Author’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters or events portrayed to any person or entity, living or dead, is purely coincidental and unintended. This work also includes mature subject matter and may not be appropriate for those under the age of eighteen. This story was written exclusively for Crystal’s Storysite.org. No part of this work may be published, reproduced, posted or distributed in any form, including electronic storage and retrieval, without the prior express, written consent of the author. All rights reserved. Personal archiving for private use is approved.

Acknowledgments: The wonderful illustrations in this story are the work of SaraUK, who is a dear friend and a talented artist. Some other examples of her work are found at http://www.sandra-pal.org/Friends/Sara/Sara.htm. I am also indebted to my fantastic "sisters" and fellow authors, Joan Banks, Terry Sarkel, and Genni Smith, for providing me with some great ideas, and also to Terry for cleaning up my numerous mistakes. I could not have completed this without their help.

 

Transposed Melody

by Julia Manchester
© 2001

 

PART 1

 

Brian Saunders was an island of calm in a sea of deafening noise. He was sacked out on the old sofa in the basement rec room, studying for his exams while his sister’s rock group, The River Babes, practiced for the upcoming regional rock festival. It never ceased to amaze his mother that he was able to concentrate amidst the deafening din, but the music never bothered Brian. He enjoyed listening to the all-girl group, and his grades were excellent.

Brian closed his book, set it aside and listened to the pounding rhythm of the song they were playing. Gwen, the lead singer, was late for practice -- again -- so the others had begun without her, running through their instrumentals and singing their harmonies. But it didn’t sound right without Gwen’s strong voice to lead them.

Brian knew all of their songs by heart, having listened to them countless times, so he closed his eyes and began belting out the lead vocal part in a fair approximation of Gwen’s voice.

". . . I’m looking for love, and I wanna be seen for who I real- ly -- Ammmm . . ."

The music screeched to a halt, and Terri, his sister, yelled out, "Hey, pipe down squirt! You sound like a cat in a blender!"

Brian opened his eyes and turned his head slightly to see Terri grinning at him. She loved to tease him, and though he hated being referred to as "squirt," he knew she was just hassling him.

"Actually, he sounds better than Gwen," Joan Barens remarked, waving her trumpet.

"I don’t know," Genni Schmidt said from behind her keyboard, I’m having a hard time remembering what Gwen sounds like."

"Well, this is the third practice in a row she’s missed," Cathy Teal pointed out, sliding her hand along the neck of her bass guitar.

"Yeah, I’m starting to get a bad feeling about this," Kelly Davis, the lead guitarist, agreed.

As if on cue the door to the rec room opened and Gwendolyn Hall walked into the room like a runway model. Brian’s eyes automatically tracked the beautiful brunette as she crossed the room with the easy grace that allowed her to move so fluidly on the stage. Gwen was wearing a tight black mini, an even tighter, white tank top, and black, high heel pumps. She was the fantasy girl of every guy in the high school, and she had a great voice too, but unfortunately she also suffered from a severe prima donna complex, and she didn’t even know Brian existed, despite all the time he spent listening to the group.

"Sorry I’m late, but something has come up, and I’m leaving the group," she announced without preamble.

"What!" Five voices echoed the same exclamation.

"Yeah, I’ve been asked to take over the lead for the Sun Sisters," Gwen explained with a self-satisfied smile.

The "Sun Sisters" was a rival group that had been in existence a couple of years, while the River Babes had only been together for a few months. The "Sun Sisters" had a good following, and were well known in the area. It was definitely a step up for Gwen, but . . .

"What about us?" Genni asked. "We’ve been working our tails off, and the festival is only ten days off!"

"I’m sure you’ll find someone to step in," Gwen replied with an insincere smile. "Well, good luck girls. I’ll see you at the festival," she continued, retracing her steps before any of the others could reply.

"I’ll see her in the hospital!" Joan growled menacingly, shaking her fist.

"Don’t hurt your hands," Cathy warned her. "Use a baseball bat."

"Well, that was a kick in the teeth," Terri commented angrily, expertly tossing a drumstick at the door.

"You were right, Kelly," Joan remarked, looking around for something to hit. When her eyes fell on Brian, he blanched.

"How are we going to find a replacement at this late date?" Genni muttered. "There’s no way in hell anyone could learn all the melodies and lyrics, much less the moves, in ten days!"

"Just finding someone with a decent voice would take longer than that!" Kelly moaned.

Suddenly Joan’s eyes returned to Brian, and she fixed her gaze on him thoughtfully.

"Well, I guess that’s it," Terri announced sadly.

"Not so fast," Joan told her, continuing to stare at Brian. "There IS someone who knows our stuff -- by heart, I might add."

"Oh yeah? Who . . . " Genni trailed off when she saw Joan staring across the room, and she turned to see what their brass player was looking at. A moment later the others girls also turned and stared at Brian.

"What -- Me?" Brian asked incredulously. "Wait a minute. Aren’t you forgetting one little detail? The name of your group is ‘River Babes,’ and I’m a GUY, remember?"

"It could work," Kelly remarked, ignoring Brian’s objection.

"But, it would take a lot of work," Terri pointed out.

"What other choice do we have?" Genni asked.

"None." Cathy replied.

Brian really didn’t like the appraising, almost predatory way they were looking at him. It was making him extremely uncomfortable, and he decided it would be a good idea to be somewhere else. He started to rise from the sofa, but before he made it to a sitting position they were on him like a cheap suit. He never had a chance.

"Let me go! What’s wrong with you crazy chicks?" He sputtered.

"We just want to try something," Kelly said soothingly, but Brian wasn’t fooled in the least. He was young, but he wasn’t stupid.

"There’s nobody else!" Genni pleaded.

"You don’t want us to miss the festival, do you -- After all the work we put in?" Joan asked.

"C’mon squir -- er, Brian! We need you! Just give it a try -- Please?" Terri implored.

Brian stopped struggling -- It was useless against the five of them anyway, and his Mom was out shopping.

"No! I’ll just look like a fool, or worse!" He retorted. "There’s no way I’m getting dressed up in drag! I’d never be able to show my face at school again!"

"What if we promised you that nobody would know that it was you; that nobody would ever find out?" Cathy asked.

"That’s not possible," Brian shot back.

"Wanna bet?" Joan challenged.

"Yeah -- sure. What do I get when I win?" Brian asked.

"How about a hundred bucks?" Kelly suggested, waving off the objections of the other girls.

Brian thought for a moment. "And if I lose?" He asked.

"Oh, surely you don’t think you’re going to lose the bet," Genni cooed.

"If you lose, you sing with us at the festival," Terri told her younger brother.

"But you still don’t really lose," Joan told him, "because the only way you’ll be singing with us is if nobody can tell you’re a guy."

A little voice in Brian’s head warned him not to take the bet, but his budding male ego couldn’t conceive of losing. There was nothing they could do to really make HIM look like a chick. Even though he was short and slender he was enough of a guy that it was impossible. This would be an easy hundred dollars.

"Okay, I’ll do it," he told them confidently.

 

Brian was escorted up to Terri’s room and sent to the bathroom and told to strip. The skinny 13 year old examined his emaciated, nearly hairless form in the full-length mirror when he’d discarded everything but his briefs, and for the first time he became a little concerned. His narrow shoulders, skinny arms and legs, and long, geeky neck suddenly appeared far too androgynous for comfort, and he silently cursed his overdue puberty. His near shoulder-length, light brown hair didn’t help matters but, despite his skinny waist, his chest was nearly concave and his hips were practically nonexistent.

Other boys his age were sprouting up, developing muscles and facial hair, and getting deep voices, but Brian was still waiting for his turn at the fountain of masculinity. He knew he would never be a candidate for Mr. Universe. He took after his father, and the pictures he had of his dad, taken before he was killed in a car accident, showed his father to be short, thin guy with a wonderful, warm smile -- but without the rippling muscles of an athlete.

Brian jumped when Cathy poked her head in the room and gave him a quick appraisal. Her head disappeared momentarily, then the door opened again and she tossed something at him. "Lose the briefs," she instructed before closing the door again.

A few minutes later Brian found himself back in Terri’s room, wearing nothing but a pair of white, lace-trimmed, high-cut, nylon panties and a scarlet complexion. Four pairs of female eyes examined him like a particularly challenging rehabilitation project, and Genni wrote down their comments on a pad.

"What happened to Kelly?" Brian asked, trying to deflect some of the attention away from him.

"Oh, she’ll be back soon. She just went to pick up a few things," Joan replied.

"Hmmm. No leg hair to speak of, and just a little fuzz under the arms," Genni commented, mostly to herself.

"Don’t forget to check my teeth," Brian snapped, all too conscious of his lack of body hair.

He was rewarded with a slap on the ass. "No sass, lass! This has to be done right." Joan remarked, grinning at him.

Brian looked up at Joan and bit his tongue. At 5’ 9" the senior girl was two inches taller than he -- just a hair taller than his sister Terri -- and although her arms didn’t look any more muscular than his own, Brian knew better than to try to get physical with her. Besides, he wouldn’t stand a chance against all of them.

Terri handed Brian a pink, disposable razor, and pushed him towards the bathroom, telling him to do his underarms and any stray hairs he might find on his legs. She handed him a can of shaving gel and quickly explained how to use the razor as she closed the door. Brian stared at the pink, ladies razor with distaste. He had never imagined that the very first time he used a razor it would be to shave his legs and underarms.

When he returned to the bedroom, his legs and underarms were silky smooth, though they stung a bit. Kelly had returned while he was shaving, and there were several items laid out on the bed.

"What the heck is this?" Brian asked when she tossed a white garment at him.

"It’s a padded panty brief," she replied. "Notice the pads in the butt and hips. It will give you a better shape and at least make it appear that you have hips."

Brian stuck his tongue out at her, but after the others intervened he reluctantly pulled the tight garment on, tucking himself in as directed.

"Not too bad," Kelly remarked as she opened an oblong box and withdrew two quivering blobs. "Okay, lay down on the bed," she directed.

"Why? What are those things?" Brian demanded.

"Portable boobs," Kelly replied nonchalantly.

"And, believe me, you could use the help," Terri teased.

"Who has the glue?" Kelly asked.

"Right here," Genni replied.

"Glue!" Brian practically shouted.

"Take it easy, sweetie. It’s just to hold them in place. It comes right off -- with the solvent," she added too softly for Brian to hear.

Brian was really nervous now, and he craned his neck to watch as Kelly carefully marked his chest, applied the glue to back of the fake boobs, and positioned them on his chest. Before they let him get up Kelly used a tube of flesh-toned makeup to conceal the seams, and when they finally allowed Brian to stand up he was dismayed to have two, very lifelike boobs hanging from his chest.

The falsies felt heavy and looked huge, and they bounced, jiggled and swayed with every move he made.

"Why did you get such big ones?" Brian asked crossly.

"Sorry about that," Kelly replied with a mischievous smile. "They were my aunt’s, and she took a C cup. It’s not like they’re DDs, or anything really huge."

"Still, on that skinny, little frame they do appear, ah, generous," Genni noted.

"So what?" Cathy asked. "They’re the perfect size for the lead singer in a girl group."

"They WILL come off, right?" Brian asked nervously. "I mean, I DO have school on Monday."

"They’ll come off," Terri assured him.

"I guess it’s time for this," Joan announced, holding up a bra and grinning at the embarrassed boy.

"Oh Gawd!" Brian groaned.

"We should have a ceremony," Kelly remarked, "to commemorate Brian’s first bra."

Genni giggled and added, "A girl’s first bra IS a special occasion!"

Terri helped Brian, showing him how to slide the straps over his shoulders and lean forward to position his faux boobs in the cups. Then she fastened the band for him.

"He looks adorable!" Genni laughed, and Brian felt himself blushing again. He felt the weight of the silicone falsies pulling on the bra straps, and noticed that the lacy, white bra matched his panties. It lifted his temporary boobs, creating a deep cleavage, and one hot profile. On the bright side the bra kept the damned fake tits from bouncing too much when he moved, though they still seemed to have minds of their own.

"Shit," Brian muttered as he stared down at himself.

"Catch!"

Brian looked up just in time to see Terri toss a light blue, plastic ball at him. He barely managed to get his hands up and snatch the blue object from the air before it struck him in the chest. He looked at the item and discovered it was actually egg-shaped, with a seam in the middle. "What is this?" He asked his sister.

"Pantyhose, silly," she replied. "Twist the two halves apart."

Brian did as he was told and when the pieces separated a tan bundle fell out. "You can’t be serious," he remarked when he held up the nylons. "These things couldn’t possibly fit me."

"They’ll fit," Joan assured him, and the girls had him sit on the edge of the bed and instructed him in the technique of getting into the stockings. Brian pointed his toes, checked to see the toe seam was straight, and slowly rolled one leg of the nylons up his leg until it was above his knee. Then he did the same with the other leg and stood up and pulled them over his padded hips.

When he looked down at himself Brian was stunned. Between the breast forms, padded panty brief, and pantyhose he looked completely feminine, at least below his neck, and he considered the possibility that he might actually lose the bet. It was a terrible blow to his adolescent male ego, especially when he realized that he had a better shape as a girl than as a guy. The silky pantyhose enveloped his hips, legs and feet like shrink-wrapped plastic, and the softness of the sheer stockings was very distracting.

"Hey, he’s got a great pair of legs!" Genni remarked, and the others agreed.

"Very sexy!" Joan teased, and Brian shot her a nasty look.

"C’mon, let’s do your face and hair," Kelly told him, taking him by the arm and leading him over to Terri’s makeup table. Brian went along reluctantly, wondering how he had gotten himself into this predicament.

For the next twenty minutes, Terri and Genni assaulted his face with an array of cosmetics while Kelly and Joan worked on his hair. Cathy alternated between the projects, giving advice and occasionally disappearing behind Brian to check out Terri’s wardrobe. The girls had covered Terri’s mirror with a towel, and refused to let the hapless boy see their handiwork, so Brian had nothing to do while they powdered, pampered, blushed and blended his face. Meanwhile, the hair brigade had used rollers and setting gel on his long hair and when they had finished with the medieval torture devices, they brushed, teased and sprayed his locks into a form Brian knew he’d detest.

"How long is this gonna take?" He grumbled.

"Be patient, sweetie. Rome wasn’t built in a day," Cathy replied.

"Rome, hell! The pyramids didn’t take this long to build," Brian retorted.

"Yeah, well the pharaohs had thousands of slaves," Terri reminded him.

"And women weren’t running the project," Brian quipped, which earned him another swat on the butt from one of the girls.

"Behave yourself," Joan cautioned, "or we’ll toss you out the front door, just as you are."

 

When the ordeal was finally over, Cathy handed Terri two hangers: one supporting a sleeveless, white knit pullover, and the other a blue denim mini skirt. Terri held the items up and looked at the other girls for confirmation, and they voiced general agreement.

The next thing he knew, Brian was being manhandled (girl-handled?) out of the chair and led to the center of the room. Cathy and Joan had him raise his arms and very carefully slipped the tight, white top over his head, taking care not to muss his hair or makeup. Meanwhile Terri opened the skirt and had her brother step into it. When she pulled the short little mini up over his padded thighs, Brian was shocked at the amount of leg it revealed. Most of his thighs were exposed, and he didn’t know how he was supposed to sit down without exposing himself right up to his crotch.

"Haven’t you ever seen how us girls do it?" Genni asked with a grin. "Sit with your knees together or keep your legs crossed."

"Yeah, unless, of course, you really want to flash some guy," Kelly joked.

"Let’s just get this over with," Brian pleaded, tugging at the bottom of the knit top with one hand and the skirt with the other.

"Stop that! You’ll ruin my clothes," Terri scolded him.

"Well, this shirt is too short, and the skirt is ridiculous!" He shot back.

"It’s supposed to leave your midriff exposed, and the skirt is no shorter than the ones the other girls at school wear," his sister informed him, repeating the argument she had used with their mother when she bought it.

"Well, it feels really weird," Brian announced.

"Put these on if you want weird," Joan remarked as she handed him a pair of his sister’s navy pumps.

Brian took the shoes and turned them in his hands. They had heels that looked awfully high, and he looked at the girls pleadingly. "Can’t I just wear a pair of her regular shoes? I know she has loafers and other stuff."

Cathy shook her head. "Nope. You need the extra height to make you look a little older and bring you up to our height," she explained.

"What about her?" Brian asked, pointing at Genni, who was the shortest of the group. "She’s shorter than I am."

"Yeah, but she wears some really high platforms when we perform," Joan explained.

In the end, Brian didn’t have much of a choice. He sat on the edge of Terri’s bed and slipped his feet into the pumps and rose shakily.

"Jeez! It feels like I’m wearing stilts and walking downhill," he complained, adding, "My toes feel cramped."

"Welcome to the wonderful world of women’s fashions," Kelly remarked dryly.

"You’ll get used to ‘em -- Just walk around a little," Genni told him. She was the resident expert on very high heels and she coached the perplexed boy as he struggled to maneuver in the unfamiliar footwear.

Brian lurched from one piece of furniture to another as he tried to learn to walk in the heels. Genni noted that they were only about 2 ¾ inches high -- nothing compared to what she usually wore -- and she explained how to sit and rise, how to turn and, most important, how to handle steps. After about fifteen minutes Brian looked almost normal in the heels, but the girls all knew he would need a lot of work before he actually appeared graceful. None of them wanted to think about Brian trying to dance and prance his way around a stage during a performance. That would require practice -- a LOT of practice -- and they only had ten days to make it all happen.

 

"Okay, time for the moment of truth," Terri announced when she was satisfied that Brian wouldn’t kill himself trying to walk across the room. "Come with us."

The five girls led Brian over to the closet door, which had a full-length mirror on the interior side. They positioned him directly in front of the closed door, then Terri opened the door and Brian saw himself for the first time.

He nearly fainted when he saw his own reflection. His eyes went wide, and he gasped and began to totter on the heels as he stared at the cute chick in the mirror. Joan and Cathy grabbed his arms and Kelly positioned herself behind him in case he went over backwards.

"Hey Brian, are you okay?" Genni asked, and the awestruck boy managed to nod.

"Well, what do you think -- Were we right or were we right?" Joan asked.

Brian just continued to stare at his reflection, too mesmerized to respond.

"I take that as a big yes," Cathy smirked, grinning at the bemused boy.

Brian couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Try as he might he could find no trace of himself in the reflection. There was nothing to indicate that the person looking back at him was a boy. Worse yet, the chick in the mirror was definitely hot! She had nice hair, a perfectly made-up face, and a great figure! The tight top revealed just a bit of alluring cleavage and a narrow waist, while the mini skirt followed the contours of his feminine hips and showed off a really fine pair of legs. The thought crossed his mind, dressed as he is, his own mother wouldn’t know him! But he couldn’t bring himself to admit that; it would be an affront to his frail ego.

"What are you talking about?" He demanded weakly. "I can tell that’s me," he asserted lamely.

"Yeah -- right!" Kelly replied sarcastically.

"Well, I guess if he isn’t willing to concede the bet, there’s only one thing to do," Joan announced.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Brian asked.

"Well, WE all think you look perfect, and nobody could possibly tell you aren’t a girl, but YOU won’t admit it, so we’ll have to show you off and see how others react to you."

"What do you mean?" Brian asked nervously, his stomach twisting in knots.

The girls looked at each other for a moment, and some unspoken communication seemed to pass between them. Finally they turned and faced Brian, smiles lighting their faces.

"We’re going to the mall!" Cathy announced, and Brian nearly fainted.

"No!" He said weakly, trying to hold on to the dresser to keep from falling off the damned heels. "You promised! This wasn’t part of the bet!"

"We promised not to tell, and we won’t," Terri assured him.

"But, since you disagree with our evaluation, we have to be fair about this," Kelly added.

"Yeah. Besides, this will be the ultimate test. If nobody picks up on you at the mall, no one ever will," Joan told him.

"Look at it this way. If nothing else, I’ll bet you’ll be the cutest guy there!" Genni giggled.

Suddenly, he heard Cathy say, "Hey look at this!"

Brian automatically turned to see what Cathy was referring to, and he was immediately blinded by a series of flashes. She had taken several pictures before he could even react, and by that time his eyes were completely blinded from the flash. Brian thought about lunging for the camera, but he knew he’d never be able to catch her in high heels.

"What’s that for -- Blackmail?" He asked angrily.

"Blackmail is such an ugly word," Cathy told him. "Let’s just say it’s to insure your cooperation, so YOU don’t try to back out of the bet."

Brian thought about simply conceding the bet to get out of going to the mall, but then he realized he’d be forced to sing with the River Babes, and that scared him even more than the thought of going to the mall dressed as a girl. He had no doubt that if he refused to cooperate, the pictures Cathy had taken of him would be circulating around the school Monday morning. He realized he was trapped.

 

Since it was nearly time for dinner, the other girls left for their respective homes, telling Terri they’d be back at seven o’clock to pick them up for a little mall crawl. When they had gone, Brian pleaded with Terri to let him off the hook, but she refused.

"You have no idea how much we’ve been counting on the festival," she told him. "It’s our big chance to make a real name for ourselves and get the bookings we want. I’m hoping to go to college in two years, but you know mom can’t afford to pay the tuition. I -- All of us -- need the money. That’s why we’ve been working so hard, practicing practically every night."

"I know sis, but this is just SO weird, and the thought of going out dressed like this scares the hell out of me," he replied.

"You’ll do just fine," Terri assured him. "Absolutely nobody is going to see through that disguise, unless you do something really dumb."

"I have a very bad feeling about this," Brian muttered disconsolately.

"Well, I know you won’t take my word for it, but what about Mom’s?" his sister asked. "She wouldn’t do anything to hurt you, and she won’t let you go out like that unless she thinks you can pull it off. Will you take her word for it?"

"I guess . . ."

"Okay, here’s what I want you to do," Terri told him, explaining what she had in mind.

 

"I’m home kids," Alice Saunders announced as she struggled with the back door while she balanced a bag of groceries in one arm and her shoulder bag in another. When there was no answer, she set the bag of groceries and her purse on the kitchen table and walked into the living room. Her daughter Terri was watching television with one of her friends, and they appeared to be engrossed in the show.

"Hello," she repeated, gratified when her daughter finally responded.

"Oh, hi Mom," she replied. "This is, ah, Brandi, a friend of mine," Terri announced, and the other girl smiled shyly, mumbling "hi" before returning her attention to the show.

"I’m pleased to meet you, Brandi," Alice replied. "Would you like to stay for dinner?"

The girl looked at Terri, who nodded, then turned her head towards Alice again. "Yes ma’am. Thank you," she replied in a very soft voice.

Alice thought the new girl was awfully shy, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it. "Where’s your brother?" She asked, and Terri turned away from the set and faced her.

"He took off," she replied. "He said something about going over to a friend’s house."

"That boy!" Alice fumed. "Here I stopped and picked up all the ingredients I need to make his favorite dish, tacos, and he isn’t even here. Oh well, I guess we’ll have to eat them all ourselves," she finished, turning and heading back into the kitchen.

Thirty minutes later the tacos were ready and Alice called the girls into the kitchen. Brandi helped set the table, and as she set the plates out, Alice couldn’t help thinking she had seen her somewhere. She looked very familiar, but Alice just couldn’t place her. She certainly was quiet, though. The girl hardly said a word, and she seemed to be afraid of something, though Alice couldn’t imagine what might the problem. She studied her daughter’s new friend without being too obvious about it, and she was just about to turn her attention to her plate when she caught something out of the corner of her eye, and she nearly fainted on the spot.

"Ohmigod -- Brian! That’s YOU, isn’t it?" She exclaimed as she leaned forward and stared at the "girl" intently.

Brian gulped and slid down in his seat, trying to avoid his mother’s close scrutiny. He knew this was a bad idea, but Terri had insisted, arguing that if he could fool his own mother, he could fool anyone. Now there he was, trying to disappear from sight at the dinner table while his Mom stared at him like he was completely crazy.

"What are you doing dressed up in your sister’s clothes? Is this some sort of sick joke?" Alice practically shouted.

"No, Mom! Let me explain," Terri spoke up, and she proceeded to tell her mother the whole story while Brian just sat there, red-faced.

When Terri finished her explanation, Alice looked at her son and shook her head. "I can’t believe it! You look perfect, in fact you look more than perfect; you look really pretty!"

"If I’m so perfect then how did you know it was me?" Brian asked morosely.

"I didn’t until you picked up your taco and turned it sidewise in your hand before taking a bite," his mother admitted. "Nobody in the world eats tacos like you do."

"Well, I guess I can go get changed out of all this stuff now," Brian said as he started to rise from the table.

"You sit right back down, young, er -- man," his mother ordered.

"But, why? You recognized me!" Brian pointed out, but his mother shook her head.

"I did not recognize you until you did that little thing with the taco," she reminded him. "That disguise is absolutely perfect, and you made a bet, a promise, to your sister and her friends. They’ve worked long and hard to make the group a success, and you’re not going to spoil it for them because you have cold feet."

"But MOM!" Brian protested. "All those people! I can barely walk in these stupid shoes, and I’d have to do a lot more than just walk if I went up on that stage! I don’t know anything about being a girl! If anyone sees through this disguise, I might as well pack up and leave town because I’ll never live it down! My life will be ruined!"

"I think you’re being just a bit over-dramatic," Alice told her son. "Besides, the way you look, nobody will suspect a thing. All you need is a little practice in high heels and girls’ clothes, and you’ll be fine. Remember, it’s just for one performance."

"But --"

"No ‘buts.’ There’s ten days until the festival, and that’s plenty of time to get you accustomed to the shoes and clothes. In fact, the idea of going to the mall tonight is perfect. You’ll be with five other girls, and they can teach you more in a couple of hours than you could learn in weeks at home."

Brian felt sick to his stomach, and for the first time anyone could recall, he left his dinner untouched.

 

Nervous didn’t begin to describe Brian’s state of mind as he was dragged and pushed through the doors at the entrance to the mall. Terrified or panic-stricken came much closer, but he was even beyond those adjectives. It took every ounce of willpower he possessed to accompany them into the crowded mall.

The girls had all shed their school clothes, and were now wearing really nice outfits. Joan was wearing a cool, short white linen skirt that looked great against her tanned legs, a red, strapless top that hugged her thin waist, and white, high-heeled sandals. Cathy was the lady in black, with a scandalously tight black mini, black halter, and black patent leather pumps. Tiny Genni wore a short, lemon yellow wrap skirt, a yellow, floral print tank top, and a pair of very high, Y strap sandals to give her a little added height. Kelly had poured herself into a tan mini, a skimpy red halter, and pumps that looked like Dorothy’s ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz. Finally, Terri was wearing a pair of sky blue hot pants, a white tank top that began shading to a deep orchid just beneath her bust line, and light blue heels. Alice had thrown a fit when she saw her daughter dressed like that, but Terri had gotten away with it by telling her mother she wasn’t about to go out with Brian if he was wearing an outfit that showed more leg than hers.

Under ordinary circumstances, Brian would be thrilled to hang out with the girls. But these weren’t ordinary circumstances, and the hiss of his nylons and the tap of his heels on the composite floor were audible reminders of the bizarre situation in which he found himself. So, too was the gentle lap of his skirt against his thighs, the restriction of his stride by the heels and skirt, the tug of his bra straps as the silicone breast forms tried to free themselves from their confinement, and the tension in his calves and toes from the unfamiliar high heels. All of these sensations, and more, served to distract Brian.

On top of everything else, the male incognito noticed that quite a few members of his gender were looking at him with obvious lust in their eyes, and Brian desperately wanted to leave before some guy decided to ask him out. The only thing that kept him going was the fact that the real girls were getting the same looks, and he figured there was safety in numbers.

Brian did everything possible to make himself invisible as the girls took him around, window shopping and gabbing, but invisibility wasn’t possible the way he was dressed. Nevertheless, he kept his head down and his mouth shut, and he stayed in the middle of the group, never venturing to the perimeter. When they reached the far end of the mall, Prudence Warner, a good friend of the girls, walked out of the florist shop where she was employed and waved when she saw the group.

"Hi Prue," Cathy called out to the shapely senior. "Where you going?"

"To get something to eat. I’m starved!" their friend replied.

"Are you on your break?" Genni asked.

"No, I’m done for the night," Prue told her. "I -- Oh, excuse me, have we met?" She asked the "new" girl.

Brian felt his level of terror rising as he forced himself to smile and shake his head.

"I’m sorry. Prue, this is my er, cousin, Brandi," Terri lied. "Gwen quit the group, and Brandi will be filling in for her, at least for a while," Terri added truthfully.

"Nice to meet you," Prue told the faux girl, smiling her winning smile.

"Thanks. Nice to meet you, too," Brian managed, barely beating back the instinct to cut and run. Prue was one of the most popular girls in the school, and she was wired into everything. If he blew it now, the entire school would know he had gone to the mall wearing girls clothes and makeup, probably before he made it home.

"What’s this about Gwen?" Prue asked the others, and Joan responded.

"She got an offer to sing with the ‘Sun Sisters,’ and apparently figured she would do better with an established group."

"Jeez, you guys have been working pretty hard to get ready for the festival," Prue noted. "Is she, at least, gonna stick with you for that?"

"No," Cathy replied angrily.

"She just quit," Kelly added.

"She pranced into the practice this afternoon and told us she was through, but she’s looking forward to seeing us at the festival," Genni said with a shake of her head.

"That little --" Prue began.

"I hope I DO see her," Cathy interrupted, making a fist.

"We’ll take turns," Joan told her friend.

"Are you going to be able to learn everything in time?" Prue asked "Brandi."

"I know most of the words and the music," Brian answered.

"The real problem will be the moves," Terri told Prue. "Brandi has never done anything like this before."

"Have you ever taken dance, or done any acting?" Prue asked.

"No," Brian replied.

"Aerobics?"

"No."

Suddenly Kelly got an idea. Prue was a cheerleader, and she had taken classes in both ballet and modern dance, and she was the perfect person to help "Brandi" with her stage presence.

"Uh, Prue, would you mind helping Brandi learn some moves for the performance?" She asked, avoiding Brian’s glare.

"Sure," Prue agreed. "We could work on movement and stage presence. I could come over tomorrow afternoon, and I could give you some time during the week, like right after school. I’d have to be home by dinner though because I have to study for exams."

Brian was forced to sit by while the girls set him up for "lessons" with Prue, and there was nothing he could do about it. He had to feign gratitude for Prue’s help, even though the last thing he wanted to do was learn how to "move." Prue had joked that, by the time she finished, "Brandi" would have the sexiest moves of any girl on stage, and Brian knew it wasn’t an idle boast on her part. Prue had danced in a couple of school plays, and the way she handled herself when she was cheering made the male half of the student body pay close attention.

 

The counterfeit girl was never so glad to get home as "she" was that night. The "other" girls complimented him on the ride back, trying to boost his confidence and make him feel more at ease, but Brian still had serious doubts about pulling off the ruse. He tended to dismiss the encouraging words from Terri and her friends, because they really had nothing to lose. He would be the one who suffered irremediable damage if the hoax was discovered, so he tended to be much more cynical about his chances.

His mother didn’t help matters when she grilled the group about "Brandi’s" debut. When the girls told her that Brian had fooled everyone, including Prue, she smiled knowingly, and pronounced that he WOULD fill in at the festival. Brian was miserable, especially when Terri brought one of her leotards, a pair of tights, and a pair of aerobics shoes into the kitchen, telling him he could wear them when Prue came over to help him. Despite Brian’s tale of woe, including his feelings of awkwardness and self-consciousness, Alice decreed that her son would spend the balance of the weekend as Brandi.

"It sounds like you need a little time in a skirt and heels to get accustomed to them," she told her son.

"But my feet hurt from wearing these shoes," Brian complained.

"Welcome to my world," Genni remarked. "Just be glad you’ll only have to wear them for a short time. With my height, I have to wear them to keep people from treating me like a kid."

Brian spent the rest of the evening in his cute outfit. Later, after the other girls went home, he watched television with his mother and sister, and they spent half the night correcting his posture and mannerisms. They constantly reminded him to sit up straight, keep his knees together, hold his hands in his lap, and take short, feminine steps when he got up for something.

When it was time for bed, Terri helped Brian get out of his outfit and showed him how to remove his makeup. She also handed him a short, baby doll nightie to use, and after he put it on she tied his hair back for him. Brian was mortified at the way his realistic breast forms stuck out, especially the semi-erect nipples, which pushed into the light, semi-transparent fabric. The low cut, sleeveless nightie only fell to the tops of his thighs, and even walking quickly caused the nightie to swirl enough to reveal the matching panties he wore, further embarrassing the boy.

Brian was grateful when he was finally able to crawl into bed, but his ordeal didn’t end when the lights went out. The feminized boy discovered he was unable to sleep on his stomach without mashing his fake boobs against his chest, and he tossed and turned for a long time before he found a position that was semi-comfortable. Eventually he fell asleep from sheer exhaustion.

 

The next morning Brian awakened to find his mother in his room. She was laying out some clothes and puttering around, straightening his ever-messy room.

"Good morning, honey. You’d better get up or we’ll be late for church. I have a really cute dress all picked out for you."

Brian sat up in bed, only half conscious, but he was immediately aware of the shifting weights on his chest. He looked down at himself for several moments and contemplated the two, lifelike breasts pushing out from his chest. They looked so weird on him he could hardly believe they were hanging there, but the pull on his chest was real, and the sight of the breasts peeking out over the low cut bodice of the nightie was too bizarre to dismiss as a hallucination.

"Mom, you can’t be serious about me going to church like this," he protested, gesturing at himself.

"Of course I’m serious," she replied. "Interacting with others as a female will give you the experience and confidence you need to make the concert a success."

But, Mom! Everybody at church knows me! This won’t be like the mall. If ‘Brandi’ suddenly appears, and I disappear, people will put it together. They’ll figure it out!"

"Honey, you underestimate yourself. Brandi doesn’t look anything like Brian, and since Brandi is Brian’s "cousin" any similarity in appearance will be put down to family resemblance," Alice told her nervous child. "We’ll just tell anyone who asks that Brian is staying overnight with some friends."

Brian felt the call of nature, and when he tossed the covers aside and swung his legs out of bed he realized his short nightie had ridden up during the night, exposing his lacy panties, so he tugged the nightgown down as he rose. It was still awfully short, though, and as he headed towards the bathroom, Brian was embarrassed to feel the hem of the silky material caress his thighs. Between his bare legs and bouncing boobs Brian felt very exposed. He blushed when he noticed his mother staring at his hairless legs with a look of amusement.

The outfit Alice had chosen for Brian was a yellow, short-sleeve, floral print dress. There was also a pair of white sandals with three-inch heels, a pair of "Barely There" pantyhose, a white purse, and some jewelry, including white clip-on button earrings and a white beaded necklace.

As Brian examined the items, Alice handed him another panty brief and waist nipper -- these in flesh tone -- and a pale yellow bra and panty set. The padded panty brief was tighter than the first one Brian had worn, and it had more padding at the hips and bottom, and Brian had to really struggle to get into it. He felt somewhat more cramped when he tucked everything away. The waist nipper was also tighter than the one he’d worn the previous day, and Brian found it difficult to breathe deeply.

"Where did these things come from, and why are they so damn tight?" Brian gasped as he sat on the bed to catch his breath.

"Oh, while you and the other girls went to the mall last night, I went out and did a little shopping of my own," his Mom replied with a mischievous smile, adding: "These will give you a little better shape than the others."

Brian grumbled, but his mother remained adamant that he would honor his commitment to help his sister.

"You’re going through with this, and you will do your very best," she told him in her best "I Will Be Obeyed" tone of voice.

Brian stared at her defiantly for a moment, testing her will, but she merely crossed her arms, planted her feet, and stared back at him. Finally her son sighed and looked away and shrugged.

"Okay, Mom. I promise. I’ll do my best," he vowed.

"I knew you’d do your best for your sister," Alice responded, acknowledging her son’s surrender with good grace. She patted Brian’s shoulder. "You’re a good kid, Brian."

Brian had second (or perhaps third or fourth) thoughts about the whole thing, though, when his mother helped him with his bra. The light yellow, satin bra was underwired, and the cups were designed to lift a woman’s breasts and push them together. When his mother fastened the band and adjusted the straps, Brian was stunned by the appearance of his counterfeit boobs. They looked a lot fuller, and the cleavage was amazing.

Terri was thrilled when she saw her "cousin." Brian’s hair was brushed and teased into a very feminine style, and their mother had done a superb job on his makeup. The bright yellow dress revealed just enough of "Brandi’s" voluptuous breasts to be tempting without being trashy, and the fitted waist and mid-thigh hem showed off her narrow waist and nicely-turned legs. The white sandals made Brian’s feet appear small and dainty, and the matching accessories gave the impression of a proper young lady. It was a perfect outfit for church.

Brian had suffered patiently while his mother had done his face and hair, and now he endured a manicure -- with coral nail polish to match his lipstick -- but he drew the line when Terri wanted to pluck his eyebrows. Fortunately, his mother sided with him, telling Terri that "Brandi’s" eyebrows were passable as they were.

"I think she’s adorable! Besides, Brian still has a few days of school left," Alice reminded her daughter.

Brian was terrified at church. They arrived just a few minutes before the services began and found all the seats near the back were taken. The feminized boy was forced to follow his mother and sister up to the front and endure the stares of the congregation. He knew most of them, of course, and many of the kids from his school were there. He was too frightened to make eye contact, but he noticed that many of them were checking him out. The girls appeared curious, but there was something else written on the boys’ faces that made him very nervous,

After the service, Brian was introduced as "Brandi," and his mother explained that Brandi was visiting for the weekend, and would be helping Terri and the girls out with the group. Jim Dennison, a boy that Terri dated occasionally, and Don West, another guy from school, approached the knot of people around Alice, Terri, and Brian, and introduced themselves to "Brandi." Don seemed particularly interested in getting to know the girl, and asked how long she would be staying. He seemed disappointed when he learned that Brandi would be leaving that night, but he brightened considerably when Jim asked if Terri and Brandi would like to get a pizza that afternoon.

"Great idea, Jim! How about it?" Don asked, turning towards Brian.

Brian was literally speechless. He was appalled at the idea of accepting an invitation from a boy, but he had no idea how to refuse the offer gracefully, especially since Don’s face was beaming with anticipation.

Before he could answer, Terri stepped in.

"That sounds like fun, doesn’t it Brandi?" She replied, giving her brother a significant look that the boys couldn’t see.

"I, ah, that is . . . I guess so," Brian replied haltingly, wondering what had gotten into his sister.

"Great! Don’t eat lunch -- We’ll stop by around noon," Jim told them.

"What are you trying to do to me?" Brian demanded when he and Terri were finally able to break free of the boys. They were following their mother to the car, and Brian figured it was safe to talk.

"I really like Jim, and I’d like to see him today," Terri replied. "Besides, it’s only for a pizza," she added, acting if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Hello?" Brian remarked. "You just set me up for a date with a boy!"

"Now girls, stop arguing," Alice reprimanded her children.

"But, Mom!" Brian protested.

"But nothing," Alice cut him off. "Like Terri said, it’s just for a pizza. It’s not a real date. Just play along for a couple of hours."

Brian shut up and got in the car, wondering if his Mom had gone off the deep end. Even going out with the guys for a pizza seemed all wrong to him, and shuddered to think of what Don might do to him if he found out that Brandi was actually Terri’s kid brother.

The guys picked them up an hour later, and Brian found himself stuck in the back seat of Jim’s car with Don, while Terri rode up front. Terri was in a talkative mood, and she told the guys all about Gwen’s defection and Brandi’s "offer" to help out at the rock festival. Don was really impressed when he heard Brandi was the new lead singer for the River Babes, and he told her that he would be sure to get a ticket so he could hear her. At that point Terri stepped in again and told Don that it wouldn’t be necessary for him to buy a ticket. She explained that the groups all received a few passes to distribute to their friends and she was sure Brandi wouldn’t mind giving him one of her passes.

Brian was put on the spot again, and when Don looked at him questioningly he had no choice but to smile and nod his head.

"Fantastic!" Don exclaimed, and proceeded to make plans with Jim to drive down to the site and get a motel room for the weekend.

After they finished their pizza, Terri asked "Brandi" to come with her to the ladies room, and when the fake female demurred she took hold of his arm and practically dragged him away from the table.

"What’s the big idea?" Brian whispered as they left the table.

"We need to talk," Terri whispered back, "and I didn’t want to leave you alone anyway."

"But, I can’t go in there!" Brian hissed, nodding towards the door of the ladies room.

"Sure you can. Just don’t stare at anyone, and remember to sit down," Terri reminded him.

But they encountered a major problem in the hallway that led to the rest rooms. A group of grubby looking guys had congregated just outside the doors to the rest rooms, and when Terri tried to get around them they intentionally blocked the way.

"What’s the hurry, babe?" One of the teenage boys asked, leering at her. "Why don’t you girls come with us? We’ll show you a real good time."

The others in the group made similar, suggestive comments, but Terri looked at the one blocking her way and calmly told him that, if he didn’t get out of her way, she would fix it so he would qualify to join them in the ladies room. The big mouth looked a little less certain, but he couldn’t back down in front of his friends, so he made a grab for her. At that point, Terri made good on her promise and kneed the guy in the groin, but several others grabbed her, and Brian felt himself being grabbed by several of the others.

"Bitch!" The big mouth gasped. "I’ll just have to teach you some manners!"

"Funny, we were just thinking the same thing," Don’s voice announced from behind the group.

Everyone turned to see who had spoken, and Brian saw Don and Jim standing shoulder to shoulder with their arms crossed. Somehow they had heard the commotion and approached unseen. They had threatening expressions on their faces, and they were both big guys, but there were six guys in the group hassling Terri and Brian. Brian didn’t like the odds, and he was also terrified that if anything happened, his secret would be revealed.

"Whaddya gonna do about it? There’s six of us," one of the others asked insolently.

Don nodded. "Uh huh," he agreed. "I think the odds are just about right. Oh, one other thing. You’re my first project. Whatever happens you better hope your friends are really good, because I’m coming for YOU."

"And you’re ass is mine," Jim told the one with the big mouth, who was still recovering from the knee in the groin, "unless that other asshole doesn’t take his hands off my lady right now."

Brian and Terri were immediately freed, and the second big mouth looked less certain.

"C’mon," Terri said to Brian, taking his arm and propelling him into the ladies room. At that point, Brian was too scared to protest, but when he realized where he was, his fear of what might happen to him if someone caught him in the women’s restroom combined with his fear of the guys outside the door to create a real need where none had existed before, and he dashed into the first stall he saw.

As he opened the door to the stall he turned his head and saw his sister heading back towards the entrance. "What the heck are you doing?" Brian hissed.

"I want a piece of the guy that grabbed me," she stated in a hard voice. "Stay here."

"Are you CRAZY?" Brian practically shouted. "You’ll get killed out there. Let the guys handle them!"

Terri looked at Brian with an odd expression, then turned back towards the door, but instead of barging out she listened for a moment.

"It’s awfully quiet out there," she announced to her brother, who was standing in the stall and peeking out through the partially open metal door.

Terri opened the door to the washroom slightly and imitated her brother by peeking out and checking out the hallway. The place was empty, except for Don and Jim, who were casually leaning against the wall, talking.

"What happened?" She asked.

"Not much," Jim responded. "They just decided that maybe the odds weren’t so great after all," he added with a self-satisfied smile.

Don just nodded, a slight smirk painted on his face.

"You girls take your time. They won’t be back, and we’ll just wait here," Jim told his date.

Terri grinned at the two of them. "You two are pretty good, you know that?"

Jim shrugged modestly, but Don’s smirk widened a little, and Terri ducked back into the restroom.

"Relax, the guys ran those jerks off," she informed her brother.

Brian breathed a sigh of relief and locked the stall door. Terri smiled as she heard him hike his skirt up and sit down, and she couldn’t help noticing her brother’s nylon encased legs and high heeled pumps beneath the stall door.

 

Terri helped Brian touch up his makeup and arrange his hair before they rejoined Jim and Don. Brian was awfully quiet, causing Terri to worry a little. She and the others had pushed him pretty hard, and she was worried he might bail out or crack up if she put any more pressure on him. She knew all this was terribly hard on Brian, and that he was really going above and beyond what she had a right to expect. This was more than being a good sport, and Terri realized Brian wouldn’t have put himself through the ordeal, regardless of threats, if he didn’t love her.

She felt her own eyes moisten, and she hugged her brother. "Are you okay?" she asked with genuine concern.

Brian glanced at her as he slid a tube of lipstick into "his" purse, managing a weak, shaky smile. "Yeah, I think so," he replied, "but I want to get out of here and go home."

"Okay. I’ll talk to Jim and tell him we have to get back. I think he’ll understand after what happened in the hall."

Don and Jim smiled when the "girls" emerged from the ladies room, and Jim walked over to Terri.

"Ah, guys? Do you mind if we head home now? Brandi really needs to get ready to leave," Terri announced.

Neither boy was too happy about leaving, but Terri made it up to Jim by giving him a peck on the cheek and slipping her arm through his. "Thanks for coming to our rescue," she cooed softly, in a sexy voice.

"Yeah, uh, thanks," Brian echoed without approaching Don, and without the enthusiasm.

Jim’s grin widened, and an "aw shucks" expression animated his features. He slipped his arm around Terri’s waist and steered her towards the door. Brian hesitated for a moment so Don approached him and followed Jim’s example. When Brian felt Don’s arm encircle his waist a strange feeling settled over the counterfeit girl, and he, in turn, followed Terri’s example. He allowed Don to escort him to the car, but he was so distracted by the sensation of Don’s arm around his waist that he caught a heel on the threshold and tripped going out the door. He would have fallen flat on his face, but Don’s strong arm pulled Brian close, and he held the faux female until Brian regained his balance.

Brian looked up at his protector with a sheepish grin. "Thanks again," he mumbled, this time managing a real smile.

"I don’t know how you girls manage to walk at all in those high heels," Don remarked, and Brian sighed. "Neither do I," he responded.

 

Brian sagged against the wall when Terri closed the front door. Brian’s heart was pounding, he felt light-headed, and his breathing was ragged. Through sheer good luck he had managed to pull off the masquerade, and he felt very fortunate to be home -- and alive. He still could not believe that Don hadn’t seen through his disguise, but Don had not caught on and remained oblivious to the deception. Brian wondered if the guy had all his faculties.

"Hey, great job, squirt. You pulled it off," Terri congratulated him.

"Only because Don is completely clueless," he retorted. "He must be brain dead not to have figured it out."

"You’re the one who is brain dead," Terri shot back.

"What’s the problem?" their mother asked as she heard her children arguing.

Brian and Terri each explained what had happened, giving considerably different versions, and Alice Saunders listened to both stories with an enigmatic smile. When they finished she looked at Brian first.

"Honey, Don is not clueless. Remember, nobody at the mall, at church, or at the restaurant could tell either, and the reason no one saw through your disguise is because you look very, very good -- almost perfect -- and what they saw is a pretty girl. You just need the confidence to go with your appearance.

"I could see that as soon as I saw through your little game yesterday. With confidence, and the proper attitude, nobody will ever be able to tell. I wouldn’t have let you out of the house if I didn’t believe that."

Terri listened to her mother, feeling quite satisfied with herself, so she wasn’t ready when Alice turned on her daughter.

". . . And you, young lady, have to understand the risk Brian is running so you can perform at the festival. If he were to be caught impersonating a girl, his friends would disown him and he would face an awful lot of ridicule. It’s understandable that he’s nervous and anxious. Remember, he’s doing this for you and your friends, so it is up to you to protect him and ease his fears. You should do anything you can to make this easier for him, instead of arguing or teasing him."

Brian and Terri looked at each other sheepishly for a moment, and then both tried to apologize at the same time. Terri started to giggle, and then Brian did too, sounding exactly like his older sister.

"I’m sorry, Brian," Terri said sincerely. "I really do appreciate what you’re doing for us."

Brian was about to respond when Alice interrupted him.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Prue called about a half hour ago and said she’d be over in about an hour. Brian, you had best get changed."

Brian rolled his eyes, but headed towards his bedroom without arguing.

 

"Not bad, but you have to remember to keep your heels elevated a little. Walk on tiptoes," Prue ordered.

The hapless boy sighed. "I still don’t understand why I have to walk on my toes," Brian complained. He was wearing the yellow leotard, white tights that Terri had lent him, over an entirely too tight sports bra that mashed his fake boobs against his chest and made breathing difficult. Prue was teaching him basic dance steps and insisted that he start off shoeless. He was trying very hard to please her, but she was a perfectionist, and his calves were beginning to ache from the strain of prancing around on his toes.

"Because it forces you to move gracefully, and it also aids your balance," Prue explained patiently, adding: "It also makes your legs look better and improves your overall posture."

They had been working for over an hour, and Terri could tell that her brother was getting tired. He was perspiring, and the strain was showing on his face.

"Why can’t she wear the heels she’ll be wearing when we perform?" She asked, looking for anything that might help Brian.

"Because I don’t want her to use them as a crutch," Prue replied. "Those spiked heels you wear are tricky, and if she uses the heel for support she could turn her ankle or even take a fall. I want her to stay on her toes all throughout the performance. She’ll move a lot better that way, and there’s less chance of stumbling."

"Okay, you’re the expert," Terri agreed, giving Brian an "I tried" look.

Fifteen minutes later, while Brian was practicing a particularly difficult move, his tights slipped on the tile floor and he went down hard, cracking his skull on the tile.

"Ohmigod!" Terri screamed as she leapt from her to chair. She and Prue hovered over Brian, but he was completely unconscious.

"Mom! Brian is hurt!" Terri yelled out, completely forgetting about the masquerade.

"Brian?" Prue asked, looking at Terri with a shocked expression.

"Oh good lord!" Alice exclaimed as she rushed into the room. "Terri, go to the medicine cabinet and get the smelling salts. Hurry!"

Terri was off like a shot, and Alice bent over her unconscious son and tried to revive him.

"Is that really your brother, Brian?" Prue asked as Terri returned and handed the bottle of smelling salts to her mother.

Terri took Prue by the arm and pulled her off to one side. "Yeah, that’s Brian," she admitted. "When Gwen walked out on us, there was no time to find another singer. There was no way anyone could possibly learn all the lyrics and melodies in ten days, but Brian has been hanging around during our rehearsals and he knows all the songs."

As Alice held the bottle under Brian’s nose he groaned and opened his eyes. It took a moment for them to focus on his mother.

"Are you all right, honey?" she asked as she called for a damp cloth for his forehead.

"I -- I think so," Brian replied, lifting himself up on his elbows. "It was these damned tights -- They slid on the tile floor and I couldn’t stop myself."

"Thank God," Alice mumbled, and the others nodded in agreement.

"I think you’d better stop for tonight," Alice told her son as she helped him up and began leading him from the room.

"I’ll be damned," Prue remarked softly. "I would have never guessed ‘Brandi’ was a guy, much less Brian."

"Look, this could be really embarrassing for him if this gets out," Terri pointed out. "You won’t say anything about this, will you?"

Prue looked at Terri and a smile formed at the corners of her mouth. "I never could stand Gwen," she remarked. "I wouldn’t miss a chance to help you stick it to her. Besides, any guy that would do this for his sister has a lot of guts. No, Terri, I won’t say anything -- but I want a ticket to the festival"

"You got it," Terri promised with a grin.

 

The following week was incredibly hectic for Brian. Between rehearsals, exams, and practicing with Prue, he rarely had a moment to himself. But he gradually learned the moves Prue wanted him to use, and became fairly adept at dressing himself in feminine attire. The River Babes held several dress rehearsals for a few close friends, and they refined their act and polished it to the point Cathy thought they had a real chance to win the competition. Joan and Terri tended to agree with her, but Genni and Kelly weren’t so sure. Brian was clueless.

Now that Prue knew their secret, she became one of the conspirators, and she began noticing every little flaw in Brian’s posture and mannerisms, and she drilled him constantly in feminine deportment. By the opening day of the festival, she had drummed everything into Brian’s head so thoroughly it was second nature to him. He could walk in the high spiked heels as naturally as any girl, and better than most, and the way he flipped his hair and swung his hips was delightfully feminine, and downright sexy at times.

Brian knew he was doing well, and he actually began to enjoy himself a little. Part of the fun was the thrill of pulling off the impersonation, but part of it was due to the fact that he had a pretty good voice and he enjoyed singing. He looked on his masquerade as acting, a role that he could assume when needed and discard later, but all of the girls noticed that, even when he wasn’t "Brandi" his posture and mannerisms were increasingly feminine. They thought it was funny, though Terri hoped nobody else had noticed, and they didn’t say anything to Brian about it.

 

On Friday afternoon, Brian finished his last exam and bid goodbye to junior high. The following fall he would attend the large, new high school located about two miles away from his home. Terri picked him up after school, and they went directly home to get ready for the festival. Though the River Babes weren’t scheduled to perform until the following evening, the girls wanted to get there early and see the other groups, so they had rented one motel room to spend Saturday and Sunday night. Terri had also arranged to meet Jim and Don to give them the tickets she had promised them.

Brian quickly stripped off his clothes when he reached his room, then grabbed the outfit Terri had chosen for him and headed for the bathroom. He depilated his legs and showered, then pulled on the tight, flesh-toned, padded panty brief and struggled into the skin tight, floral print capris pants, then called Terri to help with his bogus boobs.

Terri had him lay down on his bed, and then she carefully marked the positions of the counterfeit breasts and applied the glue. After she had affixed the breast forms to his chest, she used the concealer to eliminate any trace of the seams, and then she helped Brian get into the lacy, low cut bra. Brian had grown so accustomed to wearing the breast forms that he barely gave them a thought as he adjusted the straps of his bra and pulled the tight, low cut crop top over his head.

The pale blue top left most of his stomach exposed, and revealed a generous amount of his enhanced cleavage. A cute scalloped trim bordered the deep neckline, sleeves, and abbreviated tail of the top, and the color matched the high-heeled pumps Terri had selected for him. But, before he slipped his shoes on, Terri insisted he use a light coral polish on his nails.

As Brian sat at Terri’s vanity with cotton balls between his toes, his sister rolled his hair up in hot curlers and started on his makeup. This too was almost second nature to Brian, and he watched with detached interest as Terri used a little concealer on his face to hide a little acne problem he had begun to develop. When she finished with the concealer, Terri used a little blush then concentrated on Brian’s eyes. She applied mascara to his naturally long eyelashes, eyeliner, and a small amount of eyeshadow, then handed him a tube of lip gloss and told him to finish up.

Brian pursed his lips and applied the coral toned lipstick, followed by a coat of ultra high gloss. He was getting better and better at it, and when he was done, he checked himself carefully in the mirror and nodded to himself when he was satisfied. His lips caught the light and glistened sexily from the high gloss coating. Finally, he began unrolling the curlers and replacing them in their stand, running his hand through his hair to loosen the curls. When he finished, Terri came back and used a hair pick to loosen them further, then finished up with a wide-toothed comb and hairspray. Once again Brian checked his reflection, and saw a mass of loose blonde curls framing his cute, perfectly made up face, and he knew he would "pass" with no trouble at all.

For some strange reason, it no longer bothered Brian that he could be transformed into a gorgeous babe with so little effort. He had been horrified at first, but as each day passed, he grew less and less concerned about his feminine appearance. In fact, he was becoming increasingly concerned about his hair, his makeup, and the fit and style of his clothes. He told himself that he merely wanted to do the best he could to insure he wasn’t "read," and he rationalized the growing sense of contentment he felt as pride in performing his role well, but there was more to it than that.

Subconsciously, Brian was enjoying his time as "Brandi." He enjoyed the time he spent with the other girls, and the easy camaraderie plus good-natured barbs they exchanged were in stark contrast to his life as Brian. Brian had few friends and was physically nondescript. Not quite a loner, he was nevertheless one of those people who endure life on the fringes of society; someone barely accepted or acknowledged by his peers. Aside from a couple of other social misfits he hung around with, he was basically ignored.

But not "Brandi." Brandi was a sexy chick who hung out with the prettiest girls in town. She was vivacious, alluring, talented, and heads turned when she passed. Friends constantly surrounded her, and guys were already after her. She was immediately accepted by everyone she met, and Brian realized that "Brandi" had already been on a "date," while "Brian" would be lucky to get a date -- any date -- by the time he graduated from high school.

"Hey, quit dawdling. We’ve got to get moving," Terri called from the doorway, and Brian tore himself away from his sister’s vanity. He hurried back to his room. Thanks to Prue’s coaching his movements were graceful, and he had no problems at all in the heels.

Brian grabbed the small overnight bag Terri had fixed for him, his purse, the hanging bag containing his costume and some other clothes, and followed Terri out to the car.

 

The gang, including Brian, Terri, Joan, Genni, Cathy, Kelly, and Prue, split up between Terri’s car and Joan’s van, which also held most of their instruments and equipment. For Brian, the ride was a confused gaggle of gossip and giggles, including comments about boys, clothes, other girls, and the competing groups that would be there. By the time they pulled into the motel parking lot, the poor boy was dizzy from the unending chatter and the clash of different perfumes.

To save money, the girls had only rented one room, and while it had two double beds there was no way seven people would fit. Fortunately, Joan and Cathy had each brought their sleeping bags, and the girls quickly decided to simply open them up and lay them next to each other on the floor when it was time to turn in. They could be used for a party, and several of them could just sack out when the time came. Just who would sleep where was left for later.

The festival was being held in a huge, new civic center, and everyone wanted to see where it was before getting something to eat. Terri had promised to meet Jim and Don at the main entrance to give them their tickets, so the girls all helped unload Joan’s van and everyone piled in for the ride downtown.

Cathy spied Jim and Don loitering near the entrance, and when she alerted the others, Brian looked over at the guys. Don was wearing a pair of pleated, khaki slacks and a forest green polo shirt. The sight of his erstwhile protector affected Brian in a very strange manner. He couldn’t help staring at Don, and when Genni leaned out the window and yelled and motioned the guys over to the van, Brian felt a sudden panic rising within him. His skin felt cold and clammy, his heart began pounding, and his breathing was rapid and shallow. Then, when Terri asked the guys if they wanted to join the girls and get something to eat, Brian’s mouth went dry and he couldn’t look Don in the eye.

The other girls exchanged knowing smiles as the guys hopped in the van and Don squirmed in next to Brian, but Brian was too preoccupied with Don’s presence to notice. Don’s polo shirt stretched tightly over his powerful upper body, and his muscled arms were as large as Brian’s thighs. The imitation girl was completely intimidated by the size of the guy who was jammed next to him in the seat, and when Don draped his arm across the back of the seat, Brian found himself scrunched against the huge, older boy. The scent of Don’s after-shave was faint yet noticeable, and when Don’s arm casually pulled him close, Brian didn’t know how to respond. His mind was overwhelmed by a dozen competing emotions, and things were just happening too fast for him to understand.

Brian managed to survive dinner, and the drive back to the Don’s car. It was quite clear that Don had "adopted" him, which the others found terribly amusing.

"I do believe you have an admirer," Kelly giggled, enjoying the look on Brian’s face.

"A conquest," Cathy corrected her with a smirk.

"How does it feel to know he has the hots for you?" Joan asked, looking at Brian in the rear view mirror and waggling her eyebrows.

"I just want to make it through the weekend," Brian replied morosely.

"Oh relax. Have a little fun," Genni advised. "Just be nice to him for a couple of days. You don’t have to get serious, just be friendly."

"Genni! Quit kidding around!" Brian protested, but the small, sexy girl smiled and winked at him. "Not a chance," she teased.

Brian groaned. "Will you all please try to remember that I’m not a girl, I’m a --"

"Diamond in the rough," Prue interjected, "but you’re getting there."

"More like a rhinestone," Brian retorted, and the van erupted in giggles.

After returning to the room to freshen up, the gang all piled into Joan’s van again and headed down to the civic center to enjoy the first night of the festival. Their special "talent" passes insured a reserved parking spot and unlimited access to the facility. They wandered around backstage for a while, but they quickly realized the best place to hear everything was the gallery, so they draped their passes around their necks and headed out to join the thousands of others in the hall.

The gang joined the mass of teenage fans on the floor of the auditorium, near the stage. They were jammed together so tightly, it was impossible not to become intimately acquainted with the half dozen or so people nearest to them, and Brian came close to complete panic. Only the presence of the other girls and Don kept him from bolting out of the concert. It took half an hour before he calmed down enough to listen to the music, but once he relaxed he began to enjoy himself.

Between the second and third groups, the girls all decided to go to the restroom, and Brian found himself being dragged along with them. The thought of once again invading a ladies room scared him, especially when he recalled what had happened the last time he accompanied Terri, but he needn’t have worried. The only problem he encountered this time was a line of females nearly a block long, all waiting to gain entry to the restroom. As they stood in line, waiting their turn, Brian glanced over at the entrance to the men’s room a few yards away. He watched enviously as the guys simply walked right in and emerged a minute later. It seemed a stark contrast to the interminable wait he had to endure, and the imitation female gained a new appreciation for the plight of his "sisters."

After a horrendously long wait, the girls finally got their turn in the sanctum sanctorum. They crowded around the sinks afterwards to freshen up their makeup, and Brian imitated his friends by repairing his lipstick and fussing with his hair. As he concentrated on his appearance, Cathy nudged Kelly and the two snickered as they watched the "new" girl make herself presentable. Terri glanced at Genni and Joan, and they smiled too. It seemed to them all the lessons in how to act like a girl were finally sinking in.

When the girls went back into the auditorium, Prue’s boyfriend, Bill Shepherd, appeared with a group of other guys, and it wasn’t long before Joan, Cathy, Kelly, and Genni were paired up with Bill’s buddies.

The girls all had a great time that night, and they paid close attention to the other groups. None of the performances were bad, but they weren’t in their class either, and the gang came away from the first night of the festival confident that they were among the best, though they knew there was another night to go.

After the festival ended they all headed back to the girls’ room, and Joan produced a few bottles of wine from her van. They found places to sit wherever there was room, and spent the time telling jokes and sipping wine. Don managed to sit with Brian, much to Brian’s discomfort, but after a few glasses of wine, Brian relaxed and enjoyed the party. He had never had much of a social life, and everything was new to him, especially drinking, and he wasn’t even aware of the warm glow that began to spread through him as he consumed the potent wine.

Terri was enjoying herself, and she was perfectly content to sit on the floor with Jim’s arm around her shoulders. She leaned against him and watched the others, especially her brother, who looked gorgeous. She was amused at Brian’s reaction when Don sat next to him, and she exchanged several knowing looks with Genni and Joan, who also seemed to be enjoying his discomfort. Then, after a few drinks, Terri noticed her little brother relaxing a bit. She saw that he was giggling along with the rest of the girls at the guys’ jokes, and she glad he seemed to be having fun.

Terri was distracted from her observation when Jim bent down and kissed her. His lips felt soft, yet insistent, and she spent quite some time enjoying the attention. Jim’s arms around her gave her the feeling of being cherished and protected, and she relished the sensation. When Jim finally broke the kiss and just held her close, she felt a little disoriented, but when she glanced over at Brian, she sat up quickly and exchanged looks with the other girls.

Brian was feeling wonderful. The warm glow that had begun an hour earlier had spread throughout his entire body, and he felt relaxed and perfectly content. He talked with Don, and enjoyed his company. Don was a pretty sharp guy, and one of the most popular guys at the high school, and he seemed so nice, too. Brian barely noticed when Don slipped his arm around him, and it didn’t seem like a big deal anyway -- all the other guys were doing it, and none of the other girls seemed to mind, so he just let it pass.

Don got up a couple of times to refill his glass, and he always took Brian’s too. Each time he returned with the glasses, Don slid his arm around Brian’s waist, and after a few more glasses of wine it felt perfectly natural to the imitation girl. He didn’t give any thought to what was happening until Don took his head in both hands, bent down, and kissed him passionately.

The suddenness of the kiss confused Brian, and the intensity of Don’s affection caught him completely off-guard. His alcohol soaked brain didn’t respond as it normally would, and his lowered inhibitions prevented him from objecting to the physical contact. Without thinking, Brian responded to Don’s kiss, and that emboldened Don even more. He pulled Brian even closer and wrapped both arms around him, and without thinking Brian’s arms reached up and draped themselves around Don’s neck. Brian felt Don’s hard chest pressing against his silicone breasts, and he too felt a warm sense of security from the strength of his partner’s arms.

"Hey, I hate to break this up, but it’s after three, and we girls have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," Terri announced, breaking the spell for Don and Brian.

The announcement was met with a few groans, but also with several grunts of acknowledgment, and everyone started untangling themselves from their partners and getting to their feet. Brian still wasn’t up to speed when Don pulled him to his feet and bent down and kissed him again.

"I’ll be out there tomorrow night, and I know that you’ll do great," Don whispered to him as he hugged him once more before turning to leave.

"Uh, thanks," Brian managed, still woozy from the alcohol and the sudden change in altitude. He smiled and watched as Don and the other guys made their way out.

"Don’t you think you took that a little far?" Terri demanded of her brother, after the guys had gone.

"Huh?" Brian replied dreamily, looking up at his sister with glassy eyes.

"He’s completely bombed," Cathy noted, passing a hand in front of Brian’s unblinking eyes.

"Whassa matter?" Brian asked drunkenly.

"I’ll tell you what’s the matter," Terri said angrily. "You almost gave away your little secret. In another minute Don would have had his hand under your top, and that would have been it."

"Who?"

"Geez, he’s completely out of it. Let’s just put him to bed and talk to him in the morning," Prue suggested.

The others agreed with her, so Terri took her brother into the bathroom and stripped off his clothes and draped a short, baby-doll nightie over his feminized frame before leading him to one of the beds.

 

The next morning Brian felt miserable, and he looked about as good as he felt. His eyes were bloodshot and watery, his head was pounding, and he spent a good deal of time kneeling before the porcelain altar in the bathroom. He was so hung over that the girls decided not to get on him too much for the previous night, and they let him off with a few mild reprimands. In truth, they were all concerned that Brian was so sick, he might not be able to perform that night, and they thanked their luck that they weren’t scheduled to go on until 9 PM.

They let him sleep most of the day, and only woke him up occasionally for sips of juice and aspirin. By late afternoon, Brian was walking around a bit, and the girls ordered him to take a bath. Terri told him to shave his legs and underarms, and tossed him his plastic grooming kit as he entered the bathroom. Brian sat in the warm, fragrant water for a long time, adding more hot water occasionally as he scrubbed himself thoroughly. When he finished, his legs were completely smooth and his head had cleared considerably. He still wasn’t back to normal, but he was getting there, and he no longer wished to die.

When he emerged from the bath, Genni was waiting for him, and she took him in tow and sat him down at the desk in the room. Over Brian’s loud objections, she proceeded to thin his eyebrows and do his makeup.

"Oh be quiet," she responded to his complaints. "You’re in no condition to do this yourself, and if we wait for you we’ll never get anything to eat."

"I don’t want anything to eat," Brian protested.

"Well, you’re going to eat something if I have to force-feed you," Joan informed him, adding: "You need a little something to keep you going for the concert. We’ll get you something light, with a high protein content, so you don’t collapse on the stage."

Recognizing that resistance was futile, Brian shrugged and allowed Genni to finish his makeup.

At 6PM, the gang loaded up Joan’s van with the instruments, equipment, and their costumes and makeup kits. They took both vehicles again and headed for a small restaurant they had seen the night before to get a bite to eat. Brian still didn’t feel like eating, but he had to admit that he felt better after a bowl of soup and half of a turkey sandwich.

They got to the civic center an hour later, two hours before they were due to go on, and after a quick equipment check they found the dressing room assigned to them. The dressing room was actually a converted storeroom with a bench table set against one wall with a long mirror behind it. Aside from that, there were several stacking chairs and a long rolling clothes rack to hang their costumes.

There was no privacy at all, and Brian was forced to dress with the others, but he felt surprisingly indifferent to the situation. After spending the night in a flimsy baby doll nightie, and seeing the "other" girls similarly garbed this morning, he simply couldn’t get too excited about changing in front of them or watching them change. The sham female pulled his tight, sleeveless white knit top over his head exposing his lifelike breast forms, which quivered despite being confined in a sexy, low-cut pale blue bra. Without giving them any thought at all, Brian reached behind his back and unzipped his clingy, black miniskirt, and wiggled out of it. His flesh-toned, padded panty girdle was barely noticeable under his pantyhose, and it completely concealed the small bulge usually present between his legs. After he carefully removed his heels and hose, Brian stood up, clad in only his bra, the matching panties, and the panty girdle, and took his costume from the rack.

He draped the plastic bag holding his costume over a nearby chair, then sat down and began to pull on a pair of very shiny, iridescent silver pantyhose. He slid them up his legs, over his knees, and then stood to pull them up over his tightly cinched waist. A pair of sky blue pumps with 3 ½ inch heels came next, and after he slipped his feet into the pumps, Brian stood up and removed his costume from the plastic bag.

The sleeveless mini dress was gorgeous. The light blue straps shaded to a silver color where they joined the bodice, emphasizing the bustline, then the dress gradually shaded to light blue again beneath the bust, making the waist appear extremely narrow. A gradual shift to silver near the hips gave a beautiful symmetry to the dress and advertised Brian’s feminine hips, then finally the dress melded back to light blue near the hem. All the girls wore the same outfit, and when they were all dressed, they looked like sisters, despite the differences in their height and hair color. They were all gorgeous, and it was impossible to tell which was the most beautiful.

Prue looked at the others and nodded approvingly. "Not bad -- Not bad at all," she remarked as she went to each in turn and helped them adjust their straps and fix their hair and makeup. While she helped, she made jokes and threw in a few outrageous puns, which kept them alternately laughing and groaning. Kelly recognized that Prue was trying to keep their minds off the imminent performance so they wouldn’t have time to get nervous. She also knew Prue was an experienced performer in her own right, and she was grateful for the help.

 

Brian and the girls waited behind the back curtain, center stage, for their entrance. They heard the stagehands moving their gear on stage as they removed the equipment from the previous band. Then the house lights dimmed and the announcer, a local disc jockey, came onstage and gave them a nice introduction. Brian was so nervous he barely heard the DJ announce, ". . . and now, please welcome, THE RIVERRRR BABES!"

The curtain parted in front of them, amid loud applause and what seemed like thousands of whistles and shouts as the audience got their first look at the six sexy girls. Brian was stunned by the noise, and he only began moving forward when Cathy poked him in the back. The bright spotlights and stage lights prevented him from actually seeing much of the crowd, but the loud cheers and whistles reminded him that there were thousands of people in the auditorium, and he felt weak in his knees and almost physically sick to his stomach. He suddenly realized that singing in the basement and performing in front of thousands of people were two entirely different things, and Brian was terrified.

The fraudulent female approached the microphone stand shyly and almost hesitantly, and took the mike from the holder and turned back towards the others. As lead guitarist, Kelly was supposed to start their first number, but she paused and gave Brian a wink before she hit the first note. A split second later the rest of the girls joined in, and Brian took a small measure of comfort from the familiar lead in. They had practiced these songs until he could sing them in his sleep, and now he would find out if he was really ready.

His first notes were less than perfect, though not bad. Brian was having trouble catching his breath, and he was singing at less than full volume. Then he happened to glance down at the crowd directly in front of the stage and saw Don and Jim. The two, tall guys were right up front, and both had identical expressions of encouragement on their faces. Brian fixed his gaze on Don and began singing to him, and in a matter of moments the newest River Babe felt the butterflies leave "her" stomach. Brian gained confidence as he went, and soon he was able to tear his gaze away from Don and play to the audience a little more.

During the second number, Brian began to put a little movement into his body, and he swung his hips a little and turned sidewise once or twice. On one twist of his body he spotted Prue in the wings and she gestured to him to move around, looking exasperated by her protégé’s failure to use the skills she had taught him. When Prue threw up her hands and looked at him with frustration written on her face, Brian finally got the message. He returned his attention to Don, and began to stride about the stage, putting some emphasis in his voice to match the lyrics.

When the third number began, Brian was actually feeling pretty good about his performance, and freed of his self-consciousness, he really began to turn it on. He strutted around the stage and flirted with the audience, even giving them a bump and grind at one point. The crowd loved it and roared their approval, which encouraged him even more. By the end of the number, Brian was giving them a visual show that was as sexy as the lyrics, and the applause was thunderous.

Suddenly, the performance was over, and Brian was actually surprised when it came to an end. The curtain fell, and the stage lights dimmed, but the audience was cheering so loudly the curtain opened again and the girls took another bow. But it didn’t end there, and there were chants of "More!" coming from the auditorium, so Joan and Cathy quickly decided on an encore, and they played one more number.

When it was finally over, the girls whooped all the way back to the dressing room. They hugged each other and danced down the hall, shouting and screaming with happiness. They could hear the auditorium still buzzing as they burst through the dressing room door, and they got even rowdier when the door closed behind them.

"RIVER BABES!" Cathy screamed out as she punched her fist in the air, and Joan whistled while Terri used her drumsticks to rattle off a tattoo on the dressing table.

"Geez, did you see the moves Brandi was giving the crowd?" Kelly laughed hysterically, and Genni imitated Brian with a very sexy little bump and grind of her own, setting them all off again. Prue sidled up to her and matched her moves, and they had to hold on to each other to keep from falling on the floor.

"Best Female Group, sure as hell!" Terri exclaimed, and then hugged her brother. "Thanks Brian," she said, giving him a kiss on his cheek.

"Yeah, good work ‘Brandi,’" Joan agreed, and the others chipped in with their own congratulations.

"I couldn’t believe how natural -- how sexy -- you looked out there," Genni exclaimed, which caused Brian to blush furiously, and the others started giggling again.

"You guys played great!" Brian told the others, still blushing. "You sounded so incredibly professional, I think we actually have a chance at the Best Female Group award."

"What do you mean, a chance? It’s a lock!" Kelly corrected him. "I haven’t seen any group that comes close, and if there was another great group, we’d have heard about them by now."

There was general agreement on that, and Terri suggested they stay in costume for the awards ceremony. "I can’t wait to get that prize money," she announced, adding: "I’m going to flash the check in Gwen’s face before I cash it."

 

The last group, a boy band, went on about ten o’clock, and finished up just before eleven. When the last of the applause had died away, the master of ceremonies returned to the stage with the results of the balloting. The River Babes were jammed in the stage wings with of the other groups, and the girls caught sight of Gwen, standing with the Sun Sisters, on the other side of the stage. She did not look very happy, and then Brian and the others made catty comments and smirked as they waited for the presentations.

When it was time to announce the winner of the "Best Female Group" award, the crowd seemed to grow very quiet, then the entire hall erupted in complete pandemonium when the MC announced the winner as, "THE RIVER BABES!"

Brian heard the girls screaming in his ears, their sharp, high-pitched squeals carrying over the deeper roar of the audience, then he realized he was screaming along with the rest of them and jumping up and down. After several moments of thunderous applause, the girls composed themselves and walked gracefully on stage to receive the award. Cathy accepted the award for the rest of them, and gave a short "Thank You" speech, acknowledging the great fans and the other groups who participated. The Crystal trophy was gorgeous, and they all took turns admiring it and the accompanying check for $10,000 when they returned to the stage wings.

After a few more awards the MC announced it was time for the "Best Female Vocalist" award, and Brian was about to head back to the dressing room when Joan grabbed his hand and suggested he stay for the end. Brian looked up at her and shrugged. He didn’t mind staying, but he was sure someone else would get the award, so when they announced that award was going to "Brandi Saunders" of The River Babes," he almost fainted.

Prue and Terri caught him before he could hit the floor, and when he regained his feet, he was pushed forward toward center stage. Brian covered his mouth with both hands as he gasped, and tears came to his eyes as he accepted the award, along with a lecherous kiss from the MC. He was speechless, and the audience could see that "Brandi" was overcome with emotion, so when he managed to simply utter "Thank You" into the microphone, they rose and gave him another loud ovation. Brian clutched the trophy, which was a slightly smaller version of the one the group had won, together with the check for $10,000, and managed to get off stage without falling down.

Most of the other performers had gone by the time the girls left the stage area to return to their dressing room. They were giddy with excitement and half deaf from the applause, and Brian was completely dazed. On the way back, Terri pulled Brian off to one side, into a small storage room off the corridor.

"Brian, I’m so proud of you! You were fantastic out there!" Terri gushed, hugging her little brother tightly.

Brian hugged her back enthusiastically. "I’m just happy nobody figured out I’m not a girl," he replied ecstatically, still unable to believe he’d not only pulled it off but copped the award for Best Female Vocalist.

"Are you kidding? You were sensational!" Terri replied. "Best Female Vocalist -- What a hoot!" Terri giggled.

"I’ll have to hide the trophy, and I haven’t got a clue about how to cash the check, but I want you to know I had a great time," Brian told his sister.

Terri gave him another hug. "C’mon, let’s get changed. We have to meet the guys."

As Brian and Terri left the storage room and walked down the corridor towards the dressing room, a solitary figure emerged from the shadows.

"Well, well . . ." Gwen muttered softly. "So Brandi is actually that little brat Brian."

Gwen was furious that a prepubescent boy had upstaged her, and she considered going to the festival organizers and turning Brian in as a fraud. It galled her that, not only had The River Babes beat out the Sun Sisters, but the little geek had actually stolen HER prize as Best Female Vocalist, and she vowed she would get her revenge. She quickly dismissed the idea of going to the organizers, though. There was no way to re-do the balloting and the crowd had already left. Even if they gave her the award now, there would be nobody there to see it.

No, her revenge would take a different form -- What that might be she hadn’t decided yet -- but it would be something really good, something befitting the "crime." Gwen decided she would plot this out carefully before acting.

 

The following morning, Brian awoke on hearing a loud shriek from his sister. He sprang out of bed; thankfully noting that he was no longer encumbered by the silicone breast forms, and raced out into the hall in his pajama bottoms.

"What’s the matter -- What’s wrong?" He demanded in a loud voice, looking around for something he could use as a weapon against a potential intruder.

"Nothing’s wrong, silly," Terri replied, amused at her brother’s alarm. "I just got off the phone with Cathy, and she told me she just got a call from a recording studio. The studio had someone in the audience last night, and they want us to record a demonstration tape! If they like us, it could mean a recording contract!"

Brian digested the news for a few moments, then asked, "Me too?"

"Of course they want you too. You’re our lead singer," Terri replied, acting as if it should be obvious.

Brian mulled that over for a while. "Terri, I really think you should find someone else to take my place," he told his sister. "I paid off my bet, and it was fun -- not to mention profitable -- but . . . I just want to be ME again."

"Are you CRAZY?" Terri shouted at him. "Do you have any idea how much money we’re talking about? Something like this could set you up for life! Besides, you were fantastic on stage -- Best Female Vocalist, remember? How can we possibly replace you? The studio might even cancel their offer if you don’t perform with us. You just CAN’T let us down now!"

An hour later, Brian and Terri sat down with their mother and Terri told her about the festival. Alice Saunders was shocked when she learned her son had won the honor of best female vocalist, and when Terri told her how Brian moved on the stage while he belted out the lyrics to the songs, Alice looked at her son with a curious expression. Brian wasn’t sure he should keep the check, though.

"How can I," he asked. "I’m not a girl. Taking the money would be stealing, wouldn’t it?"

Alice thought about her son’s concerns for a moment, and then shook her head. "I don’t think so, honey," she replied. "I’m glad that you’re so conscientious, though. Maybe you’re not a complete female, but you were COMPETING as one, and I think the fact that you’re a boy makes the award all that more impressive because you could say you were competing with a handicap."

Brian considered his mother’s statement and decided she was right. He had been forced to work hard to project the proper image, much harder than a real girl, and he had to learn a lot of things that normal girls took for granted. He happily agreed to his mother’s suggestion that he endorse the check, as Brandi, over to her. She would deposit the funds in her account, and then transfer them to his account later. In the meantime, she told him he could take $1,000 to spend on anything he wanted, but the balance would go into his college fund.

Before Brian could bolt out the door, Terri told their mother about the call from the recording studio, and the invitation to record a demonstration tape. Alice was thrilled about the opportunity, and when Brian told her he was reluctant to keep singing with the group, she had him sit back down.

"I know you dislike impersonating a girl, honey, but something like this could involve fabulous amounts of money. You could wind up very wealthy. I think you also have to consider the other girls too. If you don’t sing with them, they might lose the chance of a lifetime. Isn’t that worth a little effort?"

Brian knew he was trapped. If he refused to carry on with the masquerade, he would be a heel, and the others would never talk to him again, including his sister. On the other hand, if the group were a success, he would be rich. In the end, he agreed to stay with the group, and Terri hugged him until he thought she had broken one of his ribs.

 

The following day, the group gathered in the rec room to practice. Since Brian had decided to stay with them, and since he had also decided to forego his share of the group check, he was quite popular with the other girls. But when his voice cracked several times while he was singing, the girls grew nervous, and Terri went to get their mother. After confirming that Brian did not have a sore throat, Alice gave them the "bad" news.

"I don’t think there is anything wrong with you, honey," she assured her son. "I think those male hormones are finally kicking in -- I think you’re growing up."

"Oh NO!" Terri moaned. "What are we gonna do now? You’ve got to do something!"

"I don’t think there is anything we can do," Alice replied. "Brian is a boy, and boys become men. It looks like it might be starting to happen."

Brian was ecstatic, though he kept it to himself. He knew the girls were terribly disappointed, but he was tired of being the runt, the smallest guy in school, and he looked forward to having real muscles and a lot more altitude. He had already decided to take some of the money he had from the award and get a membership in a local health club, and it looked like this was good time to join.

Brian was the only one who was happy. The atmosphere was dismal, and one or two of the girls looked on the verge of tears. Even Alice thought it was rotten luck that puberty had picked that very moment to tap his son on the shoulder. He didn’t look any different than he had a few days ago, but she knew it was just a matter of time before he started filling out and shooting up, like all other young men. It was a shame in another way too. He made such a convincing girl, and his new singing career had brought him more success in a couple of weeks than he had enjoyed his whole life -- with the exception of his studies. He was interacting with people socially, and they seemed to accept him without question, unlike his "normal" self. She thought it was really too bad puberty couldn’t have waited six more months.

Suddenly, Alice remembered she had an appointment with Doris, her doctor and a high school friend. Maybe she could suggest something that might help.

 

On Tuesday, the second day of summer vacation, Brian rode his bike down to the gym he wanted to join and spent $250 of his award money on a teen, summer membership. After quickly changing into his shorts and a tee shirt, he wandered through the building looking around. There were lots of amenities available, including an Olympic sized pool, a huge basketball gymnasium, handball courts, a running track, and two weight rooms -- one with free weights and another filled with the latest in Nautilus machines and treadmills. There was also an aerobics room and a day care center, but Brian wasn’t interested in those. He went to the weight room with all of the machines and began using a few just to see how they worked.

Gwen wrapped a small towel around her neck and headed for the women’s lockers. She was tired from an hour of aerobics, and her cute, form-fitting exercise outfit smelled terrible. As she passed the glass-enclosed weight room, she saw Brian struggling at one of the Nautilus machines, trying to lift a pathetically small amount of weight on the bench press machine, and she stopped to watch out of his field of vision. She thought Terri’s little brother was a skinny little geek, and the sight of him straining to lift a few pounds was actually comical. Gwen knew quite a few girls who could out-lift that little runt.

She was still really steamed over Brian’s charade, and she had managed to convince herself that her old group would have never won without him. Worse, he actually walked away with HER prize for Best Female Vocalist, and she really wanted to get him for that. It was no wonder he could pass for a girl, considering his scrawny physique, but his presence in the weight room told Gwen that the little boy obviously wanted to develop a more "manly" body.

Suddenly it came to her -- the perfect way to get even with the little shit -- and she had to stifle a laugh. It would be easy, she told herself, especially since her part time job as a receptionist at the medical center gave her access to everything she needed. She could enlist the help of Big Al, the trainer who was always trying to get her to go out, and Brian would pay dearly for stealing her award. It would be poetic justice, she thought, giggling to herself as she dashed towards the women’s lockers.

 

"Thanks Doris. I’ll bring him in tonight at 5:30," Alice told her friend before hanging up the phone. She had just had a long, confidential talk with her friend, and she was surprised to learn there might be something she could do to help the situation, provided Brian agreed. Doris had told Alice that there were various pharmaceuticals Brian could take to delay the onset of puberty, but only for a short time, and only in very carefully controlled dosages. Too much of the hormones could damage his liver and reproductive systems, and permanently feminize his body, and neither Alice nor Doris wanted to contemplate that possibility. However, with the proper dosages, Brian could continue to sing without fear of his voice changing for up to six months. After that, he would have to discontinue the medication, regardless of the state of his "career." Alice wondered whether Brian would agree to it since it meant delaying his manhood, and she was determined not to pressure him one way or the other. It would have to be his decision.

Alice left work a little early so she would have time to talk to Brian about her plan, and when she arrived home she found both Brian and Terri watching television. She beckoned Brian to follow her and went straight to his bedroom.

"What’s up, mom?" Brian asked as Alice closed the door behind him.

"Well, I had a talk with Doris Canfield today, and I mentioned the problem you had hitting the high notes yesterday. She thinks there is something she can do to help, at least temporarily, and she wants to see you at 5:30, if you’re willing," Alice told her son.

"Geez, mom!" Brian complained. "You’ve been telling people about me -- About the disguise I wore at the festival? I’ll be mocked everywhere I go!"

"Take it easy, honey. Doris is a good friend, and she wouldn’t tell anyone. Besides, she’s my doctor too, and she’s very ethical. Nobody will find out from her," Alice reassured him. "Now, how about it? Are you willing to see her?"

"What can she do to help?" Brian asked warily.

"Well, she says there are certain . . . prescriptions you can take that would keep your voice from getting lower -- at least for a few months. It wouldn’t be anything permanent, but you could keep singing with the group for a while."

Brian shrugged. "I guess so," he replied, completely ignorant of medical affairs. "As long as it isn’t permanent."

"Oh, it isn’t," Alice assured him.

 

"One of the prescriptions is called spironolactone, and it inhibits the production of the hormones that are starting to deepen your voice and change your body," Dr. Canfield told the boy sitting on the examination table. "Another is called estradiol, and it is a female hormone that would, temporarily, replace what your body is producing."

"FEMALE hormone!" Brian sputtered. "Wouldn’t that make me look like a girl?"

"It could," the doctor told him, "but I’m going to keep the dosage very low, less than half of what would be needed to cause any real changes. There would be very little effects from such a small amount."

"What kind of effect?" Brian asked warily.

"You might not notice any at all, but you could experience a little weight gain, and your nipples might get a little sensitive. Aside from that, you might retain some water, and you might experience some minor mood swings. Not much really, and even if you do have a few side effects, they will reverse themselves as soon as you discontinue the medication. I can only prescribe the drugs for about six months though, because you’re just starting puberty."

"What do you think, honey?" Alice asked her son while Doris examined the results of Brian’s blood test and examination.

"I guess so," he allowed. "As long as it isn’t anything permanent."

"The girls will really appreciate this," Alice told her son, hugging him.

"Please mom, don’t tell them. I don’t want anyone to know I’m taking female stuff," Brian beseeched his mother.

"Okay honey, I won’t say a word," Alice promised.

"Well, everything looks good here," Doris announced, waving the blood work and examination results. "Alice, please leave the room. Brian, drop your pants. We’ll start with a couple of injections to get things going."

Brian left the doctor’s office with three prescriptions, some complimentary pills, and sore cheeks, but Alice treated him to a pizza on the way home. By the time they finished their meal, the boy had forgotten about the doctor and the medication. The River Babes had another practice the following evening, and he had to learn the lyrics to a new song Kelly had written.

 

The next morning, Alice made sure Brian took his pills before she left for work, and she took the prescriptions with her to have them filled. Brian had to clean his room after breakfast, but when he finished his chore, he grabbed his gym bag and headed over to the gym to start his workout program.

Gwen watched from a strategic location as "Big" Al Sherman approached the skinny runt at the bench press. She had managed to get everything she needed from her place of employment, and she was sure no one would ever be able to prove she had taken the drugs. Convincing Al to help had actually been the hard part, and she had been forced to go a little farther than she liked, but it was worth it. Al would do exactly as he was told, and little Brian would never know what hit him. It was a potent mixture, and before Brian figured out what was going on he would have no trouble convincing people he was a girl.

Brian looked up from his prone position and saw a huge guy looking down at him. The man had to be at least 6’ 3" and about 225 pounds -- all of it muscle.

"Hi there. I’m Al Sherman, the weight room supervisor. You must be new here," the guy said with the faintest trace of a smirk.

Brian eased his arms down, lowering the 60 pounds he was trying to press. "Uh, Hi. Yeah, I just joined yesterday," he admitted.

"I thought so," Al remarked. "I don’t recall seeing you here before, and you’re not using proper form on that machine."

"What am I doing wrong?" Brian asked.

"Would you like a list, or just a couple of pointers?" Al replied. "You’re going to hurt yourself for sure unless you learn how to lift properly, and you won’t get very good results the way you’re working."

Brian looked at the huge arms and powerful chest of the weight instructor. The guy obviously knew what he was talking about. His neck was as thick as Brian’s thighs, and every muscle in his body rippled. He looked like he could bench press a bus.

"How can I learn how to do this properly?" he asked.

"That’s my department. I run the training program for all the guys," Al told him. "The first thing we need to do is evaluate your strength and stamina, then we’ll set up a program that develops the whole body, including exercise and nutrition. You shouldn’t even look at the weights until you’re ready -- physically and mentally."

"How long will that take?" Brian asked, disappointed that his plan to build himself up might take a lot longer than he thought.

"Not as long as it sounds, but you have to pay close attention and do everything that I tell you if you really want this to work," Al warned him.

Brian sighed, but he really wanted to build himself up. If he could look half as good as Al, he would be ecstatic, so he decided to sign on for the full program. "When do we start?" he asked.

Two hours later, Brian left the gym exhausted, carrying a couple of bottles of "vitamin supplements," and a large plastic jar of powdered nutrient mix, all courtesy of Big Al, who had also set up an exercise regimen for his small charge. Brian was disappointed he hadn’t been allowed to use the weight machines, but Al had been adamant about stretching and running to build up his lower body before he tackled the weights. Al had also hinted that the supplements weren’t for amateurs, and that he was giving them to Brian against his better judgment. He told the small boy to keep the vitamins and nutrient away from small children, and not to advertise the fact that he was taking them. Since Brian got the distinct impression the supplements were professional shortcuts to a better body, and that they would help him reach his goal much faster, he agreed to keep it to himself.

 

(Continued in Part 2)

 

 

 

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© 2002 by Julia Manchester. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without limitation, all articles, text, images, logos, compilation design) may printed for personal use only. No portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed electronically, or otherwise made available without express written consent of the copyright holder.