This author reserves all rights to this story. It may be re-posted only with the author’s permission, to free access web sites.

 

Tina               by: Jacki Pett

 

Tim was as nervous as a cat. This was only his second time out in public, at a mall, and he was acutely aware of everyone and everything around him. As it was on almost any Sunday, the mall was crowded. When the weather was poor, people flocked there in droves. Today was no exception.

Fortunately, he hadn’t run into anyone he knew. He hoped his luck would hold, but that would be a miracle. He could only pray he wasn’t recognized. Tim had only arrived a few minutes ago but the strain, from being so nervous, was already getting to him. He had walked to the middle of the busy mall and found an empty bench outside of Maas Brothers, by the ice-skating rink. He sat to rest. His eyes scanned the people as they walked by, looking for any indication that a passer by saw through the disguise. The mental strain was exhausting.

It had been three weeks ago today that his stepfather had come home early and surprised him.

Tim was sitting on the couch watching television.

Tim’s family was not well off. His mother had to work to help his stepfather keep ahead of the bills. They had a small house in the poorer section of town. When they had scraped together the down payment several years ago, there wasn’t much left over for new furniture. The house was a patchwork of odds and ends.

He would never forget the feeling when his stepfather first saw him, the look on his face. He blew up at Tim. Tim was so ashamed of himself. His stepfather threw him out of the house on the spot.

Tim froze when he walked in. Embarrassed almost to the point of tears, there was nothing he could say to the man. When he finally got tired of calling him every perverted name he could think of, his stepfather told him to get his things and get out.

Tim was just thankful he didn’t beat him and rushed to the bedroom, changed and, gathering everything of his that he could. He quickly skulked out of the house. Tim had been dressing up, secretly, in his older sister’s clothes for years. On the rare occasions that he was home alone, Tim would dress up and go about his chores as normally as possible.

He was sitting in the living room in one of his sister’s dresses, with his sister’s wig on and makeup as he ate his lunch, when his stepfather walked in and surprised him. There’s had never been a close relationship. The man had always felt that the boy didn’t like him, that Tim came between him and his mother.

Tim, in fact, didn’t like him. He was not very good to his mother. He was the lord of the house and nothing any of them said mattered. His mother had to bow to his wishes. It frustrated Tim that his mother put up with it but he sort of understood. Tim’s father had been her second try at marriage after her first husband had deserted her, right after Tim’s half sister was born. Tim’s Father had died in a car accident. His mother had gone to pieces for several years. When this man came along, she jumped into marriage with him. She never thought she’d get another chance and she didn’t think twice when he proposed.

Tim’s half sister resented him. She was four years old when he was born and her new father and her mother seemed to forget about her, showering all their affection on their newborn son. Bridget felt unloved and unwanted. After Tim’s father died, she regained her former standing with her mother, with Tim getting the leftovers of his mother’s affections. Matters were made worse between Tim and Bridget when, because money was tight, they had to share a bedroom. Bridget hated that situation and never let him have a moment’s peace at home.

Tim had nearly given up hope before he found a cheap furnished apartment over a furniture store. It was a small corner apartment, just three rooms. The living room occupied the corner of the building with two windows on the street side and one facing the alley. The furniture consisted of a worn plaid couch and a battered old stuffed chair. His coffee table and end table were full of scratches. Tim was grateful that the tv worked at all.

The kitchen was very small, there was hardly enough room to turn around in. The appliances all worked but they were chipped and rusted badly. A modest collection of pates, glasses and silverware hardly filled one cabinet. The entrance to the apartment, by way of a narrow stairway from the alley in the rear of the building, opened into the kitchen. His bedroom, about 12’ by 10’, was just slightly smaller than the living room. It contained an old metal frame bed, a double, with no headboard, a small beat up night stand, a large low dresser and a small desk.

The small, tiled bathroom had large chips off the porcelain washstand and bathtub. The toilet had stains that Tim had given up trying to scrub off.

It wasn’t easy to find an apartment when you are only fifteen. Tim was lucky that the man was willing to rent to him.

Tim was fortunate to have a full time job but he still couldn’t afford some of the things he would have liked to have. Like a phone. He saved every dime he could for more important things. Between high school and work he had very little time for himself. Most nights he would come home between nine and ten and have to do homework. Collapsing in bed at midnight, totally drained, was not unusual.

He had called his mother after a few days. He was careful to call when his stepfather wasn’t supposed to be there. She didn’t pretend to understand why he had done what he did. She was a God-fearing woman and what Tim had done was an affront to God. His mother didn’t even want to talk about it. She warned him not to come near the house, his stepfather wanted nothing to do with him, ever again. He would have been furious if he knew they even talked on the phone. He was very strict in his handling of his stepchildren and his wife. The man ran the household and Tim’s mother allowed it, she was afraid of losing the security he provided her and her remaining child.

Tim, from outward appearances, was one of those unusual kids that most parents wished they could call their own. He tried to do well in school and he was highly thought of at work. Normally he got along well with his parents. He never got in trouble or messed with drugs. His mother always used to sing his praises to her friends.

Tim had been working any kind of odd job he could, for years. He was saving to buy a car when he was old enough.

Being kicked out was a blessing in a way. He was out from under his stepfather’s strict rule and his sisters badgering.

Tim had taken the few things he treasured with him, although he didn’t intend to continue dressing up. He had some clothes he had bought, saying to the salesgirls that they were for his sister or his imaginary girlfriend. He was planning to throw them out but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

The long wavy wig was from a catalog. He had sent a lock of his hair for them to match. It was one of his prized possessions. Tim had some makeup, but not much. He had used his sister’s most of the time.

He didn’t know why or remember when the urge first struck him. He remembered way back when he was little, people always were mistaking him for a girl. He had a girl’s pretty, slender face. Big brown eyes and long thick lashes. His small nose turned up slightly and his smile was as pretty as any girl his age. His full, shaped lips were the envy of many of them. He’d go to bed at night praying that as he grew up, he would become more masculine in face and stature. After he began to dress up, he didn’t pray as often. Tim had been letting his hair grow for about two and a half years. He would pull it all back and tie it in a flat knot, high on the back, for school. He wanted it to grow long, even knowing he could never style it like the girls his age did. Long hair represented something to Tim and he could get away with having it. It grew slowly and his stepfather and he were always battling about it being too long. He constantly wore his baseball cap to hide it.

Tim didn’t think he was gay. He had always liked girls and never really given a thought to being with a boy. When he was little, he had more girl friends than boy friends but that was only because the boys didn’t accept him as readily, because of the way he looked and his small size. Peer pressure changed things as he grew older. His face and slender build began to cause him real problems. Some of the guys called him a sissy for no reason. He knew how to play ball and did all the other things boys his age normally enjoyed, when they let him join in. Tim was almost always the last one picked as the kids chose up sides for their games and it really hurt him deeply. Tim had only had two girlfriends as he grew up. One was very special to him and he was very serious about her. It didn’t last very long. Peer pressure again, the girls would hear him called a sissy or they’d be with him and one of the school bullies would pick on him. It wasn’t cool to go out with a guy that people called a sissy, no matter how nice he was. He spent most of his time alone, always the outsider.

It was during one of those really depressing periods that he thought he would see what kind of girl he would make.

It was a Saturday morning and he was home alone. His mother and stepfather were both working all day and his sister had just left for the beach.

The day before, he’d been harassed again at school. He had just been standing out in the field, by the school, talking to one of the girls in his class, when three guys he knew came up to them, making wisecracks.

"Who’s the girl with you with Chrisy?"

Tim knew what was coming next. He had heard it a hundred times before.

"Oh, it’s pretty little Timmy. You’d look much more natural in a dress Timmy."

The girl had walked off with the boys, laughing.

Tim was heartsick. Even the girls, who he felt closer to than the boys, laughed at him. He walked home with tears running down his face.

His mother didn’t understand, "It’s just a stage, you’ll outgrow it." His sister was no help at all. She teased him about his looks all the time. He absolutely couldn’t talk to his stepfather. Tim had slept late that morning and when he finally got up, he had to step over Bridget’s clothes to get to the bathroom. She had always been a slob when it came to picking up after herself but she had outdone herself lately. Even their bathroom was a mess, towels, clothes and her underwear all over the floor.

Tim didn’t make a habit of picking up after her but the mess really bothered him. He hung up the towels when he was finished going to the bathroom and carried her clothes back to their bedroom.

What prompted him to do what he did next, he didn’t know? He dropped the clothes on the floor with the rest of her things. A pair of her panties caught his eye. He picked them up, feeling the silky material. He was intrigued. After the years of harassing and teasing he wondered to himself. He took off his pajamas and stepped into her panties. They fit him perfectly and the silky material felt smooth against his skin.

Tim knew what he was doing was wrong but he was fascinated. A bra lay on the pile of clothes and he picked it up. Putting it on was awkward but he managed to connect the two hooks in the back. It didn’t look right as he stared at himself in Bridget’s mirror. The cups of the bra lay flat and empty. He got out a pair of his white cotton socks from his dresser and put one in each side. That looked better.

A thought came to mind. His sister, who had short blond hair had once worn a brown wig for Halloween. He searched through her closet, finding it finally, up high on a shelf, in an old shoe box. Tim was careful to remember exactly where it had been, under several other boxes. Sitting at Bridget’s dressing table, he tried it on. It took him a little while to adjust it but when he finally had it on right he agreed with the people who had teased him so much, he did look just like a girl. Tim was sitting there in the bra and panties and he thought, what the hell. He picked through the pile of clothes on the floor and found the black skirt and purple blouse his sister called her favorite. He and Bridget were close enough to the same height that the skirt, with its zipper in the back, came to just above his knees. Tim had always been slender and it fit his waist easily. It was actually a little big on him. He accidently pulled the wig off when he pulled the blouse over his head. With the blouse tucked into the skirt, he sat and fixed the wig on his head again. At the full length mirror on his sister’s closet door, he scrutinized himself critically. Turning this way and that, he compared the way he looked to the girls he knew. "Not bad." He said out loud to himself, smiling at the girl that looked back at him from the mirror. Something was still missing. He found a pair on the floor. Tim took off the skirt and very carefully pulled on a pair of Bridget’s pantyhose. If he snagged them, she might wonder what happened to them. He liked the way they felt against his skin as he walked around the bedroom and when he sat in the chair, crossing his legs. He didn’t have to take off the skirt to pull on her short black slip.

A pair of her short black heals were a little big on him. He stuffed the toes and then walked around the room. It was difficult at first but he got the hang of it before long. Tim tried on several of her outfits that morning, before he decided he better put everything away. He probably had several hours before Bridget would come home but he was really worried about getting caught. With everything back, exactly where he had found it, he got dressed and left the bedroom. He didn’t even want to be in there when Bridget got home. It was fortunate for him that he did because she came home not more than a half hour later. She suspected nothing and Tim thanked God. He had taken a great risk and while it had been strangely exciting, he told himself he would never do that again. He would tell himself the same thing, every time, for the next few years. Once he did it and saw how natural he looked, he came back time after time to experiment secretly. Each time he would swear to himself that he would never do it again. The anguish he would put himself through was horrible. Tim cried himself to sleep so many nights. The first time he found the courage to go out in public, dressed up, was a few days after he was thrown out of the house. The urge was so strong and it seemed so easy now, with no one to catch him. He was still in mortal fear that someone would see him and say, "Look at that, a boy dressed up as a girl." Some uncontrollable urge made him go out anyway. Tim still wore his wig, even though his own hair was well past his shoulders. His problem was that he had no idea how to style it and he was afraid to try. If it didn’t look just right, he was sure it would give him away. Who could he go to, to learn? Tim walked around the block in a pair of tight jeans and a silk camp shirt. He had on his wig and a pair of low heals. He had spent several hours getting ready and an equal amount of time getting up his nerve to step out the door. He even waited until 10:00 at night to play it safe. When he got back, he fell down in the chair in the living room, exhausted from the tension he felt. Never again, he told himself. A familiar phrase to Tim.

A couple nights later, about the same time, he extended his walk to three blocks. His heart stopped when he had to pass a woman walking her dog. She said hello to him, as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Using the high voice he had practiced to perfect for endless hours, he returned her greeting, "Hello."

Tim had gotten away with it so far and he was feeling just a bit of self-confidence. Busses were dimly lit at night. He had a bus stop on his corner. It took him downtown. All the stores had been closed for an hour and he figured he’d get right back on the next buss and go right back home. It worked fine. A couple people spoke to him and he answered them back. He even had a five minute conversation with a lady on the buss with two kids. He had to think fast when she asked him his name. "Tammy," he told her.

The trip did a lot for his confidence.

Tim had taken a big chance when he mail-ordered his wig. If the mailman had delivered it when he wasn’t there to receive it, he would have had a tough time explaining it to his mother and stepfather. His desire outweighed the danger.

He had been using socks to stuff his bra ever since he had started dressing. Now that he was going out of the house he had called an order into Sears for a set of lifelike breasts, the kind that women who have mastectomies use.

He wasn’t there when they came to the apartment to make the delivery so they delivered them to the local store. The store called that night and asked for the lady, Mrs. T Brooks, who had ordered them. Tim collected his wits and in his female voice got back on the phone. "Hello." "Hello Mrs. Brooks. Your order came in today and it’s here for you whenever you can get in to get it." The woman was very polite.

Tim was thrilled. "I’ll send my son in for it tomorrow. Thank you."

"You’re welcome Mrs. Brooks. Goodnight."

Tim went to the mall right after work. He had to race to get home and then to work on time.

He didn’t even have the time to open the box and look. It drove him crazy until he got home. They were everything he hoped they would be. He tried them on and tried on three or four blouses to see how natural they looked with them. He was completely satisfied. They even moved when he did. They felt and looked wonderful.

The pharmacy trip was his next adventure. He needed more cosmetics. He had no lipstick or lipliner. The foundation he had always used was his sisters’ and it wasn’t quite the right shade for him. Her blush had been the wrong shade too. He wanted perfume of his own. Tim already had eye shadows, eyeliner and mascara.

Tim stood outside in the shadows for a long time. He wished he hadn’t put on a skirt, it made him feel so vulnerable. It also made him look more feminine and he felt that the more like a girl he appeared, the less people would notice him. He was on the verge of turning around and walking home when a car pulled into the lot and shined his headlights on him. He felt conspicuous, just standing there. On just an impulse, he headed for the door to the pharmacy. Once committed, he didn’t feel as though he could turn back.

The salesgirl offered to help him but he thanked her saying, "I’m doing fine." Tim didn’t even look up at her as he knelt before the display. He felt that somehow, eye contact would give him away. He breathed a sigh of relief when she walked away. He was sure he would sound strangely ignorant if he asked for her help. It took him a few minutes but he found what he wanted. He even bought a couple of pair of clip-on earrings. He had one pierced ear but there would be no way to explain to the kids at school why he had both ears pierced. None of the guys had both done.

Tim knew his face must be bright red as he stood at the checkout. He felt as though his palms were dripping with sweat as the young girl rang up each item from his basket. The cashier was too busy looking at the stock number of each item to look at the girl on the other side of the counter. It wasn’t until she finished and totaled it that she looked her in the eye. "Twenty-seven, ninety-three is the total." She announced to the girl. As she pulled her wallet out of her purse, the salesgirl couldn’t help but notice how red she was. "Are you all right?"

Tim wasn’t surprised by the question. "I’m fine." He got out a ten and a twenty and handed it to her. "I ran across the parking lot, I thought you were about to close." It was all he could think of to say.

That sounded reasonable to her. Giving her the change, she smiled at the customer. "Thanks, goodnight."

Tim smiled back. "Goodnight." He wasted no time getting home. It was easier than he thought it would be and again, he received no strange looks, even in the bright lights of the store. Nothing went fast enough. School and work dragged. He couldn’t wait to get home at night. Thursday was when he planned his boldest venture yet. It had to be a week night and Thursday was the only night he got off from work early enough. Tim was home by six. He was ready by seven thirty. Tim was too nervous to eat anything. He stood inside his front door in his denim skirt and jacket. He wore a white cotton, short sleeved blouse underneath.

He decided on sneakers and pale blue socks. He had picked up those big exercise socks that the girls push down and bunch up and he had laces to match. He took the laces out of his spotlessly white sneakers and replaced them with the blue ones. They looked enough like a girl’s sneakers that way, he would make do until he could buy a real pair. He had his wallet in his denim purse that hung from the long strap over his shoulder. Tim’s hand rested on the knob for five minutes before he got up the nerve to turn it. He knew that once he stepped outside he was committed. It was still light out and there would be people and children around as he walked to the bus stop.

Tim felt fortunate that his door opened on an alley. Someone might see him but they wouldn’t know what apartment he came out of.

No one paid him any particular attention as he walked down the street to the corner. It was a warm October evening, but not so hot that it caused him to sweat. The perspiration he felt on his back was because he was nervous.

He went to one of the smaller malls in the next town. The buss dropped him off right outside Gaffers department store. He summoned up all his courage and walked in as confident looking as she could manage. He knew that he would have to show confidence to get away with it. It wasn’t easy to muster.

The lingerie department was the scariest place to start and he decided if he could get away with it there, he could get away with it anywhere in the store. Besides, it was right by the exit. Tim was thankful that no sales girl rushed up to help him. He had a pretty good idea what he was after as he made his way between the racks.

Betty saw the brown haired girl when she crossed the isle and started looking through the racks of pajamas. She was too busy at the register to leave it. She looked like she knew what she wanted, she walked right to the nightshirts. The girl that was working the department with her tonight, Karen, was on break and would be back in a few minutes. The girl would have to fend for herself till then.

Tim found what he was looking for. It was a white satin nightshirt with tap pants. He guessed at a size small. With it over his arm he looked around. Underwear was next. Tim wove his way between racks toward the other side of the department. The panties were spread out on tables. He wanted a new bra too, so when he saw the sets of bras and panties, displayed on a rack nearby, he turned and went directly to them. He knew the sizes and it only took him a moment to pick out a white stretch bra, size 34B, and matching string bikinis, Size 6. Tim wanted more than one pair of panties so he went back to the display tables. He knew if he took too long to pick anything out, a salesgirl would see him and zero in. He quickly found the right size and picked out a pair of pink and another pair of white bikinis. Stockings were next, pantyhose. Here he was going to have trouble. Tim had no idea about sizes. He began reading the back of a package. He learned that the right size was based on height and weight. There was a different table on the back of each brand and he was confused. "Oh, Karen. I’m glad you’re back." Betty was still busy at the register and now there were two women and the girl that looked like they needed help. Karen could see why. "Which one’s first?" Karen asked Betty.

Betty pointed, "The girl over by the pantyhose."

Karen walked up behind her, not even thinking she might startle her, when she was only a few feet away, she said, "Hi, may I help you."

Tim didn’t hear her coming, he was surprised but he turned to her, still trying to look confident. In his well-practiced voice he said, "Hi. Yes, I’ve never bought this brand before and I’m not sure of the size. The package is confusing." Tim handed her the package. She didn’t look at him funny when did. He picked up another package to look at, he didn’t want to look her in the eye.

Karen was used to the problem. Everyone had trouble with these size tables.

"Ok, lets figure it out. What do you weigh?" Karen guessed at 115 to 120.

"118." Tim answered.

"And how tall are you?" 5’7" Karen judged. Maybe less, she has a lot of hair. "5’6"." Why was she looking at his hair. He had pinned his wig. It shouldn’t have moved. He’d check in a mirror as soon as he could.

Karen traced across the table on the back of the package and found her size. The package in her hand was it. "You’re and ‘average’. Is this the color you wanted? This is ‘suntan’." "I need two pairs of taupe." Tim said courageously.

Karen went directly to them. "There you are Miss, is there anything else I can help you with?" Karen handed them to her. She looked around and saw that one of the women had left. The other one was still browsing around.

Tim had done fine so far. "I wanted to find a pair of white lace trimmed leggings." Karen thought to herself, that will be easy. I already know her size. "Just follow me." She remarked in her bright and cheery manner as she made a bouncing turn and walked off. Tim did follow. He almost forgot to walk correctly. They passed a mirror on a column. His hair was fine. What was the girl looking at?

Karen walked right to them. "Which length were you looking for? Short, capri or ankle length?"

"Ankle length, please." She was holding what he was looking for. "They come two pairs to a package, One white and one black." Karen raised an eyebrow as if to ask, Ok?

Tim wasn’t about to argue. He figured most girls knew they were sold in twos. If he said he didn’t want them, she might think he was strange. "That’s great." He reached for the package. Karen, seeing that her hands were full, asked, "Why don’t you let me take those things to the checkout for you?"

Tim thought, Ok. "Thanks." He handed everything to her and followed. Betty had just finished with her last customer when Karen approached the register. "Betty, would you ring these things up for the young lady?"

Betty looked up and met the girl’s eyes. She has the prettiest eyes, she thought to herself.

"Sure Karen. How are you this evening?" Betty asked the girl.

Tim would have been happier without the pleasantries. "Fine, thank you." The young woman picked up the sleep set. "This is lovely." She rung it up. She wouldn’t be caught dead in the underwear the young girl picked out but then she wasn’t a pretty young teenager anymore. The leggings found their way into the bag last. Tim stood impatiently waiting as she rung up his total.

"That comes to forty-two dollars and fifty-five cents." Betty waited while the girl took out her wallet.

Tim had expected it to be over fifty. "Great." He handed the woman the money. He put the change back in his wallet.

Betty handed her the bag with her purchases. "Have a nice evening." "Thanks, you too." Tim was relieved to be getting out of there. He didn’t realize it until it was too late that he would have to walk right by the other sales girl in order to leave the department. He would have picked a different route if he had noticed her behind the rack of bathrobes.

Oh, to be young again. Betty thought to herself. The girl had the bounce of youth in her step. "Good night." Karen said to the girl with a smile as she passed. She thought to herself, it wasn’t that long ago that I was a teenager. She envied the girl. "Good night, and thanks." Tim said pleasantly as he passed her. He breathed a sigh of relief when he was out of the department with his purchases.

That wasn’t so bad. What was next? He went over his mental shopping list. Tim headed for the junior’s department. This time he would ask for help immediately when a girl showed up. He took a second to check his hair again in a mirror. He couldn’t see anything wrong with it. It must have been his imagination, he decided. He skirted the department, looking for what he wanted. When he spotted the displays of shorts, he turned in, between the racks. There were several girls in the area but they were busy in their own search for what they wanted. He went directly to the rack of bicycle pants and as he expected, a salesgirl spotted him.

Brandy spotted her first and took off to help her. Laura had beat her to it twice tonight and they worked on commissions. "Hi, can I help you?" She looked like she knew what she wanted. Tim saw her coming. She was young, not much older than him. Was she more astute than the last two older women? She made Tim nervous. "I was just trying to find my size." He didn’t pay much attention to her, he concentrated on finding the shorts in his size. He knew that he needed the same size as the panties he bought a few minutes ago. What bothered him was that the shorts were only marked small, medium or large.

"You’re definitely a small." Brandy told her. She was sure she already knew it but it never hurts to compliment a customer. Brandy grabbed a pair off the rack. "These would look fantastic on you with your coloring." The girl had beautiful brown hair, the bright floral ones would definitely be right for her.

They were so bright and colorful. He had planned on buying a plain white pair but. "Ok, I’ll take them." As nervous as he was, he was easily swayed.

That was easy, thought Brandy. "You want the top too, don’t you." She won’t give her a chance to think about it. "It’s right here." She grabbed one from the size seven section off the rack and showed her the red sleeveless crop top. "The red looks the best with that print." He hadn’t planned on buying a top like that but it would look great with it. He had to worry about his money, there were a few other things he wanted too. "How much is it?" Brandy continued to bubble with enthusiasm, "If you buy it with the shorts it’s only fourteen dollars."

It would be tight but he could afford it. "I’ll take it. I wanted to find a pair of plain white walking shorts, the kind with the cuffs and the high belted, paper bag waist." He had seen them in a catalog.

Brandy had to think for a second. "We’ve got em." She said with a smile and turned and took off at a fast walk.

Tim followed her. When she found them and held them up, they were exactly what he was looking for. "Perfect."

There was no doubt that she wore a size seven, Brandy didn’t even bother asking and the girl obviously trusted her. "What else can I show you?" This was too easy. "I’d like to find a top to go with the shorts?" The salesgirl dressed the way he wanted to look.

Let her pick something out, he took a chance.

Brandy was having fun. She liked customers like her. "I know the perfect blouse and it’s on sale. I’ve been waiting to get it myself." She took off again. Tim thought she was funny and cute. She certainly had energy. He followed her again. The girl was well ahead of him. She held up a two tone, blue chambray shirt with lace trim on the short sleeves.

"Is this perfect or what?" She said with a big smile. Brandy loved it.

Tim agreed. He nodded.

"Great, I knew you’d love it." Brandy said, smiling.

Tim was having trouble hanging on to everything.

Brandy saw her struggling, "I’ll take care of them for you." Tim was a little relieved. There was just one more outfit he wanted. He knew he shouldn’t, but he really wanted a black spandex skirt and a top to go with it. He found the rack of skirts before the girl returned.

"I’m going to take this and I want to get a blouse with it." Tim was becoming more and more relaxed.

Brandy went crazy, "Please, please. I know just the top."

Tim couldn’t help but smile at her. "OK, show me." The girl didn’t go as far this time and the top she produced was again perfect. It was a pale pink cotton nylon blend with a lacy trim on the open neckline and short sleeves.

Brandy didn’t have to sell the girl, she could see it in her eyes. Tim knew he had to stop. He had allowed himself a little extra and he spent it. The girl took the skirt and blouse and Tim stopped to just glance at another blouse for a second. He walked up to the desk where the girl was standing and looked for his things. Brandy looked up, surprised to see the girl standing in front of her. "Oh, hi. I put everything in the third stall for you." She said smiling than turned back to what she had been doing. The third stall? Then it dawned on him. She expects me to try everything on. Tim stood there vacillating. He hadn’t planned on that. He couldn’t go into the girl’s dressing room. Brandy looked up again and saw that she was still standing there. It dawned on her, "You don’t know where the dressing rooms are. I’m so stupid, let me show you." They were around the corner and if she had never shopped here before, she couldn’t know. There was no way out of it, he followed her into the dressing rooms, terrified. There were half a dozen girls in there trying things on. The stalls only had five foot high walls with short curtains in front. What was he going to do?

"I’ll hang on to that for you." Brandy reached for her bag.

"Oh, thanks." Tim gave it to her. She pulled the curtain closed when he numbly stepped in.

"If you need any help just call me. I’m Brandy."

The girl left him there. Tim adjusted the curtain. Brandy hadn’t closed it all the way. Waist up, was all he could see of anyone. Except the girl in the next stall. Her, he could see all of. How was he going to take off his skirt and blouse here? Surely someone will notice that he’s wearing falsies. If he takes off his skirt and the girl in the next stall should just happen to take a look, she’d get the shock of her life. It wasn’t that he was well hung, he wasn’t big at all, in fact, he felt it was embarrassingly small. But it did still bulge out the flimsy material of his panties. Tim couldn’t just stand there forever. He turned away from the girl on the other side of the wall and dropped his skirt. He quickly pulled up the bicycle shorts tucking himself well between his legs. He pushed and pulled until his male member didn’t show. Still facing away from everyone, he took off his blouse and put on the crop top. He quickly shifted and adjusted the forms in his bra. He was satisfied that he looked all right.

The mirrors were the next problem. They were at either end of the dressing room, one by the entrance and one at the back wall.

Tim chose the one at the back wall. There was only one girl between him and it, in a stall. There were four or five girls at the other end. He felt a little awkward as he walked toward the rear of the dressing room. He watched his reflection as he walked right up to the mirror. He liked what he saw, he was convincing. The outfit fit tight, just like it was supposed to, on a girl. He liked it. The bright print shorts with the red top looked terrific. "I told you." Her image in the mirror had blocked her view. Brandy had walked up right behind her. "You look good in that, you have the shape for it. A slim waist and slender hips." He didn’t turn around. He could see her well enough in the mirror. Tim took a better look at himself. He agreed. "I do like it."

"Great. Why don’t you go try on the others?" She had other customers to tend to. Tim went back and, with the same care, put on the other two outfits and checked himself out in the mirror. The salesgirl didn’t come back until he had finished putting his clothes back on. He was glad that was over. It didn’t feel right being in here with all these girls half dressed. He was safe from discovery but he felt like a peeping tom.

He handed one hundred and ten dollars to the girl at the desk. It was a lot to spend but it was worth it.

Tim had one last stop to make. He stepped into the safety of the main aisle again. He was sure no salesgirl ever attacked a customer when they were in the main aisle. The shoe department was next. Tim stood in the aisle looking in. He had seen an ad in the paper for what he wanted. Two pair of flats for twenty dollars. He definitely needed flats. He had a pair of low white heals and the sneakers, but that was all. He had to have flats for the outfits he bought tonight.

Tim spotted the shoes he was looking for and walked into the department, still unsure of himself but not nearly as nervous as he had been earlier. It was becoming less threatening. At least here he only had to take off his sneakers and socks.

"May I help you Miss.?" She was cute. He wondered how old she was. She to be what . . . 17? That was old enough. He was only 19.

The guy surprised Tim. He quickly collected his wits. This was really strange. He had worried about being able to fool the salesgirls, it never occurred to him that he’d have to deal with a guy.

Tim stood by the sale display, "Do you have that white flat, the one with the bow, in a size eight." Tim pointed to the shoe he wanted. He was particularly careful with his voice and avoided looking directly at the guy.

"I think so, let me go look. I’ll be right back, don’t go away." She had a sexy voice too. What the hell was that size she told me? I think she said a size eight but she looked more like a seven and a half, he thought to himself.

Tim sat and took off his sneakers and socks while he waited. He remembered when he sat to keep his knees together and slide his feet back to one side when he sat down. He practiced a lot at home, he didn’t have any trouble remembering now.

Tim watched as the salesman came toward him, coming through the curtain from the back room.

"I grabbed you a pair of peds, I thought you might need them." He sat in front of her on his little stool.

Tim slipped on the little stocking feet. The tiny stockings wanted to slip off his feet. He quickly put his feet into the white shoes the young man set in front of him. He checked the sides and toe. Ha, he was right about the size. With a smile, he told the girl, "You have daintier feet than you thought. These are seven and a half’s." He gave her his best smile.

Tim couldn’t help but smile back. It was an impulse. Was the guy flirting with him, Tim wondered? Impossible!

The shoes were very comfortable. Tim was surprised that the smaller size fit but they felt good. He sat back down. "Would you bring me out a black pair, the ones with the little buckle, in the same size?" Tim had never received this kind of attention before, when shopping as a guy. It was nice in a way.

"Sure, I’d be happy to." Nice legs he thought to himself as he headed into the stockroom again.

The guy returned quickly. This time he took the girl’s ankle and slid the shoes on her foot for her.

He was flirting. Tim couldn’t believe it. Did he look that good? Na.

Tim took both pair of shoes. The guy continued to go out of his way to be friendly with Tim.

He thought it was comical.

That was it. He had gotten what he came for tonight and it went beautifully. He had almost stayed within his budget.

Tim hurried outside. The buss was due, NOW. He caught it, luckily. He would have had to stand there and wait for an hour for the last one.

There was no one around as he walked from the buss stop or when he opened the back door and went up the stairs to his dark apartment. He laid out his new things and looked them over again. He was really happy with them.

He took off the tags as he hung each item up in his closet. One side was Tim’s and the other was Tammy’s. They shared the dresser too.

Tim was exhausted. He undressed and removed his makeup and earrings. He cleansed and moisturized his face, as he had done every night for years now. He slept in his new nightshirt. He felt good about himself as he fell asleep.

It was Friday and school was a bore, nobody did anything. The end of the day began a two- week holiday.

Tim only had to work tonight and then he’d start his two-week vacation. He deserved it, he worked hard. It had been a year since he missed a day of work. The night dragged out. No one does grocery shopping on Friday night. Tim still didn’t get home until ten and he was beat. Tim poured himself a soda and sat down to watch tv. He couldn’t concentrate on anything. As wonderful as he had felt the night before, he felt sad and confused tonight. What he was doing was wrong. It served no purpose. He rationalized that it also did no harm but was that true? It had gotten him thrown out of the house with very clear instructions not to come back. He didn’t know what drove him to dress up but he wanted to shake it off. He put everything away in a box that night, including the new things he had bought and his precious wig. He had every intention of throwing it out in the morning. He wouldn’t, of course.

It was a beautiful day. He went to the beach to get his mind off his worries. He took the buss. Most kids his age had friends that drove, not Tim. His looks had been responsible for his difficulty with making friends easily too.

He laid there most of the day, he read and sat and watched other people have a good time. Tim took care of himself, he used sun screen. The one thing he had learned was to take care of his skin and that he would never give up.

He laid there thinking, why did he have to give up what he enjoyed? Nobody gave a damn about him. No one cared what he did or didn’t do so why should he stop doing the one thing that gave him so much pleasure?

Tim would have to stop one day, he knew that in his heart. He would find a girl, a girl that really cared about him and he would put away these desires. Until that day, why stop? His emotions were in turmoil.

Storm clouds rolled in about 4:00 and Tim packed it up. He caught the buss home. Back in his sanctuary, he unpacked the box and returned all of Tammy’s things to their places. He ironed the things he had wrinkled. He could throw them out another day. He felt better but he didn’t dress up that night. He went to the mall as himself. That was where the kids from school hung out on weekends. Maybe tonight would be the night he would make a new friend. Maybe he might even meet a girl.

Tim grabbed a bite at the food court. He saw some people from school but they only acknowledged him, they didn’t invite him to join them.

Tim walked the mall. He passed more kids he knew. Most said hi, but when they’d pass, when they thought he was out of earshot, he’d hear snickering. After about an hour he gave up and went to the movies, alone. It was far from the first time he’d been hurt and disappointed. He got home about eleven thirty. Even the movie didn’t help him take his mind off how he felt. It was another of those nights when he cried himself to sleep. The sky promised rain when he got up late Sunday morning. Tim read the paper. He particularly enjoyed the circulars. He would check out all the sales of Junior’s clothes. He sat there daydreaming, he had really enjoyed shopping Thursday night. He had forgotten the scary moments already.

"Oh, the hell with it, I’m going." He knew there would be kids from school there but he didn’t care anymore. Who would recognize him if he did run into someone? No one! It didn’t take him long to get ready. He had used the lotion earlier in the week, to get rid of the fine hair on his legs and his underarms. He wasn’t shaving yet so all he had to do was put on his makeup, his wig and get dressed.

Tim had been saving his money since he could remember. He could easily blow his entire last paycheck to make himself feel good. He had almost two hundred and fifty dollars in his purse. He could pick up a dozen outfits, if he watched the sales.

The only thing that stopped him from buying many of the things he wanted was his fear of those dressing rooms. He knew now that there wasn’t so much to be afraid of. As Tim had so often, he wondered what it was that drove him to do what he did. He used to be content to just dress up at home but that had changed as he learned he was accepted as a girl by the people he encountered. Was it the risks he was now taking that made it so exciting, so compelling?

Tim finished off his soda and took a deep breath. He stood up. Enough stalling, he thought to himself.

He really liked the white shorts and light blue blouse, it looked good on him. He had on his new underwear. Even his new shoes. He slung his purse over his shoulder and started for J C Pennys. They had the best sales he had seen in the paper that morning. He was constantly aware of his movements, the way he walked and carried himself. Pam, Nancy and her friends were bored to death. They didn’t have any money to go shopping and their boyfriends were all playing football at the high school. The girls had been window shopping, but even that gets old when you have no money. The others wanted to go to the movies but Nancy and Pam were really broke. They were sitting on the outer edge of the food court, near the main mall.

Nancy was very pretty, with big brown eyes and a little pixie nose. Her smile made people take an instant liking to her. Her long, light brown hair was teased up on top and streaked with blond highlights.

Pam was a natural blonde with deep blue eyes that were hard for the boys to look away from. She had the whitest, straightest teeth of anyone in school. She looked like she just stepped off the cover of a modeling magazine. They used to kid her that her father, a plastic surgeon, had done a wonderful job on her.

"Go ahead," Nancy told the others. "We’ll be here."

Pam was going to hang around with Nancy. Neither of them wanted to admit to the others that they didn’t even have enough money for the movies. Some of their friends were working in the mall, they’d go pester them when they finished their sodas. Their friends took off. Their group was very popular in school. Nancy was the youngest one Pam had ever accepted in her click. These were the cheerleaders and the glamour types. Nancy lost a lot of her old friends when she started hanging around with them almost a year ago but that was in the past and she was happy to be one of them now. What you wore and who you went out with was very important to them. She made a lot of changes in her life to fit in and she was happy. Pam was their leader and she took the responsibility seriously. Lots of girls wanted to join her little group but only a few were good enough. Most who tried were either too immature or they weren’t pretty enough. She wasn’t about to be seen with geeks. Nancy had been her creation, she brought her into the group. It hadn’t been easy to shape and mold her. Her friends, at the beginning of freshman year, were definitely beneath her. And her clothes, the way she dressed, was too too tacky. But she was anxious and willing to change so Pam had taken a chance on her. She turned out alright. They were good friends now. It was even easier this time. Maybe it was that he was more confident. Without the help of a salesgirl, Tim found a blue sleeveless knit dress with white polka dots. He found it on the clearance rack. On the same rack was a gray pleated skirt. Together they were only twenty-two dollars.

The white crepe "T", to go with the skirt, was only ten dollars on sale. He found a shorts outfit that looked good on him. The top was a ten-button Henley print that went with a short pair of cuffed pale pink shorts. The set was only twenty-five dollars. Tim was much more at ease in Penny’s dressing room. The walls were high and they had doors. They even had mirrors inside the stalls. It wasn’t bad at all. No one gave him a second glance as he entered, except the salesgirl that counted the articles he took in with him. He bought sneakers for only twenty and a pair of 2" black leather pumps on sale for twenty- six.

Tim was thrilled. He had three more outfits and shoes for only about one hundred and ten dollars. He had another hundred and forty he could blow.

He left Pennys and walked past the food, giving it a wide berth, on his way to Lerners. At Lerners, he found the white bicycle pants he had looked for the other night. They were on sale for twelve dollars. He also found an oversized top, a blue and white rugby strip with long sleeves. He could wear it over his leggings or with his jeans or his denim skirt. It was only ten dollars. Hair accessories were on sale. Tim picked out a white bow. He didn’t know how he was going to use it with his wig, but he wanted it anyway. It was pretty. Nancy just happened to be looking in that direction when she saw the girl come out of Lerners. If it hadn’t been for the two big bags, she probably wouldn’t have noticed. "Who’s that?" She asked Pam. The girl was walking away from them now.

"I don’t know, I can’t see her face." Pam dismissed it and turned away.

It bothered Nancy. For just a split second she had seen her face and she looked familiar.

Nancy watched her walk into the Limited. She let it go.

Tim had seen the sale ad for a white denim mini skirt at the Limited. They had his size but only with an elasticized paper bag waist. He took it for eighteen dollars. They also had two for one, pocket crew neck tees. He picked out one in red and a turquoise one for ten dollars. They had a necklace and earring set on sale for fifteen dollars. The earrings were convertible, they could be either clip-on or pierced.

Denim Den had jeans on sale for twenty-two dollars. That was his next stop. No one had the slightest inkling that he wasn’t what he appeared to be. He wasn’t nearly as nervous any more. The knot in his stomach was loosening.

Pam was tired of sitting. "Let’s walk."

Nancy was agreeable. As they were approaching the Limited, the girl she had noticed earlier came out and turned in front of them, walking away. She was about twenty feet away when Nancy saw her again. She tugged on Pam’s sleeve. "There she is again." "Who?" What was Nancy’s problem?

"That girl, she’s right in front of us with all the bags. The one with the brown hair." It really bothered her.

"I still can’t see her face. What’s your problem? It’s just some girl." Pam had better things to think about. She had spotted John, her old boyfriend, walking toward them with Debra, his latest. Nancy was still fixed on the girl. "Let’s catch up to her, I swear I know her from somewhere." "Not now Nancy. You go ahead if you want but I’m staying here. John and Debra are coming and I have something to say to her." Pam had really liked John and she blamed Debra for their break up. She was going to get a piece of her mind.

The girl was getting farther and farther away. The hell with it, Nancy thought to herself. So what if I know her or not.

She sat next to Pam to wait for her ex and his ‘new woman’. Pam was probably going to blast her.

It was a good thing they were stretch jeans. They were even tighter than his other pair but they looked terrific on him. A guy even made a comment as he stood in front of the mirror. Tim turned and smiled at him before he realized what he was doing. Tim turned back to the mirror quickly, embarrassed.

Maas Brothers had a dress. The second he saw it, he had to have it. It was a two-piece outfit. A garden floral print on a black background. It had a fitted cropped jacket with lightly padded shoulders. The yoked skirt had three tiers of ruffles and a back zipper. This was the fourth time today he had tried on clothes and he was careful in the dressing rooms to take a stall far away from everyone else.

The salesgirl, a woman about 30, thought it looked absolutely charming on the girl. She told her, "You’ll just have to get a pair of black stockings to wear with that dress. Do you have a slip for it or will you need one?"

Tim didn’t need much convincing. "I’ll need both, you’re right." He didn’t need to try on the slip.

The woman was really friendly and Tim liked her. She was very outgoing and could tell that Tim was excited about the dress. Her enthusiasm was infectious and Tim couldn’t help but to reflect her high spirits.

He had spent a total of two hundred and forty-five dollars and decided it was time to quit. He looked at his watch. There was almost forty minutes before the bus was due. He’d walk slowly back through the mall and just window shop.

Pam embarrassed Nancy. Debra deserved the blasting, but the middle of the mall was not the place for a screaming contest. John had just walked away when Pam started getting loud. Nancy just stood back a few feet and tried not to look as if she were with Pam. Tim was pretty well weighed down by now. The dresses were both on hangers and he was juggling the four packages in his hands.

He just glanced in the window as he walked by. There it was on the mannequin, the prettiest, sheerest, most delicate teddy he had ever seen. It drew him into Victoria’s Secret like a magnet. Nancy spotted her as she turned into Victoria’s Secret. "There she is again. I just have to get a good look at her."

"If you must, but lets try not to look too obvious, just in case she isn’t who you think she is.

Come on, we’ll just sit over there and you can see her as she leaves the store." They sat on a bench and Pam lit up. They weren’t too obvious and they didn’t think the girl would notice them watching with the big plant partially in the way. "May I help you?" Pat thought to herself, seeing all the packages, she’s had quite a day shopping.

Tim had seen her coming and was ready. "There’s a teddy in your window, the one on the mannequin."

"It’s really beautiful, Do you want to try it on?" Pat knew the one she was referring to, she had put that one out there herself and really liked it. She looked at the girl and guessed at a small. "Yes, please." Tim replied with a smile.

"You would take a small?" She knew she would.

"Yes, I think so." It was so easy now. He really was enjoying himself. All the sales people were so friendly and they accepted him as a girl without a sideward glance. Pat went and got it for her. "Come with me and we’ll find you an empty dressing room." Tim had been sure that, in this kind of store, the dressing rooms would be private enough to try the skimpy lingerie on. He was relieved when he learned that he was right. "I’ll hold your packages at the desk for you." They weren’t allowed to let customers in the dressing room with their packages.

"Thanks, they are getting heavy." It was a relief.

"I’ll be right outside when you’re done." Pat was sure she had a sale. Tim loved the way it looked and felt on him. He didn’t fill it out the way it was made to be, but that was ok. He was bothered by the price tag. It was thirty dollars. After debating with himself for a moment, Tim decided that he had the money and it made him feel good. He would take it.

He handed it to the girl and she rung it up. Tim had just enough cash to cover it. "It really is pretty. You’ll enjoy it. Have a nice day." She really looked happy with it. She wished she had the money to buy it. Pat handed her the packages she had been holding for her at the counter.

He would enjoy it, even if he was the only person who would ever see it on him. But that didn’t matter. It was so pretty and so delicate.

Tim took his things. It took him a moment to get comfortable so he wouldn’t lose anything.

He was very happy. "Thanks a lot. You have a nice day too." That was definitely it. He had no cash left except for bus fare. He started out of the busy store, squeezing past the other customers.

Tim’s heart skipped a beat. He stopped in his tracks about twenty feet from the front of the shop and turned away from the entrance. He saw Nancy and her friend on a bench just outside the store.

What was he going to do? Surely Nancy would recognize him. She had been the one girl he had been really serious about a few years ago. They had been very close before she gave in to the peer pressure from her girlfriends and dumped him. He had cared about her, a lot. Tim couldn’t just stand there forever and it didn’t look as if they were about to leave any time soon. He was far enough back in the store that they probably wouldn’t notice him. He tried to collect himself for the umpteenth time that day but he couldn’t stop himself from shaking.

"Was there something else you wanted to see?" Pat had noticed her from the desk. Maybe she wanted something else?

Tim was startled by the salesgirl. "No, thanks. I was just looking around." Could she see him shaking?

"Ok, have a nice day." Oh well. It was worth a try. Pat walked back to the desk. Tim knew he had to leave now. He held his head up and tried to look as though he were in control. It was not how he felt on the inside. He started walking, not letting his eyes drift in Nancy’s direction. The last thing he wanted was eye contact with her. He made a sharp right outside the store and, in a pace that wouldn’t draw attention, headed toward the food court and his exit.

Nancy saw her coming, at last. While she was still pretty far away, she saw that she had even more bags that when she had seen her earlier. As she got closer, Nancy studied her face. She definitely knew her but she couldn’t think from where. The girl turned to her right and slowly walked away from them.

"Well, was she someone you know?" Pam had looked but didn’t recognize her. She was done with her cigarette. "Can we go now? We should get up to the food court to meet the others." Pam was tired of sitting there. It was boring.

"I swear I know her from someplace but I can’t remember where." It was really bothering her. They got up and started walking. The girl was only about twenty feet in front of them, walking along at an easy pace.

Something drew Nancy’s eyes to the girl’s legs. There was an odd little birthmark right behind her left knee. It hit Nancy like a ton of bricks. She grabbed Pam’s arm and stopped them both. Nancy’s hand covered her mouth in shock.

"What’s wrong?" Pam asked. She looked like she’d seen a ghost.

Nancy turned to Pam. "I know who that girl is." She couldn’t believe what she saw.

"Who is she?" Why the melodramatics, Pam wondered.

Nancy started walking fast, pulling her friend along with her. "That ‘girl’ is not a girl. That ‘girl’ is Tim Hynes." She wanted to catch up to him.

"You’re kidding!" She was shocked. "Isn’t that the kid in your grade that you went out with once?" Pam knew Nancy wasn’t kidding. She thought back to the face she had seen and knew that Nancy was right.

"Yes, I can’t believe it. Did you get a good look at him just then. He was as natural looking as any girl as I’ve ever seen. He was actually pretty." Nancy remembered how Tim was always being teased about how much he looked like a girl. She could hardly believe what she was seeing. "We’ve got to catch up to him. This could be fun." Pam’s mind was racing. He really was attractive. If Nancy hadn’t told her who he was she would never have known in a million years that he wasn’t a girl. There were a number of ways they could have fun with him. Nancy only hesitated for a second. She knew she had to go along with whatever Pam wanted to do. That was ok, she supposed. She almost wished she hadn’t told Pam. It was too late now. They got up really close by the time he reached the food court. Pam was the first one to say anything as they waked up on either side of him. Nancy on his left and Pam on his right. He prayed they didn’t notice him. It was hard to walk slow, he wanted to run. Not just to the buss but all the way home and slam and lock his apartment door and get out of these clothes as fast as possible. He didn’t dare look back in case they were behind him. Tim felt someone passing him on his left. No, on both sides. He must be walking too slow.

He should speed up.

"Hi Timmy." Pam said melodiously when she was right beside him.

Nancy chimed in from his other side. "Hello Timmy. You look particularly lovely today."

Was he crazy, dressing up this way, she thought to herself? Oh God! Should he run? Should he stop and try to explain? To these two, not a chance of them understanding. Tim stopped and looked straight ahead, his heart in his throat. He couldn’t say a word.

Nancy and Pam each took an arm. Pam steered him toward the food court. "Why don’t we go get a drink together Timmy?" Pam’s accent, like before, was on the "Timmy." "Yes. That’s a wonderful idea. You must be so thirsty after all the shopping you’ve been doing." Nancy couldn’t get over how he looked, even close up. He was even wearing makeup. Did he have a choice, he asked himself? God, he wished he could just run away. He turned and looked at Nancy. He didn’t like the look on her face. "Please, just let me go. I just want to leave." Tim whispered in his normal voice.

Pam answered before Nancy could speak. "But Timmy, we just thought we’d have a little talk, you know, just girl talk." There was no way he was going to get away from her. They were going to have some fun.

What was in Nancy’s expression was contempt. How could he make such a fool of himself? Pam was right, they should have some fun with him. The others would be back from the movies in a few minutes and they just had to see him.

"Timmy, if you are a good girl and come with us, we won’t pull off that lovely wig and show everyone in the mall that you’re really a boy. Now, you would like that drink, wouldn’t you?" Nancy whispered in his ear.

Pam was close enough to hear and thought what Nancy told him was just delightful. Not that. God, please not that. "Yes." He wanted to die, to just crawl in a hole and die. He let them lead him to a table.

"That’s a good girl." Nancy said, smiling.

Nancy only got them one soda as Pam kept him company. That’s all they could afford. They made him sit at ‘their’ table. The one their group always used when they came to the mall. The girls gave him a close examination. They hadn’t paid him much attention in a very long time. He really was skinny and shapely. Pam wanted to know, "Are your boobs real?" She was kidding. She really didn’t think they were but they looked very natural on him. Tim didn’t answer. He didn’t even look at them, he stared down at the table, too ashamed to look at either of them.

When he didn’t answer, Pam got angry. What right did this freaky little pervert have ignoring me? She poked him in his right breast. It felt real. "You better answer me when I talk to you little girl."

Nancy knew Pam would humiliate him right in front of everyone and she also knew it would be mortifying for them too. "You better do as she says." Nancy looked at Pam. "Be careful, you don’t want to embarrass us at the same time."

Nancy was right. She’d keep her voice down. "So you like dressing up as a girl. Do you like boys too?"

Tim only had a one word answer for her. "No." He knew there was nothing he could say to them that they wouldn’t make fun of him about. Maybe they’d get tired of him and let him go, he prayed they would.

"Who’s your friend?" Sue asked as she walked up to Pam and Nancy. Sue was a little annoyed that they let a stranger sit at their table. Patty, who had gone to the movie with Sue, just sat down.

Sue was tall and skinny with her yellow blond hair cut short, in a crop cut. She had deep green eyes and her nose was in proportion to her height, long and slender. She had full puffy lips that were an invitation to the boys.

Patty was as short as Sue was tall. She was no more than 5’ 2". Her light brown hair was a little darker than Nancy’s. Her little turned up nose looked perfectly in proportion to her little puckered mouth. Brown eyes and long lashes gave the impression she was made from the mold of a porcelain doll.

"She’s an old friend of Nancy’s." Pam would have a little fun with them. "We were just going to the bathroom. Come with us, we have a surprise for you." Nancy could just imagine what Pam was going to do. The idea of taking Tim into the ladies room was exciting. She grabbed a few of his packages and stood up to go. Pam grabbed the rest and she got up.

Tim was too afraid to move.

Nancy wanted to tell him to get up but she didn’t want to call him Tim or Timmy. That would ruin the surprise. She thought fast. "Come on Tina, let’s go. We’ll help you with your packages." She put her free hand under his arm.

If he didn’t get up there would be a fuss made, right here in the middle of all these people. He followed Pam with Nancy at his side and the others brought up the rear. Tim didn’t want to go into the lady’s room. He didn’t want to go anywhere with them. He had to go to the bathroom but he had planned on holding it until he got home. His nervousness didn’t help his full bladder.

Pam opened the door and the others followed her in. They waited until the two women in the bathroom left. Pam locked the door behind them. Now they wouldn’t be interrupted. "Ok, what’s the surprise." Sue wanted to know. She hated suspense. Her curiosity would kill her one day.

"You may know our friend ‘Tina’ here." Nancy suggested to them. They took a good look. Patty answered for them both. "I’ve never seen her before. What’s this all about?"

Nancy and Pam were nearly bursting.

Tim stood in front of the stall doors, silent, with his head lowered. He wished he was dead. "You really don’t remember her?" Pam asked. She enjoyed dragging it out. She knew it annoyed Sue.

"Stop fooling around, who is she?" Enough, thought Sue, looking at the girl again.

"You tell them Nancy." Pam watched their faces.

She was happy to. "You guys remember that kid in my class, Tim. The one with the really pretty face? The one that looks a lot like a girl?"

You could hear the intake of breath as they recognized him.

"Oh my God." Said Sue, staring at him.

Patty walked up to him and lifted his chin. "This is unbelievable."

"Is that his real hair?" Sue wanted to know. She walked over and pulled at his bangs.

Tim reacted and brushed her hand away. They were talking about him as if he wasn’t there.

Sue was too stunned to be angry at him.

"It’s a wig." Nancy injected. It really looked good on him.

"What’s he wearing under those clothes?" Sue wanted to see. "Show them ‘Tina’." Pam liked the name that Nancy had picked for him. "Open your blouse and shorts. I want to see too." She took a threatening step toward him. He could handle two of them but what about the others. If he put up a fight, they could leave him in here in worse shape than when he came in. They could take his wig, easily. He had two hundred and ninety dollars worth of clothes in the bags they were holding. He didn’t want to lose them. Worse, would be his embarrassment.

Nancy joined Pam and they both took another step in his direction. Nancy could see that he was terrified. He deserved to be.

"Enough fooling around." Pam reached for his belt. She didn’t like being kept waiting. She looked at him and didn’t see a boy. She saw a timid, annoying girl who wasn’t doing what she told her to do and she wasn’t accustomed to that.

"I’ll do it." He felt meek and completely out of control. Tim opened his belt and zipped his zipper down. His shorts didn’t drop, his hips held them up. He had a narrow waist. They all just stood looking at him. His blouse was next. He unbuttoned it from the bottom to the top. Nancy reached over and pulled his fly open for them to see his white lacy panties and bra with its fillers. "He really does want to be a girl." Sue was shocked and delighted at the same time.

"He’s strange." Agreed Patty.

"I think we should help him be as feminine as he can be. Don’t you girls agree?" Pam was turning over ideas in her mind.

Sue was quick to agree. "Oh yes, definitely." She had ideas of her own. Nancy agreed with Pam and Sue. By Tim’s doing this, she felt that he had cast a shadow on her reputation. She wanted to get even and agreeing to go along with anything Pam and Sue wanted to do to him would only help her, in their eyes.

"Gina’s working this afternoon. Let’s take him down there and see what she can do with him." Sue was anxious to do something, anything. If his hair was even the least bit long under that wig, Gina would be able to do something with it.

"That’s a great idea." Patty wanted to see him humiliated and that was a good start. Tim had finished redressing before Sue unlocked the door. It was a good thing. Three highly annoyed women were waiting to come in when the door opened. He didn’t know what they had planned for him or who this Gina was. All he could do was go with them.

The beauty shop was at the far end of the mall. Sue went in and found her friend while the others waited outside.

Gina’s boss usually didn’t work on sundays and this one was no exception. "Sure we can use the private room but what’s going on. Who is this girl that you want me to work on?" It was four o’clock and she had no one else scheduled today. The other girls still had one or two customers to finish but they wouldn’t bother them. "Bring her in."

They all brought him in and they all gathered in the back room to wait for Gina. They put Tim in the chair.

She knew almost instantly that the girl was wearing a wig. "What’s going on? Do you want me to restyle her wig?"

"Gina, I would like to introduce you to Tim." With that, Pam pulled the wig from his head.

He looked odd with his real hair all tied in a flat bun.

Tim was beside himself. He couldn’t talk, all he could do was fill up with tears. He wiped them away before they ran down his cheek.

The girls told Gina the story. When Gina got over the shock, she agreed, "It’ll be fun, he’s got beautiful hair." She had untied the big flat bun on the back of his head and let his hair fall down past his shoulders a good four inches. "There’s lots of things we can do but I think we probably better start with a wash and rinse. I want to put some highlights in there for him." He felt helpless, like a puppet. He tried to object several times. All they said was. "Go ahead and leave but we’ll follow you and announce to the world what you are, a freak."

She washed Tim’s hair and put in the blond highlights.

Off to the side, out of earshot of Tim, Pam asked Gina to, "Perm his hair so that he will look like a girl, even if he tries to disguise it."

"I could give him a really tight curly perm." Gina suggested.

Nancy was listening. "No, give him big soft curls. He will look much prettier that way."

Pam looked annoyed at Nancy.

Nancy went on to say, "We can give him a tighter perm later if we want to." Pam could picture how he’d look. She hated to admit that Nancy was right. She turned to Gina. "I agree. Go ahead and do his hair Nancy’s way."

"I’ll take good care of your little girl, don’t worry. The perm I’m going to give him will look great." This was fun for her and he deserved the full treatment for what he did, pretending to be one of them. He was a sick little perv.

"Gina, I’d appreciate it if you would keep this quiet. We want to have some fun with him and if anyone else found out it might ruin everything." Pam was really insistent. "I won’t tell a sole. I wish I could join you girls, it sounds like fun." She could almost imagine what someone like Pam might have in mind. The boy was going to be sorry he ran into her. His hair was full and thick after a layered cut and big curly perm. Gina teased the top so it was full in front. She gave him long bangs and streaked them just a little. They all watched as Gina transformed him. He looked pretty convincing with the wig but it didn’t compare to the way he looked now. His hair framed, and drew attention, to his pretty features. He was in style with the girls his age.

"Aren’t his eyebrows a little too bushy?" Sue thought as she looked in the mirror at the finished style.

"Definitely, they need to be plucked and shaped." Pam and Patty agreed. He’d hate to, but he would cut his hair when they were done with him and left him alone, but what was he going to do about his eyebrows. He supposed he could pencil them in, maybe no one would notice.

It took Gina a while to get them just the shape she wanted, plucking like crazy, but the time was well spent. He was so much prettier now with the thinner, shorter brows that swept up from the middle and curved over his eyes.

Gina finished, "That’s about it. What are you going to do with him now?" They had talked about that while Gina worked on him. Sue wanted to take him to the beach and cruse for a while. See if they could pick up someone new and have some fun with ‘Tina’. Patty suggested that they go and meet the guys and grab a pizza. Sue liked Patty’s idea. So did Pam.

Nancy was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable about how far they were taking this, she kept quiet.

Pam surprised them. She wasn’t going with them. "I need to go and check something out, but I think you ought to take him to meet the guys. I’ll meet you back at his place at eight. Ok?" They had gone through his purse and Pam knew the building. The apartment was in his name so it was safe to assume that he lived alone.

Of course, they agreed. Tim heard none of this, he was still in the back room with Gina, she was finishing him up.

Tim assumed they were finished humiliating him and that he could go home. He certainly wasn’t worried about the way he looked. He had to admit he looked better than he ever did. He wouldn’t admit to them that he liked it. It made him sick that he would have to cut off all of his hair if the perm and coloring didn’t wash out. It had taken him so long to grow it. They escorted him from the back room. They had his packages. Gina called after them, as they were leaving, "What do you want me to do with this?" She held up the wig.

Pam looked back. "Trash it. Tina doesn’t need it anymore." Tim thought she had put it in one of the bags. He didn’t care, he wouldn’t need it again. He watched as Gina threw it in the trash. A small feeling of loss swept over him. Pam saw the look on his face as his wig went in the trash. Too bad, she thought to herself.

It was six o’clock and the mall had closed. There were very few people left walking around.

They took him to a different door than where he came in, where the buss stopped. "The buss comes to the other side of the mall. Can’t you just let me go out that way?" He just wanted to go home, they had their fun, he was humiliated enough. Everyone would know about today in a few hours. These girls were famous for spreading gossip. He knew his life was going to be hell.

"We want you to come with us Tina. We’ll take you home." Nancy tried to make the suggestion sound sincere.

Tim didn’t like the idea. The sick feeling in his stomach was getting worse. It wasn’t raining any longer but the sky was still heavily overcast. The weather matched his mood, dismal.

After they put his things in the trunk, they sandwiched him in the back seat of Patty’s car, between Nancy and Sue.

"I’ll see you all later. Don’t forget." Pam waved and climbed in her car. She headed for home. "This isn’t the way to my apartment." They were going in the opposite direction. Tim was scared, his stomach was doing flips.

"We’re just going to make a little side trip." Sue told him. Wait until the guys get a load of their new girlfriend.

They all had agreed to string the guys along for now. If any of them wanted to come on to ‘Tina’ that was fine. Later they’d make them feel like jerks when they told them the truth. "It’ll be fun Tina." Patty enjoyed treating him like a girl. That was what he wanted anyway, or else he wouldn’t have dressed up like one of them.

"My name is Tim." They were being condescending and it was annoying. "You better get used to answering to ‘Tina’. If you’re going to look like a girl, you’re going to get treated like one." Nancy had mixed emotions. She was still angry with him, feeling his actions tended to humiliate her, since they’d been close once. On the other hand, they had shared something once. She had cared about him. She always felt guilty about breaking off their relationship, just because of the way he looked. Was she really that shallow? "What do you mean? Where are we going?" Tim was getting really worried now. Patty answered from the front seat. "We’re just going to pick up the guys from the high school. Then we’re going to get a bite to eat." She could see him squirm in the rear view mirror. "Please take me home." He begged. A few of their boyfriends were the same guys who always took so much pleasure in harassing him and beating him up. "Later Tina. Buy the way, I hope you can talk more like a girl than that. We’re not going to give away your secret as long as you behave, but if you talk like you’re doing now, we won’t have to tell the guys your secret." His voice was too low, he’d never get away with it. She knew he must be able to talk differently or else he wouldn’t have gotten away with shopping in the mall. God, could he fool those guys? He’d have to try. He knew how to walk and talk and move like a girl, he’d watched and studied them long enough and he practiced for endless hours in his apartment and in his bedroom at home before that.

They watched the girls turn into the high school parking lot. The guys had been waiting for a half hour.

"You’re late." Jim bellowed as he opened the front door. "Where’s Pam, we can’t all fit in here." There were four of them and four girls.

Tim knew them all by sight. They were all jocks and except for Jim and Jeff, they were huge. Only one had ever beat him up. That was Randy, Sue’s boyfriend. It had been almost two years ago and Tim prayed he wouldn’t remember him. He was a fullback and he was big and burly looking. He had dark brown hair and one long eyebrow that connected the bridge over his eyes. His nose had been broken several times and it didn’t set quite right the last time. He was the neanderthal of the group.

Jim was the team quarterback and Pam’s current love. He was as ruggedly handsome as she was beautiful. They made a perfect match. Both had blond hair and picturesque features and both believed that they were God’s gift to the opposite sex.

Bob belonged to Patty. Most people took that literally when they saw them together. She didn’t even come up to his armpit but she had more control over him than his coach and his parents combined. He would do anything for her. He wasn’t as heavy as Randy but he was all muscle. For Patty, he kept his brown hair neatly trimmed. He was almost as good looking as Jim. Bob stuck his head in Patty’s window and stole a kiss, being careful not to mess up her perfect makeup. "Come around and get in here next to me." She told him and like a big obedient trained bear, he did.

Randy opened the back door and gave Sue a kiss. He was filthy from playing touch football all afternoon and she didn’t want him near her. "You smell terrible. Don’t touch me." Nancy’s boyfriend was as well built as Bob. Jeff stuck his pepper blond head in the window and kissed her. She didn’t mind that he was a little dirty, at least he didn’t smell like Randy. He was a good-looking guy too. Eyes in proportion to his slender face and his nose and mouth matched the set. He had full lips that Nancy liked.

Tim felt just a twinge of jealousy, seeing them kiss.

"Who’s this?" Jeff was looking at the new girl. "Does your little click have a new member?"

She was pretty, he thought to himself.

Nancy made the introductions, "This is Tina. We met at the mall today. She’s new in town and we hit it off. She’s going to go to school with us. She needed a ride home." The girls all watched their guys as Nancy told the story and they looked ‘Tina’ over. Not a hint from any of them that they knew.

One after the other, they introduced the guys as if ‘Tina’ didn’t know them. As they all said hello, ‘Tina’ responded pleasantly to each of them in a voice that none of them had heard yet. The girls looked at each other with approval.

"How are we going to all fit in here?" Jim asked no one in particular. "Why don’t you guys climb in the back and we’ll sit on your laps?" Nancy liked that idea, she wondered how Tim would. She climbed out to let Jeff in.

He didn’t like it but what was he going to do? He slipped out behind Sue and Jim slid in the middle.

"Come on Tina. I guess you get my lap, you lucky girl."

Tim climbed back in. It wasn’t easy getting on his lap in the little car. The guy grabbed Tim’s ass and slid him up onto him like a feather.

Jeff enjoyed getting a free feel. He liked the circumstances that let him get away with it.

"Comfortable Tina?"

Tim had to duck, his head was almost hitting the ceiling and it was messing up his hair. He had to sit across Jim’s lap and Jim put his arm around Tim’s waist. Very strange feeling. He didn’t answer Jim.

"Another one who worries more about how she looks than comfort. No insult intended." She did look terrific and she felt good on his lap. After his little pun he gave her an affectionate squeeze. Nice shape, he thought to himself. "None of you better tell Pam about this." He had hoped the girl would smile back. She’s either uncomfortable or stuck up. He hoped she was just uncomfortable.

The girls got quite a charge out of watching Jim grab him and pull him up on his lap. Tim looked so uneasy. Too bad.

Randy got in and pulled Sue in after him. The door barely closed. Tim was glad he was facing away from Randy.

Patty started the car and they drove off.

Jim liked this. Having her arm around his neck and bouncing on his lap excited him. She smelled good too. The hint of perfume he had caught earlier was much stronger, this close to her. Maybe it was because she was someone new. Whatever, it felt good. He held her close to his chest.

Tim wasn’t stupid, he knew what he was feeling under him. What was doing that to him? He certainly wasn’t doing anything. The arm around his waist made him very conscious of his falsies. If Jeff’s arm came up a just two inches, it could bump them. Would he know? Tim said a silent prayer.

Patty watched in the rear view mirror. Nancy was facing him. This was better than they had hoped for. Tim must be scared to death.

"So where are you from Tina?" Jim asked.

Oh shit, thought Tim. "Atlanta." He had lived there when he was a kid. Couldn’t they just leave him alone?

"Both your Mom and Dad come with you?" Jim realized it was a dumb question as soon as he said it.

Patty jumped in. "She came down ahead of her parents. She’s got herself a little apartment until they get here." Talk your way out of that one Tim, she said to herself, laughing. "Your own apartment? Damn, I wish I had my own place. I’d like to see it sometime." He shouldn’t have said that. The girls are going to tell Pam and he’s going to be dead. Thinking quickly, he added. "Maybe we could all have a party sometime." "It’s only for a little while. My folks will be here soon." Tim was watching Nancy. The tiniest smile escaped her lips. No way was there going to be a party at his place. "Where is your apartment Tina?" Jeff was only casually curious. He was just making conversation.

Nancy swatted him. "Why do you want to know?" For just the briefest instant she was jealous.

How ridiculous, she mused.

They pulled into the Pizza Hut parking lot. It had only been a ten minute ride but it felt to Tim like an hour. Jim ‘helped’ Tim off his lap.

The minute they got inside the girls excused themselves, "We have to use the lady’s room."

The guys got two booths for them and waited.

As soon as the ladies’ room door closed and they were sure they were alone, Patty asked, "God, how did you learn to talk like that." She was impressed. "I practiced a lot." Of course. Why did they want him in here with them? Then again, he didn’t want to be out there with those guys either.

"You’re doing fine Tina, keep it up." Nancy was impressed.

"It’s Tim."

"It’s Tina from now on sweetie." They all got in his face.

"All right, it’s Tina." The sick feeling in his stomach was getting worse. "That a girl. Let’s go." Sue was feeling smug. They had him under their thumbs and they were going to keep him there for a while.

Jeff and Jim took one booth while Randy and Bob took another, right next to them.

"She’s a hot little number." Jeff could say it as long as Nancy wasn’t around. "She’s really cute and she’s got a great little ass. You think we can find out where her apartment is?" Jim wouldn’t mind a little fun with her.

"You better watch your own ass. If Pam finds out you’re asking about Tina, she’ll cut your balls off." Jeff knew her reputation. She was a real bitch when she was mad. "Ok, Ok. Cool it, here they come."

The girls were sure how the guys would split up and they were as predictable as ever. Patty slid in next to Bob, Sue next to Randy and Nancy next to Jeff. That left ‘Tina’ next to Jim. Tim was scared. He tried to leave as much space between them as he could. Jim, joking around, picked up his arm and sniffed his armpit. "Well, I don’t smell and I promise I won’t bite. You can get a little closer, you make me feel like a leper." What could he do to her here?

Tim closed the gap by only an inch or two. That was close enough. "I’m just a little shy." He knows the moves and the words as well as most girls do. Nancy wondered if maybe this wasn’t the first time he had been dressed up and a guy put the moves on him. Another thought occurred to her, maybe he really does like guys.

The boys had ordered and the pizzas came. Tim avoided conversation as much as possible.

He gave short, one or two word answers whenever he could. They were just about finished. Tim was well aware that Jim had been moving closer and closer to him the whole time they were eating. He was almost right up against him. Tim pretended not to notice. He wasn’t able to do that for long, Jim very gently and inconspicuously rested his hand on his bare leg.

Smooth and silky, like a baby’s ass. If she doesn’t move it in the next three seconds, I’ll know.

One . . . Two . . . Three.

What was he supposed to do? He couldn’t say anything without sounding foolish and if he just brushed it off he might get angry.

Four . . . Five . . . Six. Hmmm. He gave her leg a gentle squeeze. Tim jumped, hitting the underside of the table with his leg. Jim, quickly, pulled his hand back to his own lap.

Jeff, laughingly, asked, "What are you two doing over there?" Jeff knew what Jim was like.

He would cheat on Pam in a heartbeat if he got the chance and thought he could get away with it. She waited long enough. Shit, Pam will know what he did. Tina’s sure to tell her. He was doing fine until he squeezed her leg.

"There was something crawling on my leg." There, now Jim should get the hint and the others will think nothing happened.

Nancy knew Jim too. He was the biggest flirt in school. I bet he scared the daylights out of Tim.

Good girl, thought Jim. Maybe there was something there after all. At least she covered for me. "Want me to get down there and see if I can find that nasty old bug?" He just couldn’t resist. "No thanks, it’s gone now." Tim was ready to run like hell if he tried. "You better behave yourself Jim, before I tell Pam on you." What a joke. Nancy was going to tell her everything anyway. She will fall over laughing. Tim looks like he’s ready to jump out of that seat. "We have to go. We’re meeting Pam in a few minutes." They were done at the other table too. The guys pooled their money and paid the bill. Jim was even handier when he helped Tim onto his lap the second time and his erection was just as evident as they drove. It was inconceivable to Tim that he could get excited over nothing. One arm was around his waist and the other was on his lap. Tim had no choice again but to put his arm around Jim’s neck.

She really did have great skin and no stubble. Pam’s legs almost always had stubble. Tina seemed to be trying to get closer to him this time. Her arm was tighter around his neck and she was leaning into him.

The others were still watching and enjoying his discomfort. It was a short drive from Pizza Hut to Jeff’s house. The guys had all left their cars there earlier.

They all climbed out of the car. Tim was glad that was over. Jim was really going to be pissed when he heard on the grapevine who the girl was he was playing with. Tim didn’t know what he was going to do to him when he found out but Tim was sure it wasn’t going to be pleasant for him.

Jeff’s Mother was waving from the front porch. "Hello girls."

Nancy really liked his mother, she was really sweet. "Hello Mrs. Brown. How are you?" "Fine Nancy. If you girls don’t have to rush off, why don’t you come in for a while?" Nancy was the nicest girl Jeff had ever gone out with and she really liked her. "We can’t tonight. We’ll stop by during the week. May we use the pool?" The thought just occurred to her.

"Sure Nancy, anytime." She was disappointed they couldn’t come in for a few minutes. She had always wanted daughters but had only boys, three of them. She enjoyed it when the girls came over.

Nancy climbed in front with Patty. It was only a fifteen minute drive to downtown. The sense of relief Tim felt, getting away from their boyfriends, only diminished his nervousness slightly.

Pam knew right where to go to find what she needed. The keys to her Dad’s offices were in his desk at home. It was only ten minutes from the house to his office. Her first stop was her father’s small library. Pam had a general idea where to look for what she sought. It took a while to find and document the information she was after. The medical supplies were locked up but that didn’t stop her. She found the different things she needed. All that she had to do was to get everything back before morning, when the office opened.

It was already eight o’clock, it took her longer than she thought it would. They went through everything. His dresser, his closet, the little desk that held all his cosmetics. Even the bathroom cabinets.

Tim hung up his new dresses and put the other things, still in bags, in a corner of his closet. They pulled everything out, going thru those things too. He had to put everything away again when they were done.

"It’s like there’s two people living here, Tina and Tim." Nancy was surprised at all the clothes and things he had for Tina. There were more clothes for the girl than the boy. What went thru his mind? Why did he do this?

Sue and Patty got comfortable on the couch, in front of the television. Nancy paced, waiting for Pam. Tim straightened up in the bedroom. He didn’t want to be around them. He hoped they’d get tired and leave soon.

The knock on the door was Pam. Tim didn’t even bother coming out of the bedroom to answer it, he knew it wasn’t someone he invited.

Pam came in carrying a small brown bag. "Did you get everything we need for him?" Sue was anxious to get started. She and Pam had talked privately about what they planned to do to him. "I have it all." She turned to Patty. "How about you pour us all something to drink." Pam Held up the little bottle of Valium tablets.

Patty understood. She went into Tim’s kitchen and got down five glasses and poured them each a Coke. She gave Sue, Pam and Nancy theirs as Tim walked into the room. She was careful to make sure Tim took the one intended for him. It had triple the normal dosage of the drug. Tim had changed into his jeans, Tim’s jeans. He was thirsty. He took it gladly and drained the small glass. He thought it tasted a little funny but he dismissed it as his nerves. He plopped down on the chair. Sue and Patty were back on the couch. Nancy took Pam into the bedroom to show her what they had found.

"He has quite a little wardrobe." She was looking in the closet, at the outfits hanging there. "There’s more." Said Nancy, as she pulled out all the dresser drawers on the left side of the dresser, one by one.

"He’s got everything he should need." Pam pushed the things around, looking. Satisfied she had seen everything, she closed the last drawer. Nancy was standing over by a small table. "Look at this. It’s his cosmetics." Nancy still couldn’t believe it.

Pam was amazed. "He must have been doing this for years and no one ever had any idea." Pam had decided, she was going to make his dream come true and they were going to enjoy helping him. Then Pam remembered. "How did it go with the guys and dinner?" "Oh God, I almost forgot! It was great!" Nancy proceeded to tell her all about what happened. Including the good part, about Jim.

Pam almost got mad. "He’ll be sorry. We’ll tell everyone what he did with ‘Tina’." She knew he couldn’t be trusted from the beginning but he was the most sought after boy in school and she had him. "And how was our Tina?"

It bothered her now, "Scared to death the whole time." Nancy was having regrets. "Well we’re not done with him yet. The Valium should be taking effect by now. Shall we get into the good stuff?"

Nancy wasn’t exactly sure what she meant by the ‘good stuff’ but, "Sure." He figured they would just stay for a little while and then leave. There was no point in them hanging around. He figured that if he just sat quietly and ignored them, they would go away. Sue and Patty were sprawled out on the couch. World’s Finniest People had just come on and they were watching it.

Tim heard Pam and Nancy in his bedroom. Nancy was showing her all his things. It really bothered him the way they all just walked in here and invaded his privacy, poking into everything. He could hear Pam laughing in there.

Tim was feeling sleepy. It was probably from exhaustion due to nerves. He didn’t want to sleep, He had a lot to do as soon as they left.

Tim had finally made up his mind. It was over. He was going to cut his hair and get rid of everything of ‘Tina’s’. No more second thoughts or, ‘I’ll do it tomorrow.’ He knew school was going to be terrible for him, when he went back in two weeks, but he would deny everything they said about him. When everyone saw him, looking like himself again, and the girls with no proof, some, if not most people, would believe him. He had been harassed and teased for years, so they couldn’t make matters much worse. He would avoid these girls and their boyfriends like the plague, of course.

It was getting hard to concentrate and his head kept dipping as his eyelids grew heavy. They were watching him fight to keep his head up. Sue and Patty knew he wouldn’t last much longer. Patty thought he looked so cute in his jeans and tee shirt with his hair styled. Too bad he had taken off the falsies, he would have made a picture.

Tim was soon in a puddle, curled up in the chair.

Pam and Nancy came out of the bedroom at about eight thirty. Tim had been out of it for about five minutes.

"I think he’s ready girls. Let’s get to it." Pam was anxious to get started.

Sue jumped up, she was ready. "Ok, let’s go."

Pam and Nancy lifted him from under his arms. Sue took his legs. It was a little awkward, getting him into the bedroom. He wasn’t completely out of it, his eyes were closed and he was mumbling unintelligibly.

Getting him undressed on the bed wasn’t too difficult. "It’s a good thing he’s not wearing ‘Tina’s’ jeans." Patty said as she pulled the loose-fitting jeans off. Sue tugged the tee shirt over his head. She seemed surprised when she saw his chest, "He has no hair on his chest, anywhere." She thought all boys his age had some hair. "Maybe he shaves it." Patty suggested with a shrug of her shoulders. Sue looked closer. "I don’t think so. There’s no stubble and no sign of irritation from waxing or a cream hair remover." She was sure of that.

She had also noticed something else. "He has a pierced ear." A smile crossed her face. "Patty, would you get me my purse from the living room please." She knew she had a big needle in it. While Patty was getting it, Sue went over to his dresser. She had seen his box of earrings and there was a pair of fake diamond studs among the clip earrings. She sterilized the needle from her purse with her lighter and, after piercing his ear lobe, put the earrings in both his ears.

Tim had put on his boy’s underwear and Nancy pulled them off. Under other circumstances, the scene would have been arousing. A naked boy on a bed, surrounded by four very attractive girls. Tim’s face and styled hair ruined the picture. Pam was at Tim’s vanity table, getting the things she had brought ready, while the others made their little jokes about the pretty boy, lying on the bed. Pam was ready with the first step. She stepped up next to the bed with a strange looking hypodermic with a huge needle.

"What’s that?" Patty asked. She shivered at the sight of the thing.

Pam didn’t look up as she slid the huge needle into the fleshy underside of us upper arm.

"Hormones, twice the normal dosage."

Sue was not ignorant about hormones. "But doesn’t the body throw off anything over what it process in a day?" She and Patty sat on the far side of the bed. Pam looked up after she removed the needle. She had a band-aid ready to cover the small hole it left. "Not when it’s laced with certain chemicals. This time release capsule will last him six months, feeding him twice what is considered a normal dosage, daily." Pam had researched well and she explained to the others. "They’ve just come out with this time release system, it’s just like what they give to diabetics except this is what they’re giving now to women who’ve had hysterectomies."

"That’s perfect." Sue agreed. "That should be time enough to soften him up nicely." Sue couldn’t wait to see the changes that would take place. Too bad it would take so long. "Will that keep the hair from growing on his face and chest?" Patty was a little embarrassed she was so ignorant.

"He won’t grow hair like other boys. Since his face and chest don’t have hair already, they never will, as long as he stays on hormones. The little bit of hair he has on his arms and legs will get lighter and finer." Pam knew all this from her research. There was something that bothered Nancy. "Won’t the male hormones his body produces fight the female hormones we gave him?" She was merely curious. She wasn’t sure they should be doing this to him. She couldn’t tell the others her doubts. She had to pretend to go along. Pam smiled. "I’m going to take care of that too, just be patient." She turned to Sue and Patty. "We want to get rid of any hair in his crotch. I think I saw a tube of bikini hair remover in the bathroom."

"You did!" Sue said, as she jumped off the bed to go get it. Patty got Tim ready. She spread his legs wide and slipped a towel under him. It seemed so funny to be handling a boy this way, she almost laughed. "He’s so small." She commented, looking at his penis.

They all took another look and laughed.

"He’s going to be even smaller." Pam smirked.

Nancy and Patty, glancing at each other, wondered what she meant. Better not to ask, they decided.

Pam went back to the vanity table and got the high pressure injector she had already prepared.

Sue and Patty were already busy.

Nancy asked Pam, "What does that do?"

Pam was especially proud of her self for discovering this gem. "I found this by accident. The medication invades the muscle tissue and causes the muscles to expand. Muscle builders used to use it until they discovered an unfortunate side effect."

"What did it do?" Pam always dragged her stories out. It drove Nancy crazy.

With a big grin and a twinkle in her eye she answered, "It gave them breasts."

Nancy and Patty naturally assumed she meant temporarily. Sue knew better.

Patty was curious, "Why don’t they use it on flat chested women?"

Pam explained, "It doesn’t work the same on women. Their muscle tissue is different." Pam knew that his muscle tissue would begin to change soon from the hormones but by then he’ll already have breasts. The hormones will only make them better, more natural. Maybe even bigger. She turned her attention to the boy. It was important that she place the shots just right. Otherwise he might have funny shaped mounds instead of the lovely breasts she anticipated.

"Hold his shoulders Nancy, I don’t know how he’ll react to the shots." He felt a dull thump on the right side of his chest. Than another and another. Them the other side, one . . . two . . . three. He felt a little pressure. Like when the dentist shoots novocaine in your gums. It dissipated quickly. It was not enough to stir him from his drugged sleep. Pam leaned back. She was a little surprised. "He didn’t even seem to feel it."

"Was it enough?" Sue wanted him to have very realistic looking breasts. "He’ll have at least an ‘A’, But probably a ‘B’ cup." Pam raised her eyebrows to Sue. "Big enough?"

"Perfect." Sue’s smile indicated she was satisfied. "You said they may get even bigger later?"

Sue reminded Pam.

"They may, but not much. They’ll definitely get more fleshy and natural but he’ll be fine for a while."

"How long will it take?"

Pam looked to Patty, "The injections? Twelve to fifteen hours. The hormones should begin to affect him in five to eight days but probably sooner since he’ll be getting twice the normal level daily. It will take a while to see any change though. His nipples will swell and get real sensitive first, they’ll be really tender for a while, as he changes. The filling out of the fleshier tissue will be gradual." Pam was satisfied, so far.

Sue and Patty were done with their task.

"Is he really clean and dry?" He needed to be for what Pam was going to do next.

"Absolutely." She and Sue stepped back to give Pam room. Pam had another syringe and she knelt at the bottom of the bed. "Nancy, hold his pelvis down. You two each take a leg and hold his thighs down. I don’t want him to move." "What are you going to do?" Asked Sue.

"Remember Nancy asked about his male hormones countering the female hormones?" They had him ready so Pam slowly pushed the tiny needle through the thin skin and then through the harder membrane of his testicle that she had cradled in her fingers. Tim twitched, involuntarily, trying to pull away slightly. The girls held him down. Pam injected a few ccs of the fluid into him. She pulled it out and prepared to do the same to the other. "Well, this will stop that from happening." Again he squirmed as the needle entered his other testicle and she injected the fluid. When she was done, she looked up at her friends. "That will stop his body from producing the male hormones."

Pam didn’t mention that it was called ‘chemical castration’ and that it was permanent. She knew that Nancy and Patty would give her grief if they knew so she just left out that part. Pam felt no remorse.

Patty and Nancy thought it was neat. Beginning really soon he would begin to get softer and more shapely. The six months of this should serve to humiliate him adequately enough to cure him of his sick behavior.

Sue didn’t mind what Pam had done to him a bit. She thought the little sissy deserved it. "Ok, last but not least, let’s fix him so he’ll be able to wear his little panties and tight knits and no nasty bumps will show."

Nancy and Patty worried that Pam was going to cut his penis off but when she came back to the bed she only had a little tube of something, not a knife. Pam showed them the tube. "It’s something new. They’re starting to use this stuff instead of stitches when they do plastic surgery. It holds the skin together until it knits." "So how do you get him back to normal later?" Nancy asked.

Now Pam lied outright. "It will hold him like that until we use a special solution to dissolve it." Only Pam and Sue knew that there wasn’t any ‘special solution’. The body gradually absorbed it, long after the skin had permanently knit together. It was absolutely invisible because of the way it soaked into the skin.

They all watched as Pam pushed Tim’s testicles up, inside him and made folds of the loose skin. She ran a bead of the quickly absorbing liquid on the seam of each fold. She held his skin while the fluid did its job. Pam’s plastic gloves protected her. "The area won’t get hard. It will stay soft and pliable while it joins the skin." Permanently, she mused to herself. After about two minutes she let go. "It’s like super glue." The folds all stayed put. Pam was thrilled with the way he looked now. " See how it looks like the lips of a vagina?" They agreed. "It really does." Sue was amazed.

Patty and Nancy said nothing as they looked over Pam’s shoulder. Nancy wondered, "Won’t that be awfully uncomfortable with his testicles locked up inside him like that?" "Not for long." Everything was going so well. "His body will adjust in a very short time and he won’t even notice in a little while." What Pam didn’t tell them was that in no more than eighteen hours, his testicles will be the size of peas. In three days, they’ll be gone, dissolved altogether. Forever!

Pam started on his little penis. It was small enough that when she turned it inside out, pushing it up into him, it went up easily. She was careful that when she applied the glue only the very top surface of its head showed, just the little slit. No glue touched it or else he wouldn’t be able to sit and tinkle like a girl. The soft folds of his penis’ outer skin blended naturally to form a sort of clitoris when Pam was finished.

Pam was pleased with the results. His penis would shrivel up inside him from the hormones. "He’ll look natural in even the most reveling clothes. Someone would have to look very close, even when he’s naked, to tell the difference between him and one of us." Pam was more than satisfied with the job she’d done.

"Which of you can stay here with him tonight?" Pam asked as she started to put everything away in the little bag. "I can’t, I have to return all this stuff to my Dad’s office in the morning, before it’s missed."

Sue and Patty looked at each other. Sue volunteered. "I told my Mom I was staying at Patty’s. She can tell her Mom I had to change my plans."

That was settled.

Tim was resting peacefully now and the girls all sat down in his living room to discuss what they wanted to do next with him.

"We’ve got two weeks before school starts again and I think we can have some real fun with him between now and then." Sue could think of all kinds of things to do. She knew, but she had no intention of telling Nancy and Patty that what they’d done was permanent. "I’m sure we can do a lot to feminize him in two weeks."

Patty was a little worried, "He may give us some trouble when he finds out what we’ve done to him."

"What if we don’t tell him everything yet?" Nancy suggested. "He won’t know what we’ve done unless we tell him. Anyway, it will only last about six months and that should cure him of his weird fantasies by then."

"We can say that his breasts are a temporary condition and that they’ll go away in a few weeks." Pam knew they could convince him. "We’ll tell him about the glue, how it’ll deteriorate and let lose so he’ll look normal again soon." Pam knew that she and Sue had made the right decision, not to tell the others the truth. They would never have gone along with it if they knew what she had really done. They’d know eventually but by then it would be too late to point fingers. Nancy and Patty would be just as guilty as they were and would have to keep their mouths shut.

"If we pretend we’re sorry for what we did and say we want to make it up to him by helping him to live out his fantasy for a few weeks, he might even go along with us willingly." Nancy knew him better than the others. He had always been a very trusting person. She felt a little guilty, tricking him.

Pam liked the sound of it. It might be a little awkward for them, pretending he was one of them, but they could do it. They all agreed that it made sense. "Go through your closets and drawers at home. Bring anything you think will look good on him. Remember that it should only be things that will make him look or feel feminine." Nancy had a few cute outfits in mind that she didn’t wear anymore.

That wasn’t a problem for the others either. They all had things they just didn’t wear anymore.

"Good idea Nancy." Pam had plenty of things that would fit him.

Sue and Patty mentally went through their closets, checking things off. As they were ready to go out the door, Sue asked Nancy, "Tomorrow, pick up everything we’ll need to do his hair. I’m going to teach him to do it himself." Nancy thought that was a great idea. They’d have to teach him sooner or later anyway. "I’ll be back as early as I can in the morning."

"I’ll be back around eleven Sue." Patty was anxious to take part in what they were planning too.

Pam would be back as soon as she could get away from her Dad’s office. She turned to Sue, "Make sure to give him only one Valium when he wakes up. One’s enough to keep him calm but rational. And don’t forget the pain killers I left in the bedroom, he’ll need them too." After they left, Sue checked on Tim one last time. He was still resting peacefully. She curled up on the couch for the night. Sue normally slept light, she’d hear him if he woke up during the night. It was unlikely, considering the drugs in his system. The sun exploded over the building across the street and filled his bedroom with it’s bright light.

Tim awoke slowly, as if in a fog. He was aware of something on his face. He put his hand up and brushed it away, it was his hair.

Memory started to flood back.

The shopping, the girls and how they treated him. He knew he was in his bed but he didn’t remember getting up off the chair and climbing into it.

As he became more alert, he grew more aware of the pain in his chest. It was a dull ache, like after you’ve been punched hard. It felt swollen, like he had tripped in the night and fallen hard on something and bruised it. Probably when he stumbled to his bed last night. Tim rolled over. He could tell instantly that he was naked under his sheets. Something wasn’t right. Something was missing. A sense of panic started to rise inside him. He was about to explore when he realized he wasn’t alone in the room.

Sue had pulled a chair up next to the bed. She’d been awake for quite a while, watching him and rehearsing what she was going to say.

"Good morning." Sue rose from the chair and sat on the edge of the bed. She didn’t give away how excited she was feeling, only concern showed on her face. Tim was surprised to see the girl. "What are you still doing here? Didn’t you girls have enough fun with me last night?" He was indignant.

Sue was ready. Her voice and expression dripping with remorse, "Tim, we all feel terrible about the way we treated you yesterday." She had to reveal the rest to him before he asked, "I stayed to make sure you were all right."

With her eyes down, she then said, "I’m sorry but there’s something you have to know." What? The pain in his chest? Did they have something to do with that he wondered? "What do you mean, ‘Something I have to know’?" There was strong resentment in his voice. Sue took a deep breath, trying to make it look as though she really felt bad about what they’d done to him. "We drugged you last night." A little at a time, she reminded herself. She waited for his reaction.

"You Drugged me? Why?" So he didn’t stumble to bed and hurt himself. Tim put his hand to his swollen chest. "What did you do to me?" He hesitated to reach down and feel his crotch. He knew something was wrong down there but he was afraid to find out what. He didn’t want to go to pieces in front of the girl if what he suspected was true. He should be able to feel his dick when he moved but the sensation was missing.

"We did something to you," She quickly added, "but it’s nothing permanent." His hand flew to his crotch as he bolted upright in the bed. Sitting there, he discovered it was gone. Everything was gone. He knew where it had gone, he could feel discomfort when he sat up and he knew it was up inside him. He didn’t feel rage, he felt panic. "Don’t be afraid, you’re all right. Everything’s just pushed up inside you." It was a half truth, she thought to herself. She was laughing inside as she sat on the edge of the bed and reached out to him.

He knew she was telling the truth. "Why? How?" There were tears in his eyes as he turned to ask her the questions.

She could cause her eyes to tear. She had practiced the little trick enough times to get her out of trouble. "We got carried away. We thought, if he wants to pretend he’s a girl than we’ll make him look just like one of us. We thought we’d teach you a lesson." Now the regret. "We didn’t realize what unfeeling jerks we were being until it was done." He felt a little better, knowing it was only temporary. Some of the panic left him. "Why is everything stuck up there? Why won’t it come down?"

"We used something like ‘Super Glue’, except it’s something that doctors use. It will dissolve in about two weeks and you’ll be just like before. I promise." It was a really big lie but it didn’t bother her.

"What did you do to my chest? It hurts." The pressure was getting worse. "Shots," Careful, she thought to herself. Don’t let the delight you’re feeling show. He was not showing as much as she hoped he would. Pam had said it would take twelve to fifteen hours and it had only been about ten. They had only swollen a little so far. "We gave you a drug to make your chest expand. It’s only temporary too."

"What kind of shots. What’s happening to me?" His panic subsided only slightly, he believed her but he felt angry now. Angry that they could do things to him like this. "They’re to make your muscles expand." She put her head down in mock shame. "To give you breasts."

Breasts, the thought frightened him but he felt something else too. "How long will they last?"

He didn’t have to try to sound scared. "How big will they get?" Sue could sense the undertones of anticipation. It wasn’t easy to keep from smiling. "Not very big but enough to fill out a small bra." She turned the remorse back on. "We’re so sorry Tim. If we could reverse what we did to you, we would."

There was someone knocking at his door.

"I’ll be right back Tim." Sue went to see who it was. She figured it was Nancy. Tim felt himself, his crotch. All he could feel were the soft folds of skin. There was no hint of anything else. He felt his chest again. His breasts were only slightly exaggerated but he could feel the lumps of his chest muscle underneath. He only had a few seconds to explore, Sue was coming back.

Nancy followed Sue into the bedroom. The exchange of a few words in the living room was enough to learn where things stood. She had put drops in her eyes while she waited for Sue to come and open the door. She wasn’t as accomplished at this as Sue was. She had dropped her bag in the living room on the way through. Now she rushed to Tim, ‘crying’. Tim was still sitting up in bed when she hurried over to him. The hug was unexpected from his old girlfriend. The tears looked genuine. He didn’t get a chance to say anything. "I’m so sorry Tim." She held him tight. "Please don’t hate me." Tim was a bit surprised and just a little skeptical after yesterday. "Nancy, I didn’t think you, of all people . . . "

Nancy interrupted him. "I was a jerk, we all were. Are you all right?" She pulled back a little but held him by the shoulders. She still wasn’t used to the way he looked. Even with his hair a mess he still looked just like a girl.

"Sue told me what the four of you did to me." He was only a little calmer now. Seeing Nancy this way brought out a need in him to comfort her. Even though she had walked away from him a few years ago, he had not forgotten how much he cared for her. "She told me it was only temporary." He reprimanded the two of them, "It doesn’t excuse what you did to me." The drops in her eyes were beginning to dry up. "I know it doesn’t Tim." A pause to sniffle.

"We want to try to make it up to you if we can."

"Tim," Sue spoke up. "I have some pain killers for you. You’re going to need them in a little bit, if you don’t already. Your chest is going to hurt as the muscles expand and your breasts grow."

Tim turned from Sue and looked back at the girl he had once been crazy about.

"Sue’s right Tim. You really should take them."

He was already in pain. He looked back to Sue, "Ok."

Sue left the room to get him water. She opened the Valium capsule and shook the contents into the glass of water. She let it dissolve before she took it to him. Tim didn’t hesitate to take the pills Sue gave him.

"We were talking last night, after we came to our senses." Sue offered. She hesitated, to let Nancy continue. They had agreed he would listen to her before he believed any of the others. Nancy was still worried that he might not accept the idea. That would be a shame. "Tim, we want to try and do something for you, to make up for what we’ve done. We can’t change what’s happening to you but maybe there’s something we can do to make things easier and possibly even fun for you."

He listened, wondering what she was getting at. Fun?

The girls looked at each other, then at Tim. Nancy sat next to him on the bed. "You obviously enjoy dressing like a girl and before the day’s over you’re going to look a lot more like one of us. We wondered if you wanted to take advantage of the little time you’ll have, with the changes in you. We all want to help you to live out your fantasy. There’s so much more to being a girl than just looking like one, let us help you to live like one for a few weeks. You could really be one of us for a while. It will be our secret." Nancy waited for his reaction. She had all night to think about what they’d done to him. She was genuinely sorry. The problem was that there was no way to go back and undo what had been done. Then too, there was Pam and the others. She knew what the consequences would be if she went up against Pam and tried to end it.

Sue watched and waited anxiously for his answer.

Tim didn’t show it, but as he thought about the offer, it touched a cord. Could he trust them, he wondered? He looked at them and they appeared sincere. He could always walk away, no worse off than he was now, if they weren’t being honest with him. A few seconds had passed and they watched him, trying to tell what he was thinking. His expression changed and he looked at Sue curiously.

Tim was being cautious. "What would I have to do?"

Sue’s eyes sparkled. "Oh God, it’ll be fun. You’ll do everything with us." The look on his face changed again. It showed concern as he said to Sue, "I’m not very sure of myself." He turned to Nancy. "There’s so much I don’t know and understand. I’m not sure I can be convincing enough to hang around with you girls." Tim was afraid he’d embarrass himself, and them. They could turn on him.

Nancy was relieved. "Trust us Tim. We’ll teach you everything. How to look good, how to act like one of us, how to talk, what to say and how to have fun. All of it. Please let us do this for you!" Nancy pleaded.

Sure Tim, let us completely feminize you so you can never go back to behaving like a boy again, Sue thought to herself with delight. Not only will you look like a girl but you’ll have to endure being treated like one for the rest of your life.

"You all agreed to do this, even Pam?" Tim was still wary of her.

"Especially Pam, it was her idea." Nancy said quickly. In a way, it was. It was only for two weeks and it would get all this out of his system so he could go back and start his life over again, his fantasy fulfilled and put to rest, once and for all. Tim let his delight show in his smile. "I’ll do it." He was still very nervous about it. Nancy was excited now, "Great, that’s a load off my mind ‘Tina’. We’re going to call you that for the next two weeks and you need to get used to answering to that name. If we have to switch back and forth, someone is bound to make a mistake at the wrong time and that would be terrible. So, even when it’s just the five of us, alone. Ok?" Nancy didn’t wait for an answer. With a big warm smile she said, "Tina, you should get some rest now and let those pain killers work." Sue couldn’t wait to get started but Nancy was right. It would be a few more hours before his chest was fully expanded and the pain eased off. The Valium was going to knock him out soon anyway.

Tim didn’t mind being called Tina now. It represented something different than it had last night.

Sue assured him, "We’ll be here when you wake up and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the way you look then. We’ll go inside and let you rest now." "Sleep tight Tina." Nancy said smiling as the girls left the room.

Tim laid there fantasizing about what it would be like.

His crotch felt strange. He had never touched a girl there so he could only imagine what it felt like. He had soft fleshy folds of skin like they showed in the porno magazines. The thought that he could wear any of the silky underwear he had, and look and feel completely natural in them, was something to look forward to. He fell asleep with one hand on his chest, convinced that he could feel himself growing. Tim didn’t have to wear falsies anymore, he was going to have real breasts of his own. The idea both scared and fascinated him. Patty arrived around ten. "I just couldn’t wait to see him."

Pam got there just after ten thirty. They were both thrilled with the news that he’d agreed to their plan.

Sue rushed home to shower, change and pick up a few things. She wanted to be back before he woke up and she made it with hours to spare.

They sat around the apartment, impatiently waiting for him to wake up. They discussed all the things they could do with him. The checked on him constantly. During the six hours he slept, Sue and Nancy could see the difference in his chest since that morning. It was almost three o’clock in the afternoon before he awoke. Tim’s first semiconscious move was to feel his chest. He woke more quickly after he realized that it had grown. He had real breasts. He opened his eyes to look and discovered that he was not alone. All four of the girls were there in the room with him. He hesitated pulling down the sheets to look. The lumps in the sheet were teasing him.

"Hi Tina." There was not a hint of a condescending tone in Pam’s voice.

Tim responded cautiously, "Hi Pam." He didn’t know how to read her.

"How do you feel?" Patty asked. There was genuine concern in her voice. "Are you ok?" There was something about Patty that made you like her. She was ‘perky’ and had a pixie face. She looked different to him than she had yesterday. They all did. They weren’t a threat to him now, they weren’t trying to embarrass him.

Nancy was standing near the head of the bed holding a robe she had brought him from home. "Come on Tina, you need to get a shower and wash your hair. It will make you feel better." She held out the robe for him.

He hesitated about pulling back the sheets and getting up. He was still naked under the covers.

The others sensed his embarrassment and, without saying a word, they turned and left the room. Only Nancy stayed, still holding the robe.

She knew his problem. "Tina, girls aren’t like guys. We don’t get embarrassed, seeing each other naked. We don’t have the hang ups that guys do. If you’re going to be one of us, than you’ll have to get used to doing things the way we do. We’re not the other sex anymore, you’re a girl now too" Tim knew she was right. It was an odd notion for him to adjust to. "It’s not going to be easy." "I know, but you’ll be fine. We’re going to help you, remember?" Nancy was anxious to see him, to see how his chest looked when he stood up.

Tim was even more anxious. He took a deep breath and pulled back the covers. He looked down to see two the two low, broad mounds on his chest. He was almost disappointed. He had expected them to be more pronounced.

As he swung his legs off the side of the bed, he again became acutely aware of what was missing between his legs. He felt a slight discomfort from having everything pushed up inside him. That would be easy to ignore, he said to himself.

"They’re lovely Tina." Nancy said as he sat on the edge of the bed. His breasts weren’t too modest in size and they were perfectly shaped. They were about the same size as hers. Tim looked again and, now that he was erect, they looked better, more like what he had hoped they’d look like. He wanted to cradle them in his hands to see what they felt like but with Nancy standing there he wouldn’t. It felt strange to have them protruding from his chest. Tim stood, turned and she slipped the short robe on him. It barely covered his ass. He looked in her face as she tied the robe closed, standing in front of him. He looked down at the bumps in the robe.

"They’re the perfect size for your build. It looks like you’ll need to wear a ‘B’ cup." Nancy got a kick out of the look on his face. Tim looked good in the robe. It was unbelievable how much he looked like a girl.

"They’re not going to get any bigger are they?" Tim didn’t want them to. "No, they shouldn’t. It’s been almost eighteen hours and they should have stopped growing after about fifteen."

Tim was thrilled with the way they looked. Two weeks, he thought to himself. I could enjoy this for two weeks.

Nancy stayed in the bathroom while he showered. As he washed his hair he noticed his earrings. He asked Nancy from behind the curtain, "Who pierced my other ear?" Nancy wondered if that bothered him. She couldn’t see his face. She answered slowly. "Sue did that last night when she noticed you already had one ear pierced. Don’t worry, it will close as soon as you stop wearing an earring in it. A little makeup will cover it while it heals." He knew it would close up in time and he was actually glad Sue had done it. If they had said they wanted to do it today, he might have been afraid but now that it was done, he was glad she had. Now he could wear the kind of earrings he always wanted to. The styles available in the clipons were so limited.

There was a knock on the bathroom door. "Can I come in?" It was Sue and Tim’s first thought was NO. He was still toweling off, he was naked. He looked at Nancy and realized by the look on her face that he was wrong about being shy. He remembered what she had said in the bedroom. "Sure Sue." Sue was careful not to look him over too much but not commenting on his breasts would have been taking it too far. "God, they look even better than I thought they would." They really did.

Pam and Patty, standing in the open door, agreed.

Patty even commented, "They look better than mine." She pulled up her short tee shirt and exposed her little breasts. Patty could go without a bra easily, she was nearly flat chested. They had discussed this last night. "If we’re going to convince him that we’re sincere and we really want to feminize him, then we’re going to have to treat him like one of us. That’s going to take some effort on our part."

Tim was a little surprised at what Patty did but it did help him to feel a little more comfortable. It made the sincerity they professed more believable. With her best, disarming smile, Sue suggested, "I’ll help you with your hair Tina." He hadn’t paid any attention to the girl, Gina, yesterday and he really had no idea how to do it himself. "Thanks Sue."

She was very patient with him. She sat him down at his desk and showed him, step by step, what to do. The others got comfortable on the bed. It took him a while to get it right. They made small talk as he worked on his hair. When Sue was done teaching him to tease it, he looked as good as he had last night and now he could do it himself. He looked in the mirror and saw the look on Sue’s face. She had really enjoyed helping him.

She had, but for her own reasons.

Patty slipped off the bed. "Why don’t you go ahead and start putting on your makeup Tina and I’ll give you a few hints as you go?" This was her area of expertise. Tim started to apply his makeup as he had a hundred times in the past. He’d had only magazines to learn from.

Patty stopped him occasionally and showed him a different way to do things. She suggested different colors he might try and explained why less makeup sometimes made a girl look better than more.

When they were finished, he turned to Patty. He wanted her final approval. Patty couldn’t believe that a boy could have a face like his. He didn’t need much eyeshadow to make his brown eyes look bigger or mascara to make his thick, full lashes longer. Unlike most boys, he had great eyes. With his brows shaped, he had beautiful eyes that any girl would be proud of.

His nose was small and slender. It turned up just slightly at the end. The only way she could describe it was petite. His cheekbones stood out on his slender face. He needed only a little blush to highlight them.

His mouth was probably his most amazing feature, considering he was a boy. He had what Patty called sweetheart lips. Perfectly shaped and full in all the right places. They were so well defined that he didn’t even need to use lipliner.

Even his chin was perfect. His face narrowing gracefully from his cheeks down to his narrow, rounded chin.

He needed the foundation to help even out his complexion but not for much longer. Patty knew the hormones would close the larger pores and he would have much clearer, smoother skin soon.

"Tina, you look really great."

Tim had been more than willing to learn from her and she was right. Although the changes were subtle, he really liked what she did to him. His smile was warm and real, "Thanks Patty." She gave him a little peck on the cheek and said sweetly, "It was my pleasure Tina." It really was difficult to think of him as a boy now.

The little show of affection meant a lot to him. He was sure she was sincere. She was spontaneous and he really liked that. He wasn’t sure if he could learn to be like her but he hoped he could.

Pam was ready for her part. "Let’s get you dressed now Tina." She went out in the living room and got the things she had laid out while the others were busy with him. He was going to get used to feeling pretty and feminine in the clothes she was going to pick out for him. His own taste in clothes was actually quite good but with the shape he had now, he could wear any of the things they brought for him too. Even if she had to trick him into spending some more money on himself, she was going to make sure he felt sexy and sensual at all times. Pam held up a lacy bra for him. "You like this a lot better that those heavy things you use to have to wear and it will make you feel pretty just wearing it." Pretty underwear always made her feel that way, it was sure to work for him too.

They were all standing around the bedroom but Tim just dropped the robe on the bed anyway.

Nancy, who was standing close by, said, "Good girl, you’re getting the idea."

The others knew what she was talking about but just exchanged approving glances.

Tim saw the exchange of looks and interpreted it correctly. It boosted his confidence. Pam was right. It was a very pretty bra and when he put it on he felt what she meant. Not only did it look pretty, it felt wonderful against his skin. He liked the feel of the material as it supported his breasts. Wearing this new bra didn’t even vaguely remind him of the falsies he had been wearing.

How strange, the perky mounds of flesh felt on his chest. It was thrilling, in a way, to experience what women take for granted. Tim definitely had mixed emotions about what they’d done to him.

Next, Pam handed him a pair of string bikinis. Yesterday he couldn’t have worn them. They would have been too tiny and flimsy to hide his male assets, but today they looked and felt perfectly comfortable. He felt wonderful in them.

The others were all in shorts so he didn’t feel out of place when Pam handed him a pair of lightweight, red nylon shorts and a loose fitting purple crop top. He liked the idea that he could now wear anything he wanted to.

"Pam, Tina can’t wear those." Nancy spoke up.

Tim hadn’t put the shorts on yet and stopped to look at Nancy. He wondered what was wrong?

Pam didn’t like the idea of one of her girls disagreeing with her. "Why can’t she?" "Look at her tan lines." Nancy had been the only one who noticed. He had always worn boys’ trunks to the beach and the shorts would never cover the lines. "God, you’re right. I’m sorry Nancy." Pam should have noticed. Pam went into his dresser and brought out the pair of white bicycle pants he had bought himself only yesterday.

Tim was just as happy with them and quickly slipped them on. He had always had a good shape, especially from the waist down, the girl that looked back at him from the mirror looked terrific in the outfit.

"Tina, we have to do something about your tan." Nancy had an idea. "Lets take Tina to the spa. It’s just about dinner time and we should be able to get into a tanning booth easily." "Once she’s got some color on that pale skin of hers we can use tanning oil to even it out."

Pam was confident that it would even out his tan. "We’ll finish the job tonight." "That brings up something else." Nancy was sure he’d be delighted with this idea. "Tina, we’re all staying at Patty’s house this week while her parents are away and we want you to come and stay with us." It was the perfect way to make sure he didn’t slip back into old ways or have the opportunity to change his mind.

"But all my stuff is here." He wanted to be able to wear the things he had bought for himself.

Besides, staying with them sounded a little scary.

"Don’t worry, we’ll bring everything with us. Including the things we all brought for you."

Patty told him.

"What things." Tim didn’t understand. He hadn’t seen the bags in the living room.

"We collected a lot of stuff this morning that should fit you. They’re things we had extras of. Along with some of the jewelry and earrings we don’t wear anymore." Nancy was happy they could come up with so much. "It’s sort of our way of saying we’re sorry and it will make the next two weeks more fun for you."

Tim couldn’t believe it when he saw the four large shopping bags full of clothes and accessories. "I don’t know what to say. Thank you." Now he was convinced of their sincerity. His fear was forgotten.

"It’s the least we could do." Pam remarked with false sincerity. They packed everything up. Tim had a couple of suitcases and the bags from yesterday’s shopping.

They were just about to leave when Pam asked, "Who’s got money for the tanning booth for Tina?"

"I spent the last of mine for the stuff for Tina’s hair." Said Nancy. The others were broke too.

It was Tim that spoke up. "I was supposed to pick up my pay from the store today."

"You can’t go in like that." Patty laughed.

She was right. He thought a minute. "What if I call in and say you’re going to pick it up for me?"

"That’ll work." Patty agreed. "But that’s the last time I want to hear Tim’s voice for two weeks Tina." Her chastising of him was kept light and humorous. "Agreed." Tina, the girl, responded.

He felt apprehensive at first when they walked out into the alley in the late afternoon sun. Tim tried to understand what he was feeling as he walked with them. Of all the emotions that filled him, freedom was the strongest. Freedom to act the way he wanted, to be the person he wanted to be. Even if it was only for a couple of weeks.

October in Florida was still very warm and the heat rose from the pavement as they walked to Pam’s car. The cool breeze, blowing through his hair as they drove with the windows down, felt wonderful. He looked up at the small white puffy clouds and his heart soared. His wildest dream was coming true.

They waited in the car while Patty went in for the cash. Tim tucked the two hundred dollars in his purse. It was amazing how comfortable he felt out in the daylight with the girls. They provided him a perfect smokescreen.

Tim spent the maximum time he could under the lamp and not burn. It had been a little strange, walking into the woman’s locker room with the girls. There were women everywhere but none of them gave him a second look. Even when he undressed in the middle of them and, wrapped just in a towel, walked the length of the room between partially dressed and, occasionally, nude women and girls.

As a boy, it was difficult not to gawk but he managed to control himself. He was really more interested in how he looked, compared to them.

They watched him closely and enjoyed his discomfort at being there, looking the way he did. Nancy and the others couldn’t help but notice how awkward he looked. "Relax Tina. You’re doing fine." Nancy whispered in his ear. "Just loosen up. You walk like you’re modeling. That’s fine if you’re trying to catch some guy’s eye, but not here. Just walk naturally." She was right, he was trying to walk the way he had practiced and it wasn’t right here, under these circumstances. "I’ll try."

Patty’s house was the next stop. They unloaded everything. Patty had Tim hung up his clothes in her closet.

It was almost seven thirty and they were all hungry, including Tim. He hadn’t eaten all day. Even given the opportunity earlier, his stomach, which was only just settling down, wouldn’t have allowed him to keep anything down.

Patty invaded the refrigerator only to find that they had no leftovers. She announced to the others, "Girls, we’re going to have to cook."

That didn’t go over well with the others.

"Jamie’s working tonight at the food court. Let’s go over there for a free meal." Pam didn’t cook, ever.

Tim was a little worried about going back to the mall.

"Come on, it’ll be fun. There’s nothing to be afraid of. You’ll be with us." Pam was very convincing. If ‘Tina’ had been one of ‘her girls’ that would have been a black mark against her. They introduced Tina, their new girlfriend, to Jamie. They all ate burgers and fries. The boss wasn’t around tonight and when he wasn’t there, all Jamie’s friends ate for free. They were very conscious of his posture and the way he sat. He was sitting with his legs crossed as if he were wearing a skirt.

"Tina, you really should relax. You’re a fifteen year old teenage girl, not an old woman. It’s ok to sit relaxed in shorts or jeans." Patty thought he was much too stiff. Tim got the hint and consciously let the muscles in his back and shoulders relax. He watched them and learned.

They wolfed down the food. A few people they knew passed by. Sue and Pam couldn’t let them just go by without making some picky or mean comment about them. Tim noticed that Nancy and Patty didn’t participate and that made him glad. He was beginning to feel more comfortable around them. Sue was all-right but Pam . . . Pam he just couldn’t help mistrusting.

Nancy and Patty were sitting on either side of him and noticed how he just sat with his hands in his lap when he talked and that he seemed afraid to express himself. It wasn’t like guys did that sort of thing. Patty leaned over close and whispered, "Tina, unless you’re partially paralyzed, it’s all right to let your hands and face help to say what you want to say. Girls say more with their body language than with their mouths." She hoped she got the point across. "And another thing, relax your wrists. You’re a girl now, women are supposed to have limp wrists." Tim felt like it was a lot to remember all the time. "Thanks, I’ll work on it." Nancy felt frustrated. "Don’t ‘work’ on it, just relax and enjoy yourself for a change." She could see he was trying but he had so much to learn.

When they had finished, Nancy remarked, "Tina, we just have to do something about those nails of yours. They’re a mess."

Tim’s nails were short and his cuticles were in bad shape, like most boys’. They looked 100% better when the girl at the nail salon was done with them. Considering they were porcelain, they got away cheap at fifty dollars and he had beautiful looking, long nails when she was done. Tim had put polish on his nails before but he had never been able to let them grow. Work was really hard on them. He had small hands and slender fingers. With his nails done he had pretty hands. He was really happy with how they looked. Of course, in two weeks, they would have to go too, but for now he would enjoy them.

It was a little difficult with long nails, doing the things he always took for granted and he had to learn to do them differently.

They went back to Patty’s and Sue ran to get the phone first. She just had to call Randy, like she did every night. It killed her not to be able to tell him what they were doing with Tim. Pam gave ‘Tina’ the tanning oil, explaining just how to use it. They watched carefully and had to repeat the process to get the shade of tan just right, so it blended perfectly. Pam couldn’t resist giving Jim a call. "The girls tell me you thought Tina was nice." Pam thought it was fun to make Jim sweat a little.

Jim was expecting this. "She was alright I guess. Not as pretty as you babe." She knew he was squirming. Funny that the girl whose ass he had enjoyed grabbing was really a boy. "The girls said you got a little friendly with her. Did you enjoy having her sit on your lap?"

"It wasn’t my idea Hon. There was no place else for her to sit." He wasn’t going to get out of this easily.

"I’m sure it wasn’t. You wouldn’t fool around on me, would you Jimmy?" Of course he would. She’d dump him if he weren’t the quarterback and probably the most popular guy in school.

"Never Babe. You’re the only girl I think about."

He was full of crap and she knew it. She changed the subject and let him off the hook. It was getting late and they started to get ready for bed. Patty and Tim were in the bedroom getting undressed. Sue and Pam, in one of the other bedrooms, had a bathroom of their own. Nancy was still watching television.

Tim was getting used to his new nails. He was developing the technique for opening buttons and clasps without breaking them.

Tim picked out a long white chemise that he had bought a long time ago and had never worn.

How nice it was to have it fit the way it was intended.

"That’s pretty on you." Patty sat on the bed watching him. Tim didn’t realize she had been watching. As wonderful as his fantasy was, he couldn’t completely shake a feeling. "Patty, what do you honestly think of me?" Her opinion and Nancy’s were the only ones that really mattered to him.

Patty didn’t answer immediately. She continued to look at him and contemplated his question for a moment. "Honestly, really?"

"Yes, it’s important to me."

Patty felt a little sad for him. She didn’t imagine she understood his reasons for doing what he did but there was one thing she did know. "You should have been born a girl. It’s not just because you look so much like one. There are things about you that are just all wrong for a boy. It’s hard to explain."

The bedroom door opened and Pam came in. "Nice chemise Tina." She looked to Patty. "Are you going to show Tina what she needs to do to get ready for bed or do you want me to?" Pam wanted him to get used to the cleaning and moisturizing regime that they went through each night. If he thought being a girl was easy, he had a lot to learn. "No, I’ll do it." Patty hurried him into their bathroom.

For years, Tim had secretly taken care of his skin. It had been just part of his fantasy since he had started dressing up. He wanted to have nice smooth skin. He had watched his sister and had his own, hidden, supply of creams and lotions. There was little that Patty showed him that he was not accustomed to. One of the things he would enjoy was to get his hands in better shape. Two full weeks of pampering them should make a big improvement. After he asked her for her help, Patty showed him how to tie up his hair so he wouldn’t wake up with it in his face again.

They were prepared to take their game to almost any length but sleeping with him was the last straw for Sue and Pam. They used Patty’s brother’s room. Patty and Nancy didn’t mind so much. "We’ll just push the beds together and sleep across them. There’s plenty of room for the three of us." Nancy and Patty didn’t mind a bit. After all, it wasn’t like they were sleeping with a guy.

"I know it’s a little soon to ask Tina but are you having fun?" Nancy whispered as they lay there in the dark, facing each other.

"It still feels awkward." Tim admitted.

"Give it a little time." She was enjoying it. "Good night Tina."

"Good night Nancy."

"Night Tina." It was impossible for Patty, not to overhear them.

"Night Patty."

Tim was the one who felt a little awkward, lying in bed with two pretty girls. He was the last to fall asleep.

"So it’s agreed! We take him Jeff’s parents’ pool and invite a few of the other girls over too. I’ll arrange a little surprise for him." Pam and Sue couldn’t sleep until they had made their plans for the next day.

"Yes. We need to have him meet as many kids from school as possible. Especially the girls. The more he hangs around with girls who don’t know what he is, the better." Sue had a pretty good idea what Pam meant as a surprise. Sue wanted him to be so used to playing the part of a girl that he would find it difficult to be anything else. What fun it would be when they finally exposed him. There were going to be a lot of embarrassed people. "I didn’t see a suit among his clothes. We may have to take him out for one if one of Nancy’s doesn’t fit him." Pam thought one of hers should fit. Sue was too tall and Patty was too petite for theirs to fit him. She certainly wasn’t going to loan him one of hers. She’d never be able to wear it again.

"Well, if we have to take him out for a suit we should take him down to that big store at the beach. It’s bound to be crowded."

"Sounds good to me." Pam liked the idea of him in a dressing room full of girls trying on suits.

Satisfied with their plans, they called it a night.

Tim was the last to wake up. Patty was standing in front of her dresser with just a towel on, her hair was wrapped in another. He could hear the shower running, it had to be Nancy. "Good morning."

Patty turned around. "Good morning sleepyhead." He looked cute lying there. "Did you sleep all right?"

With a stretch and yawn, he answered, "Just great."

"Nancy should be out of the shower in a minute and it’s already almost ten. How about you get your shower and we can get going?" Patty pulled out a bathing suit from her dresser drawer. He didn’t see the suit yet. "Where are we going?"

Patty dropped her towel, her back to him, and stepped into the bottom of the little two piece. She turned as she pulled it up. "We’re going over to Jeff’s house and lay out at the pool." With the little bottom in place she reached for the top. Patty felt only a little strange, standing around naked in front of him. It was very hard not to think of him as one of them, as a girl. He didn’t even gawk at her, like a boy would have.

Tim felt more than a little strange watching her. She was completely naked for a moment, in front of him, and it didn’t phase her. What she said bothered him and her being naked wasn’t so significant anymore. He didn’t have a bathing suit and even if he did, he didn’t want to be around those guys in one. "We’re going over to his house? I don’t even have a suit to wear." He didn’t want to sound foolish, but, "Will they all be there, the guys I mean?" The shower had stopped and the bathroom door opened. Tim turned to see Nancy walk out with just a towel on her head, in only her panties.

She had heard them talking and it took a little courage, but she wanted to make a point to Tim. She had told him he was one of them now so she should treat him like one and show him how girls act around girls. "Good morning Tina." She said cheerfully. He was a little shocked. During the short time they’d been dating he had never seen her in even so much as a bathing suit and now she stood there, almost naked. Nancy was everything he thought she’d be, in his dreams. Tim realized he was staring but neither of the girls had been watching, he stopped gawking and looked at her face. "Good morning." Patty told Nancy what they had been talking about.

"Don’t be silly, you’ll be fine. The only person that will be there besides the five of us and a few of the other girls will be Jeff’s Mom. The guys are all working." Nancy and the others had discussed their plans for the day before Tim woke up. There was no point in worrying him now about was going to happen later on.

Tim wasn’t so sure. "I’m not sure how I’d look in a bathing suit. Maybe I shouldn’t go. I could wait here?"

Patty laughed, "You’ll do no such thing. You’re going to come with us. I thought you trusted us?"

He did, at least the two of them. That wasn’t the point. "I do. That’s not the problem." He hesitated a second. "I’m afraid to go out in a bathing suit." That got the attention of both of them. Nancy had gotten on her suit and pulled out another from her bag. She and Patty went to the bed. "Poor Tina. How many times do we have to tell you, you look wonderful? No one will know if you don’t let on." Patty tried to be as reassuring as she could.

"Try this on and see what you think." Nancy handed him the other two-piece she had brought with her. It wasn’t too extreme but it was a little reveling.

Tim looked at the suit and then back at the girls. It was a lot more reveling than he would have cared for, if he had to wear a suit at all. The top was a strapless spandex with a built-in bra. The bottom had high cut leg openings and scooped just a little in front. It was a multi lilac print. Nancy pushed just a little, "Try it on and we’ll see. If you don’t like it, we’ll go and buy you one you do like."

He was obviously not going to get out of going. "I’ll try it." Tim slid off the bed and pulled his chemise over his head. He wasn’t nearly so uncomfortable now, naked in front of them. He dropped the little panties to the floor and pulled up the suit bottom. Nancy, standing behind him, pulled the sides up, over his hips where they belonged. She also helped him to find the clip on the back of the top.

A big mirror stood only a few feet away but he was almost afraid to go stand in front of it. He was afraid he’d look terrible in the suit. The idea that he might actually look good in it, didn’t occur to him.

"It looks fine on you." It really did. "Go ahead and look." Patty got behind him and pushed him in front of the mirror.

He was surprised at what he saw. He liked it but he was still very critical of himself. "My hips are too narrow."

"Listen to her. Every girl’s dream and she complains about them." Nancy thought he looked great in her suit. "Tina, you’re going to wear that suit today." Tim liked them. They really were treating him like he was one of them and they were cute about it. He looked back to the mirror. He was glad he had a slender waist. Even the top looked ok. He had noticed it was slightly padded when he put it on and he was thankful. The padding helped him to look more natural.

He was admiring himself. He liked the way he looked. They exchanged approving glances. "Now Missy, if you’ll please get done in the shower and fix your hair, we can get a bite to eat and get out of here." Patty unhooked his top and he went to get ready. He thought the wave in his normally straight hair would have washed out by now but as he towel dried it, he was glad it hadn’t.

Sue and Pam were relieved that they didn’t have to go shopping. "He really looks pretty good in the suit. You’re going to be surprised." Nancy told them in the kitchen. "We’ll need to get him another, either later today or in the morning, before we go to the beach." Sue helped him with his hair when he was done in the shower. She showed him how to use gel to make finger curls in the wisps of hair that they didn’t tie back with his big white bow. Sue fussed over his hair until she was satisfied that was perfect. With the bow, holding the hair high on his head, it cascaded down the back. She made sure every wave was in place and that each of the hanging curls was perfect.

"Why go to all this trouble if we’re just going to lie around a pool?" He didn’t understand. Sue thought to herself, just like a guy. She explained, "No matter where you go, you always want to look your best."

"But there won’t be any guys there. Why go to all the trouble?" He didn’t get it? "Tina, girls don’t just go out of their way just to impress guys. It’s just as important that we look good around other girls. Anyway, you never know when you might meet someone that you want to impress." Sue wasn’t going to ruin the surprise.

Nancy gave him a short white knit coverup to throw on over the suit and after a quick bite, they were off.

The weather report had said it was going to be hot and sunny. They had been quite accurate but the heat didn’t bother them as they all climbed into Sue’s little jeep and, with the top down, they sped down the road. They were a conspicuous group and they got a lot of attention as they drove. Tim didn’t look when they received an occasional catcall. He just kept his eyes straight ahead.

Mrs. Brown was really happy to see them. Pam and Sue barely exchange hellos with her before they hurried out to the pool. Nancy and Patty visited with her for a few minutes. Given the choice, Tim stayed with Nancy and Patty. Even when they all sat down at the kitchen table to chat.

Nancy had introduced him and now the woman wanted to know all about the new girl in their group. Tim was thankful that he could think on his feet. The story he made up agreed with what he had told the guys yesterday. His parents were preparing to move from Atlanta and let him come to Florida a few weeks ahead.

Mrs. Brown, Carol, didn’t approve of letting a girl so young be on her own. "Tina, are you all right being on your own without your parents?"

"Oh, I’m fine Mrs. Brown. It’s very nice of you to worry though." She was a sweet lady. He didn’t like lying to her but he had no choice.

"You would be welcome to stay with us until your parents arrive. I’m sure they’d feel better if you weren’t staying alone." Carol had plenty of room, with her oldest boy off at college, it would be fun to have her there. A girl in the house would be a nice change. "Thank you anyway, I’m staying with the girls, at Patty’s house this week, until her parents come back." She meant well but that should take care of it. That was all right, Carol decided. At least she wasn’t alone. Tina was very nice, very polite.

Carol liked that.

"Maybe You’d like to spend a little time with us next week?" With that, Carol let it go and changed the subject.

Tim was relieved. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like trying to live here and keep up his charade.

Patty and Nancy had better imaginations. Nancy could just picture it. Tim would go crazy here. Mrs. Brown would mother him like he was her own daughter. Mr. Brown would probably be all right with it, she was neat. Jeff and his little brother would like it just fine too. Patty thought it would be fun but not yet. Tim wasn’t ready yet. He wasn’t feminized enough yet. As she thought more about it she knew it would be almost cruel to Tim and she was beginning to really like Tina.

After about another ten minutes of small talk, of which Tim joined in occasionally, they went out and joined Pam and Sue.

The girls had a set regime when they laid out. Sue and Pam had already started on their toenails. Nancy pulled two bottles of nail polish out of her bag. The red was for her, the pink she handed to Tim. It nearly matched the polish on his fingernails. Tim decided it would either wear off, or he could take it off in two weeks. He had a terrible time applying it right. He wasn’t used to his fingernails yet. He sat, like the others, with cotton balls between his toes as it dried.

He felt strange in the little bathing suit when he pulled off the little skimp and stretched out in the lounge chair. He had just gotten comfortable. He was on his back with his knees raised, just like Patty, when he heard Mrs. Brown behind him at the sliding door. "Girls, your friends are here."

Tim looked back, behind him, to see three girls, in bathing suits, coming out. His first impulse was to cover up but he felt a hand on his arm.

Patty was in the chair next to his. "Relax Tina. They’re just girls, like us. You did fine with Mrs. Brown and you’ll do fine with them." The new girls heard none of this, of course. They exchanged greetings and Pam introduced Tina, "She’s new in town, from Atlanta. We just met yesterday. Tina, this is Janet (average height, full figured, as pretty as Patty but with larger features and a brunette), Karen (as tall and skinny as Sue, with dirty blond hair and an angel face) and Arlene (about the same height as Janet but with a more modest build, a pretty face with a great smile, another blond). He recognized them all from school but, thank God, they didn’t recognize him!

They were full of questions for Tina. The girls wanted to know about Atlanta and about his life there, his family. They thought it had to be pretty exciting to get away from her family and live on her own.

Tim was in a box with no way out. If it hadn’t been for Nancy and Patty helping him, he would have exposed himself. They finally decided to change the subject, sort of. They began a roundtable about the local boys.

They had been out in the hot sun for nearly an hour. Tim was waiting for one of them to jump in the pool. He was very hot. He waited as long as he could before he asked the obvious question. At least it was obvious to him. He leaned over close to Nancy, "Isn’t anyone going in the pool?" Nancy looked at him like he was crazy. "And ruin our hair? No way." She handed Tim a spritz bottle of moisturizer. "Use this to cool off. But don’t spray it on your suit." It helped. It seemed silly until he thought about how much trouble they went to get their hair to look just right.

Mrs. Brown brought out a tray of sandwiches and drinks and they had lunch. Tim listened to some of the girls pick apart other girls they knew. Most of it sounded awfully petty. They didn’t include him because it was assumed he didn’t know any of them. Nancy and Patty, for the most part, didn’t join in.

They spent hours talking about all the good-looking guys in school. The ones that any of them went out with received most of their attention. Tim thought guys talked about girls a lot but girls were much worse. There wasn’t anything sacred. Tim occasionally was asked an opinion or a question and, after listening to them, he answered with what he thought they expected to hear. He did pretty well. He got quite an education on what girls think of guys. It scared him that he might be starting to think like them, the way he answered some of their questions. Pam decided to spice up the conversation a little. "Karen, You should ask Tina about the guy she split up with just before she left Atlanta."

Tim couldn’t believe it. He knew he was right about Pam, she was cruel. What was he going to tell them?

Sue perked up. She loved it. She couldn’t wait to hear how he was going to handle this.

Nancy and Patty were appalled. How could Pam do this to Tim.? He wasn’t ready for this yet.

He needed a few more days.

"What was his name Tina?" asked Janet, her interest peaked at the prospect of a juicy story.

Tim had to answer. He had to make up something and it had to be worth Pam’s bring it up.

"Jerry, he was a Junior."

Janet was almost shocked. "You went out with a Junior?"

Tim should have realized that was a no, no for a girl Tina’s age. "He was eighteen, he had been left back."

Well, that was all right then.

"So what happened?" Arlene was dying to hear the story.

There wasn’t a thing that Patty or Nancy could do to help him. He would just have to stumble along on his own.

Tim thought quickly, what would make him look special in their eyes. It had to be something that they might not want to ask a lot of questions about. "I had been going out with him for almost a year. He was really cute. He played football and he was really good." "What position did he play?" Sue asked, a little cruel smile crossed her lips. Hearing that from her surprised him a little. "He was a full back." Tim went on to describe him better. They seemed to want a better picture of the guys they talked about. "He was about 5’ 11" and about 180 pounds. He lifted weights and had a great build." By the look on their faces, Janet, Karen and Arlene were impressed.

He went on. "He had great hair. It was really thick and long and it felt wonderful to run your hands through." Tim felt like he was rambling but they seemed to enjoy it. "Brian has hair like that. I know just what you mean." Janet loved running her hands through his.

"Who did he look like?" Karen wanted to know what his face was like. They had this picture of this great body and hair but no face. "What movie star?" Tim had seen "Rocketeer" about a week ago. "He was like this younger version of the guy who was in the movie "Rocketeer". You know, the rocket man." They knew who she was talking about. "He’s cute." Bubbled Janet. "So what happened between you and him?" The girls just couldn’t wait to hear the rest of the story.

All the others were listening with delight. He was doing better than Pam expected and that sort of annoyed her.

It suddenly dawned on him, the thing they would probably love to hear. "I went by his house with some of my friends on a Friday afternoon and he was supposed to be at work. We were just cruising around and we just happened to go down his street on our way somewhere else. Well, I see his car in the driveway and I figure maybe he’s home sick or something so I go up to the door and knock." He was on a roll and he had all their attention, even Pam’s. "There’s no answer, so I try the door. It’s open so I walked in. There was no one around. I decided I’d check out his bedroom. Well I’m walking down the hall and I looked in his room." Tim was getting the hang of this. He paused for effect.

"So what was going on. Who was there?"

He gave them a forlorn, dejected look. "Him and his best friend, Jack, they’re in bed together, naked. The bastard’s gay and he’s been pretending with me for a year." Tim tried to look absolutely crushed. A painful memory best forgotten.

It worked. Sympathy gushed forth from the three new girls. They rushed forward and hugged him almost all at once. As they did, Tim turned to look at Pam. She was looking at him smiling. He nodded, ever so slightly, ‘ok?’.

Pam’s little smile grew into a grin, she nodded back, OK.

His story generated a brand new discussion and he took a willing part now. The new girl had been welcomed into their little family.

"There’s lots of really nice guys here Tina. We’ll steer you away from the bad ones and help you find somebody nice." Janet and her friends really wanted to help her, after what she’d been through. No girl should have to experience what she did.

"Thanks, but I’m not in a rush." God forbid!

Pam was looking at her watch. She whispered to Sue, "They should have been here by now." It was about ten minutes later when the guys came charging out of the house and jumped in the pool. The girls screamed as they got splashed.

By this time, Tim had all but forgotten that he was lying around in a girl’s bathing suit. When the other girls jump out of their chairs and tried to avoid getting wet, he involuntarily joined them, leaving his towel and cover up on the chair. He huddled with the girls on the lawn. Tim felt foolish at first but it had been the right thing to do. He did feel almost naked in front of the guys. The guys started climbing out of the pool and as each one did, his girlfriend went to join him. Tim was left standing with Janet and Arlene. Then they decided to join the others too. Apparently, the lone boy in the pool was not one of their boyfriends. Tim didn’t recognize him. They had been watching, unseen, from the house. They agreed that they would rush out and see how many of them they could soak.

Jeff noticed Tina and said to Jim, "If you thought Tina looked hot the other day, you should see her now."

Jim hurried to the window to look. "She looks good but check out Pam. I don’t know where she finds suits that small."

Jeff’s cousin, Brad, wanted to know which one was Tina. "Is that the one your girlfriend said was available? She’s really cute."

Jeff’s cousin lived in St. Pete and when Nancy had suggested he try to come up with a good- looking guy for her, he immediately thought of Brad.

Brad was kind of shy. Jeff had to do a lot of talking to convince him to come over today.

"She’s really cute and she’s a little shy too. You two would be great together." Nancy knew Jeff’s cousin and when Jeff suggested that he call him, she thought that he’d be perfect for Tina. Brad had his family’s good looks and he worked out, just like Jeff. He wasn’t as tall as his older cousin but he was pretty impressive at 5’9". They were all ready so they threw the door open and rushed out. Tim didn’t know what to do. He went back to the lounge chair and picked up the towel but he was the only one interested in covering up. None of the other girls appeared to even give it a thought. He would look a little strange if he did, so he spread it down on the chair and laid on his stomach. At least on his stomach he didn’t feel so exposed. Brad watched her from the pool, trying to think of a good way to approach her. Tim didn’t pay any attention to the lone boy still in the pool. He was watching the couples as they either sat together kissing, or in small groups talking. He felt really out of place. Janet and Arlene, alone too, came over and sat by him. Their boyfriends were busy and couldn’t come over today. Tim turned his chair from the others and started talking with them. He welcomed their company.

Brad climbed out of the pool. He walked around to where his cousin and Nancy were sitting. Aside from the three girls, everyone else was paired off in small groups, talking. Brad felt they would be intruding if he tried to join their conversations, he sat down on the ground by Nancy and Jeff.

"Why don’t you go and say hello to her?" Nancy suggested. "She looks like she’s busy." Actually, Brad was afraid. Not only was she cute, there were two other cute girls with her and he just didn’t have the nerve to just walk up and just start up a conversation.

"Come on Brad, she won’t bite you." Jeff had plenty of self confidence, he wished his cousin had more.

"Just walk up and say hi. Ask her about herself. Say you heard she just move here from Atlanta. You know how us girls love to talk about ourselves." Of all the boys she could think of, Nancy had felt that Brad would be the least intimidating for ‘Tina’. "You shouldn’t be afraid of her just because she’s pretty." Jeff prodded him. "Who’s afraid? It’s no big deal." That’s not what Brad’s eyes said as he shot furtive glances in Tina’s direction. His cousin had challenged him and now he had to go over to her. What Jeff had said about Tim didn’t escape her. Nancy was glad that the boys thought Tina was attractive.

The mid afternoon clouds were moving in and there was thunder over the bay. It would probably rain within an hour.

Tim didn’t see Brad coming. Janet and Arlene did.

"Hi." Brad said nervously.

 

Janet and Arlene, without enthusiasm responded, "Hello"

Tim turned to see who it was and recognized the guy who had been in the pool a moment ago. Tim didn’t know what to say and it would have been rude to ignore him, "Hi." The first thing Tim noticed was his build. Well-defined muscles stood out on his trim body. Tim compared him to other guys he knew who worked out and this guy was more serious about his body than most.

"Is it ok if I sit here? I felt a little awkward over there." He pointed behind him, to the couples.

"That’s understandable." Janet’s comment was not as cool toward him as her ‘Hello’ had been. She noticed how his gaze fell on Tina frequently. She thought to herself, so he’s interested in Tina? It doesn’t take boys long. "Sure, have a seat." The chair next to Tina was empty and she pointed to it.

Brad summoned his courage, he sat down and looked at the girl that made him so nervous. "My name is Brad. My cousin tells me you just moved down from Atlanta. How do you like it here?" She had a nice body. Not as tiny and frail as most girls. He looked quickly at her shapely legs and narrow hips but didn’t let his gaze rest there too long. She had a slender waist and nice figure from there up, along with a really pretty face and beautiful hair. He approved. "I like it fine so far. Who’s your cousin?" Tim asked. He was nice enough, Tim thought to himself. At least he didn’t come on like those other guys.

Tim knew he had been set up but he didn’t know by who. He’d play along for now. If he could fool these girls than he could fool this guy, for a while at least. "Jeff, this is his house." That was stupid. She already knows that. Now she thinks I’m a jerk.

The girls saw the resemblance immediately, so did Tim.

So either Jeff or Nancy set him up. If it was Jeff, that was understandable. If it was Nancy, that bothered him. Of course, there was the possibility that he hadn’t been set up at all. If he was Jeff’s cousin, he probably came here a lot and it could just be a coincidence. Tim didn’t like the thought that Nancy might have done this, he had just become secure in the belief that he could trust her.

Brad knew it was up to him to keep the conversation going. "So what made you move to Tampa Bay?" He was looking for something to get her talking, so he didn’t have to. Tim had just gone through this earlier with the girls so the story was still fresh in his mind.

"My Dad is being transferred down, to open a new office for his company."

"What kind of business is he in?"

"He’s in advertising." Tim had decided earlier that everyone knew what an advertising executive did so he wouldn’t have to answer a whole lot of questions about him. "What does your Mom do?"

No one had asked him that yet. He thought fast. "She used to work in a doctor’s office, doing billing. I don’t think she’s going to work anymore though." It was the best he could come up with. "Have you got any brothers or sisters?" It was getting easier for Brad. Tim turned on his side to face him. His neck was getting a kink, the way he had to turn his head to look at him. "No, I’m an only child." It was time to get him to talk now. "What about you?"

"Me?"

"What do your folks do?" Tim asked.

Brad was comfortable enough with that. He talked for ten minutes about them. Janet and Arlene decided they should split. Brad was making his move on Tina and they were just in the way. "We have to get going. We want to beat the rain home. It was really nice to meet you Tina and don’t worry about what we talked about before, moving here was the best thing you could have done." They gathered up their things. "We going to see you at the beach with the others tomorrow?"

Tim didn’t know they were going to the beach. "Sure, I guess so. It was really nice meeting you too. Bye." They were really friendly, nothing like Sue and Pam. He wasn’t happy to have them leave. He would rather not be alone with the boy.

Brad wondered what the conversation was about earlier but he figured he better not ask. "Have you met a lot of people here?" Brad was glad they were alone. It was awkward trying to talk to Tina with the other two girls around.

Tim saw Karen get up and say good bye to the others. She waved goodbye to Tim and he waved back, returning a smile. The three girls and Karen’s boyfriend left and Tim turned back to Brad. "Just Nancy and her friends and some of your cousins friends." He thought about the way Jim had touched him and was glad that Brad wasn’t like him. That would have been too much to handle.

Tim wanted to get Brad back on the subject of Brad. He was obviously comfortable talking about himself. "So, how long have you been lifting weights?" "About three years." So she noticed, he thought to himself. Tina had hit on the subject that he was most comfortable with and he got into it. Brad was a little surprised that she knew something about weight lifting and her questions and comments kept him talking for quite a while. Tim found him interesting. He didn’t brag like most guys and Tim knew enough to be able to talk to him about it intelligently. He became engrossed in the conversation. "They seem to be getting along well." Nancy commented to Jeff.

Jeff wasn’t surprised. "Brad’s a pretty good guy and Tina seems really sweet." "Look at the two of them." Tim was now sitting on the edge of his chair, facing Brad and it looked like they were deeply engrossed in whatever they were talking about. Nancy got a thrill out of how well he was doing. He didn’t seem nearly as self-conscious any more. "He’s probably talking about weight training. He lives and breathes that stuff." Jeff had once been that dedicated too but football took up too much of his time these days. Nancy thought to herself that being a boy, Tina would probably know something about it. It had obviously not been his thing but he was sure to know a little. The others had noticed too. They had been watching ever since Brad walked over to him. Patty was a little worried for Tim at first, but seeing the two of them now, getting along so well, she relaxed.

Sue and Pam had stopped watching, they were too engrossed with Jim and Randy. The clouds had gotten darker and they felt occasional drops of rain. It was about four thirty and Jeff’s mother came out. "You better all come in before it starts to lightning." The girls pulled on their coverups and the boys followed them in. Tim felt more comfortable with the skimp on, around the other guys, especially Jim. He had been giving him funny looks outside. In the house, in closer quarters, it would have been worse. The boys’ suits were almost dry but Mrs. Brown insisted that they go change back into their clothes before they sit on her furniture.

The girls were alone in the living room. Tim went over by Nancy and whispered, "Did you set me up?" Tim wasn’t really annoyed, nothing had happened and it had almost been pleasant, passing the time with Brad.

"Not me. Jeff did it. He told me after they got here that he called him this morning when he found out we were all here." It was a lie of course, but an innocent one. Nancy knew what Brad was like and Tim was better off with him than with someone that Sue or Pam might have tried to fix him up with. What she had done was for his own good. Patty decided not to push it and ask how he was doing. He was probably having a rough enough time without that kind of harassment.

Pam was not so sensitive. "So Tina, how are things going with Brad." She said it in a tone you could take several ways. It could have been interpreted as concern or it could just as easily been cruel humor.

Tim felt the latter was probably true but he couldn’t be sure. "Fine, he’s really nice." Tim was a lot more comfortable talking to him than he thought possible. "So what do you think of her?" Jeff asked as they changed in his room. "She’s really something. Not only is she pretty but she’s smart. She even knows a little about body building." Brad had been really surprised.

"Probably from an old boyfriend." Jeff suggested.

That thought bothered Brad. "Probably." He shook off the tiny dark cloud. "Do you suppose she plays pool?"

Jeff laughed, "Why don’t you ask her, dummy?"

"I will!"

The guys started coming back. The girls were all sitting around talking but stopped as the guys walked into the room. They paired off again and when Brad suggested that they go shoot some pool, Tim agreed immediately. It was a chance to behave normally and relax. "I’d like that." Tim had played before, of course. What guy didn’t play pool? Tim thought he was pretty good at it but Brad beat him the first game.

Part of Tim’s problem was the positions he found himself in, trying to make some of the shots. When had to hang a leg up pretty high or lean into a shot he felt self-conscious in just the bathing suit and little short cover up, with his ass sticking out. His other problem was his hair. The little wisps of hair on the side of his head kept tickling him and getting in his way.

Tim won the second game but it was only because Brad sunk the eight ball too soon. They were half way through the third when Jeff Mother came in the den. "Tina, I asked the other girls and their boyfriends to stay and have dinner. We’re just going to barbecue chicken so it’s nothing fancy. Pam and Sue said they can’t stay, they’re going out tonight, but Nancy and Patty are. They just want to go back to Patty’s and change first. You will eat with us won’t you?" She was almost pleading.

Tim had been ready to say no but considering Sue and Pam weren’t going to be here and Nancy and Patty had said yes. What could he say? "I’d like that Mrs. Brown, thank you." Carol was delighted. Tina was precious. She was still disturbed with the idea that she was alone in town. Even if she was staying with the girls. A young girl should have her mother around. Brad was happy about her coming back too. They were having fun together. "We can finish the game when you get back Tina." He was beginning to really like her. She was a real person, not like a lot of the girls he knew. "You never know, you might even win." He took a chance and teased her. He wasn’t sure what her reaction would be.

Tim turned quickly almost hitting him with the cue stick by accident. "What do you mean, ‘might’" Tim had been having fun too. There was none of the pressure he had been feeling for the past couple of days, playing pool with Brad. Tim smiled and handed him the stick. Tim joined the girls when they were ready to leave. On the ride home Patty felt she could ask. "Did you have fun?" She felt asking him about Brad specifically would be a mistake. The others were anxious to hear his answer. He certainly seemed to have a good time. "I have to admit I did." He turned to Pam and feeling a little brave he said, "You really put me on the spot before." His tone didn’t exactly chastise.

"Tina, sooner or later someone would have started asking questions about you. I just figured it would be better when we were all there to help, if you got in trouble." Pam might have jumped in if it got really bad. She wouldn’t have wanted to spoil their game so soon. "That was quite a story you came up with, by the way."

"I almost starting believing it, the way you told it." Sue had been impressed. "You did wonderful today Tina. I was very proud of you." Nancy told him. She put an arm across his shoulder and squeezed.

"I am too. I don’t think I could have thought as quickly as you did or been able to come up with a story like that. The others were really touched by it." Patty, like the others, got caught up in the hurt and humiliation Tina enacted.

Tim had actually been very proud of himself at the time. It wasn’t until later that he had felt guilty about lying to them and playing on their emotions. "I didn’t like lying that way. You are probably right Pam, sooner or later, over the next two weeks, I would have had to come out with some sort of story." When he considered how it went, maybe Pam and Sue were not as cruel as he had thought.

They were at Patty’s already. Sue and Pam headed for their room to shower and change for their dates. Nancy, Patty and ‘Tina’ went to the bedroom and got out of their suits. Wrapped in just towels, they waited until the others were done in the shower. In the interest of saving hot water they decide to forgo washing their hair. Tim took the bow out of his and started to fix it the way Sue had taught him. "You looked really cute today with the curls. Would you like us to show you how to fix it just a little different?" Nancy was anxious for him to look pretty for later. Tim agreed to let her show him. He thought they looked good too. They laid out their clothes. Tim waited to see what Nancy and Patty were going to wear before he decided. They were both going to wear skirts so he found his new white denim skirt with the lacing in back. He laid out a silk camp shirt to wear with it. "That’s too dressy for a barbecue Tina. Wear this instead." Patty handed him his peach colored, cotton, three button Henley shirt. He would wear the bra he wore yesterday. The girls had told him they almost always wore theirs for two days before washing them. He took out a new pair of white panties, the ones he had bought last Thursday. He found his new white flats, the ones with the little bow.

"Pantyhose?" He asked Patty.

"No way girl. It’s too hot." Patty thought it was cute that he asked. He was really getting into this. She checked his makeup when he was done, after they all showered. "You did just fine. I wouldn’t change a thing."

He was proud of himself.

When he had sat down to do his makeup, he noticed that sitting no longer made him uncomfortable. Almost every move he made for the past two days reminded him that his balls were pushed up inside him but he suddenly noticed they no longer hurt when he sat. He assumed that they had finally found a position to settle into that didn’t bother him. Tim was relieved. "I want you to wear these tonight." Nancy handed him a pair of gold loop earrings, a delicate gold necklace and matching bracelet.

Tim was a little nervous about wearing them. "Are you sure Nancy? They look expensive."

He was worried about losing them.

"Don’t be silly. They’re not as expensive as they look. I just wish I could loan you a few rings to wear but I only have the one. Patty’s fingers are too small, hers definitely won’t fit you." "Maybe we could stop somewhere on the way to the beach tomorrow and you and Patty could help me pick out a few things." He would rather not borrow theirs, for fear of losing them. It couldn’t cost that much for costume jewelry.

"We need to stop and get you another bathing suit anyway. I’m sure we can find you a few things you’ll like." Patty was thrilled that he wanted to go shopping with them. "What do I need another suit for? Can’t I wear this one tomorrow?" He frequently wore his bathing suits more than once.

"Tina, you don’t wear the same suit two days in a row. Especially when you’re going to see some of the same people you saw today. That just isn’t done. No self respecting girl would dream of it."

He felt a little foolish when Nancy was done chastising him. He should have known better, after all, he did have a sister.

"You’re right Nancy. I wasn’t thinking." Tim had about a hundred and eighty dollars left. That should be plenty.

He took one last look in the mirror before they left. He still wasn’t used to the new him, or rather, her. She was pretty and he liked her. He inhaled and enjoyed the fragrance of the ‘White Shoulders’ that Patty had let him wear. Tim was not so constantly aware of his breasts anymore. He didn’t take them for granted though, not by a long shot.

What if he hadn’t met up with them? He would never have gotten to experience all this. Meeting the other girls and being accepted by them had been great. It was fun getting to know Brad too. He was obviously infatuated with Tina and Tim was gaining confidence with each new experience. Tina was no longer totally scared to death all the time. The boys greeted them at the door when they returned. Nancy and Patty, by instinct, headed for the kitchen to help Jeff’s mother with dinner. Tim also went along. Nancy had whispered, "It’s kind of what’s expected."

Brad thought she looked terrific. He couldn’t tell her that of course. First because there were too many people around and second, he didn’t have the nerve. Mr. Brown was outside, cooking the chicken. The girls all helped Mrs. Brown get dinner ready. The boys were playing pool. Tim met Mr. Brown when he went out to set the picnic table. "Hello Tina. My wife told me all about you when I got home. She couldn’t stop talking about you."

"Your wife is a very sweet lady Mr. Brown." Tim really liked her. "I want you to know that you’re welcome here anytime Tina. I’m very glad our Nancy found you." Carol was right. Tina was everything she said she was. It wasn’t right that this innocent girl should be living all alone. He wondered what was wrong with her parents that they’d let their daughter wander so far from home, alone.

Tim was flattered that he was so nice to him. It isn’t every day that people open their home to a perfect stranger.

Back in the kitchen, he helped the girls finish dishing everything out. They didn’t call the boys until everything was on the table and ready.

Tim had always played the other role and thought nothing of it. Now it seemed unfair that the women did all the work and the men just sat and enjoyed the fruits of their labor. Brad squeezed in next to Tim. He was very attentive as they ate. His interest escaped no one at the table.

When they were all finished, the women cleared the table while the men sat around the pool talking. "Tina, would you carry out the tray with the coffee while I get the cups for the men." He was beginning to get his first real taste of one aspect of what it was like to be a girl. After they made sure that each of the men and boys had their coffee, just the way they wanted it, they went back inside to finish cleaning up from dinner. Mrs. Brown put the leftovers away, with Tim’s help. Nancy washed the dishes while Patty dried. Tim helped Patty dry and put the dishes away. It wasn’t until everything was cleaned up, the counters washed and the stove cleaned, that the girls and Mrs. brown could relax. The whole time, the men lounged just outside the kitchen window, talking and having a good time. Mrs. Brown served the girls tea and they sat around the kitchen table talking. The topics ranged from cooking and keeping house to sewing. Carol dearly wished she had a daughter she could teach to sew. It was one of her hobbies and she would love to sew for someone who would appreciate her efforts. Her boys certainly didn’t.

Most of the conversation was very different for Tim and in the beginning he had to pretend to be interested. Mrs. Brown was a very outgoing woman with an interesting sense of humor. He soon found himself getting involved in the conversation and laughing right along with the others. The men came in when it started to get dark and the mosquitoes came out. The guys had gone and rented tapes while the girls had gone to Patty’s to change. Mr. and Mrs. Brown did not join them in the den as they settled down to watch the movies. They didn’t make a habit of intruding. Mr. Brown settled into his favorite chair in the living room and she curled up on the couch.

Jeff put in a tape and went and sat next to Nancy on the couch. Patty and Bob were already curled up in the big overstuffed chair. Tim had taken off his shoes and sat on the other end of the couch with his legs tucked up under him. He had often seen his sister sit that way so he thought he’d try it. He had picked the spot carefully. If Brad tried to sit next to him he would be almost on top of Jeff. It had been fun getting to know him but that should be as far as it goes. Brad felt a little left out. He had hoped to be able to sit next to Tina on the couch but there was no room. The other chair was taken so there was no place for him to sit. The only thing left was the floor so he took a big cushion and spread out, in front of the couch, to watch the movie. Tim liked the movie they had picked, it was ‘Diehard II’ but it was hard for him to keep his mind on it. Brad looked so dejected down there on the floor alone. So what could happen if he laid down there too? He was sure that was what Jeff and Bob expected Tina to do. He was sure that Nancy and Patty would like to see him do it too.

"Is there enough room down there for me too?" Tim asked Brad quietly. She surprised him. "Of course, come on." Brad pushed the throw pillow off to the side for her.

Tim took it and lay on his stomach, with the pillow pushed up under his chest, he rested his chin in his hands. "Thanks Brad." He was a little nervous, lying so close to him but Tim soon became engrossed in the movie and forgot about Brad.

Brad laid inches away, on his stomach. "My pleasure." It was. He liked this a lot better. Her perfume drifted across to him. She smelled great. It took a lot of self control not to stare at her. He knew even the furtive glances he occasionally threw her were probably obvious to everyone else. He just hoped she didn’t catch him.

By the middle of the movie they were so stiff they could hardly stand. Tim sat back against the edge of the couch and Brad got up, after asking, "Tina, would you like something to drink?" Tim had seen iced tea in the fridge. "A glass of iced tea would be nice." It was nice having someone go and get it for him.

Brad didn’t get away so easily. "Nancy and I would sure like a glass too, Brad." Jeff figured he might as well take advantage of the fact that he was going for drinks. Bob looked at Patty. "Would you like me to get you a drink sweetheart?"

Patty loved the way the big guy took care of her. "Sure baby, thanks." Jeff stopped the movie until they got back. Brad sat right next to Tina after he handed out the drinks. His right arm, behind her, rested on the cushion. He didn’t have the nerve to put it on her shoulder.

Tim knew it was back there but there was nothing he could do about it. He found it difficult to concentrate on the rest of the movie. He knew any second Brad’s hand might touch his shoulder.

Patty and Nancy were watching and the knowing glances between the two said they hoped Brad would get up the nerve.

Brad finally said what the hell. All she can say is remove it. Tim took a deep breath as he felt Brad’s hand on him. Now what should he do? His first thought was to tell him to get it off his shoulder. As he thought more about it, it was almost funny. What harm could it do? Tim released his breath slowly and relaxed. She didn’t look at him or say anything. What was she thinking? He thought about moving over closer to her. He was only about three inches away. No, don’t push it, Brad decided. He had waited until the movie was almost over. It had taken him a long time to get up his nerve. Nancy was glad that Tim hadn’t said anything. It was interesting, Tina neither encouraged him or discouraged him. Did he like having Brad’s arm around him? They were going to have to have a talk later, the three of them.

 

(continued in part two)

 

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