Tales of the Season - Ken's Barbie

by Tigger
Copyright 2002

 

Chapter 39: Repercussions

"Dam. . DARNit, Aunt Jane, I'm so sorry," Jessica said, tears glittering on her lashes. "I never should have told her to call her sister. I never should have asked YOU to let her. I really, really messed this up."

Jane moved quickly to sit beside this child who was rapidly becoming so precious to her, and pulled her into her arms. "No fault, Jessica, certainly not for you. I could have said 'no', but I thought you were correct. For this student, in fact, you were correct. I think Adrienne is over the hump, darling."

"You think so?"

"I'm positive of it. Her reasons for what she did are so at odds with the behaviors that led her here, there's no doubt in my mind that she's made the big step in turning herself around."

"But what do we do now, Jane?" Marie asked. "Heavens, none of our boys have ever done this before."

Jane shrugged and then leaned her chin on Jessica's strawberry blond head. "I don't know, Marie. A great deal will depend on Anne's reaction, I think. Adrienne's already told us what she intends to do, and while I applaud her motives, I could wish she was more like my other students in that regard."

"You're going to let her do it, then?"

"I don't see how I can stop her, short of sending Adrian to the Juvenile Detention, and I can't do that. He's ready to be a big sister now. Actually, I don't think he even needs that part of the program thanks to Xhinea."

"As Adrian or Adrienne?" Marie asked.

"That's up to Adrian and his sister," Jane replied. "I've already called Sandy and asked her to be ready."

"What happens next?" Jessica asked, unconsciously cuddling closer into Jane's embrace.

"We wait for our two wanderers to return. I have Darla down at the stable apartment waiting for them. She'll send them up here and we'll see what develops."

~-~

It was already obvious that she had lost this battle, Anne told herself as she drove through the gates of Seasons House, but sometimes you've got to fight when you're a woman. Besides, she wasn't ready to give up yet. "I really don't think a wedding of that magnitude is necessary," Anne reiterated, trying to sound more forceful this time than she had on the previous dozen or so occasions she'd broached this particular subject.

"Sorry," her fiancé assured her, visions of Anne - glorious in the kind of wedding gown Jane would insist upon - dancing before half lidded eyes, "But it is. There's no way you're getting out of it, either."

Anne groaned - literally groaned - but didn't particularly care at that moment. The simple fact of the matter was that the mere thought of a society wedding like the one Ken had described after she'd accepted his badly botched almost-proposal had her scared spitless. It was one thing to dream, as a little girl, of being Cinderella whisked off to the ball. It was another thing, entirely, to find out it wasn't going to be a fairy tale anymore, by way of having some guy jam your foot into a hard, unrelenting glass slipper. Lord above, she could really mess this up! Like maybe trip on the hem of her gown as she tried to glide down the aisle. Or something equally unforgivable. No, a nice, quiet and very PRIVATE wedding was called for. "I mean, it's not like either of us have parents or large families to placate."

And realized how dumb that statement was, even before Barbie's hoot of laughter. "Have you forgotten Momma Ruth, who has, by the way, just about claimed you? Not to mention my beloved and iron-willed Momma Jane? That's more family that most people are ever going to have. I love you, woman, and there isn't much I wouldn't do for you, but high on that very, very short list is pissing off either of those two women."

"We could sneak off to Vegas, and come back with it already done," Anne counter-offered. "Tell them afterwards?" she added hopefully.

"Wouldn't work," the taller blonde assured her with a smile. "In fact, Jane might take that as a challenge and really go to town with the planning. Just to show us, for future reference, of course, how these things SHOULD be done. It'll be easier on all of us if you just buck up, Annie, and take this like a woman. Or like one of Aunt Jane's boys."

"But something that big will draw attention, and didn't you say Jane knows important people in Boston and Providence? We could end up being in the papers! I don't want to be a damned virgin centerfold on the Boston Herald's society pages! I'm too tall . . .too . . . too. . "

"Gorgeous," Barbie interrupted. "I agree, but I'm man enough to handle being envied by 95% of the men and at least two thirds of the women in the greater New England area." Anne opened her mouth to protest again, "Shhh, it'll be okay. Look, you can talk to Audrey. She even enjoyed it and she was even less pleased with the idea than you are."

"She couldn't have been."

"Well, talk to her. She might have some advice on getting around some of Jane's ideas. Hey. . .there's D standing at the door to the stable apartment. Hmmm, wonder why he's still Darla?"

Exasperated at having had the subject changed before she'd won her point, Anne slapped the steering wheel with both palms. "Do you have any idea how WEIRD that sounded? 'Why HE'S still DARLA?!?'"

With a grin, Barbie depressed the button to open the passenger side window. "Welcome to Family Thompson, love, where men are often women and the women are glad of it. Hey, D? What's up, Sis?"

Darla hurried up to the car. "Here, let me help you get your bags inside, then we need to head up to the main house. You, too, Sk . . um, Anne."

Surprised by Darla's unusually brusque tones, Barbie asked, "Why, what's wrong?"

"Nothing critically bad, but we do have a situation. Look, I got sent down here to wait for you and only have the basic outline - which is confusing enough, without my being wrong on some essential point. Let's wait and have Mom give us all the straight story."

~-~

"My brother did WHAT?!?!" Anne demanded, her eyes hard on Jane, Darla, Jessica and Marie.

"Easy, Annie," Kendra ordered gently, moving closer to lend physical support to her fiancee.

"As I just said, Miss Braithwaite, your brother revealed his true nature to someone outside my cadre - to a young girl who is not in on the secret of the masquerade or of my program. If you will let me finish, please, I will give you the facts as I now know them."

Quickly, Jane told the story as Adrienne had given it to her. "And now, she, or rather he, fully intends to tell Xhinea's mother."

"For goodness sake, why?"

"Because Xhinea has become Adrian's friend - he cares about her a great deal, and he doesn't want to lose that friendship when I let him out of skirts."

"The girl's friendship is important to my brother?" Anne asked, skeptically.

"It is now," Jane replied firmly.

"So why doesn't he just wait until you do let him out of skirts, and then introduce himself as Adrian when he's in boy clothes again?"

"He's concerned that, unless Dr. Hurst knows the entire story, she will not let him continue to associate with her adopted daughter.

 

"I don't understand," Anne said, beginning to pace. "I thought you told me that this couldn't happen, that you would ensure she. . I mean, he wasn't in a position for this TO happen."

Kendra lightly gripped Anne upper arms. "Anne." The tone was soft, but firm and broke through the emotional whirlpool that was starting to envelope the tall blonde. "What happened, Mom?"

"I am, as you have pointed out, fully responsible," Jane said with quiet dignity. "I allowed myself to assume Adrian was similar to other students I have had. In fact, he is unique and I should never have forgotten that, Miss Braithwaite."

"Oh, call me Anne, please. I'm just surprised, is all. After all . . . Ken has had to say about you, I had you built up in my mind as being some unstoppable and all-knowing force of nature."

"I'm not omniscient, . . Anne. And I must say that I was taken completely by surprise by Adrian's actions. I've never had a boy break cover this before - at least not to someone of his own age group - and I thought that had arranged this . . this learning experience such that a revelation of this type was completely out of the question for him."

"How so, Ms. Thompson?"

Jane's forehead wrinkled as she concentrated. "First, this was a group activity involving other teenagers. My experience is that one of my cross-dressed boys forced to attend such a group isolates himself as much as possible in order to protect his true identity. At the staged public scenes my partners and I orchestrate for my students, such as trips to the beauty salon, we don't permit that isolation because the entire point is for the boy to be afraid of discovery. However, Caro, Sandy and Brenda know the signs of danger in those situations as well as I do and quickly intervene when necessary to protect my student. In this specific case, I anticipated that Adrian would simply keep to himself - hide as well as he could in his feminine personna and not interact with the other students.

"But it was an acting class," Anne objected. "Doesn't that mean they had to get close to one another?"

"Actually, it was mime which is highly stylized. That made those interactions inherently artificial due to the white face makeup and the nature of art form. I didn't see that it should have posed a problem for your brother protecting the secret of his true nature."

"In other words," Jessica put in, "All the kids there were already acting sort of strange, so Adrienne shouldn't have appeared all that unusual in their company."

"Just so," Jane continued, but patted her newest big sister's shoulder in approval. "Secondly, this class was only a short-term program - just three weeks and six meetings. Insufficient time for Adrienne to relax and be comfortable that she could pass - again, factors that should have tended to isolate her from the group. I expected those factors would have Adrienne very wary, and constantly on edge to protect the secret of her true gender."

"That's how it's always been with every one of the students I've worked with here," Darla put in. "What happened this time that it was different?"

"The unexpected, dear. Two unexpecteds, in fact," Jane sighed and began to tick her points off with her fingers. "One? Xhinea was a particularly needy child. She needed - wanted friendship, and for some reason, sought it from Anne's brother who, and this is the second surprise, turned out to be unexpectedly sensitive and responsive to that need. If you'd asked me before the class how she'd have responded in that situation, I'd have said with 100% assurance that she'd have run the other way, but to her credit, I think, she didn't run. Instead, they became close - very close - in spite of their short acquaintance." Jane shook her head. "One moment, Adrienne is my usual student - mouse-quiet and afraid to say boo, lest someone hear a boy's voice from those girlish lips. The next? Adrian is telling me that Xhinea needs him, that he cannot abandon his friend and that meant he'd had to tell her the truth about him."

"He voluntarily told on himself," Darla said, wonder in her voice. "From what you'd told me in passing, I'd thought he'd blown the masquerade."

"Well, hasn't HE?" Anne demanded.

Jane nodded. "Yes, he has - for laudable reasons - but his fate and reputation are no longer only in my hands. What I can do, I will do, Anne. Adrian has great faith in Xhinea keeping the secret, but . . "

"But, indeed," Anne replied.

"We'll take care of it, Anne," Kendra said behind her. "Together."

"Together?" Jane demanded, hearing the gentle support in her child's words and voice.

"Together, Mom," Kendra said, standing to face Jane with a protective arm about Anne's shoulders and grinning mischievously. "Anne has agreed to make an honest woman of me. We're getting married."

"She WHAT?!?" Jane, Marie, Darla and Jessica squealed in perfect unison.

 

 

Chapter 40: The Sister and Child Reunion

Adrienne was sitting on the cushioned window seat, looking out at the gardens of Seasons House, when a soft knock brought her mind back to the present. "Yes? Come in, please."

The door opened to admit Anne. She took a tentative step inside the girlishly feminine room and shut the door behind her before she spoke. "Hello, uh, . . "

Her sibling smiled and rose to greet her visitor. "Adrian will do, sis. Regardless of my appearance, one thing I've learned here is who and what I am."

There was a quiet assurance there that pleased Anne, so different from the cock-sure braggadocio that had been her brother's earlier mein. "Have you?" she asked.

"Better than I did before here."

"I'm glad," Anne said before adding, "You don't seem surprised to see me."

"Ms. Thompson told me you were coming today. She also told me that you'd gone after her - threatened her, after I called you."

Anne nodded. "You're my brother," she answered simply. "I thought you were being abused. I had to protect you."

Adrian returned to the window seat and sat down, unconsciously smoothing the skirts of the dressy Laura Ashley outfit in the process. "Thank you," he replied quietly. "I wasn't - being abused, that is. I just thought I had a way to mess with the system and did it. I'm sorry about that. I didn't consider the trouble you could get into because of that. I was being forced to do things I didn't like and that's all I thought about."

"Well, in the end, some good came of it," Anne said. "I understand you made a friend, and your school work has improved, too. Ms. Thompson showed me that paper you wrote about population control in the People's Republic of China."

"Xhinea's great. That's what finally did it for me, you know," Adrian added conversationally.

"It?"

"Made me see how wrong I'd been - how much growing up I had to do. Being friends with her made me understand what *real* friendship is all about. None of the guys I ran with . . . before here, were my friends. They were guys I pretended to like, and be like, because it felt, well, powerful. That's not friendship." There was certainty in those words. "I didn't have friends back then."

The young voice faded away for a moment, and then, "That's not true, either. I did have one friend."

"Oh?" Anne replied, uncertain in her hope.

"I learned that from Xhinea, too - and Ms. Jane. When Xhinea's parents abandoned her, she really didn't have any friends - just a big agency that made sure she was clothed, fed and educated, but not loved." Suddenly water-bright eyes, the same color as Anne's own, turned to face the tall blonde. "You were always there, always my friend - especially since. . .since Mom and Dad were killed. You could have let the state take me on - you were barely of age yourself, but you didn't."

"Damn straight I didn't," Anne snorted. "You were my BROTHER! ARE my brother."

"And you're my sister, but you are also my friend. At least you were. I hope I haven't messed that up, too."

"Never!" Anne sobbed, and then the two met each other half way in a fierce hug.

The two stood there for several moments, the tall blond woman and the short, bleach-blond, cross-dressed boy, sharing a reaffirmation of family, friendship and love.

When they broke apart, both needed to fix their faces, as happy tears had demolished their make-up. "Well," Anne said as she watched Adrian skillfully use various pots, tubes and brushes to repair the damage done by their emotions, "You won't need to do that much longer. Jane tells me you're about done here."

"Oh?" Adrian said, looking up from under his mascara brush at his sister's reflected face.

"Yes. She said she'd arrange for that female from the beauty shop to come here tomorrow for what she calls a 'tear-down'.

Adrian went very still for several moments, and then spoke. "Umm, that's okay, sis, but there's something I need to do first."

~-~

"You're sure you want to do this?" Anne asked for what she was certain had to be the thousandth time.

"I have to do it, sis. Part of it is that I made a promise - to Xhinea. More important is that I don't want anything coming between our friendship - like her having to keep secrets from her Mom."

Again Anne was struck by the change in her brother's demeanor. There was definitely something, well, manly about Adrian now. *And yet, is that more to do with how he's dressed now than anything else?* she asked herself. *Is it just that I've gotten so used to being around Barbie in her ultra-femme mode that anything less that total girly-girl seems masculine to me?*

Certainly some of that was probably the contrast between her brother's current outfit and the very frou-frou feminine garb he'd been wearing when she'd observed him in those days 'Before Barbie'. And yet, the look was not really all that UN-feminine.

For this errand, and with Jane Thompson's approval and assistance, Adrian had donned loose jeans, an oversized t-shirt and tennis shoes. After careful consideration, the teen had put those blond locks up high on the head, in a bouncy ponytail, much like one might see on any young woman out for a casual day. Without any cosmetic enhancement except for the finely shaped and arched brows, the total picture was rather androgynous - until Adrian began to move.

And Anne was still flabbergasted at how . . .gracefully Adrian moved now. There was none of the foot-dragging, slouch-backed diffident male in this new sibling of hers. When they'd left Seasons House earlier, Adrian had walked with fluid grace to the car, head held high. Perhaps the hips DID swing just a bit, Anne mused, and the hands were carried above the waist rather than swinging freely down, but those were subtle things. Things Anne saw only because she was looking closely at this marvelous stranger who was her brother. On the other hand, if a casual observer expected to see a girl, that person would likely perceive Adrian to be a girl, whereas someone expecting a young male would see one - albeit a slight and perhaps undersized one.

Anne drew back from her reflections and saw her brother gather himself. "I'll go with you, if you like," she offered. "I might be able to help."

For just a moment, Anne thought he'd say yes, but then he shook his head sharply making the pony tail dance about his shoulders. "Just wait for me, okay?"

"Okay," she answered, and then bent over to kiss his cheek. "Good luck, brother."

"Thanks, sis," he replied after kissing her back. Then, he opened the passenger side door and headed up the walk leading to the front door.

~-~

"Adrienne!" Dr. Celia Hurst exclaimed in evident pleasure. "What a nice surprise. Xhinea didn't mention that you were coming to visit."

"It was a. . . spur of the moment thing," Adrian replied, Dr. Hurst's greeting having reminded him which voice to use.

"Well, I have her running an errand to the store for me, but she should be back in a few minutes. Would you like to come in and wait for her?"

"Well, I was sort of hoping to talk to you a bit, too. . . that is, if you don't mind?"

The Doctor smiled and stepped aside to let Adrian enter. "Of course. I've wanted to talk to you, too. Would you like something? I have Pepsi."

"That would be nice, thank you."

Celia led the way to her kitchen and began to get out glasses and ice. "Have a seat," she ordered, indicating the kitchen table and chairs.

The older woman came to the table with two glasses, offering one to Adrian. "You wanted to talk, but I think I will go first. I wanted to thank you for being so welcoming to Xhinea. The past few years haven't been as easy for her as I'd wished. Part of that is my fault - my job kept me busier than planned, but the result is that she hasn't made many friends and has been too much alone."

"It has been mutual, Dr. Hurst. I haven't had many friends either - none recently, and being with Xhinea has shown me what friendship really means. I like her. . . a lot."

"I'm glad," Celia responded and then seemed to look closely her guest. "You know? Except for your mime costume, I've never seen you so casually dressed. Dress-down Saturday at Ms. Thompson's school?"

The blond teen smiled. "I have a make-over scheduled for later today, so Ms. Jane permitted me to dress this way so nothing nicer got messed up."

"You know," Celia said with a laugh, "I was a bit worried about the standard you set, though. You were always so nicely dressed that I was worried Xhinea might feel . . . inadequate. She's, um, she's a bit concerned about her figure and sometimes doesn't feel very feminine."

"WHAT?!?" Adrian yelped, surprise making his voice crack.

"It's true. But I think seeing you dressed so casually will actually a good thing. It's clear you don't look down on her appearance, that you're not, oh, obsessed with looking pretty or anything."

With a laugh of his own, Adrian reached up and pulled the ponytail free of the rubber band before gathering the hair up and restoring it, only lower on the back of his head. "Ms. Jane is the one obsessed, Dr. Hurst," he replied grinning. "She has this thing about grooming, dress and deportment. And she has ways of enforcing that outlook that works really well!"

"Tough, is she?"

"The toughest," Adrian agreed, beginning to relax. "And I needed that toughness, that discipline. Ma'am?"

"Please, anything but Ma'am, okay? Ma'am is this dragon of a head nurse at the hospital where I did my internship. I'm not that old and crusty yet. If you can't call me Celia, call me Dr. C. It's what my kid-patients call me."

"Thanks, Ma'am, I mean, Dr. C. This is going to be hard for me, and if it wasn't for the way I feel about Xhinea, I wouldn't do it."

"Sounds serous," Celia replied, suddenly alert and focused on her guest.

"It is," Adrian agreed, staring at the glass held caged by both his finely manicured hands. "Dr. C? Kids get sent to Ms. Thompson because they've messed up their lives, and need some discipline in their lives to help them turn things around."

"That's not the reputation her school has," Celia replied gently. "Most people think of it as an old fashioned finishing school for young ladies."

"That's what she wants people to think, and getting the kids to that point probably helps them with the turnaround. It did in my case, anyway."

"Why were you sent here, Adrienne?"

"That's the part I would rather not tell you, Ma'am, but I have to because if you found out on your own it would . . might. . ." the teen closed his eyes as teeth worried at his lower lip. Celia watched the blonde take a deep breath and open both eyes to meet hers directly. "A judge gave me the choice of completing Ms. Jane's course to her satisfaction, or spending the rest of my teenaged years in a juvenile detention facility."

Now it was Celia's turn to squawk out, "WHAT??!?"

"After my Mom and Dad were killed, I developed an attitude, got involved with a rough crowd. Got into trouble by following the pack. It was stupid, but before I figured that out for myself, we broke into the school, vandalized some teacher's rooms and got caught."

Celia was now listening hard, and despite the oddly husky tone the emotion-ridden teen used, the Doctor heard more than was said. "And?" she asked, wanting to offer closure.

"I took Jane," was the simple answer. "Or, rather, she took me. I figured I'd gut it out and be out in a few months. Boy, did I give her a hard time, but she didn't give up on me - kept pushing me - until. . ."

"Until?"

"Until I broke through that false armor of invincibility I pretended I had - and. . . and stopped seeing things the way I thought I wanted them to be and started seeing reality. You said you were grateful for me being nice to Xhinea? You're not half as grateful as I am for what she gave me. I don't know that I'd have made it without her, and she's told me that she needs me as her friend. Which is why I'm going to tell you my biggest secret so that you won't. . .won't be. . oh hell." The teen colored and looked up with horror-stricken eyes. "Pardon me, ma'am. That slipped out."

"I've heard it before and it doesn't annoy me nearly as much as ma'am!"

"Oh, sorry, ma. . .Dr. C. The thing is. . .well, I'm not. . that is. . "

"Adrienne?" DOCTOR Hurst's voice commanded, "Spit it out!"

"I'm-really-a-boy!" it came out as a single sound. When Dr. Hurst didn't say anything, Adrian slumped into a defeated slouch and forced himself to reaffirm what he'd just said, using his real, 'Adrian' voice. "I'm not a girl. I'm a boy."

Celia Hurst stared for several heart-beat-thudding moments, her eyes wide. When she spoke, her words stunned Adrian. "How did I EVER think you were a girl?!?" Then her eyes narrowed. "But WHY?"

~-~

"So you were small and thin, but overly aggressive?" Celia asked. "That's why she elected to use this rather unusual method with you?"

A disgusted look crossed Adrian's face. "She had to bulk me up - ummm, above and below, to make me look older than ten years old as a girl, so I was well suited to it." Then the almost-feminine face grinned. "And it worked just like she said it would. I had to think before I reacted or the whole world would know I was a sissy in girly clothes."

"Sounds effective. And I've seen nothing of that aggression. Too bad the same trick wouldn't work with most delinquents."

"I don't think even Ms. Jane could make some six foot bruiser look feminine enough to pass muster. I guess that's why she mostly works with girls. Like my big sister. Jessica told me she had rage issues before coming to Seasons House and Ms. Jane helped her the same way as she helped me."

"Well, I won't tell anyone," Celia assured him.

"And it's okay if I keep seeing Xhinea?"

"I don't mind. I think having a boy friend will be good for her," she added, and grinned when the boy blushed furiously. "Just don't fib to me anymore like you did earlier."

"Fib? I didn't! Ms. Jane would have my guts for garters!"

"Oh? What about that make-over, young man?"

Relief flooded Adrian. "Oh, but I am getting one. I'm getting turned back into a boy. A haircut to start, and then my normal hair color restored. A more masculine manicure - heck, according to Ms. Jane, they even have a way of filling out my eyebrows until my own grow back."

"Sounds like a plan." A door opening and shutting announced the arrival of Xhinea. "Well, I will leave you two alone to sort out things between you."

"Dr. C? Xhinea didn't know about me being a boy until yesterday. I asked her to let me tell you. She wasn't hiding it from you."

"I sort of figured that out, Adrian." Then the doctor bent down and kissed him on the cheek before greeting her daughter. "Xhinea? About time you got back, girl. Being a little late is one thing, but leaving your boy friend at the mercy of your mother THAT long is almost cruel. And speaking of cruel, I'll go invite Adrian's sister in for a drink. The very idea - leaving the poor girl out there stuck in the car. . ."

With that accusation, Celia left the room, but could still hear Xhinea's surprised "BOY friend?!?!"

 

 

Chapter 41: Decisions, Decisions

"Does he know the truth about your program?" the restored Kenneth asked Jane as they watched Sandy and Adrian on her office closed circuit television monitor. The 'tear down' was nearly complete, and Sandy was now instructing her victim on how to apply the temporary eyebrows until his own grew back. Ken put a careful finger to his own brow to smooth out the gummed-on appliance. It felt good to be himself again. It felt GREAT to be able to breathe again.

Fascinated, as always, with the process that turned one of her 'girls' back into a young man, Jane did not look away from the monitor. "That he's not the only boy-student who has passed his time with me in skirts?" she asked. "No. Usually that's something the junior student learns when the big sister graduates."

"And Adrian isn't going to be a big sister." It wasn't a question.

"No, he isn't," Jane agreed. "First, because I have Jesse, and second, because of my deal with Barbara Anne."

"I think she agree, if you asked. Now, anyway."

"Perhaps," Jane replied. "In truth, because of Xhinea, I don't think Adrian needs the experience of being a big sister. Whether Adrian realizes it or not, he's already proven everything he needs to prove - to himself - this morning with Celia and Xhinea."

"And because he believes he's unique, he was able to convince the good Dr. Hurst that he was, eh?"

"Yes, although. . . " Jane's eyes were speculative. "I think Celia has. . . potential. I'm going to cultivate a relationship with her with an eye towards recruiting her. Nora is very good, but she's not a doctor."

"Well, since I'm going to be Adrian's big brother, and Xhinea's going to be his girlfriend, I'd say you have an 'in' with her already. However, that wasn't my point in this conversation."

"You have a point, counselor?" Jane cocked an eyebrow.

"Adrian needs to know the whole story, Mom. For his own self image."

Jane's eyes went hard. "Explain that, please."

"Mom, it's about being a guy. One of the things that a big sister's revelation does is show the little sister that she, umm, he isn't really at that wimpy a character. Others have fallen in with your nefarious little games - not just his big sister, but the big sister's big sister, and that one's big sister before him, ad infinitum."

"You're saying that recognizing the shared experience of being feminized helps him feel more masculine?" It was something that Jane had never really thought about consciously before. In her mind, the revelation had always been a way to help her junior student 'mark' the transition to senior status, and to reveal her new role in the household. Now that she thought about it in those terms, she acknowledged that the concept had some validity.

"Well, I'm not sure that knowing he can look like a pretty girl makes anyone 'feel more masculine', Mom, but that's not the real issue. Man or woman, strength of character is important. Someone who is weak enough to be . . . molded like a lump of clay can feel he is . . . lacking in ways that have nothing to do with clothes. Knowing that he's not any weaker than others - lots of others - helps with that. I guess that, in the end, the fact that the student's time at Seasons House - the education a student receives here - it's sort of a shared experience - one that eases the hit on his self perception."

"A shared experience?" Jane savored the idea, and found that she liked it.

"Yep. I guess you could say that Graduates of Jane Thompson's Winsome Girls' School for Wayward Boys are kind of like members of a fraternity if not a sorority. There's strength in knowing you're not uniquely flawed in some way, that you're not the only one who went through your petticoated boot camp. More importantly, he deserves to know that the ones who made it through your program have, almost to a man, had happy and successful lives."

"How would you know, young man?" Jane demanded archly. "You were in my program barely two days."

"But because of my part in the plan to neutralize Sheila, I spent several weeks dressed and under your tutelage, not to mention my visits while a student was in residence. So, I'm an honorary member, Mom. You know it's true. Your boys rely on each other, support each other. How many times has one of your students called his departed big sister for advice or help? How many have taken on younger graduates and mentored them - often at your behest? Adrian needs to know that he can do that, too, and to do that, he needs to know he'll be talking to Jesse, not Jessica."

"I know, dear. And just as importantly, he's going to be close family now, and will need to know what goes on around here in some detail so that he doesn't give away the game inadvertently."

"Hah!" Kenneth snorted. "Frankly, I think he's to the point where that happening would be very unlikely. He's one of yours, now, Mom. I think the real issue is how to let him in on the secret."

"Granted, and if you're correct about the self image issue, you might not be the best one to tell him about it."

"Why not me?"

"I said, 'might not', dear. What I meant is that while it's possible he might have a Kendrian growth spurt - his family has the genes for it, obviously - right now, he is, as you say, not very imposing physically as a male. You will, of course, eventually introduce him to Kendra, but I think someone else should tell him the truth about the program first."

"What do you mean? Introduce him to Kendra?"

"Well, part of Adrian's problem is that he's so small - short and slender. Kendra isn't, but she is as feminine as you are masculine. I don't think Adrian will miss that dichotomy because he notices stature in others. Physically, Adrian is more like Jessica as Jesse, or Darla as Darryl. Very much like Darryl when you come down to it . . .," Jane's voice trailed away speculatively. "I have an idea, dear, but we should discuss it with Darryl, first."

"Ummm. .. Okay, . . .I guess. When does. . .should he, um, meet Kendra?" asked Kenneth cautiously.

"When you think the time is right, dear. After all, I don't think Kendra will be gone so long this time, will she?"

"No," was the quietly assured answer. "Anne enjoyed her time with me in that role - more than she believed she could. She'd miss my feminine alter ego."

"And you, dear?"

"So would I. Actually, one thing I learned during this adventure is just how much I've missed her - Kendra, that is - and the fun of being her."

Jane went very still at that. Then, she turned piercingly blue eyes on her son. "Kenneth? The first reasons? Those are acceptable, but if you're seeing Kendra as a crutch? The identity you don so you can have some fun in your life? I'll want you to have a talk with Art."

"Mom. . ."

"I'm serious, love," Jane moved over stand before the seated Kenneth. Her face serious, she took his face in her hands and looked into his eyes. "The masquerade ISN'T meant to be an alternative to real life. It isn't an escape. It's a means to an end, first and foremost. Sometimes, it can be fun, but don't ever compartmentalize yourself. Kenneth is allowed to have fun, too, dear."

"I think I figured that out, Mom - I said I missed the fun. I let myself work too hard in the past few years. I think it would have been a grind had I been Ken or Kendra, but the past few days with Anne? That was fun, and maybe the Barbie thing opened me up to it, but it was Anne that was really the center of it all."

"I'm going to talk to her," Jane warned him. "It's a Mother's right to counsel her daughter-in-law."

"Ganging up on me already?"

"Only in your best interests, dear," Jane said with a perfectly straight face.

"Wouldn't have it any other way, Mom. So, how and when are we going to tell Adrian the facts of life at Seasons House?"

"Trying to change the subject, are we?" Jane smiled sardonically at her son's unsuccessful ploy, but then softened. "Oh, very well - I'll permit you to get away with it THIS time, anyway. Let's see if we can find your brother and get his take on my idea. As you said, Darla truly does understand the feelings of the boys better than anyone else."

~-~

"Oh, this is going to be such great fun," Marie gushed as she pressed an armful of fashion and wedding magazines into a wide-eyed Anne's arms. "I simply love planning weddings, and you're going to be the most gorgeous bride."

When Sandy had taken Adrian off to Adrienne's room for the tear down, the motherly little brunette had hauled Anne off to her third floor apartment with a promise of a 'lovely surprise'. Now that her intent was clear, Anne most definitely was surprised.

"Fun? You've got to be kidding? Kenneth told me we're going to have a big, formal wedding."

"Well, of course," Marie responded, "Of course you will."

"I asked him to fly us to Vegas," Anne muttered.

"Hah! We brought that boy up better than that. A girl's wedding should be special, memorable - especially when she knows it's the only one she's going to get."

"The only one?"

Marie snorted. "Can you imagine that boy, with his focus, doing anything to make you want another?"

"He'll smother me with love first," Anne grumbled.

"Oui. L'amour, l'amour. C'est merveilleux, eh?"

Anne gave the little French Canadian housekeeper a thoroughly disgusted look, before giggling. "Okay, it is, and I would make his life hell if he didn't."

"Bien sur! Good for you. Jane's boys tend to grow up somewhat strong willed, so they need similarly strong women to keep them in line. My Kenneth particularly so."

"Will . . .will Adrian be like that - strong willed, I mean - you think?"

Marie heard the uncertainty in the girl's voice and took back the magazines. "Asseyez-vous, ma fille." When Anne did not immediately respond, Marie gave her a gentle push and ordered, "Sit down, girl."

She sat down across the anxious young woman and took her hands in hers. "I would say, Anne, that Adrian has already well proved himself that way just this morning. I have been with Jane nigh on to twenty years, and have participated in the rehabilitation of nearly one hundred boys. Not one of them did what your young brother did this day. And why did he do this thing? Why did he put himself so at risk? Because he'd made a promise and because it was important to someone else. That shows determination, and a good heart. You should be proud of him, cherie."

"I am, but . . . well, I still worry about him, about his future, about his . . . social life. He's really special, but he's still pretty . . . . small - not what society would call 'very manly'."

"Many of Jane's boys are on the small side, dear. Don't worry so."

"You're sure?"

"You spent time in New Haven with Judith, did you not? Surely she bragged to you about her nephew, and his, ah, reputation with the ladies?"

"Well, yes, she did, but Adrian. . "

Marie interrupted her with a laugh, and leaned just a bit closer to Anne as though sharing a secret. "I don't suppose Judith told you Georgia's . . . oh, I suppose I *should* call him by his boy name. Anyway, Judith didn't happen to mention to you what 'Guillermo's' nickname was in high school, did she?"

Anne shook her head and Marie continued, her dark eyes twinkling merrily. "The other teens - this may have been part of Georgia's problem - were very cruel since sh . . um, he was . . . not in very good shape - physically, that is. They called him 'Snowball' since he was round, small, and had a snowball's chance in, um, well, you know - of ever getting a date. Believe me, Adrian's 'manliness' is more than adequate for his future, ah, social activities."

Anne sighed, wanting to be convinced, but her sisterly worry still showed through.

"Anne, think!" the dark-haired Frenchwoman ordered sharply, causing Anne's head to snap up in surprise. Marie grinned at the success of her ploy. "Does not our Adrian already have la jolie juene fille from class as his girl friend?" Anne nodded slowly, and Marie's grin broadened. "Then, I think he will be fine. Does he know about you and Kenneth?"

"That we're getting married? Yes, I told him on the way home from Dr. Hurst's house. Kenneth is going to speak with him after his, what does Jane call it? His breakdown?"

"Tear down, cherie."

"Okay. Anyway, they're going for a walk and talk after Adrian looks like a boy again. I hope it goes well."

"Trust our Kenneth, dear. That boy has a gift for convincing argument."

 

 

 

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