Any resemblance to actual people or occurrences is purely
coincidental. This is a piece of Fiction!
Winter Fun
By Lisa Elizabeth
The months of January and February are the coldest and snowiest
here in the Midwestern US. So there was no surprise when we awoke
one Friday morning in February to hear that school was closed. It
was snowing and blowing, and the weatherman was predicting six
more inches of snow.
"Ye-a-a-a-a!!!" both my sister Janet and I said at the same time.
"We get a day off!" I told Mom with a smile.
We had breakfast and talked about what we could do on such a
yucky day. We started out by helping Mom with the dishes, and
then Janet and I played with her Barbie's and my GI Joe's. After
a short time, Janet was bored.
"I wish I had another girl to play with," she told me. "I like
playing with you but there are other things that only play right
with another girl."
This was my chance! I had been given my fantasy at Christmas.
Santa had left a note that I could be 'Lisa Elizabeth' several
times with the blessing of my family. I shook inside as I thought
'This is my chance!'
I went into the kitchen and nervously looked at Mom.
"Mom?"
"Yes dear?" Mom looked up from what she was doing.
"I was wondering... since I've been good since New Year's...
could I ... I mean would it be all right...?"
I was lost. I didn't know how to ask to be Lisa again!
"John, just stop jumping around and ask!" Mom said with a smile.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then before I could
chicken out, I blurted out all at once, "I want to be Lisa this
weekend!"
There, I had asked.
Mom put down what she was doing and looked at me. A slow smile
came across her face and she said "Well, let's see, ...it's
snowing out. No one will be over and school is closed. That's
three days, you know? Do you really want to be Lisa for the
entire weekend, or are you just bored?"
I thought for a minute. 'Lisa Elizabeth' for the WHOLE weekend! I
couldn't keep the smile from my face! This was better than the
two holidays!
"You mean ALL three days?" I asked.
"All three days." Mom responded. "Once you are Lisa, there is no
changing back until Monday morning."
I know my eyes, smile, and body language gave away my answer. I
have a terrible 'poker face'. I could only say one word, "Yes!"
Mom went over to the phone and called Dad.
"Hi honey. You know school is out... I know you had to fight
through the snow to get to work...I really appreciate that...
Anyway, why I called. I wanted to ask if it would be all right
for this weekend to be our weekend for having 'Lisa Elizabeth'
around... well, Janet is bored, and John has been so-o-o good
since the holidays...I know Dear...No one is coming over in this
snow! ...I thought that I could take the girls roller-skating
tomorrow as a reward for playing nicely today... Okay? ... When
you get home, 'Lisa' will be here... 'luv you too...Bye."
Mom came into the front room where Janet and I were cleaning up
my GI Joes. I sort of knew Mom would get Dad to say okay, so I
was getting ready to become Lisa. I don't know how she does it, I
mean she just talks to Dad for a few minutes and then he agrees
with her!
"Janet, how would you like to have a girl playmate for the
weekend?" Mom asked.
"How is anyone going to get here in this snow?" Janet asked.
"Well, maybe 'Lisa Elizabeth' would like to visit for the
weekend. I talked to your father and he said it would be okay.
Now we just have to ask John if he would mind?" Mom told Janet.
"Oh? John? Please, please, please, with sugar on it! Please?"
Janet begged.
"I get to be Lisa all weekend?" I asked. "Even Sunday?"
"Until Monday morning!" Mom said.
"Hm-m-m. Let me think... OKAY!!! " I shouted.
We had put this little act on for Janet's sake. It seemed to get
her out of being bored and very excited!
"I get a sister all weekend!" Janet was jumping up and down with
excitement.
"All right, let's go get Lisa ready!" Mom said. "I'll start a
bath. Lisa, you go get ready for a bath, Janet, you hop into my
room and shower, that way you can help get Lisa ready."
"I'll race you upstairs!" yelled Janet as she took off out of the
room.
"You got a head start!" I yelled back.
I stopped long enough to pick up my GI Joes and place them on a
table, and then took off to get ready for my bath. I went into
the guest room and took off my clothes. I put on my 'Strawberry
Shortcake' robe and took a pair of clean panties from the drawer.
I went across the hall to the bathroom where Mom had started the
water. She had put something in the water that made the whole
room smell nice.
"I added some bath salts. They smell nice and make your skin feel
smooth and silky. Should help put you in the mood to be Lisa."
Mom told me as she checked the bath water. "When you're done call
me so we can do your hair while it's still wet."
Mom closed the door as she left. I got into the tub and lay back
for a minute. I'd never had a bath with anything other than Mr.
Bubble before. This was different. No bubbles, but the water felt
slippery. When I used the washcloth, the soap really lathered up.
It was very different from the showers I'd gotten used to taking.
I finished washing and then just lay back in the tub, as I
thought a girl would do, and imagined how the day would go with
me as Lisa. After a while the water started to get cold, so I
flipped the drain and got out of the tub. After I dried off, I
looked in the mirror; my hair looked like a drowned rat! I
wondered what Mom would do to it. I put on the panties I had
brought, and my robe and slippers.
"Mom, I'm done!" I called as I opened the bathroom door.
"In here dear!" Mom called from the guest room.
"My, you look nice and clean! You smell nice too." Mom said, as I
walked into the room.
"Sit here and we'll see what we can do." Mom patted her sewing
stool for me to sit on.
I sat on the stool and Mom started playing with my hair. I was
supposed to get it cut this weekend so it was a little longer
than at Christmas time. She parted it on one side, then the
other. Then she tried in the middle. Finally she decided to part
it in the middle and combed the front few inches forward so I had
bangs. The rest, she combed to the sides. Then she took out the
blow dryer and a round brush, and started drying my hair and
turning the ends under. This felt wonderful. The warm air and the
gentle brushing almost put me to sleep! When my hair was dry, and
Mom was happy with what she had done, she took my white headband
and placed it right behind my bangs and behind my ears. I sneaked
a peek in the mirror. My hair looked very feminine. Not as long
as Janet's, but cute anyway.
"There! That will do for now." Mom said. "Let's get you dressed.
I told Janet to wear her sailor dress. You should too, so you
match. What do you think?"
"Okay. I like that dress. I'll get what I need." I told Mom.
I went to 'my' dresser and took out a pair of white tights and a
white camisole. I returned to the bed, took off my slippers and
robe, and hung the robe in the closet. Then I put on the camisole
and sat on the bed to put on the tights. Sliding on tights is
such a wonderful experience. The tightness, as they slide on,
always feels so-o-o good. Today was no exception. With that done,
I went to the closet, took out the white full slip and slipped it
on over my head. I carefully took my sailor dress from the
hanger, opened the bottom two buttons and had Mom help me slide
it on so I wouldn't mess up my hair. I went back to the closet,
got out my black Mary Jane's, and slipped my feet into them. I
looked at Mom sitting there smiling, so I did a small twirl and
said. "TA DA! All dressed!"
"You did very well today. Come back over here and we'll add some
details," Mom motioned me back to her.
Details? What else could I need? Oh well, I thought, 'Mom's a
girl,' so why not? I went over, and remembering to sweep my skirt
under me, I sat back on the sewing stool. Mom reached into a
small box, took out two small gold earrings, and clipped them on
my ears. She opened a small jewelry box, took out a gold chain
with a small cross on it, and helped me put it around my neck.
She then picked up a bottle of 'Baby Soft' cologne and dabbed
some on me. It was a new bottle and I had never smelled this
perfume before. I liked it!
"Almost done. Now where is your sister? Janet? Are you almost
ready? Come in here when you are." Mom called out the door.
It took Janet another three to four minutes before she came
around the corner. She was dressed exactly like I was. Right down
to the same gold earrings and necklace. She had even styled her
hair similar to mine! Hers is longer than mine, but it was
obvious she wanted us to look as much alike as possible.
"We look almost like twins! This is great! "I exclaimed.
"One last thing and then you two will be ready. Let's paint your
fingernails."
Mom motioned Janet to sit next to me. She opened a bottle of
Vitamin E oil and painted our cuticles with it. We waited a few
minutes, and then Mom took an orange stick and pushed back all
the cuticles. When that was done, she took a cotton ball and
dabbed on some nail polish remover. She had us wipe off any
excess oil so the polish would stick better. With all this
preparation done, Mom opened a new bottle of 'Berry Red' polish
and proceeded to paint all twenty nails spread out before her.
She waited a couple of minutes and then, when Janet and I started
fidgeting, she took the hair dryer and blew warm air on our
fingers, to help dry the polish faster. Mom blew the air for a
few minutes, and then told us both to be careful for a while, so
the polish would dry completely.
"Lisa, do you want to have a Tea Party?" asked Janet. "That way
we can do something and be careful with our polish at the same
time!"
"Okay! Oh, I have that new Tea Set from Christmas! Let's use it!"
I said.
This was kind of exciting. I was finally going to get to use 'my'
tea set! I hopped off the bed and ran toward the closet.
"Lisa Elizabeth! Be careful of your nails!" Mom yelled.
Two names! That slowed me down. I wasn't used to this 'being
careful so you stay pretty' part of being a girl yet. I slowed
down and carefully opened the closet door. Then looked in and saw
the tea set box. I walked into the closet and gently lifted it up
and carried it out into the bedroom. I checked my fingers and
there didn't seem to be any damage to the nails.
"Let's take this downstairs so we can set up a table." I said.
Janet and I went downstairs and into the family room. I went into
the closet and got out a card table. Janet went and asked Mom for
a tablecloth. She came into the room with a pretty red and white
checked tablecloth. We spread it out over the card table, and
went to set up chairs. I set up two chairs, and started to get
out the tea set.
"We need two more chairs! After all, at a Tea Party you have to
have guests!" Janet said.
"Okay. I'll get two more chairs. Who are we having as guests?" I
asked.
"Well, I'm inviting Raggedy Ann. I don't know who you're
inviting! "Janet stated.
I got out two more chairs and set them up. All the while trying
to think of just who I was going to invite!
"I know! I'll invite my collector Barbie!" I told Janet
excitedly.
We finished setting up the tea service and then went upstairs to
get our guests. Janet brought out her Raggedy Ann, and I brought
the collector Barbie from the dresser in the guest room. We took
them downstairs and then started our party. Janet welcomed our
guests to the party and told them she was so happy that they
could make it in such bad weather! I echoed her welcome and
offered everyone a seat at the table. Janet and I took seats
opposite each other and seated our guests on our right.
"Would anyone care for some tea?" I asked as sweetly as I knew
how.
Janet was nodding her head, yes, and after asking each of our
guests the same question; I poured some pretend tea into
everyone's cup.
"Would you pass the sugar please, Janet?" I asked.
Janet passed the sugar bowl, and I placed one spoonful into my
cup. Looking at Barbie I asked, "One teaspoon or two?"
I put two into her cup and then passed the sugar back to Janet so
she could serve her guest. No one wanted cream in their tea so we
passed around a plate of 'crumpets'. Everyone was watching her
weight, so we all only took one.
Janet and I were having a lot of fun talking about shopping,
school, the weather, etc. when Mom came in with a camera.
"Girls! Look over here and smile!" She said.
'Flash'... 'Flash'... 'Flash'. Three pictures later, we were
allowed to stop smiling.
"These will be wonderful in the scrapbook. It's almost lunch time
so cleanup and come help with lunch." Mom said as she left the
family room.
"Could we leave everything here so we can have another party
after lunch?" I asked.
"If you like. The snow has slowed a lot so you might be able to
go outside after lunch. If you don't clean up now, you will have
to clean up before you go outside." Mom told us.
Janet and I discussed this for a moment and decided to leave
everything setup. We figured if it quit snowing, it wouldn't take
very long to put everything away. We then went up to the kitchen
to help get lunch ready. Mom was making soup and sandwiches for
lunch. I reached into the cabinet and got out bowls and plates
while Janet putout place mats and spoons. I placed the bowls next
to the stove and put the plates on the table. Mom liked to serve
from the stove at lunch to minimize dishes. Janet was getting out
the loaf of bread and the peanut butter. I got out the jelly from
the refrigerator, along with some luncheon meat and cheese. Janet
will only eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. As we finished
setting everything out, Mom said the soup was done and we went to
wash our hands.
By the time we had washed our hands and returned to the kitchen,
the soup was on the table. I sat carefully and placed the napkin
in my lap, like I had seen Mom do at restaurants. Then I watched
Mom eat first so I would know how to be careful of my clothes.
Mom noticed I was watching.
"Just take small scoops of soup and wipe the edge on the bowl,
Lisa. That way none will drip off the spoon and onto your dress.
Like this." Mom instructed and then demonstrated for me.
I followed those instructions faithfully and didn't drip once! I
think it was the first time in my nine years I didn't wear some
of my soup! When we were done with our lunch, Janet and I helped
Mom put everything away and clean up the kitchen. We were just
getting ready to go back and play when Janet looked outside.
"Mom, Lisa! The snow stopped! Isn't it pretty? If we clean up the
Tea Party, can Lisa and I go outside? Please?" Janet was looking
at Mom.
"It does look nice outside. If you two go clean up the front
room, I'll help you get ready to go outside." Mom replied.
Janet and I raced into the room and started putting everything
away very quickly. It did take some time to carefully put my Tea
Set back into its box. When we had the table and chairs put away,
we took the tablecloth back to the laundry and carried our
'guests' and the Tea Setback upstairs.
Mom was waiting for us at the top of the stairs. "Janet you go
and change into jeans and a warm shirt. Then put on your
snowsuit. Lisa, you come with me." Mom directed me into John's
room.
"I know this is supposed to be off limits while you are Lisa.
However, we need to borrow some clothes so you can go out into
the snow." Mom said as she searched my closet and dresser
drawers. "Ah, yes, these will do just fine."
Mom had found a long sleeved flannel shirt, in a western style
that I thought made me look like a girl. I had been teased at
school when I wore it, so it had just hung in my closet for a
while. Then she grabbed a pair of my jeans and the snowsuit from
my closet, and we went across the hall to Lisa's bedroom.
"Now, we only remove your dress and slip. Let me help. Okay, now
hang up your dress and slip so you can put them back on when you
come in. I'll be outside waiting for you." Mom instructed.
I took off the sailor dress and my slip and hung them up. Then, I
put on my shirt and pants. The pants felt different going on over
tights. More slippery somehow. Then I slipped into my snowsuit
and left it partially open so I wouldn't get too hot before going
outside. I went downstairs to get my boots.
Janet was just finishing putting on her boots, with Mom's help,
when she saw me.
"I'm glad you changed so fast. Hurry up and finish getting
dressed. Mom won't let me out the door without you!" Janet called
to me.
I went to the closet to grab my gloves when Mom stopped me.
"Here, use these today." She said, as she handed me a pair of
pink mittens and a pink scarf! I smiled and happily put on the
outer garments.
When I was all set, Mom let us out into the back yard. We ran
around in the snow for a little while just chasing each other
playing tag. We decided to get out the saucer sled and give each
other rides around the yard. I grabbed a snow shovel and shoveled
the front walk. This served two purposes: one, Mom and Dad would
be happy. Two, it gave us enough snow to make a small hill. That
way, one of us could hold the sled while the other got on and
rode down the pile of snow! The sledding hill was at the park and
with the roads still snow covered; we had to make do here at
home.
I was just getting off the sled after a ride when 'Thud'... a
snowball hit me in the back of the head! I turned around to see
Janet laughing and making another snowball! So I grabbed some
snow and threw it back at her! She ducked and it missed her. This
led to an all out snowball fight! Both of us throwing snow as
fast as we could at each other. Lots of shrieking and laughing
going on the whole time!
Eventually Janet yelled "TRUCE! I give up! I'm tired."
She then flopped down in the snow on her back and made a 'Snow
Angel'. I lay down next to her and made one too. Then I reached
out and held her mitten while we just laid there in the snow
laughing about the snowball fight and who hit who where.
Mom finally stuck her head out and said it was time to come in.
We both did the old "But Mo-o-o-m!" routine. It didn't help! We
still had to come in the house. I picked up the shovel and
cleaned off the snow from our snowball fight, while Janet dragged
the sled back to the garage. After we put things away, we went
back into the house.
Mom stopped us at the kitchen door, with a broom in her hand.
"Turn around both of you!" She commanded.
Mom proceeded to broom off as much snow as she could.
Fortunately, the snowsuits were slick and there weren't much
stuck to us. When she was satisfied we had been cleaned off as
well as she could do from the door, she let us into the kitchen.
As we took off our gloves and scarves, Mom was shaking out the
rest of the snow. Janet and I finally got out of our boots and
snowsuits.
"There's hot chocolate and cookies on the table." Mom told us as
she hung up our suits to dry.
We sat there warming up and drinking hot chocolate. While we had
been outside Mom had made sugar cookies. They were still warm! We
told Mom what we had done outside and how much fun we had. Janet
giggled when she told Mom about hitting me in the head with a
snowball.
We finished our chocolate and put the cups in the sink. I looked
at Janet and said. "Let's go change back into our dresses! I just
don't feel as much like Lisa, dressed in pants."
"Okay!" Janet replied and we headed off to our rooms to get
changed.
I went into Lisa's room and took off the shirt and jeans. I went
to the closet and got out my slip and the sailor dress. I was
careful putting both on and even got the buttons done up on the
dress myself! First time! I tried to recreate the hairstyle Mom
had accomplished this morning. I wasn't sure how she had gotten
the sides and back to turn under so I called Janet.
"How do you get the hair to turn under like this morning?" I
asked.
"Curling iron." was her reply. "Mom won't let me use it by myself
yet. We should call her. Mo-o-o-m! We need you up he-r-r-e-e!"
Janet could be pretty loud when she wanted to be.
We heard some shuffling of dishes and then footsteps. "I'm
coming, I'm coming! What's the problem?" Mom asked as she entered
the room.
"Lisa wants her hair curled like this morning." Janet said before
I could say a word. "Me too!"
"Oh? Well that's easy. We just need to wait for the curling iron
to warm-up. So, what are you two going to do until dinner?" Mom
asked while we waited for the iron to warm.
"I thought we could play a game." I said. "What ever Janet wants
to play."
"Barbie Dream Date! I never have anyone to play that with!" Janet
gushed. She didn't even have to think about it!
"Okay. When we finish here we'll play." I told Janet.
Mom took the curling iron and did Janet's hair first. I watched
carefully, seeing how she wound the hair around the iron, then
waited a few seconds, and then drew the iron out of the curl. She
then told Janet to just brush her hair and it would curl under
just fine.
Mom told me to move over to the stool since the cord was short. I
did and while Mom was curling my hair under, Janet left to go get
the game and start setting it up in the front room. Mom was very
careful not to burn my head with the iron. She told me that's why
Janet wasn't allowed to do this by herself yet. Made sense to me.
Also, I didn't have a clue how to do my own hair yet, so it was
safer to ask for help. When Mom was happy with the curls, she had
me brush out my own hair, and reset my headband so my hair looked
just as nice as it had this morning.
"Thanks Mom. My hair looks very nice now." I said. "Do you think
I could learn to use the curling iron by myself?"
"Well, that depends on how often 'Lisa' is going to visit." Mom
replied. "If you keep coming for visits, you will have to learn
to do most of your own hair care and how to dress yourself."
Mom was smiling at me. I thought maybe 'Lisa' would be able to
visit more than the three times promised at Christmas. I looked
in the mirror, trying to imagine how I could do my own hair with
the curling iron. I was kind of lost in that thought when Janet
yelled up from the front room.
"Lisa! The game is all set up. How much longer is it going to
take you?"
"Time to go. I promised! Thanks again Mom. I mean for everything,
not just my hair." I gave Mom a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"What is this all about?" Mom asked.
"Nothin'" I replied.
I smiled at Mom as I walked out of the room to join Janet. I took
a quick peek at Mom as I left and saw her reach for a tissue.
Funny, I never heard her blow her nose.
I joined Janet in the front room. She had the whole Dream Date
game set up. She even had out two Barbies and two Kens. I was
surprised to see the two Ken dolls out, but then thought 'who
else would be Barbie's Dream Date?'
We played the game for a couple of hours. This was almost like
Monopoly! It just seemed to take forever to get to the end and go
on the date with Ken. Finally, Janet landed on the final square.
"I won! I won!" She cried.
"Looks like you get the date with Ken." I told her.
"That was a lot of fun. I've never gotten to play this game all
the way to the end before. It does take a long time to play."
Janet stated.
"Let's put this away. Dad will be home soon. I'm sure we could
help Mom and maybe get another sugar cookie!" I whispered to
Janet.
"Okay!" Janet replied.
We cleaned up the game and straightened out the front room. Then
we went to find Mom and see if we could 'Help', for a price, of
course.
Mom was just starting to make a salad when Janet and I arrived.
"Mom, if we help, can we have a sugar cookie before dinner?"
Janet and I asked together.
"Before dinner? Are you two sure? That would be like dessert
first! Well if you both help and NO fighting, we might just all
have a cookie before dinner." Mom said through a smile.
The first thing Janet and I did was to go and get two aprons. We
decided it would be best to not get anything on our sailor
dresses. I helped Janet by tying the bow for her and Mom helped
me after Janet tried to tie my bow twice without succeeding. I
would have tied it myself, but Janet wanted to do it for me since
I had done hers.
With all the bows tied, we set about helping to get dinner
together. Janet helped wash vegetables and I tore lettuce and
scooped things into the bowl as Mom cut them. When that was done,
I used the two salad utensils to make a tossed salad. I wanted to
throw it up in the air but Mom stopped me. She said that wasn't
how you tossed a salad!
That was placed on the table, and then Janet and I set the table.
I got plates, cups, and saucers out of the cabinet. Janet got the
silverware and started arranging the table for dinner. When we
were all done, we asked Mom for a sugar cookie.
"Well you two did a good job and didn't fight. So-o-o one cookie
will be okay!" Mom smiled, then handed each of us a sugar cookie.
After eating our cookies, we took off our aprons and went to wash
up for supper. While we were washing, Dad came home.
"Hi girls!" Dad said.
"Hi Daddy!" Janet and I said together. Then we ran over and gave
him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
Dinner was ready so Mom called us to help carry it to the table.
Once again, I watched Mom to see how to eat like a 'proper young
lady' so I wouldn't mess my dress. Success for the second time
today! Two meals as a girl and nothing on my clothes! I was pre-
e-t-t-y proud of that! I smiled as I helped clean the table and
felt good about being Lisa all weekend.
After dinner, Mom and Dad were watching TV so we watched too.
After the news and some game show, Dad asked if we wanted to
watch a movie. Janet and I said yes. Janet got to pick the first,
so we watched the 'My Little Pony Adventures'. It was okay and
Janet even brought down some of her ponies to play along with the
movie.
Next was my turn. I was dressed as Lisa; so somehow, I didn't
think 'Rocky' or 'The GI Joe Movie' would be appropriate. I was a
little confused when Mom spoke up.
"Lisa, I bought a new tape for you, just in case this happened.
Let me get it and see if you like it." Mom said as she got up and
went to the front closet.
She took a bag off the shelf and took out a new video. It was
called 'Dark Crystal'. It was made by Jim Henson productions so I
figured there might be some Muppets in it. It looked interesting.
"I think we should watch it, Mom. It looks interesting." I said
as we unwrapped the video.
Mom went to make popcorn, and after she returned with a full
bowl, we watched the movie. It was good. I especially liked the
fact that the girl in the movie had wings!
When all was over, and the popcorn bowls were in the kitchen, it
was bedtime. Janet and I kissed Mom and Dad goodnight and went up
to bed.
"Can I sleep with you tonight, Lisa?" Janet asked.
"Why." I asked.
"Because we're sisters this weekend, and I've never slept with a
sister before." Janet replied.
"Let's ask Mom." I said. "M-O-O-M!"
Mom came upstairs to see what was going on. Janet then asked to
sleep with me in the guest room. Mom decided it would be okay, if
we didn't stay up all night.
"Okay! Let me get my bear and I'll meet you in bed!" Janet yelled
as she ran to her room.
I had just gotten into bed with my Barbie doll when Janet came in
the room with her bear. I looked at her bear and thought it would
be nice to have a bear of my own. Maybe next Christmas? We lay
there and talked about the day's activities, giggling at
different things we did. After a while Janet just kind of nodded
off to sleep. So I took Barbie, tucked her in with me, and went
to sleep.
I woke up having to use the bathroom. However, the major problem
was, how to unwrap my sister from me so I could get up without
waking her. It took me a couple of minutes to accomplish, but I
eventually got her back to holding her bear and I was able to
slip out of bed. When I came back, I climbed into bed and made
sure my Barbie had survived the night. She was fine, although her
dress looked like she had slept in it!
Janet was still asleep, so I got up, and after putting on my
slippers and robe, went downstairs to watch Saturday cartoons. I
had watched Bugs Bunny and was half way through a Road Runner
cartoon when Dad walked down the stairs.
"Morning Lisa!" Dad said in the middle of a yawn. "How did you
sleep?"
"Okay, I guess. I woke up to find Janet wrapped around me like I
was her bear!" I replied.
Dad laughed. "Your sister has always been like that. When she was
very little she would come into our room during thunderstorms. I
always woke up with her wrapped around me. Guess last night, it
was your turn!" With that comment, Dad headed for the kitchen.
I finished watching the cartoon. The coyote still hadn't caught
the roadrunner! I then turned off the TV and went into the
kitchen. Dad was making coffee for himself and Mom. I got out a
bowl and cereal for me. We both sat at the table, for a minute,
not saying much.
"Lisa, how are you enjoying your weekend so far?" Dad asked.
This is a typical question from my Dad. He sort of hints around
things and gets you to talk a lot about something. So I knew he
expected me to say more than 'okay.'
"I've had a LOT of fun so far. Janet and I got to play with my
tea set, we made a sledding hill in the yard, and we got to help
Mom a couple of times. I think I'm enjoying being here this
weekend. If it could always be like this I'd like to visit once
in awhile." I replied.
That last comment about visiting had me shaking. I knew I was
only promised three times to be Lisa, but I REALLY was enjoying
my time as Lisa. I wasn't sure what Dad's reaction would be.
Dad smiled. "I'm glad you are having a good time. You know, when
your mother first told me about you, I wasn't sure about letting
you fulfill your dream. It's a Dad thing! But I thought about
some of the things I dreamed about when I was young that never
happened. After thinking about it for a couple of days, I agreed
to let you try being a girl for three occasions. This is number
three. I think your Mother and I will discuss the possibility of
you being able to visit once in awhile. Would that be okay with
you? I know it's not the answer you probably wanted to hear but,
at least we will consider it."
My Dad said he'd consider it! Now knowing how Mom can get Dad to
agree to most anything she wants... There was a good chance that
Lisa would be visiting again! I just needed to let Mom know how
much I liked being Lisa! I got up from my chair and went over to
my Dad. I gave him a big hug and kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you Daddy! I really like being here. It makes me feel good
to be able to do girl things and not feel funny about it. It's
kind of like being in a class play, you know? I put on my costume
and I am able to play my part. Does that make any sense?"
"I never thought about it that way, but you may be right. The
costume does help you play the part!" Dad stated and then looked
at the ceiling for a minute and went "Hmmm."
Janet walked in at that moment dragging her bear behind her. She
looked like she was still asleep! "Morning Daddy." She gave him a
hug and a kiss. "Morning Lisa." She gave me a hug and a kiss.
Then she took her bear and flopped down in a chair. "I think you
wore me out yesterday!" She said looking at me.
I'm sure I looked surprised. I didn't think it was possible to
wear out my sister! She was always bouncing around and running
everywhere she went! My Dad was trying hard not to laugh. You
could see him trying to hide his smile.
"I wore YOU out! What about ME!" I exclaimed.
"Well... but I had a lot of fun. Want to play some more today?"
Janet asked with a smile.
"You're just faking aren't you!" I retorted.
With that comment Janet started giggling and finally started
laughing. "Of course I'm faking."
"Settle down you two." Dad said. "I'm sure your mother has plans
for today. I've got to shovel the snow and then work in the
basement, so you two behave."
Both of us responded with a 'yes Daddy' and put our bowls in the
sink. Mom came in at that time and asked what all the commotion
was about. We told her and she said that Janet and I should go
get dressed. We had a busy morning ahead, if we were going to go
roller-skating this afternoon.
We headed upstairs to get ready. Janet told me to wear my skirt
and blouse so we would be ready to go skating later. I told her I
would and went into the bathroom to take a shower. No time for a
bath today! I hopped into the shower and washed, using Mom's
soap, shampoo and conditioner. When I was 'squeaky-clean', I got
out and dried myself off in a pink towel. I went into my room and
looked in the closet. There it was, the one outfit I hadn't worn
yet! I went to my drawer and took out a pair of panties and the
black pair of tights. After changing out of my robe and
nightgown, I put them on. Then I slipped into a camisole and
finally put on the blouse. The blouse was a long sleeved pullover
ribbed shirt with a scoop neck, in Burgundy. It looked nice on
me. I then took the skirt and slipped it on. It was a Gray
pleated skirt and once on, it would fly outward when I twirled.
That was kind of neat! Mom had told me to put a half-slip under
my skirt, so I found that in the drawer, and slipped it under my
skirt. I then checked in the mirror from all angles to see if my
slip showed. The final touch was my black Mary Jane's. All
dressed!
I looked in the mirror and decided to try to do my own hair. I
combed it as best I could to resemble the way Mom had yesterday.
When I was happy with that, I took a red plastic headband from
the dresser and placed it just behind my bangs. I found the gold
earrings and necklace and put those on too. Now all I needed was
to curl my hair under. As I was looking for the curling iron,
Janet came in dressed similar to me.
"We need Mom! She won't let us use the curling iron." Janet
stated. She then went to the door and called Mom to help us
finish our hair.
"My! The two of you look very nice this morning. You did a very
nice job on your hair today Lisa. You learn quickly." Mom said to
us.
"I'd like to learn to use the curling iron, Mom." I told her.
"That way I could fix my hair and Janet's hair and you wouldn't
have to come help us."
"Fix your hair and Janet's?" Mom questioned.
"I was going to ask later, but I guess now would be a good time.
I talked to Dad this morning and he said that if you thought it
was okay. . Then I might be able to be 'Lisa' a few more times.
He said that he would talk to you and that the two of you would
'consider' it." I was out of breath I had said all that so fast.
"Oh! Mom! Yes! Please? Please, please, please?" Janet was tugging
Mom's arm as she begged. I realized for the first time, that
Janet could be my best ally in this situation.
"Now settle down. You said your father would talk to me about it.
Let's wait until I talk to him. We'll see how the rest of the
weekend goes first, okay?" Mom said. "As far as using the curling
iron goes we can start this morning learning to use it!"
"Me first!" Janet cried.
So Mom sat there and taught us how to curl our own hair with the
iron. She did one side for Janet and then had her try the other
side. I was watching very closely. The main thing that Mom kept
telling us was to be careful not to burn ourselves. It took Janet
a while to get the other side curled, but in the end she did a
fairly good job! She was all smiles and ran out of the room to
show Dad what she had done.
Now it was my turn. Mom showed me how to hold the iron and she
curled the first section under, counted to five, and then slid
the iron out of the curl. Mom handed me the iron and said to try
it! I was nervous! I took the iron, with great concentration
curled the next section under, and counted to five. Then I slid
the iron out of the curl. I looked in the mirror, not bad! It
even looked like the one Mom had done! I started to smile a
little. With some practice, I could do this fairly easily. I
still had to concentrate a lot doing the rest of my hair. Looking
in the mirror, I had to do everything backwards so it would turn
out okay. I'm sure Mom could have done it a lot faster, but she
was very patient and only offered guidance and suggestions when I
seemed to have problems. Eventually all the bottoms of my hair
were curled. I then took the brush and brushed out everything so
it would just curl under at the bottom. The effect was just
right! It looked like Mom had done it!
"Thank you Mom. My hair came out just like when you do it!" I
gave Mom a hug. "I guess I should show Dad too, huh?"
"You're welcome. Now remember to be careful with the iron, it is
very hot! And always unplug it when you are through." Mom
instructed as she talked.
She unplugged the curling iron and set it on the dresser in a
place that would allow it to cool safely.
"Normally, after you do your hair, you put on your earrings and
necklace and stuff. That gives the iron enough time to cool so
you can put it away."
"I'll try to remember Mom" I replied
"Go show your Father. I'll clean up here today." Mom smiled and
shooed me out of the room.
I went to find Dad. He was already outside shoveling snow, so I
knocked on the window and waved to him. He waved back and went
back to clearing the driveway. Janet was watching TV, so I joined
her. At the first commercial, Mom came in and said we had to help
if we wanted to go roller-skating.
I poked Janet and got up to go help. I knew if I helped and tried
to be as good a girl as I could figure out how to be, it would go
a long way toward getting Mom on my side. That would mean when
she and dad talked about me being 'Lisa' a few more times it
might go more the way I wanted it to!
Mom said I should collect the hampers and take them to the
basement. I went upstairs and dragged them all downstairs. On my
way through, I noticed Janet was still watching TV! I didn't say
anything with the first two hampers, but she was still there when
I was taking Mom and Dad's downstairs.
"Janet, Mom asked for help!" I said.
"When this is over! It's at the really good part!" She replied.
I sighed and continued to take the hamper downstairs. Mom was
already down there sorting things, so I stayed to see if I could
help. She showed me how to sort 'lights', 'darks', and
'delicates'. It turned out that Janet's and my sailor dresses
were considered 'delicate'. I smiled, thinking how nice it was
that I wore something 'delicate'! After sorting, Mom started the
washing machine and I helped load it. When that was done, we
headed back up the stairs.
Mom handed me two rags and the can of dusting spray. She told me
to give one to Janet and start dusting.
I walked into the front room and Janet was still watching TV.
"Here's your rag. You know, if we don't get done this morning we
won't be able to go roller-skating!" I told her.
"Okay already! I'll turn off the TV!" Janet complained.
She got up and half-heartedly started dusting. She was doing a
rather sloppy job of it but she was upset and didn't want to do
this in the first place.
"Janet, let's pretend we're cleaning house because our friends
are coming over for a party!" I said.
"Hmmm, that would mean another party?" She asked with a smile.
"Of course, it might have to wait until tomorrow, with roller-
skating this afternoon."
"I would like to have another party tomorrow with you." I told
Janet.
"Okay! I'd better do a better job! I don't want anyone to think
I'm a bad housekeeper!"
With that comment, Janet went back and redid the areas she had
missed. This made the dusting and cleaning go a lot faster. We
were done in all the rooms of the house in about an hour and a
half! Amazing what can be accomplished with teamwork!
Mom came along behind us and ran the vacuum. When lunchtime came
around, we had the house clean and most of the laundry done! I
helped Mom get soup and sandwiches ready for lunch while Janet
went back to watching TV. I really did want to go roller-skating!
Dad came up from the basement and we called Janet to eat.
During dinner, Dad asked what was 'on the agenda' for the
afternoon.
"The two girls have helped a lot this morning. I'm not sure how
Lisa did it, but Janet was actually a lot of help this morning."
Mom told Dad. "We have everything done except for the last dryer
of delicates. Those will be ready when we finish here. I think
when that is complete I'll pack the girls and go roller-skating
over by Grandma Smith's house. If the girls can be good, maybe
Grandma will let them stay over."
Janet and I looked at each other and smiled. Staying at Grandma's
house was ALWAYS a lot of fun! We got to help with a lot of
things that we didn't do at home! We were whispering what we
should do if we could stay at Grandma's when Mom announced that
we had better get the dishes cleaned up if we wanted to go
anywhere!
Janet carried dishes while I rinsed them and placed them in the
dishwasher. This didn't take long since we only had soup and
sandwiches. When we were done, Mom said to go get our nightgowns,
robes, and clean underwear to pack for Grandma's house.
"Um-mm, Mom?" I asked.
"Yes Lisa?" Mom replied.
"Um-mm, what do I pack? I don't have another pair of black
tights! Do I pack my holiday dress? I don't have clothes to pack!
If we stay over, I can't be Lisa!" I said as I started to cry.
"Oh honey." Mom said, as she came over and hugged me. "Of course
you can be Lisa. All weekend as I promised! We just have to make
a stop after skating and all will be fine!"
Mom handed me a tissue and told me to dry my tears. Then she led
me to the guest room and got out an overnight suitcase. We packed
my clean nightgown and panties. From my drawer, we packed
panties, a camisole, and a pair of white tights. Finally, we put
in my robe and slippers. There was still room in the suitcase,
but Mom didn't have me put in either of my two dresses!
"I have to check on Janet, I'll be right back!" Mom left for a
few minutes.
While she was gone, I wondered what I would wear on Sunday. We
hadn't packed a dress. Maybe Grandma would wash the outfit I had
on! Then I could wear it home on Sunday! I also wondered where we
were stopping after roller-skating. I'd already been to church as
Lisa so wherever we went would be okay. After all, I was going
roller-skating as Lisa today.
Mom walked back into the room. "Your sister's all packed. She
even has a nice dress for Sunday. Now for you we aren't packing a
dress because we are going to stop after skating and buy you a
new one." Mom was all smiles as she said this. "You have always
said you wanted to be a girl. Well, today you will learn a little
more about it. Today you will go clothes shopping!"
"A new dress? I get to pick it out? Can I try it on? Does Dad
know..." I asked a million questions.
"While you and Janet were cleaning, I had a talk with your
father. We talked a lot about you. All that we have read and
learned says that since you enjoy dressing as a girl, you will
probably continue doing it, even if we tell you to stop. So
rather than have you sneaking around and dressing as Lisa in
secret, we decided that we would find a way for you to be 'Lisa'
when you needed to be. That means a few more clothes. Now you
won't have a wardrobe like Janet's, we can't afford that.
However, a few things here and there in the proper size will be
okay. So today we will find you a Sunday dress." Mom smiled and
gave me a hug.
This was exciting! I would get to be 'Lisa' more than the three
times promised! I not only get to roller-skate today but I get to
try on and buy a new dress! I was so excited, I was shaking
inside.
I closed up my case, knowing there would be more in it when I
came home than when we left. I carried it downstairs and placed
it near the back door by Janet's. Mom came down a few minutes
later with an overnight case in her hand.
"This has toothbrushes, tooth paste, brushes, combs, barrettes
and a blow-dryer in it. Should be everything you two will need
for tomorrow." Mom explained. "Okay girls, time to go! Say 'bye
to your Dad and lets pack the car!"
Janet and I found Dad in the workshop, he always enjoyed building
things. We got him to stop long enough for two hugs and kisses
and a wave goodbye. Then we put on our matching winter coats and
put the suitcases in the trunk of the car. We both climbed in
back and buckled our seatbelts, Mom started the car, and we were
on our way to the roller rink!
It was a beautiful winter day! Fresh snow all around and the
roads were freshly plowed. It took on a 'winter wonderland'
quality. I spent a lot of the trip just looking out the window
and enjoying the scenery.
After an hour of driving, Mom pulled into the Roller Rink parking
lot. Mom and Janet got out of the car and were half way to the
building before they noticed I wasn't with them. They returned to
the car to find me sitting there just barely peeking out of the
car window.
"Lisa, what's the problem?" Mom asked.
"I... I'm... I'm really scared! What if someone knows me and
laughs! What if someone finds out I is really a boy? What if..."
I was in the middle of voicing these fears when Janet cut me off.
"Lisa Elizabeth Smith! You're my SISTER! How could anyone think
otherwise! We even look like sisters! Now get out of the car and
hold my hand so we can go in and go roller skate!" Janet had the
same look Mom did when she talked to me that way.
"Okay." I said meekly. I slid out of the car and straightened my
skirt and coat, grabbed my purse and held onto Janet's hand. Mom
stayed behind just long enough to shut the car doors and lock
them. No place to retreat to now! I put on the best smile I could
manage and we entered the Roller Rink.
We had only been here once before. About a year ago, when
visiting Grandma and Grandpa Smith we came here with our cousins
for an afternoon of skating. It had been a nice day for all of
us. We sort of knew where everything was, so it was easy to find
the coat racks and a place to put our purses. With that done, we
went up to the counter to get our skates.
"Afternoon ladies! What size?" The man at the skate rental
counter asked.
Mom took over here. "Janet needs a size 5 children's and Lisa
wears a size9 children's. I'm not skating today."
"Too bad! A beautiful day for skating! Be right back!" The man
replied.
It only took a minute and he returned with two pairs of white
roller-skates. I think I looked shocked for a moment, and then
remembered 'I was a girl and of course they would be white'! We
thanked the gentleman for the skates while Mom paid for the
rental. Janet and I went to change our shoes.
We found a bench, took off our shoes, and put on our skates.
Janet just went along as if everything were normal. For her it
was! Me? I had to stop and look at my feet several times! White
roller skates! I was actually going roller-skating as a girl! You
know, they really are prettier than the black 'boys' skates. I
finally got my skates on and my shoes put in a cubby.
Mom walked up at this time. "Lisa follow me for a minute." Mom
motioned towards the restrooms. I followed along somewhat
confused. Mom opened a bag she was carrying and took out a gray
skirt very similar to mine!
"This is a skating skirt. It has a built in pair of shorts, so if
you fall or when you spin, no one will see your panties. Janet
has hers on. I noticed they had them here and bought one for you.
Now go in the bathroom and change. Give me your skirt and slip
when you come out. I'll keep them in the bag." Mom instructed, as
she pointed to the 'girls' restroom.
"In there?" I asked.
"Where else? Out here?" Mom asked with a smile.
I took a deep breath, went into the small restroom, and locked
the door behind me. I changed quickly. Actually the skirt looked
nice and the shorts part were really short, sort of like panties.
Anyway, I finished changing, folded my skirt and slip, and went
back to Mom. She put the items in the bag the skating skirt was
in and I went to find Janet and do some skating.
The first time around the rink felt different. My skirt brushing
my thighs and the feel of tights in skates was new feelings for
me. After the first time around Janet waited for me and we skated
together chattering and trying to skate backwards without falling
down. Janet managed to skate backwards twice! I did better but,
only because I had been skating longer. The floor is still hard,
even when you land on it in a skirt! A couple of falls my skirt
was definitely up in the air, I think about it now, and thank Mom
over and over for buying me the skating skirt.
It came time for a 'couples only' skate, so I headed over to the
exit to sit out this song. As I was leaving the rink, Janet
skated into me, as younger sisters do, and asked me to skate with
her. I said okay so we headed back out onto the floor. We held
hands for the skate and talked about how things were going. I
told her Mom had bought me a skating skirt so maybe Lisa would be
able to skate a few more times. This made Janet happy.
"I like having an older sister!" She shouted over the music.
"And I like being your older sister!" I shouted back.
Soon the music ended and we left the rink to get a drink. Mom
already had two sodas and a bag of chips waiting for us in the
eating area. We sat in a booth and talked to Mom about how we
were skating. I mentioned that a boy kept whizzing by me when I
skated alone. I was afraid he was going to knock me down.
"He likes you." Was all Janet said.
"He what?" I responded.
"He likes you! All boys do silly things like that to get your
attention. They think it's cool or something." Janet told me.
I sat there stunned! A boy liked me? This was confusing! I know
my mouth moved a few times but nothing was said. Finally, Janet
spoke again.
"Just ignore him. He'll stop bothering you if you don't say
anything." She stated.
"Okay." Was all I could say.
We sat a few more minutes and Janet decided to go skate some
more. I sat with Mom for a couple of minutes not talking about
anything special. I was looking around the room when I saw a boy
looking at me. I didn't know him and he wasn't the one that tried
to run me over. I gave him a quick smile and went back to talking
to Mom. A minute or so later, he was standing next to our booth.
"Hi! My name is Mark. I... Uh... it's... it's a couples skate
next and I ... I was wondering if you'd like to ... to skate with
me." He was so scared that his voice trailed off. I almost didn't
hear him ask me to skate.
I looked at Mom, not knowing what I should do.
"Well introduce yourself, Lisa. Don't be so rude to this nice
young man!" Mom scolded.
"Nice to meet you Mark. My name is Lisa Elizabeth. I'd like very
much to skate with you." I replied.
Mom's tone sort of told me 'you wanted to be Lisa? Now handle
it!' Since I had asked girls to couples skate before, I just
thought how they had responded and did the same. The big smile at
the end caused Mark to relax and smile back.
"See you later Mom." I said as I slid out of the booth. I grabbed
Mark's hand and we headed out to the rink to skate.
It was definitely different skating with a boy that thought you
were a cute girl. The first few laps we just skated, then Mark
started some small talk. I found out he skated here almost every
weekend. He asked if I lived near by. When I told him I was from
out of town, he looked disappointed. I told him that I skated
here once before, about a year ago. I also told him that my
grandparents lived about twenty minutes from the rink and then
pointed out my sister, Janet, to him. He had an older sister, but
she didn't skate much any more. After this the music finished and
the couples skate was over. He escorted me back to the rink exit
and then kissed my hand!
"Thank you milady!" He said and bowed as he skated backwards away
from me.
I did the best curtsey I could without falling down and smiled
back at him. Then I went to find Janet so we could skate together
some more. I found her skating and waited for her to come around
so I could skate with her.
"Lisa's got a boy friend!" She sang at me.
"I do not! It was only one skate! Mark's NOT my boy friend!" I
cried.
"O-o-o-o-o, 'Mark', Huh?" Janet only laughed and repeated that
comment over and over until I chased her off the rink. She went
squealing and laughing over to where Mom was sitting, talking to
another lady.
I skated toward Janet ready to give her a push and tell her he
was NOT my boyfriend! Mom stopped me in mid skate and said to
settle down and come over by her to meet this lady she was
talking to.
"Lisa, Janet, this is Lois Jones. Lois Jones this is Lisa
Elizabeth and Janet Lynette. " Mom motioned to each of us as she
introduced us.
"Pleasure to meet you ma'am." We both said in unison.
"My pleasure girls. My daughter, Donna Anne, is here somewhere.
Let me see... Oh, there she is!" Mrs. Jones stood and waved until
a girl about my age waved back and skated over from the floor.
"Donna Anne, I'd like you to meet these people. This is Joan
Smith and her daughters, Lisa Elizabeth and Janet Lynette." Mrs.
Jones announced.
"Pleased to meet all of you " Stated Donna Anne.
"Your mother and I met in the hospital when you and Lisa were
born! Your birthdays are only two days apart! Why don't all three
of you go skate while we catch up with each other." My Mom
suggested.
When Mom 'suggests' it is best to do it. So Janet and I looked at
each other, grabbed Donna's hands, and dragged her back out onto
the skating floor. We skated around the floor several times
before anyone spoke. I was kind of nervous since I wasn't sure if
Donna could figure out that I was really a boy or not. I kept
skating and looking down most of the time. Janet, on the other
hand, was chattering away as if Donna was a long lost friend!
After the third time around I was almost feeling left out!
"So, Lisa, we're the same age?" Donna was talking to me.
"I guess. Our Mom's said our birthdays are only two days apart."
I replied.
"Do you skate here often? It's my first time here, so I didn't
know anyone to skate with." Donna said.
"We haven't skated here for a year. This is near my Grandparent's
house, s owe don't get here often. It's an hour drive for us to
get here." I told Donna.
"Really? It's an hour for me too! I live south of here. Where do
you live?" Donna asked.
"An hour north." I replied somewhat sad that we were two hours
apart. Donna really seemed like a nice girl. Then I thought, she
only knows me as Lisa! I could only see her as a girlfriend! This
was a strange situation for one only nine years old to be in. I
became lost in thought about the situation.
"Lisa? Lisa!" Donna shook my shoulder.
"What?" I said as I looked at Donna and Janet, a little confusion
on my face.
"Are you okay? I mean, you just sort of drifted off there." Donna
said.
"No... I'm... I'm fine. I was just thinking it was too bad we
lived so far apart. I think we would make good girlfriends."
I wasn't sure what to tell Donna. I could have said, 'Good thing
you live far away because I'm a boy that just likes to dress as a
girl.' but I said what I thought would be safe. We probably
wouldn't see each other for a long time and I would probably be
'John' the next time I skated here anyway.
"You really think so?" asked Donna.
"Yea, we're the same age. Probably like similar things. You seem
pretty nice and you get along with Janet! That's a sure sign of a
friend!" I giggled as I said the last part.
"I'm getting tired! I want to stop skating for a while." Janet
said.
"We'll drop you off by Mom next time around." I told her.
We skated around, just kind of chatting, not really on any
special topic. Finally we got to the exit of the rink and took
Janet back to where Mom and Mrs. Jones were sitting. I told Mom
Janet said she was tired, but I wanted to skate with Donna Anne
for a little longer. She told us okay but only two or three more
songs; we had to make a stop before going to Grandma and Grandpa
Smith's for the night. Donna and I agreed and headed back onto
the floor when a 'couples skate' was announced.
"Want to be a couple?" I asked Donna.
"Sure! A new friend makes a great partner for a couples skate!"
responded Donna.
We kept skating. About half way around, Mark skated up behind me.
Another boy skated up next to Donna Anne.
"Lisa? I had to ask if I could have one more skate with you
before I had to leave. I talked Joey into asking your friend to
skate. He thought she was cute, so he said okay. Would you skate
this 'couples skate' with me?" Mark was seriously out of breath.
"Hi Mark. Let me see if it's okay with Donna." I turned to ask
Donna at the same time she turned toward me.
We talked low for a minute and decided it would be okay to have
one skate with the boys. We then turned back to our respective
partners and told them it was okay as long as we skated near each
other. The boys readily agreed, and we paired up. Me and Mark,
Donna and Joey. I knew Janet was going to kid me about this, but
I didn't care. It felt nice to be asked to skate by someone. As
'John,' I always had to do the asking, never before had I been
asked. Twice by the same person, too!
During the couples skate, Mark and I talked about school, and
being out for a snow day on Friday. I told him I was in the third
grade and that my little sister and I had spent the day doing
things together. I didn't think he would have wanted to join our
tea party. He said he had been to enough tea parties of his older
sister's that he didn't want to go to any more, ever! We laughed
about that, and then he told me he was in the third grade too. He
had made a snow fort yesterday, but the sun had melted it part
way today, that was why he came skating this afternoon. He told
me he was glad to have met me and hoped I would come skate here
more often. The song ended, as did the 'couples skate'.
"I have to leave. My Mom's waiting for me. Bye Lisa." he kissed
my hand again and skated off the rink to leave.
I tried to curtsey and promptly fell on my butt! That hurt my
pride more than my rear end, but Donna skated over to help me up.
I was beet red from embarrassment. I stood up and started
laughing. It must have looked funny because Donna was laughing
too. I finally looked up and waved to Mark and we resumed our
skating.
"You okay?" Donna asked.
"Yea. Nothing really hurts. It's just really embarrassing to fall
in front of Mark like that! I'm really glad Mom bought me this
skating skirt!" I replied.
We chatted some more throughout the next two songs. After the
second song, both our mothers were waving for us to come off the
rink. We pretended to ignore them, and laughing, we skated by and
waved for one last lap. We both decided it would be best to get
off the rink before we got into big trouble.
We left the rink, found our shoes, and changed out of the roller-
skates. I took a good long last look at mine; after all, it might
be a long time, before I would be able to wear 'white skates'
again. I finally sighed, and took the skates back up to the
rental counter and turned them in.
"Hey kid, what's wrong?" the man behind the counter asked.
"I just don't want to leave yet." was my reply.
"Oh! Well I'm sure you'll be back." he said and went to put the
skates away.
Mom and Janet were waiting along with Donna Anne and her Mom for
me to return. Donna was carrying a skate case so I knew she had
her own skates.
"It was nice to meet you and Janet today. I had fun skating with
you." Donna said.
"Me too. I liked skating and talking to you too." I replied.
"I had fun! Maybe we could have Donna over to our house for a
weekend! Please Mom?" Janet begged.
Mom and Mrs. Jones looked at each other and smiled. "We'll have
to see. It's a long way between our two houses. We will talk
about it later." Mom told both of us.
We all waved goodbye as we walked to our cars. I thought it was
nice that I had made a friend as Lisa! Mrs. Jones honked and
waved as she and Donna Anne drove by our car. We all waved back
since we had just gotten to the car and Mom was unlocking it.
After we got in, Mom drove to the mall about ten minutes away.
She parked the car and told us we had to go look for a dress for
me for Sunday. We all got out of the car; Mom checked to be sure
I actually got out, before she locked the doors. I was excited! I
was going to get to pick out a dress for myself! I know this
seemed like an every day thing to Mom and Janet, however, for me
it was new territory. This trip I could look at all the pretty
items and not be embarrassed. I could even try them on!
Mom headed straight for the large department store at the far end
of the mall.
"Mom? Aren't we going to look in the stores along the way?" I
asked.
"They have very little of what we are looking for. We need dressy
clothes. Most of those stores are casual or sportswear. They have
some nice things but our best bet is here," Mom replied as she
led the way through the doors.
"Oh." I replied.
I was a little dejected since there were some really neat clothes
in the store windows we passed. But following Mom, she made a
beeline for the 'Little Miss' department. I had been there before
with her and Janet. I was always afraid to touch or look too
close at the clothes. This time, I got to look at all the clothes
on the racks. What a dazzling array of colors and materials!
Blues, Greens, Reds, Pinks, with or without lace. So much to
choose from, and I could only get ONE! How would we ever choose?
"Come over here, Lisa. This rack has dresses appropriate for
church," Mom called.
I went over to Mom and saw she was looking at a rack of dresses.
She took out a pink one and held it up to me.
"Hold this one." she said. Then turned back to looking. "If you
see one you like, take it off the rack and we'll look at it."
I nervously started looking at the dresses. Mom was going through
them fairly quickly. Me? I took my time and looked over each
dress I came to. I think I only looked at three dresses when Mom
came up to me with four more in her hands!
"Find anything? I think one of these five will work best for you.
They are colors that should look good on you." Mom said holding
up the hangers. "Let's find the fitting rooms and see which looks
the best!"
All the dresses looked very nice. We found the fitting rooms, and
a lady opened one for me to use. Mom had to hold two of the
dresses, since they only allowed three items in the room at a
time. I stripped off my skating skirt and my pullover top. Then
slid into the first dress. It was a light pink with cap sleeves
and little flowers embroidered on the bodice. The skirt just
floated down to about an inch above my knees. I zipped the back
and went to show Mom and Janet. After the traditional 'walk' I
was sent back to try on the next dress. This is how it went for
each dress. The second was a red plaid dress wit