Changing Of The Guard - Part 2 free porn video

Changing of the Guard Part 2 How do you explain to your mother and father why their son spontaneously morphed into their daughter while they were out? I tried to figure that out while Becca drove me home. I really hadn't figured it out when we pulled into the driveway. Fortunately, my parents weren't home so I'd have a few minutes to wash my face and change before they got home. At least I could look sort of like myself. "Are you sure you don't want me to hang out and help explain things?" Bec asked. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure they'll get a laugh out of it once I explain. I just hope that I don't give either of them a coronary before I get a chance," I answered. "OK, but call me and let me know how it goes." "Will do, now get out of here, I gotta go make myself look a little more butch." I waved to Bec as she left and then let myself into the house. Mom had been busy. She had gotten the living room sorted out as well as most of the rest of the house. I felt a little guilty about not being there to help. I tried to remind myself that I was at school most of the day but that didn't make me feel much better. That reminded me that all my clean clothes were still in boxes. I ran up to my room to get something unpacked and found a bunch of boxes marked "Bran". Instead of my stuff, the movers had brought all of my sister's old stuff instead. Here's where being lazy got me in trouble. It was my job to get my room and everything my sister had left behind packed. I had labeled the boxes "Jules" for me and "Bran" for her. Those were the names that we used most of the time anyway. I could just imagine Mom telling the movers to put her son's stuff in the upstairs bedroom. I can't blame them for assuming that the son was named Bran and not Jules. 'Now what do I do?' I thought to myself. My only option was to wear something that was dirty. To be honest, the cleanliness of my clothes was the last thing that was on my mind. I looked in the corner I had been using as a hamper to find nothing. Mom must have decided to wash some clothes. I hoped that mine hadn't made it to the wash yet or that they were finished already. Usually, mom would leave any clean clothes on the dryer for me to put away. I checked there first but found nothing. "Please, be in the dryer," I prayed. I opened the dryer door and found it empty. I was not having a good night. A final check in the washer showed my clothes clean but still very wet. I had no idea how much time I had but I hoped I had enough to dry a load of clothes. A quick switch from washer to dryer and I had my clothes drying in just under a minute. My plan then was to get upstairs, get my face washed, and see if I could manage to get my breasts off. So I'm an optimist, arrest me. I was walking back into the kitchen as Mom and Dad were coming in from the garage. Somebody must hate me! Mom came in first, "Oh, I didn't think Jules would have company...Julian?" She asked after a second. Dad walked in just as the light was coming on in Mom's head, "Whoa, and who is this lovely young lady?" "Connor, that's Julian," Mom told him. Dad's eyes nearly bugged out of his sockets, "What is going on here?" "Mom, Dad, I can explain everything," I replied. Dad looked at Mom, "kitchen or living room?" "Living room, I'll make coffee and meet you two in there." 'I'm in trouble,' I thought. One thing that I love about my parents is that they are two very cool customers. I have never known them to freak out about anything. I'm usually very glad for their level headedness, but I was totally freaking out with how calm they were about coming home and seeing me dressed as a girl. They didn't seem upset or even surprised. Sitting in the living room across from my father was probably the most nerve wracking moment in my life. Dad was totally calm cool and collected. I started to explain what had happened but he stopped me before I could say three words. "Julian, wait for your Mom. You'll only have to tell the story once that way," he said. Yep, dear old laid back practical Dad. I wondered what it would take to surprise him. He was sad when Brandy left but he never upset by it. It's like he knew it was going to happen. Now he acts like he knew he'd come home to find me in drag one day. Sometimes parents can be creepy. Do you develop the ability to see your kid's future when you become a parent? Mom came in a few minutes later with a large cup of coffee for Dad and her. I got my normal Dr. Pepper. I never got into coffee, talk about a harsh drink. I waited as Mom settled herself next to me on the couch. "OK, kiddo, I know I told you to try new things but that wasn't what I had in mind," Mom said pointing at my outfit. It took me just short of an hour to tell them what had happened. Mom stopped and asked me a few questions and Dad just sat and listened, nodding his head a few times. I tried to play up the angle that it wasn't my idea and that I was an innocent victim in the whole mess. I hoped that would give me a little wiggle room and keep me out of therapy. I told them everything right up to the point that we walked into the kitchen. "You said that they put Brandy's clothes in your room instead of yours," Mom asked. "Yeah, I was hoping to get changed before you guys got home but I couldn't find any clothes," I answered. "Did you check all the boxes and make sure yours weren't in there, too?" "Yes, I was looking for anything that was mine. I even checked the washer and dryer." "We have a small problem, then," Mom stated. "Why is that?" I asked. "The moving company has a donation program for old clothes and furniture that is unwanted in a move. I gave them all your boxes instead of hers." "What?! You gave away my clothes!" "Calm down, Jules, we can get you new stuff tomorrow," Dad said. "I guess. At least I have something to wear tomorrow. It's a good thing that you decided to wash some clothes, Mom." "Oh that reminds me, Connor, we need to get someone to look at the dryer. It's not working right," Mom told Dad. "What's it doing?" he asked. "It scorched some stuff today." My luck cannot be that bad. There is no way I could have possibly done anything so bad as to deserve that. I jumped off the couch and ran into the laundry room. I knew I was in trouble when I smelled something burning as I opened the door. 'Maybe it's not that bad,' I told myself. Like I said I'm an optimist. I was wrong again. Everything that I had put into the dryer was overdone to say the least. I'm betting that a few degrees more and they would be in flames. That was the straw that broke the camels back. I had been way too stressed that day and finding what few pieces of clothing I had left crispier than Colonel Sanders best pushed me too far. I sat down in front of the dryer and cried. I wasn't a sobbing wreck. I just sat there and let tears roll down my cheeks. I didn't know what else to do. I don't know how long I was there. My brain kind of shut down for a little while. I remember Mom saying something but I didn't respond. The next thing I knew, Dad picked me up and carried me to my room. Dad is a relatively big guy, he's a little over six feet tall and weighs a solid 220 pounds and it's not fat. He can easily pick me up and carry me around. After the crazy day that I had, I felt so safe in his arms as he carried me away to my room. I couldn't help but wrap my arms around his neck and hold on a little tighter. Geez, I am such a girl. I reluctantly let go when he set me down on my bed. The world kind of rushed back in or more likely, I came out of wherever it was I had been. Mom had a very worried look on her face and I may have seen a small crack in Dad's armor but I can't be sure. "Sorry, guys, I kind of flipped out there," I told them. A look of relief washed over Mom's face, "You had me worried there, Kiddo. You didn't respond to either of us for a few minutes." "Yeah, I heard you but I just was offline for a little while. Today has been a rough day," I said. "Why did you do it if it was so bad?" Mom asked. "It wasn't that bad actually. I was nervous at first, but after a little while I loosened up and it was fun," I answered. "How did it feel?" "What do you mean?" "I mean how did you feel being a girl for a day?" I started to say that it was fun but I realized that wasn't what Mom was asking. She wanted to know how I felt being a girl. I hadn't thought about it up to that point. Once I got over being spotted as a guy, it was easy. I felt really natural about it. That was the most at ease I have ever been with a group of people I don't know. Mom must have read my mind, "It felt pretty good didn't it?" I have never lied to my parents, "Yes, I felt, I don't know, comfortable." Mom didn't say anything for a long time she just looked at me. I felt like she was staring into my soul trying to find an answer to something. "Jules, do you think you'll be doing this again?" she asked. "I don't know, Mom." "OK, Kiddo, why don't you go get cleaned up? I'll see if I can find something for you to wear to sleep in." Mom left so I could get a shower. Dad gave me a smile and followed Mom. I'm sure they had a lot to talk about. I really hated worrying them but we always told each other the truth, no matter what. Getting a shower was the strangest thing I have ever done. OK, the shower wasn't strange, seeing me get out of the shower was strange. Other than one part, I looked like a girl. I actually liked what I saw. I felt more real like that than I did on a normal day. Hmm... maybe I do need therapy. At first, I just wrapped my towel around my waist like I normally do but that seemed way wrong. I repositioned it to be more concealing. I took another look at myself in the mirror and had to laugh. I really did look like a girl. I slipped across the hall and back into my room. Mom hadn't made it back so I started searching through some of Brandy's stuff. Maybe I could find a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. I'm not much bigger than her. I'm taller but she weighs slightly more. I did find a few girls Ts in the first box I opened. I figured that would work for the night. I also found some of her panties. Now, I really did debate whether or not to wear them. In the end I just wanted to know what they felt like. I opened a few more boxes but didn't find anything useful. The last box had a few pairs of lace trimmed pajama pants that I thought would work great. It only took a minute or two for me to get dressed. I felt much better now that I was actually wearing something that covered my stomach, well, most of it anyway. Dad was the first parent to reappear, "Jules, there's a message downstairs from a Mr. Grissom. He says that he'd like for you to drop by the store about seven tomorrow morning. He has some new employee paperwork to give you. Did I miss something?" "With everything else that had happened I had totally forgotten about that. I applied for a job at a camera store called 'The Focal Point'. It looks like I got the job," I answered. "Congratulations, Jules. You certainly didn't waste any time did you? Umm, you weren't dressed like that were you?" "Dad! No, I wasn't dressed like this. I stopped by this morning before all the craziness started. Oh no, he wants me to stop by in the morning. I can't go in there like this." "Calm down. You can wear one of my t-shirts. I bet it'll be big enough to hide those," Dad said pointing at my chest. "I'm not real enthused with your choice in sleepwear, though." "Mom's trying to find me something. I had to find something to wear until she does," I answered. The look Dad gave me said he wasn't convinced, "Are you sure this is the first time you've dressed up like a girl?" "Yes, Sir. Why?" "You just look so much like a girl. You're moving differently, too." "I kind of have to. Having breasts seems to require a different set of motions." "I guess it would." "Dad?" "Yes, Jules," Dad answered. "Are you disappointed in me?" I don't think he was expecting that question. He started to say something but stopped and thought about it for a few seconds. He always taught me to think before I talk and he was doing just that. You have to respect a guy who practices what he preaches. "No, I'm not disappointed in you. I'm actually very impressed that you'd put yourself through so much trouble for someone you don't know that well. I'd be lying if I told you that seeing you like that didn't affect me. But I'm certainly not disappointed." God, I love my parents. I ran over and gave him the biggest hug I could. He returned it with the same intensity. I think we both felt better afterwards. I noticed Mom standing at the end of the hall watching us. She had a smile on her face that was just a little different than her normal one. I would have sworn that it meant that all was well now. "Is this a private thing or am I allowed to join?" she asked. "You better join in, it's not everyday I get to hug two beautiful women at once," Dad joked. "Dad!" I exclaimed. "Sorry, Jules, I couldn't help it. You really are a cute girl." I wasn't expecting to hear him say that but it felt really good. Yep, I'm gonna be in therapy over this one. I hope Dad has good insurance. "All joking aside, I need to get the car unloaded and you need to get your homework done," Dad said then he and Mom left. I didn't have any homework to do and, for the first time in months, I didn't have any pictures to work on. I had planned on getting my room put together but seeing that I didn't have anything to put together I had some time to kill. I grabbed my phone and called Bec. I did promise to call and let her know what happened. "I was beginning to worry about you. How'd it go?" she asked. "Well, hello to you too," I joked, "You're not going to believe what has happened." "Is that a good thing or bad?" "I don't know, you tell me." I spent the next hour filling her in on what had happened since she dropped me off. I think that may have been the longest I had ever spent on the phone. It actually didn't seem that long, though I guess I was just into the conversation. It must have been strange for Mom to see me on the phone that long because she gave me one of those "I can't believe you're still on the phone," looks the third time she passed my room. "I can't believe all your clothes are gone. What are you going to do?" Bec asked. "I'm supposed to go shopping tomorrow. The bad part is that it wasn't just my clothes. I lost all my shoes, watches, books, magazines, and most of my prints. It's a good thing I brought my camera with me." "You must have the worst luck of any person I have ever met. You want some company on your shopping trip?" "Sure, I could use a second opinion. I think it's time to get rid of the big baggy look." "What, thinking about going to skirts?" Bec joked. "Oh definitely, and maybe a sexy little black dress to drive the boys crazy," I joked back. My timing is just short of tragic. Dad just happened to be walking passed when I said that. He looked like someone had just slapped him. "I was just joking, Dad, relax would ya?" I said. "I'm relaxed," he said. Dad didn't look convinced as he returned to whatever he was on his way to do. "I really need to watch what I say. I think I just about gave Dad a heart attack," I told Bec. "You can't really blame him though. You did come home dressed like a girl," she reminded me. "It wasn't my idea, remember?" "That's true, but you did enjoy yourself." "Was it that obvious? You don't think I'm weird do you?" I asked. "It was by the end of the night. I had to remind myself that you are a guy under those clothes. You are a guy right?" "No, I'm a chick pretending to be a guy. What do you think?" I replied sarcastically. "Sorry, Jules, you seem so natural that it's hard to tell. I don't think you're weird either. Hang on a sec, I got a call on the other line. It's probably Tess wondering what's going on." "Sure, no problem." I heard Bec click over leaving me holding an empty phone. Why can't they play music or something? With all the cool little bells and whistles on today's phone you'd think they could do that, but I digress. The empty line did give me a few moments to think about what she said. It was a little scary that I passed as a girl so well. It's even scarier that I didn't notice. I remember seeing something on one of the science channels about people who think they are trapped in the wrong body. I wondered if I was like them. I don't feel trapped in my body but I don't exactly feel all warm and toasty in it either. I never thought that I could actually change it. Maybe I need to watch that show again. Oww, I was starting to give myself a headache. There was a click in the phone and then Bec's voice, "Still there, Jules?" "Yep, just trying to figure out the whole space time continuum thing. I think Einstein may have been on to something," I replied. "I have no idea what you are talking about. Tess is on the other line, mind if I put us on three way?" "A three way with you and Tess? Sounds kinky." My timing strikes again, Dad walks passed my door just as I said that. His expression is a mixture of surprise "Julian!" and typical male response when sex is mentioned, "That's my boy!" I know what you're thinking, "Close your door you moron." You'll have to remember this talking on the phone and having friends is all new to me. I'm a little behind the curve. I also have a theory that if I don't try to hide things, they'll trust me. "Three way phone call, Dad, you really should get your mind out of the gutter," I teased him. "What am I going to do with you, Jules?" He asked shaking his head as he walked away. I think I heard a "Why me?" at the end but I can't be sure. "I really really need to be more careful about what I say. I hope Dad doesn't end up in therapy with me," I told Bec. "Therapy? I thought Bec said things were going OK over there," Tess said. "Oh, Hi Tess, didn't realize you were here already. I was just joking. Dad keeps walking by at the wrong time." "He'll be OK, Dads are tougher than they look. I'm really sorry you have to go through that. I feel like it's my fault." "Hey, don't worry about it. I had fun tonight." "You and Brian seemed to be getting along pretty well. You two make a cute couple," Tess commented. "Not you too! Do I really look so much like a girl?" "Yeah, you do. It was really weird to see you like that and know that you aren't really a girl." "OK, my masculinity has had all the bashing it can stand for one night. Can we figure out how we are going to get me back to my old self by the time school starts?" "The doors should be unlocked by seven. Why don't you meet me there first thing and we'll get you back to normal," Bec offered. "I've got to stop by The Focal Point first. How about we make it 7:30. That should give us enough time to get things sorted out before campus gets too busy." "That works for me, I'll meet you at 7:30 then. Tess, you coming?" Bec asked. "Absolutely, I really do appreciate all you've done for me, Jules. Is there any thing I can do for you?" Tess asked. "It's not a big deal, Tess, like I said, most of the night was fun. Hey, I'm going shopping for a new wardrobe tomorrow. I'd love to have you and Becca give me a hand finding a new look." I commented. "Sounds like fun, what time? I have a colorguard thing after school." Tess answered. "Oh man, what am I going to do about clothes for tomorrow? I can't wear what I came home in." "Umm, Jules, you said you left your clothes in the theater arts building, didn't you?" Bec asked. "Bec, I could just kiss you right now. I'd totally forgotten about that. I guess I could wear Tess' jeans and borrow a shirt from Dad. That should do until I can get changed." "Ok, we have that settled then? You have to stop at 'The Focal Point' first thing then you'll meet me here around 7:30. We'll get you changed and debreasted for classes. I've got play rehearsal after school and you two are doing the guard thing. I'm guessing Jules will need about ten minutes after practice for pictures. Then we'll get together for some shopping and dinner. That's it?" Bec summarized. "Sounds like a plan to me," I answered. "Me, too. Gotta go guys. I've got homework to finish," Tess said. "See you tomorrow, bye Tess." Bec and I said. "I've got some to do myself, Jules. I'll see you bright and early, g' night." Bec said. "G' night, Becca, and thanks for all your help," I replied then hung up. It's amazing at the coordination it takes to get a group of teenage friends together. And I thought that getting our rides sorted out earlier was tough. It's a good thing Becca is a take-charge kind of girl. I'd be in trouble if she left it to me to sort out. I'd eventually get it fixed but with her help, I think it'll go smoother. Geez, what a day! The move had turned out to be a bigger change for me than I thought. I knew I was going to start over, I just didn't realize it would be from scratch. I'm surprised I'm not more upset about losing all my stuff. The clothes I can understand. I was planning on a style makeover anyway. I've been watching too many makeover shows lately. Swapping spaces is almost as bad. It gives me way too many ideas for my own room. That may not be a bad thing. I basically have a clean slate to work with and plenty of ideas. I wonder how much Dad is willing to let me spend. Yep, I've definitely spent too much time on the learning channels. It's a good thing I don't watch a baby story. Oops, maybe I shouldn't tempt fate like that, especially after today. Can we pretend like I didn't say that? It was starting to get late and I was ready for bed. I needed to be up early the next morning but my alarm clock was one the casualties of the mixed up box debacle. I hoped that there might be one in Brandy's boxes. I don't remember seeing one but I wasn't looking for it either. Going through her stuff was a little weird. I felt like I was doing something wrong even though I wasn't. I didn't feel weird when I packed everything up but I just sorta threw everything in boxes. I didn't pay any attention to what went where or what I was stuffing in which box. Now that I was paying attention to what I was doing I felt guilty. OK, I'm weird but what do you expect from a guy who spent the whole evening dressed up like a girl? I had gone through about half of the boxes when I realized how much stuff Brandy had left behind when she left. A few months before she left, she got into the whole Goth scene. That should have been our first clue that something was up with her other than her normal attitude. She had always been into the latest fashions and was your basic popular teenage girl. Anyway, when she left, she took everything Goth and left everything else behind. That amounted to a whole lotta stuff for me to sort through to possibly find an alarm clock. I had quickly found that shuffling stuff around inside the boxes wasn't the best way to find anything. Unloading about half a box then looking through it was much easier. I still hadn't found a clock or so much as a watch when I looked up to see Dad staring into the room. When will this night end? "I don't think that stuff is your style," he commented. "You're right, pink really isn't my color either. Now, purple, that's the color for me," I replied. "Please, tell me you're joking," he said a little stiffly. "Yes, I was actually looking to see if there's an alarm clock in here somewhere." Dad visibly relaxed, "OK, if you don't find one, let me know. You can use my travel clock." "Deal, going through this stuff is kind of bumming me out." "I miss her, too." "Do you think Mom still misses her? I mean she did try and give all Brandy's stuff away," I said. "Yes, your Mom still misses her, she just realizes that Brandy probably won't be coming home." "Yeah, I got that feeling, too." "That doesn't mean that she'll be gone forever. I'm sure that one day soon, she'll want to see us again. Come on, it's getting late. You better get ready for bed. I'll get that clock for you," he said and left to get the clock. I did need a few minutes to get myself ready. Along with my hair, I have also developed a skin care regime. It only adds a few minutes every morning and night so it's not too bad. It's your basic three- step system. Wash, then toner, then more moisturizer. Nothing exotic, luckily. I wonder what Tess and Bec would say if they knew about this. I'm beginning to realize how much of a girl I really am. But I like girls? Hmm... therapy, here I come. Bedtime and I really need it tonight. * The only thing I hate more than early mornings is alarm clocks. Are those things not the most hated devices in the world? I was actually sleeping really well when mine decided it was time for me to get up. The night hadn't been all fun and games, though. I had that dream of being a girl again. This time I was seriously torn between wanting to wake up and wanting to stay asleep. OK, I wanted to stay asleep and see what happened next. It started out just like the first one did but this time I managed to get myself to school. I really wanted to see Becca but I couldn't find her. I did that weird flashy thing again and ended up in the theater arts building after school. Wish I could make the day go by that fast all the time. I found Bec hard at work but we got so busy that I couldn't talk to her. No one even raised an eyebrow at me as a girl. That wasn't bothering me that much. It was driving me nuts being that close to her but not being able to talk to her. We finally finished with the play rehearsal and I was just about to talk to her when my alarm went off and ten minutes earlier than I thought I set it for. Uh huh, the Gods were starting already. I could at least hit the snooze bar for a wonderful extra nine minutes. The alarm sounded again and I dragged myself out of bed and into the bathroom. The person that greeted me in the mirror wasn't what I was expecting. In the grogginess of waking up, I had forgotten about how I was dressed and the silicone blobs on my chest. I scared the crap out of myself for about five seconds before I realized I was the girl in the mirror. Talk about a twilight zone moment. Once my heart returned from orbit, I got ready for the day. With Dad's oversize shirt on, I looked pretty much like I normally do. I would have to be careful about how I stood to keep things hidden. I was a little disappointed with my normal glance in the mirror on the way out the door. The normal plain Julian was back. Then again, the normal plain Julian didn't have to worry about guys hitting on him either. I guess things even out in the end. * "Good morning, Jules," Bill smiled, "Thanks for meeting me here so early." "Not a problem, Bill. That D70 has been calling my name all night," I told him. He just smiled at me as he unlocked the doors and went inside. I followed him and basically did a repeat of the previous morning. I looked around a bit while he got all the lights turned on. I was totally into drool mode with the Nikon D70. I was just imagining all the great shots I could get with it. Unfortunately, the near one thousand dollar price tag was a little out of my budget. Ah well, I can dream can't I? Bill showed up a few seconds later with a rather large stack of paperwork. 'How many trees must die for me to go to work,' I thought. "I know it looks like a lot but about half of it is just product specs and information. I don't expect you to memorize the whole thing but I thought you'd like to have the information," he stated. "Cool, more info to torture my parents with," I grinned. Bill returned my grin, "I bet my wife feels the same way as your parents do." He set the stack of papers on one of the glass display cases and left to grab a pen. I started thumbing through some of it just to see what I was getting myself into. I'm afraid to admit that I already knew a bunch of the stuff that was there. I have spent way too much time on the net looking at cameras. I am such a nerd. Bill returned with not one but three fresh pens. Despite what he had said, there was still a lot of paperwork to fill out. I spent the next ten minutes doing the, initial this here and here and there, thing. I looked up about half way through and caught Bill looking at me with a strange look on his face. He looked away when he noticed me looking at him. I was wondering what he was looking at when I noticed my reflection in the display case. While I was leaning over and filling out my forms, I had pinched my shirt between the case and my stomach. When I stood up a little, the fabric had gotten stretched a bit and it was showing my pseudobreasts. Damn, Damn, Damn. Now what was I supposed to do? I decided to act cool and see what happened. The paperwork had finally been finished and I was getting ready to head for school. If I hurried I could get there a minute or two before Bec. I handed the now smaller stack of papers to Bill and told him I had something I had to do before school so I had to run. "Just a second, Jules," he said looking at me. 'Oh, Hell, here it comes,' I thought. "I just wanted to apologize for staring at you. I don't mean to be rude, but when I first saw you, I thought you were a girl. Then we talked yesterday and I started thinking that maybe you were a boy. Then I saw that you were definitely a girl. It surprised me and that's when I was staring at you. Like I said, I'm sorry. I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable." Not exactly what I thought was going to happen but not necessarily good, either. I keep getting deeper and deeper. How was I supposed to respond to that? I mean if I say it's OK, Bill, it was just weird to see you staring at me then I admit I'm a girl. If I correct him and tell him I'm a guy, I'll have some serious explaining to do. I don't want to lose my job before I even get a chance to start. In the end I went with the classic change the subject approach. "Don't worry about it. When would you like me to start?" I asked. "Oh, tomorrow would be fine. How about six?" he responded. "Works for me. I gotta run, see you at six tomorrow." I didn't even wait for him to say anything. I turned and made my way to school in a hurry. I managed to get there before Bec, which gave me a few minutes to myself. That, again, isn't necessarily a good thing. My brain went into auto-panic mode and I sat and thought about all the horrible things that could possibly happen to me. The experience with Bill was plain weird. I still didn't know what to do about that when I spotted Bec and her Range Rover pull up next to the building. "You are not going to believe what's happened so far this morning," I told her as she walked up to the building. "You got mistaken for a girl again, didn't you?" she answered. Can everyone read my mind? I was starting to wonder if there was a huge marquee above my head that told the world everything I was thinking. I gave her a quick recap of what had happened. I still couldn't believe it myself. "If you keep this up, I'll have to permanently attach those to your chest," she said point at my chest. "Can we please get them off before someone else sees me like this," I whined. "Sure, it'll only take a minute," she said grabbing the bottle of remover. It didn't take her long to get me back to my normal flatchested self. I was very relieved to finally be rid of them. At least now, there was much less of a chance at being mistaken for a girl. It was weird but I felt funny without them. I guess I had gotten used to the weight or something. * The rest of the day went by pretty much like most school days do. Note taking, quizzes, tests, and homework seemed to be the theme for the day. The clocks all seemed to be running on low batteries and classes took forever. I was definitely looking forward to the last bell. I have to admit that I wasn't concentrating on any of my classes. My mind kept drifting back to the night before. Getting dressed up like a girl was interesting by itself. Then going out as a girl and having as good a time as I did was surprising. But it was my parents' reactions that were bugging me the most. I'm sure I had missed a few things the night before, being all stressed out like I was, but they seemed way too cool about it. I found it strange that they didn't seem surprised to find me with makeup on and in girl's clothes. They are usually very cool customers but I would have expected to see just a little surprise. How did Mom know that I had enjoyed myself as much as I had? Was that a mother's intuition or something else? Dad also seemed to sense something. How did they know? I didn't have any answers. I decided to quit worrying about it before I gave myself a migraine. The last bell finally rang, helping to pull me out of my thoughts. I dropped my books in my locker, grabbed my camera bag, and headed towards the band hall to catch up with Tess and the Colorguard. I was very curious as to what it was. I had never heard of it before I came to Skyview. I found Tess doing her best impression of Becca and trying to run an efficient practice or rehearsal or whatever you call a Colorguard training session. She was a bit more forceful than I thought she could be. I imagine that Becca had something to do with that. I decided to get a few shots before they knew I was there. Sometimes people change when they know a camera is near and you don't get the real shots you want. I was doing my best not to be noticed by staying back away from the action and using my telephoto lens. I had played around with it some but that was the first time I put it to work. I couldn't help but take a peak at the display for the first few shots. I wanted to make sure I was getting decent stuff. I still wasn't totally confident in my abilities and having instant access to the pics greatly reduced my anxiety. I love digital cameras! The sheer variety of moves the girls were doing was impressive. The main part of their performance seemed to be centered on the large flags they were using. The poles were easily as tall or taller than most of the girls. A colorful flag nearly large enough for me to sleep under was attached to the poles. They weren't just carrying them around either. They were spun, tossed, twisted, and turned in every direction, sometimes within inches of each other. How they managed not whacking each other was a complete mystery. In addition to the flags were rifles and sword looking things called sabers. They too were given the schizophrenic on speed treatment. One of the girls took a rifle and tossed it spinning so high it almost hit the ceiling. I thought for sure she was going to get out of the way of the falling rifle but she didn't move. She just calmly stuck her hands out and caught it like it was no big thing. I'd like to see a big bad football player do that. The very fast tempo Latin-style music took a dramatic turn and switched to a much slower romantic sounding mix. The girls reacted like some switch had been thrown and they all immediately fell into a very graceful beautiful dance with much smoother softer movements. The tone had turned soft, sultry, and sexy. I had to admit that I was enjoying the performance. So much so, that I totally stopped taking pictures and just watched for a few minutes. The flags and sabers were new to me but I did have some experience with rifles. Jeff had been in some junior ROTC and was nearly fanatic about it for a while. For nearly six months he practiced every day and I'd go over and watch. I'd get bored after a while so he'd show me how to do certain movements and things. I wasn't as good as Jeff was but I wasn't terrible at it. I'm confident that a few years more practice and I could have been considered decent. I noticed that, while one girl could toss the heck out of her rifle, most of them looked very uncomfortable with theirs. I also noticed that they were split into two uneven groups that made their formations look weird. I know, who the heck am I to critique something I know nothing about, right? I was just commenting from a photographer's point of view. I usually try and keep balance with my photos so it is something that I'd notice. I wondered why they would do it that way when I realized that the groups weren't uneven, someone was just missing. I wasn't there to watch, I had a job to do and I'd only done part of it. I got back into photographer mode and headed into the gym. "Hi, Tess. How's it going?" I asked her. "It's about time you got here. I was starting to think you weren't coming," she answered. "What, not trust me?" I joked. "I'm just going on past experiences. Kevin would flake out on me all the time. It was really annoying." "Well, relax would ya. I've been here for about fifteen minutes already. I was just getting some candid shots before you guys started acting all funny because a camera's near by." "What do you mean by acting funny?" "Just hamming it up and mugging for the camera or getting nervous and completely forgetting how to do things. It happens all the time when you get a camera near a group of people. I think it's some sort of instinct or something," I explained. "Gotcha, so what do you think of the performance, then?" Tess asked. "Your missing person throws things off balance visually but the performance is great. I actually stopped taking pictures and just watched for a little while." "I'll take that as a good thing." "It is, I promise." Tess went back to her rehearsal and I went back to my pictures. Just as I expected, the girls started having trouble doing their routines and some made obvious attempts to get some camera time. That annoyed Tess but she was determined to work through it. I have to hand it to her, she's dedicated. The picture counter in my camera let me know that I was running out of room on my memory card. I had more than enough material to cover my assignment, so I shut down my camera and started playing with one of the rifles. I was a bit rusty at first but after a few restarts and retries, I got my angles down and even did a few spins. 'Just like riding a bike,' I thought, pleased with how much I could still remember. "Nice work, young lady," came a voice from behind me, "Thinking about joining our guard?" "Mr. Crown, I didn't know you were coming tonight," Tess said before I could say anything. "I wasn't planning on it, but I had some work to do and I wanted to make sure you girls were working with Mrs. V not here." Tess gave Mr. Crown a pained looked, "Don't you trust me, anymore?" she asked dramatically. Mr. Crown laughed. "Yes, I trust you. I see you might have a replacement for Kelly," he answered pointing towards me. Tess' eyes lit up like she just got a really good idea. I had a feeling I was just about to get volunteered for something. "Maybe if I can convince her to," she replied. Her, she said her. Why me? Didn't I burn off enough bad karma the day before? I guess I didn't. I just hoped that I wouldn't end the day being carried to my room crying again. "Get to convincing then. Be sure to lock up when you leave. I've got to go to the middle school and won't be back tonight," Mr. Crown told her. "No problem, I'll take care of it." Ever get a sinking feeling? I did as I watched Mr. Crown walk out of the gym. I turned around and saw Tess giving me her best puppy dog eyes. I knew I was in trouble, I just can't say no when a girl does that. "Nice rifle work. Where'd you learn to do that?" she asked. I told her about Jeff and doing it to keep from being bored. I knew I was really in trouble when her smile got even bigger. "How would you like to become the newest member of the Skyview Colorguard? Please, we really need the help. Since Kelly left, we've been one member short of meeting the minimum quorum for competition. You can get us to minimum and let us compete. Plus, you know how to handle a rifle. We can use all the help we can get there too." She asked with those pleading eyes. Damn, why did she have to put it like that? There was no way I could say no after that. "OK, but how will Becca take losing both of us twice a week?" I answered. "Don't worry, I'll handle Bec." "Deal, how much longer until we're finished here?" I asked. "Just a little while longer, I want to run through the show one more time then we'll leave," Tess answered. As the girls ran through the show, I was thinking that I was really starting to stretch myself pretty thin. I had gone from a basic slacker to working on a school play, getting an after school job, and now a member of the school's Colorguard. Not to mention that I still had my regular schoolwork to contend with. My life had certainly gotten more interesting to say the least. Tess had called the girls into a post rehearsal meeting. I was trying to decide whether or not to join when she called me over. "Everyone, this is Jules. With our latest member, we'll be able to compete and as a bonus, we get someone with rifle experience. Granted it isn't Guard rifle but it's better than what we've had so far," she said as an introduction. There were happy feelings all around as well as hugs. I was happy that I could help out and being the only guy in a group of seven girls couldn't be a bad thing. I was thinking it was a win win situation until I overheard a few of the girls as they were leaving. "I thought she was a guy at first. I wonder why she dresses like a boy. You don't think she's a lesbian do you?" one of the girls was asking another. 'Houston, we have a problem,' I was thinking when Tess called me. "YO! Earth to Jules. Come in Jules," she joked. "Sorry, lost in thought. What's up?" "It's time to go. Penny for your thoughts," she offered. "I was just wondering why everyone seems to think I'm a girl lately." "Dunno, maybe Bec can help out there. She's waiting for us anyway. We thought it would be best to take her Rover since you're getting a whole new wardrobe." I got the feeling that Tess was trying to change the subject. She was hiding something and I wanted to find out what, but her comment about my lost wardrobe derailed that train of thought. "I don't even know where to start. It sounded like fun last night but now it seems a bit overwhelming." "That's why you have Bec and I to help. Come on, it's not good to keep her waiting." * Contrary to Tess' warning, Becca was sitting patiently in her Rover waiting for us. She suggested that we start by getting something to eat. I got a little worried when she said we'd need the energy. I know girls take their shopping seriously but I didn't think it required that much physical exertion. She suggested Chinese and I was all for it. With Tess' agreement we were on our way. "Bec, I finally found someone to fill Kelly's spot," Tess said as we left the parking lot. "Really? That's great. I told you to be patient and something would turn up. Who's the lucky girl?" Bec responded. "Guess," Tess teased. "Brandy?" "Nope." "Sara." "Sorry, try again." "Not Cassie, she'll never show up." "You're not even close," said stifling a giggle. "Quit screwing around and tell me already," Bec growled. "Sheesh, you're no fun. I'll give you a hint, she's sitting in the car right now." Tess said 'she' again. There was definitely something fishy going on. Whatever it was, I was pretty sure that I'd been tricked. "Tess, have you been drinking your hair spray again? The only other person here is Jules and he is not a 'she' or haven't you noticed?" Bec asked. "We have a winner. Jules even knows a little bit about rifle work, too. I hope you don't mind losing both of us a couple days a week," Tess stated. "What are you talking about? Mr. Crown doesn't let boys on the Guard, you know that." "What he doesn't know won't hurt him. He already thinks Jules is a girl. We just won't correct him." Captain, we just lost cabin pressure. I wasn't sure what bothered me more, Tess not mentioning that part of things or that Mr. Crown wouldn't let boys on his guard. It seemed both sexist and discriminatory to me. "Whoa, wait a minute. You never told me that." "I didn't?" Tess asked innocently. "No, you didn't. I wouldn't have agreed if I knew that I'd have to pretend to be a girl," I replied. "Didn't you have fun last night pretending to be a girl?" She had me there, "Yes, but that was different." "How was that different?" "I did that to help you out and it was only for a few hours." "This time you'll be helping out seven girls instead of one. It'll only be for a few hours a week, too," Tess said cheerily. "I don't appreciate being lied to, Tess. I should tell you to take a long walk off a short pier, but I've already said I'll do it. You should have told me everything first." "Yes, you should have told him. You manipulated him to get what you want and didn't even think about the possible consequences. Jules, you can still back out. I'd hate to find out what kind of trouble you'd be in if Mr. Crown finds out," Becca added obviously not happy with her friend. Tess must have realized she screwed up, "Sorry, guys. I didn't think things through. I just saw how Mr. Crown thought Jules was a girl and that he knew a little about performing with a rifle and I jumped at the chance. I really should have told you first but, after last night, I thought you'd be into it. You can back out if you want. I'll find someone else to stand in." "I already told you that I'll do it. Just tell me everything next time will ya?" I replied. I was still a little upset but I wasn't about to risk losing one of my only two friends over it. "Thanks, Jules, you really are an angel," Tess smiled. "You're both crazy for trying this but I'll help out however I can. I never liked Mr. Crown much anyway," Becca said. Our little discussion lasted just long enough to get us to the restaurant. Tess stomach growled loudly as we got out of the Rover followed shortly by mine and then Bec's. That was enough to break the tension between us, sending the girls into a little bit of a giggle fit. OK, I giggled, too. Sorry, I couldn't help it. I'd spent the last two hours with a group of giggly girls. I was bound to pick it up a little. This is the part where I wish I could tell you that dinner was nice and boring. I'd spare you the details and get to the real juicy parts of the story. Is that what happened? No, of course not. Apparently, my bad karma debt must be running very closely with the national debt. Can't a girl, oops, guy get a break? "Brian couldn't shut up about you today, Jules," Tess grinned. For the record, that is about the last thing that I wanted to hear. Pretending to be a girl is fun and all but I have no desire to have a boyfriend. None, zero, zip, zilch, nada. I don't know why I said the things I did the night before. I'll chalk it up to being caught up in the moment and leave it at that... please. "Oh joy, I'm so happy," I replied with very heavy sarcasm. "Geez, most girls would be thrilled to hear that. What are you lesbian or something?" Tess joked. Just then our waiter walks up. "Please tell me you're not a lesbian. That would be an absolute waste of a pretty girl like you," he said to me. "You got a problem with lesbians?" Becca asked him. I, on the other hand, was at another loss for words. You'd think I'd be getting used to that by now wouldn't ya. Nope, I just sat there looking up at him. I managed to pull my eyes away and glance at my friends. Neither looked very happy and the waiter seemed to sense his mistake. "Oh, nothing, nothing at all, I've got to check on something in the kitchen," he said then beat a quite hasty retreat. The girls were in the midst of another giggle fit before he made it to the kitchen. OK, we were all in a full giggle fit. The look on his face had freed my voice and I joined the girls without realizing I was doing it. I seem to be doing that a lot lately. "OH that was worth the price of admission," Bec gasped between giggles, "I think he turned even redder than Jules." "Hey, I didn't turn red this time!" I exclaimed. "It's true, Bec, she was just really tongue tied," Tess agreed. "Tess!" Bec hissed. "What?" "Why to you keep calling Jules 'she'?" She started to argue but caught herself, "I do keep doing that, don't I?" "Yes," we both said in unison. "Sorry, Jules, I can't help it. Since last night, I keep thinking of you as a girl. Talking and hanging out with you feels like hanging out with one of the girls. I don't mean to be rude or cruel about it. " "Not you, too. Bec how do you see me? Honestly, I want the truth," I asked. Becca looked positively torn. I could see that she was seriously debating how she wanted to answer the question. "The truth, Becca, please." "I see a girl. Sorry, Jules. I wish I could say otherwise but I'd be lying," she answered sadly. I felt like someone had punched me in the chest. If I wouldn't have been sitting down, I probably would have fallen. I should have been upset with them, but I wasn't. I was happy they thought of me that way, but I'm a boy. That fact really seemed to bother me. It had always bothered me a little but nothing like it was right then. "Jules, are you OK?" Bec asked. "No, could you please take me home," I answered. Bec studied me for a full minute. I just sat passively and waited for her to finish. I was ready to walk home if I had to. "OK, I'll get the check," she finally said. "Jules, what's wrong? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you," Tess asked almost panicked. "Tess, leave Jules alone. He has some things to sort out for himself," Bec stated. She was right. I did have a lot to sort out. I knew that Bec was observant but that was just creepy. We dropped Tess off at her truck on the way back to my house. I know that they were talking but I have no idea about what. I was a thousand miles away inside my head. I was only paying half attention to what was going on around me. Bec literally had to poke me to get my attention after she pulled up to my place. "Jules, I have something I have to tell you and I need your full attention," she told me. I was quick enough to realize that whatever it was, it was important. "I'm listening." "I have some idea what you're going through." "Sure you do. I bet all your friends think you're a guy," I said sarcastically. "No, not that. I know that something was awakened in you yesterday. You don't know what it means yet and maybe you're not really ready to find the answer but circumstances have forced you into facing it now." I couldn't respond. She had hit the nail squarely on the head. How can she know that? Am I that obvious? "I say this because I've been through it." "Huh? How can you have been through it? You're obviously all girl." "OK, maybe not exactly but something very similar." "What are you talking about?" I asked, then pieces started falling into place. She didn't have a boyfriend. In fact, she really didn't seem to care about guys in general. Her take-charge personality was not your typical females, and dealing with the waiter at dinner were all clues that I had completely ignored. "You're a lesbian aren't you?" "Yes, so I'm not just making this stuff up. If you need someone to talk to, I'm here for you." "Thanks, Bec, I'll call you later," I said as I climbed out of the Rover. "One more thing Jules," she started. "Yes?" "I may not be the best judge on how you are perceived." "Why not?" "Because I really wish you were a girl," she said and then pulled away, leaving me standing there watching her go. The implications of that comment took center stage in the circus of my mind. I sure had a lot of stuff to sort out. Fortunately, I didn't have any meltdowns and I was able to walk to my room. The one thought that kept floating to the top of my conscious thoughts that I was a guy who liked being a girl that liked girls. Is that even possible? Becca is a girl who likes girls so why can't I be? I kept coming up with more and more questions. I decided it would be best for me to do some research before I did anything stupid. If I was going to turn my life upside down I better have a really good idea where I'm going and what I'm doing. I powered up my computer and settled in for a long evening of web surfing. For the record, be very very careful about what you put into search engines. There is a lot of porn out there. Trust me. After about an hour of going in circles, I found myself on a site dedicated to the transgendered woman. Reading the information on that site was weird. So much of it fit me. Hell, it basically described everything about the way I feel. I sat in my chair and stared at the screen. Was that really describing me or was it just some crazy coincidence? "Whatcha looking at there, Sweetheart?" I heard Mom ask from the doorway. "A site about transgendered women," I answered. "Still trying to figure out last night?" "Well, yes and no." "Isn't that a bit vague?" she asked. "Yeah, sorry. It's just that everyone thinks I'm a girl lately." "I thought you were OK with that." "That's the problem, not only am I OK with it, I actually like it. Well, like isn't the right word. It's more like that it feels right. That can't be right, can it?" "Do you remember your first day of school?" "Huh, first day of school? What does that have to do with this?" "Just answer the question, please." I thought back trying to remember but I couldn't. The first memory of school that I had was probably second grade but it may have been third. I couldn't remember anything before that. Something told me that it was important for me to remember. "Mom, what's going on? Why were you and Dad so cool about this last night? What am I missing?" I asked starting to get a little upset. "Calm down, Jules. I'll tell you everything, just let me go get your Dad," Mom said and left before I could say anything. My eyes drifted back to my computer screen, actually, to a particular phrase on the screen. "I feel like a girl trapped in a boy's body." Isn't that it in a nut shell. But why now? Why do I all of the sudden feel this way? Shouldn't I have felt this way for a while? "You have felt that way. For a long time now," Dad said walking into my room. "Huh? Can everyone read my mind?" I asked. "Not hardly, you were talking to yourself," Mom answered following Dad in. "I gotta remember to quit doing that." Dad smiled, "Nah, then you wouldn't be you." Then he got a serious look on his face, "Jules, I think we may have done something that, looking back now, may not have been in your best interest." "Isn't that a bit vague?" I asked echoing my mother. "Let me start from the beginning. Last night wasn't the first time we have seen you dressed like a girl. You used to do it all the time." "What are you talking about? That was the first time I've done anything like that." "It's the first time you remember, sweetheart. Let your Dad finish," Mom countered. "The first time you did it, you were probably four. Brandy and her friends were playing dress up and you insisted on doing it, too. Brandy thought it would be fun so she put you into her Jasmine costume. It was a few sizes too big for you but you looked so cute I couldn't help but take a picture of you. It is one of my all time favorite pictures of you. The grin on your face was priceless. Your Mom thought it was great, too. "We didn't think much of it at the time. I think just about every little brother gets dressed up by his big sister at least once in their lives. The two of you must have really enjoyed it because you started doing it more often. That one time turned into a once in a while thing, then to a monthly thing, then to a weekly occurrence. I thought it was great that you and your sister got along so well. My sister and I used to fight all the time. "Your Mom and I finally started to get concerned when you were dressing up like a girl almost every day and became one of the group your sister hung out with. We weren't sure what to do. It didn't bother us that you dressed like a girl. Well, I would have liked to see you with a ball and glove some but that just isn't you. We tried that a few times and you hated it. We do at least have computers and NASCAR in common," Dad admitted smiling. "Shh Dad, not so loud. Someone may be listening. A dress I could explain, but NASCAR would brand me a redneck for life around here," I joked and we laughed. "OK, I'll keep that between you and me then. Where was I?" "Me hanging out with Brandy and her friends," I reminded him. "Ah yes, by then you were almost six and would be starting school soon. Your Mom and I discussed how to handle you and school. We knew that a lot of people wouldn't understand you, but you were so happy just being the way you were. You had friends and were a very well adjusted and behaved child. I even started to think of you as my daughter." "You never told me that, Connor," Mom said. "I didn't realize it until later. When he went back to being a boy and I started to miss the little girl he had become." "I thought I was the only one that felt that way," Mom said getting a little misty eyed. Both Dad and I walked over and gave her a hug. I needed one myself and it felt good being close to them. I knew that whatever had happened it hadn't been easy on them. I felt like an outsider looking in. I still didn't remember any of it. "You said I went back to being a boy. If you guys were cool with me and I was happy what happened?" I asked. "I'm getting to that. We did a lot of searching, trying to find anything we could to help with your situation. We found plenty of stuff about adults transitioning from one gender to another but nothing about children your age. After talking to many doctors, we found out that we were basically blazing our own path so to speak. The decision on how to proceed was left squarely on our shoulders. "We decided that we had to let you decide how to live your life. We sat you down and had a long talk about boys and girls. In the end, you never hesitated and said that you were a girl, your outside parts might be different than other girls but inside you were just like your Mom, Brandy, and your friends. "With that decided we started making preparations for you to go to school. We had your name changed to Julia Alexis McCloud, got you enough girl clothes to give you a decent selection of things to wear, and all the other hundred little things all kids need for school. There were still some issues, like bathrooms, that we needed to work out but the school was needed for that. "A week before classes were to start your Mom went to the principal to explain your situation and was met with less than personable service. I won't go into the details but I will say that we were given a choice: Have you come to school dressed and acting like a boy or have you stayed at home dressed as a girl. I was disappointed with their solution but not surprised. People still can't stand anything that's different. "I made an appeal to the school board. We were granted a meeting and asked to bring you along. You got dressed up in one of your prettiest dresses and did your absolute best to convince them you were a girl. They asked you a few questions and you answered them all truthfully and politely. I was very proud of how well you handled yourself. You left an impression on the board as well. They agreed to let you attend. "Apparently, word had gotten around about our meeting. The outer hall of the building was filled with parents of the other children and some of the teachers. When they heard about the ruling things got ugly. Many arguments broke out, with some getting quite loud. The less polite of the group started calling you names. I could see how much it hurt you to hear those names and see everything that was going on. At the end of the night, the school board was forced to change their decision again." "I caused all that?" I asked amazed that one tiny child could cause such a scene. "No Jules, people's inability to deal with anything out of the ordinary caused the trouble. If any of them would have bothered to get to know you, things would have been different," Mom answered. "After that we didn't have a real choice. With some creative scheduling your Mom and I managed to home school you that first year. It wasn't a good thing for any of us. You're a smart kid and have always been one. The learning was easy, but you missed your friends. After a few months, you asked if you could be a boy so you could go to school like everyone else and so people would quit calling you names. Our hearts just about broke when we heard you say that. "Your Mom asked you to really think about that and to make sure that's what you wanted. The next day you packed up all your girl stuff and gave it to your friends. You then asked your Mom to take you to get a hair cut. She told you that you didn't have to, but you said that boys didn't have long hair and you had to be a boy now. "In the middle of getting it cut, you started to cry but insisted on finishing it. After that, you weren't the same child anymore. The happy girl we had come to know was replaced by a sad and depressed boy. I hated seeing the change in you. The situation was so unjust and you were so young to have to deal with it. We had promised to let you walk your own path in life. I didn't realize how hard that was going to be for you. "The second semester rolled around we reluctantly got you enrolled. Fortunately, your attending didn't incite any riots and things stayed quiet. You eventually got back to your group of friends but it wasn't the same now that you were a boy again. You slowly pulled away from that group and have pretty much stayed on your own since then," Dad finished. "Wow, that explains a lot, but why don't I remember any of that?" I asked. "That's the part we think may have been a mistake on our part. Your birthday had finally rolled around. Your Mom was pushing you for ideas on what you wanted. You told her that you just wanted to forget about that year. After all the crap you'd gone through, that didn't seem like a bad idea. After a little searching around, we found a child psychologist who specialized in hypnosis. We thought maybe he could help you forget. "Over a period of weeks he slowly blocked off the painful memories. When he was done almost a full year had been locked away. Your moods immediately improved after that and your depression lessened a great deal. You were still nowhere near the outgoing little girl you had been but you were definitely better. I had originally been hesitant to try hypnosis but the results were more than I expected." "You said that my memories were blocked. Does that mean that they can be unblocked?" I asked. "Yes, we have a specific sequence of words that will unlock those memories but I don't think it's a good idea," Mom answered slowly. "If what you say is true, then the only way for me to truly know who I am is to know everything." "He has a point, Hon," Dad agreed. "Are you sure about this, Jules?" she asked. "Yes, I'm sure. After the last two days, this shoul