her father had had an accident. He was in a serious condition in the hospital, that was all she knew, so Gail should come with her now and catch the next flight to San Francisco.

With barely enough time to get all her stuff packed, she had been hustled out of the campsite. A quick hug in parting to all her friends - she knew she would not see them for a long time, if ever - and they had got into Irene's car and left Abbey-St-Bathans.

Now they were speeding up the A1 to Edinburgh. According to Irene, her mother had booked her on a flight tomorrow morning, but she could stay with Irene overnight. The flight would be at 5.00am, and she would have to be at the airport by 4.00am. Fortunately, Irene had told her that she would drive her to the airport.

Gail knew that no amount of pestering would get any more information out of Irene. Either she didn't know, in which case she knew no more than Gail, or her mother had asked her not to tell. Since she was her mother's friend, and not hers, she would be loyal to her mother.

Still, there was a knot of worry in her stomach. Without her father, she didn't know what they would do. They had just moved to America after her dad was promoted, and her mother had given up her job. What would they do for money if her father died ?

As they were travelling, Irene talked about normal, inconsequential things as if trying to cover her own worry. They discussed Gail's school work, what she was most looking forward to when she moved to America and what she would miss most about Edinburgh.

A journey that usually took about an hour was completed in 40 minutes. This was another sign of how worried they both were - Irene was usually a very careful driver, and must have been speeding on this journey.

Fortunately, they had not encountered any police speed traps, so they were not delayed. Whether they had been photographed on the motorway section between Haddington and Edinburgh was anyone's guess.

They arrived at Irene's house on the outskirts of Edinburgh at about 7pm. "Go and get ready for bed now, Gail, we'll be getting up at about 2.30am to get you on your flight."

Gail nodded and went to the bathroom to get ready for bed. *Thank goodness I don't wear much makeup* she thought as she washed her face and brushed her teeth. Changing into a night gown that she had taken from her rucksack, she gathered her clothes neatly together. Relieved to have hot water on tap, she washed her underclothes and hung them on the shower rail to dry.

Returning to the living room, she found Irene already wearing her own sleep wear. Guiding Gail to the spare room at the back of the house, Irene kissed her softly on the head and said goodnight.

*Getting up at 2.30 is torture* Gail thought when Irene woke her the next morning. Her eyes were glued shut, and she just wanted to go back to sleep. However, the lifting crane that had hold of her shoulder wouldn't let her. When she managed to get her eyes open, she saw Irene shaking her, telling her it was time to get up.

Grabbing a hurried meal, she went to the bathroom and hurriedly dressed in the clothes she had on yesterday. Even the underwear was dry, so she didn't have to get fresh stuff out of her pack.

When she was ready, having hastily brushed her hair before packing everything away in her rucksack, she went to the living room to wait. It wasn't long before Irene joined her and shooed her out to the car.

At this time of night, the bypass was nearly empty and it only took about 20 minutes to get to the airport. There was very little chatter this morning, as they were both tired.

On entering the terminal, they went immediately to the Air UK desk to collect the tickets reserved in Gail's name. *It's a good job we sorted out the passports before I went to camp*, Gail thought.

Irene asked Gail if she would be alright on her own. Knowing how tired Irene must be, Gail said she would. Irene then kissed her goodbye and returned to her car and drove home for some more sleep.

Despite her worry about her father, Gail was really excited about her first flight. Knowing that she was being trusted to make the flight on her own, she felt really grown up.

While she waited for the flight to be called, she visited an all-night newsagent to buy some reading material. She found numerous magazines that she had not read, and decided to buy some, selecting five. *That should last me for some time* she thought.

Sitting the passenger lounge waiting for her flight to be called, she reflected on her life for the last few years. David , who used to be so nice to her when they were little, had been an absolute pig since he joined the school team. He had tweaked her nipples when they were just budding, and were very sore.

His comments were very hurtful, as well. He seemed to take every opportunity to belittle her.

Her father, too, had been really hurtful lately. Mum said that it was the drink that made her father so bad. She had promised to see if there was anything she could do about either problem.

As for school, well, it had been tough since she started secondary school. The work was a lot harder than it had been in primary, and there were so many people it was easy to get lost. Of course, all her friends from primary were still there, so it wasn't too lonely.

The early hour, and the warmth in the lounge, caused Gail to drift off to sleep. She awoke when a stewardess gently shook her shoulder and told her that her flight was boarding.

Gail was mortified. Here she had been feeling *so* grown up, and now she fell asleep like a baby. She stood up and followed the stewardess to her seat on the plane.

Once seated, she took the magazines out of her pack and struggled to place it in the locker above her seat. The help- ful stewardess took her bag from her and put it in the over- head locker for her.

As she watched the plane speeding over the tarmac in preparation for takeoff, she felt great excitement at the prospect of a new start in America.

****

David grumbled as his mother shook him out of a sound sleep. He remembered when she had picked him up at Samantha's the day before. She had been crying even harder, telling him that his father had slipped into a coma, and it might take months for him to recover.

She had then sent him to bed early, telling him that Gail would be getting an early flight tomorrow, and they would have to be at the airport early in the morning to collect her. Now they were getting up at *5.00 am* in order to catch her flight.

David continued to grumble as he went through what was now his normal preparations. He made sure that the plaster between his legs was OK, then dressed in panties and bra before putting on makeup. It was warm outside, so he decided to wear his short skirt with a light sleeveless top.

They left for San Francisco with plenty of time to spare, which meant that he had to wait in another boring air terminal for ages. At last, Gail's flight appeared on the "Arrivals" board and they started walking towards the rope barrier in front of customs.

****

Gail woke up as the plane came in to land at San Francisco. She hoped her mother would be there to greet her.

After a perfectly ghastly meal, they had been treated to an insipid movie. Gail had ignored the movie and concentrated on her magazines. Some of the models had hair and makeup she was just dying to attempt. They looked so cool.

The magazines had not been enough to last for the whole flight so she had started fretting about her father. It was a really horrible feeling to know that there was nothing she could do, even after she could see him in hospital.

To avoid worrying herself to death, she had taken another nap. Her helpful stewardess had lifted her rucksack down for her, and helped her put the magazines away. She had no other luggage, so she walked straight past the carousel.

Clearing customs, she looked round trying to find her mother. *There she is* Gail thought *but who's the girl with her ?*

Walking toward her mother, she kept looking at the girl. It was like looking in a mirror, and suddenly she realised who it must be. Gail suddenly collapsed in laughter, pointing at her brother, or should that be *SISTER*.

David's face became extremely red when his sister started laughing. *Here we go again* he thought.

 

Chapter 9

When Gail had recovered, she picked herself up off the floor and looked at David. "You look really pretty," she said.

David's face still looked like a tomato. He ducked his head, not realising that the motion of his hair attracted attention from all the guys round them. Gail noticed, though, and decided to have another dig at her brother/sister.

"Look at her - she's a natural born flirt!"

"Gail!" protested David, as he finally looked her in the eye. The amusement he saw there caused him to duck his head again as his mother commanded "Girls! Behave yourselves!"

Gail was surprised to hear her brother referred to in the feminine, but even more surprised when he reacted as if this was normal. Could this be the solution her mother had found to her problems ? If so, it was certainly effective.

She decided that she had tormented her brother enough. She remembered the presentation at the party, and thought she knew where the idea had come from.

"Davina ?" she asked softly.

David nodded, and looked at his sister with relief. *Maybe she's had enough sport for now* he thought.

As they walked out to the car that David's mother had hired, David and his sister discussed what had happened to them over the past week. Gail described her time at camp in glowing terms, only complaining about the midges. She showed David all the bites on her arms, scratching them as she spoke.

David was embarrassed when he began talking about his week. Beginning with the first night he had arrived, he described Samantha's reaction to seeing the necklace.

Gail howled with laughter as he described all she had done to him that night, and his description of his mother's reaction just made it better. Thinking of her brother in a night gown made her feel all tingly inside. He must be *really* cute.

As David continued describing his adventures over the week, Gail continued chuckling. When he described his trip to the salon, she laughed so hard she would have fallen out of the seat if she weren't held in by the seat-belt.

But when he told her about the date he had been on, she looked really hard at him. *I wonder if he's gay* she thought. *Or if merely changing clothes changes a whole person.*

But then she realised that, dressed as he was, the situation would seem perfectly normal. *This is so confusing* she thought. *One day in Edinburgh I have a beastly brother, the next in America I have a sister, who so far seems to be rather nice.*

Their mother spoke over her shoulder to them as she drove back to Gilroy. "Have you been able to do any laundry, Gail ?" she asked.

Gail groaned, muttering something about pioneer women and washing clothes in a river. "No, mum, most of my clothes are dirty. I was just wearing jeans and a tee shirt at camp."

"Maybe Davina can lend you something until your luggage arrives, or we can get to the shops. Tell you what, we'll go to the shops after we've visited your father. I think Davina needs some more clothes, anyway."

David groaned as he heard this. He wasn't looking forward to another trip round women's clothing stores.

David and Gail returned to their conversation about their experiences of the past week. Gail could really sympathise about his experiences with heels. She had just got her first pair, and she still couldn't walk comfortably in them.

Gail did worry about their father's reaction, though. *Maybe he was drunk because he saw how David was dressed ?* she wondered.

When they turned into the hospital, Gail got really scared. She didn't want to see her father so bashed up, but at the same time she really didn't want to miss seeing him.

Walking down the corridors to his ward, Gail and David held tightly to each other's hands. The sight of her father with all the tubes and wires connecting him to monitors caused Gail to start crying. She and David held onto each other, both with tears streaming down their cheeks.

Mrs. McCall entered the room and held onto her children. Her eyes were also wet with tears as she hugged David and Gail.

"HP have agreed to meet his medical expenses," she told them. "But we need to live as well. Fortunately, they've offered me a receptionists position. It's not as good as my last job, but I'll take it so we can survive."

David and Gail stared at their mother. They knew she was a qualified interior decorator, and had had a good job back in Edinburgh.

"Why are you taking such a job, Mum ?" asked David. "When you are qualified for so much more."

"For one thing, there is the employee medical insurance I'll get from HP," she replied. "This isn't like the NHS where everything is paid for by taxes. Your father may be like this for a long time. Even if his insurance runs out, he'll still be covered by mine. That's the only way we can afford to keep him alive."

David and Gail looked appalled at the thought of needing to pay a hospital to keep someone alive. Surely that was contrary to the Hippocratic Oath.

"Why don't we return to the house now for something to eat. We can visit your father again later. I've heard that talking to someone in a coma helps. Maybe even the sound of your voice will help, Gail."

They left the hospital and drove back to their house to get something to eat. Samantha was outside playing soccer against the garage door. When she saw the car turning into the McCall's drive, she ran over.

"How's your father, Davina ? Who's this ?" She pointed at Gail, who was staring back with equal curiosity.

David made the introductions. "Have you eaten, Sam ? Mum's just making lunch, and I'm sure you could join us."

Mrs. McCall rolled her eyes as she heard this, but immediately repeated David's offer.

Samantha said "OK, but I'll have to tell Mom." She ran into her house, reappearing after several minutes.

They all went into the house, with Gail and Samantha talking a mile a minute. They were comparing life stories, with amusing descriptions of the boys they knew.

Gail was called by her mother to look at her room. She took one look at it and nearly passed out. It had a four-poster bed with pink frills all over it and a cream bedspread. The walls were painted in 3 different shades of pink in flowery patterns. *Some of this has got to go* she thought.

When Gail mentioned how nasty her brother had been, Samantha gave David a dirty look. David blushed and apologised to Gail *again* for past mistreatment.

Samantha suddenly said something about needing to speak to Mrs. McCall and left the room. David and Gail looked at each other in puzzlement until she returned with a wide grin on her face. She wouldn't say anything, however, and they were soon talking about boys and makeup again.

Samantha suggested that, since it was Friday, they go out with the boys again. Gail asked if she could come - she really wanted to see her brother/sister with a boy.

"I'll see if Jim knows anyone to take you, Gail," Samantha told her.

Samantha asked for permission to use the phone, then called her boyfriend. After arranging for Jack to be there for David she asked him if he could think of anyone "for Davina's sister". Getting the age details, he said he thought he could.

When she hung up, she called Becky to inform her of the arrangements. Becky agreed to call her boyfriend and to meet them at the mall at seven.

With those arrangements made, everyone returned to the kitchen where Mrs. McCall had a large plate of sandwiches prepared. They all grabbed a soft drink from the fridge and helped them- selves to the sandwiches.

They discussed what they should do that afternoon. Mrs McCall told them that she had to go in to work to get everything ready for when she started on Monday. That left the three children free for the rest of the day. They agreed to practise football for a few hours, and then watch TV until it was time to go out.

Mrs. McCall looked surprised when David told her that he was meeting Jack again. She didn't think that her plans would progress so fast. "Of course you can go out with the boys tonight, Davina. Will Gail be going ?"

"Yes, Mum. Samantha's boyfriend thinks he can get her a date."

"Well, remember to be back by midnight. We wouldn't want you all turning to pumpkins."

David and Gail looked embarrassed (having heard the joke many times before) while Samantha giggled.

After lunch, they went to Samantha's yard and began playing. The addition of Gail made their game even better, as one could play in goal, while the other two tried to score.

When they had all had a couple of turns in goal, they decided to call it a day. David and Gail first returned to their house for a shower first.

After their showers, David called Gail into his room. He was already wearing his underwear, as was she. Gail looked at David's crotch and asked "Where is it ? Has it been removed ?"

David denied this, explaining his solution involving sticking a plaster between his legs. He was too embarrassed to allow her to look, although she begged to see it.

He opened his wardrobe, and offered her a choice of what to wear. Gail looked in the wardrobe and began giggling again as she saw the skirts and dresses. She picked a knee-length skirt and a brown top.

David put on a miniskirt and a black top. He also put on his high heels, explaining that he needed the practise. Picking up his handbag, he put some makeup and the keys inside. Gail looked at these actions with amazement - he looked so feminine after only a few days!

They left the house, carefully locking the door behind them. Samantha greeted them and led them to the front room where the TV was showing an afternoon soap.

Sitting down to watch, they all began criticising the wooden performances of the actors. They had been watching for about half an hour, when the doorbell rang. Samantha bounced up to answer it, and found Mrs. McCall on the step.

Inviting her in, Samantha led the way to the front room where David and Gail were still bitching about the bad plots and worse acting.

"Grab your things, girls, I've found a good place to shop," she told Gail and David. *Oh, fun* thought David. *More shopping.*

Looping the strap of his handbag over his shoulder, David led the way out of the house. Samantha decided that this was more interesting than boring daytime TV, so followed along.

Once they were all in the car, Mrs. McCall drove along U.S.101 until they reached a huge shopping centre. "The prices in here are supposed to be 'lower than retail'," she explained.

Parking in the huge lot was made more difficult by the number of cars already there. "Looks to be a busy place," Mrs. McCall commented.

After the car was parked, they walked over to the nearest clothing store. They all stared at the low prices charged, and began walking round looking at skirts and dresses. David and Gail got into a competition to see who could try on most outfits, and Gail was winning. "But you've done this more often than I have," complained David.

Samantha decided she wasn't going to be left out, so started selecting things to try on too. Even if she couldn't buy any- thing, it was fun trying the clothes on.

Both Gail and David complained to their mother that they didn't have a thing to wear that night. Mrs. McCall took pity on them and told them to select a nice dress each.

She told David and Gail to select 2 more skirts and 3 tops each. When the outfits had been selected, Mrs. McCall took them to the checkout to pay. With bags under each arm, David, Gail and Samantha followed Mrs. McCall down the row of shops to one with a sign that read "Victoria's Secret (seconds)".

Going through the lingerie, David got that funny feeling in his stomach again. *Now I get to buy fancy bras and stuff,* he thought.

He was right. His mother "treated" him and Gail to two sexy bra and panty sets each. They came with a matching garter belt, so Mrs. McCall added 2 pairs of seamed stockings to both of their piles.

They trailed round the shopping centre for the rest of the afternoon. Samantha spotted a dress similar to the one she had been drooling over earlier. This one was about half the price, though. *Still too much,* she thought. *But I can try to save up for this one with some hope that it won't be gone when I get the money.*

Returning home with their purchases, David and Gail got into a fight about who should get the first bath. Gail won, and immediately set about getting ready for the night.

After her bath, Gail selected one of her new lingerie sets and started dressing. She also pulled on her stockings, deciding to wear her own heels that night. *Damned if my brother is going to be sexier than me,* she thought.

With that thought in mind, she started doing her makeup in a more dramatic style than she normally wore. Spreading found- ation evenly on her face, she added blush and mascara before applying blue eye shadow and pink lipstick.

Pulling her new dress over her head, she walked through to David's room. He was also applying makeup in a similar drama- tic style, using two-tone eye shadow and eyeliner to create a very sexy look.

When they were both dressed, they walked through to the front room where their mother looked at them and whistled. She agreed to give them a lift to the "mall" as David had started calling the shopping centre.

They trooped over to Samantha's house to pick her up. When Samantha saw David and Gail, she suddenly felt underdressed. She had on a miniskirt and a green and white top, with green heels. Her friends seemed to have tried to outdo each other in a sexiness competition.

Seeing that their mother was willing to drive them to the mall, she called out a cheerful "See ya, Mom", and followed her friends to their car.

Although he had enjoyed the competition with his sister, David was extremely nervous about the coming evening. *Maybe I shouldn't have gone overboard to beat Gail,* he thought. *Now it looks like I am chasing Jack with one thing on my mind. Oh boy.*

 

Chapter 10

They tumbled out of the car when it stopped in front of the mall. Mrs. McCall called out "Have a nice time, girls" as they walked across the parking lot. Becky was waiting for them at the front entrance, with the boys surrounding her, Ted holding her hand. As well as Jim and Jack, there was another boy with them. He was smaller than the other boys, and the girls too, and wore glasses. Jim introduced him as Alex.

As Jack approached David and Jim grabbed Samantha into a tight hug, Gail looked at the only other boy. *Great. My brother gets a hunk and I'm left with the geek.* She pasted a smile on her face and walked up to Alex.

"Hi, Alex. How old are you ?"

Alex stared at the ground as Gail spoke to him. He glanced up quickly and said in a soft voice "Hi, I'm 14. What's your name, and how old are you ?"

"Gail. I'm 14 as well"

They stared at each other in silence. Alex had used up all the conversation ploys he could think of, and Gail was not really interested in starting a conversation with someone whose head only reached her shoulder.

After giving Jack a kiss hello, David looked round at what was happening. He noticed that his sister looked uncomfortable with her date. *God, I'm going to suffer for this,* he thought. *But I'd better get us moving or it's going to be torture for Gail.*

"Don't you intend to feed us, guys ?" he asked.

After a few moments of confusion, with the boys turning red with embarrassment, they headed for the food court. Gail turned to David and said "Thanks, sister" in a quiet voice.

When they got there, they had to wait for a table for eight, which allowed Gail to start feeling sorry for Alex and to start talking with him. He was actually very intelligent, and knew a lot about a lot of subjects.

When he was talking about something other than himself, he became more animated. Gail found herself responding to his sharp intelligence and quick wit. She found that the more they talked, the more she could ignore the difference in their heights.

Their table was finally called, and they moved over to take their seats, the boys on one side of the table and the girls facing them.

David was getting a bit tired of salads, so ordered a pizza. *Besides,* he thought, *I'll need the energy tomorrow. Oh, that reminds me ...*

"Jack, I've got an early morning tomorrow. What time are the tryouts for the team, Samantha ?"

"10 am. It's not *that* early. We'll make it."

That started a discussion about what time they all needed to be home. It turned out that Alex had the earliest curfew at 11 p.m., but the rest could all stay out until 12. To be fair to Alex, they decided that they would end the night at about 10.30, to allow everyone to get home.

After dinner, the girls trooped into the ladies. As they were entering the room, Gail looked at David with surprise. He just shrugged his shoulders and rolled his eyes. Gail nodded and stayed silent.

All makeup repairs and other business taken care of, they walked back to the table. The boys stood up as one, and each held out their dates' coat. As they walked out of the mall, Jim suggested a dance hall that allowed teens in.

In order to fit into Ted's car, all the girls had to sit on their dates' knee, apart from Becky who sat in the centre at the back. She immediately started a long story involving herself and Ted which had everyone in stitches; Ted just sat in the driving seat, with his ears burning.

David was glad that his mother had suggested he wear s panty- liner, though at the time he had been horribly embarrassed. It prevented Jack from feeling something he shouldn't on his knee. David was still suffering, though, from the pressure on his penis. To prevent anyone from getting suspicious, he kept a happy smile on his face, though it was a strain.

They soon arrived at their destination, where Ted parked the car in the lot. After much contortion, they were all standing beside the car as Ted locked the door.

Walking over to the entrance, they joined the queue. After a wait of about 15 minutes they had finally been admitted, with the boys paying the $5.00 cover charge. Inside, the music was loud and the dance floor was already beginning to fill.

Tables and chairs were set round the dance floor, most of which were already taken. After much searching, they finally found an empty table and they all crowded round.

Jack immediately pulled David onto the dance floor. *God, I hope I don't break a leg dancing in these heels,* David thought.

Looking round at the girls on the dance floor, David tried to copy their movements. At first he had little success, but perseverance eventually paid off as he loosened up and began moving to the music.

Gail and Alex were the only ones at the table when they took a break. As Jack went to the bar to purchase drinks for himself and Davina, David sat down by his sister.

"Why aren't you dancing ?" he asked her.

Gail looked close to tears as she explained that Alex didn't know how. David then looked across at Alex and said "Alex, you treat my sister nice. We've come here to dance, so dance with her."

Alex looked up at the beautiful sister of his date and replied in a trembling voice "I've never danced before. I don't know how."

"Look, dummy, there are no formal steps. Just move your body to the rhythm of the music. Gail can show you."

Hearing David stick up for her as never before, Gail decided that she preferred having a sister to a brother. She stood up and grabbed Alex's hand. Pulling him onto the dance floor, she demonstrated what to do. Eventually he began a shuffling movement, but his face was still crimson with embarrassment.

Gail leaned into him and shouted over the music "Relax! You're too tense!"

Slowly, Alex relaxed and lost his feelings of embarrassment. As he began to move more rhythmically, Gail also began to enjoy herself. *He's actually quite cute,* she thought. *And he's very intelligent. Maybe I'll enjoy myself tonight after all.*

Meanwhile, David and Jack had been sitting at the table drinking their cokes and kissing. *I'm starting to get used to kissing a guy,* thought David. *But what do I do if he tries to go any further ?*

David worried at the problem as they sat there. Eventually, Samantha and Jim came back for a rest, and David and Jack returned to the dance floor.

As they stepped onto the floor, a slow song came on. Jack swept David into his arms and led them round the floor in a waltz-like motion. *He's a good dancer,* thought David.

By 10.30, they were all tired and were ready to call it a night. Crowding into Ted's car, they drove Alex home first. As he was getting out of the car, Gail grabbed him and pulled his head towards her. She gave him a very deep kiss, which really surprised him as no-one had ever done that to him before.

"Can I have your phone number ?" she asked. "I'd like to see you again."

After they had exchanged phone numbers, Alex walked to his house, feeling like a million bucks. The rest got back into the car, and Ted drove back to David's and Gail's house.

Once there, David, Gail and Samantha got out of the car and stretched. Realising that he was the only one who did not know how to contact his boyfriend, David asked Jack for his telephone number.

The exchange of numbers completed, he reached for Jack and wrapped his arms round Jack's neck. They kissed for what seemed to David to be hours, and only separated when lack of breath forced them to.

Samantha and Jim were also sharing a steamy clinch. when Jack and David separated, they also leaned back from each other.

"Call soon," requested Jim.

"OK, but you can call too, you know" Samantha replied with a note of complaint in her voice.

As the boys got back in the car and drove away, David turned to Samantha and asked her to come in. They all ran up to the house and David reached into his handbag for the key.

When they entered the house, Mrs McCall looked up from the paper she was reading. "Good evening, girls. Did you enjoy yourselves ?"

Gail ran over to her mother and started whispering in her ear. Mrs. McCall laughed and whispered back, which caused Gail to break into giggles.

David looked at them nervously. He just *knew* that they were they were laughing at him. It wouldn't do any good to ask, either - they could keep a secret better than anyone else he knew.

He turned and entered the kitchen, calling out "How about something to eat ?" as he pulled three bottles of coke from the fridge. This idea was accepted by acclaim, with David grabbing three bags of crisps from the larder.

"What flavour ?" he asked Samantha.

"Potato chips!" she shrieked. "I love it. Make mine ready salted."

Gail opted for cheese and onion, and David threw a bag at each of them. They retired to David's room, where they sat on the bed and drank their cokes. The main topic of conversation was what had happened that evening.

*I think my sister is falling in love,* thought Gail. *What a difference a week can make.*

The three had fun talking about the boys, makeup and hair- styles until just before 12, when Samantha said she had to go home. Hugging her two friends, she called out a cheerful "See you tomorrow, Mrs McCall," as she ran out the front door.

After Samantha had left, David and Gail got changed into their night gowns and brushed their teeth. When they were ready, they hugged each other goodnight and went to their separate rooms.

As David lay in his bed, he reflected on the events of the day. He had enjoyed dressing up to go out with Jack. Even kissing another boy was becoming routine. *I wonder what else I'll have to do, and how far I can go,* he thought.

Just before he fell asleep, he looked forward with anticipation to the tryouts for Samantha's football team tomorrow.

 

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