Changing Of The Guard - Part 3 free porn video

Changing of the Guard Part 3 "Errr. Errr. Errr. Errr," rang my stupid alarm clock. I hate mornings. I really hate dark mornings before the sun comes up. I really really hate waking up from strange dreams on dark mornings before the sun comes up. Last night's was probably the strangest I've ever had. "What a weird dream," I said to no one in particular. I began going back over it, thinking it must have some meaning. We had just moved to a different state so Dad could finally take the job he had been wanting for a long time. I started at a new school and met a couple girls while taking care of a photography assignment. I finished my assignment but decided to hang around and see what the thing was all about. I even helped out a little. Somehow helping them with a broken dummy landed me in a dress. No big deal right? Well, in getting the dress I was wearing to fit properly and get a good idea of how the costume would turn out, I ended up with fake breasts, full make-up and, looking like a really cute girl. To make things worse, Joe linebacker and his friend showed up. Next thing I know, I'm redressed, like a girl again, and eating dinner with the girls and the two guys. Strangely enough, I found that I was actually enjoying it. Weird. There was an unfortunate moment in there where my mouth said a few things it shouldn't. Instead of slamming the door on my would be Romeo, my mutinous tongue left the door open a crack. Fortunately, the girl he was talking to would be gone in a few hours, or so I thought. The stars seemed to conspire against me with my clothes being locked in theater arts building, someone forgetting the adhesive remover, and all the rest of my clothes being burned or donated to the local Goodwill. Wow, that is weird, you say? Just wait there's more. You would think that parents would be surprised to come home and see their son with makeup on and wearing undoubtedly feminine clothes. Not mine, nope. They were way too cool about the whole thing in a creepy I-was-expecting-this-kind-of-thing way. I wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. I was glad not to be in trouble, but a little surprise couldn't have hurt. I survived that whole mess and went to school the next day, hoping that things would return to normal. I still had those breasts glued to my chest and had to stop at my new job to fill out the paperwork part of things. I did my best to try and hide my more feminine attributes but a temporary loss of concentration let my new boss see them. Great, now I had to deal with that whole situation. The dream was starting to suck. Most of the rest of the day was a nice normal day until I met up with my new friends again. One of them managed to get me to join an all girl Colorguard. On top of that a lot of people were referring to me as she even though I was in full guy mode. That'll bruise your masculinity. While we were eating dinner, I brought the subject up to my friends and got surprised by them saying they saw me as a girl as well. Some heavy-duty thinking was required, so I had them take me home as I tried to figure out what was going on. A nice conversation with my Mom and Dad brought some very strange information to light. According to them I had basically lived as a girl until I started school but I couldn't remember. Things had gotten so bad with the school and other parents that, at my request, Mom and Dad found a hypnotist to block the more painful memories. Recent events caused us to rethink that action. I decided that I wanted those memories back. They agreed and I was given a serious mental download. 'Wait a minute,' I thought, 'if that was a dream, why do I still have all those memories?' My mind began racing at around nine billion miles and hour. I jumped out of bed quicker than I had ever managed before and turned my light on. I wasn't in my room. Well, I wasn't in my old room; I was in my new one. The one that is unfortunately very empty on the account of everything being donated. I was wearing the same lace trimmed pants and girly T. 'Aww, crap. That wasn't a dream,' I thought. I should have realized that sooner. My imagination isn't anywhere near capable of making something like that up. Last night I had gone to bed just trying to get my mind around all those new memories. Evidently, I still was trying. It felt like there was two of me running around inside my head. The trick would be figuring out which is real and which one is the imposter. Will the real Jules McCloud please stand up? The thought of sliding back into bed and pulling the covers over my head was tempting but I decided to get started on my normal routine. I figured that it would be better to stick to it since so much else was changing. The last two days had been crazy, so I was a little nervous about what the new day would bring. A nice warm shower is always a great way to start the day. The only problem is that I tend to want to stay in that warm shower for way too long. It was especially difficult to get out this time. All the stuff bouncing around in my head kept distracting me and I would forget what I was supposed to be doing. I ended up washing my hair twice and conditioning it three times. At least I could say, without any question, my hair was clean. The water started getting cold so I shut it off, feeling guilty about using up all the hot water. I hoped it would be a while before Mom or Dad needed it. As I was drying off, I took the opportunity to take a good look at myself. All I could see was a boy with long hair. Maybe I was a little thin but still masculine enough. Then the strangest thought popped into my head. I realized that I didn't really like looking like a boy. Whoa, hold on there, Silver. Are those new old memories messing with my head that much? I thought about that for a few minutes. I had never been very enthused about my body. It's not that I hated it. I just tried to ignore it. Thinking about it or looking at it longer than I had to, was something I tried not to do. I guess I was just trying to avoid the issue that was buried deep inside. Now that those old memories were free, I was going to have to deal with the whole sticky situation. That meeting with the school board had left its impression and I was in no hurry to go running back into that catastrophe. "Do I even feel the same way now?" I asked myself. "That's a really good question, do I?" I replied. I did mention I have a tendency to talk to myself, right? It's one of my more adorable flaky personality traits. At least, that's what I hope it is and not a sign of mental instability. The honest answer was that I just didn't know. My old memories were filled with good feelings and a sense of comfort being a girl. I did enjoy the other evening out at Baja Tacos, too. But, I've spent so long as normal Joe that I've gotten used to it. "Oh man, this isn't going to be easy," I commented to my reflection. "If it was easy, everyone would do it," Dad answered from the doorway. "Hey, don't sneak up on me like that," I said after my heart dropped back out of my throat. "Sorry, it's getting late. You better finish getting dressed." "Yes, Sir. I'll be down on a minute," I replied and walked back to my room. Here's the part where I realize that I didn't do something kind of important the day before. I was supposed to have gone shopping and picked out a new wardrobe. I kind of skipped that to deal with my emerging issues. 'Now what the heck do I do?' I thought. Wearing my only outfit again was out of the question. Not even I will wear the same thing for three days straight. For one, that's just gross. But, most importantly, I just started at a new school. What kind of reputation would I get if I were seen wearing the same stuff for the third day in a row? I'm thinking that it wouldn't be good. What did that leave me? Going naked wasn't legal so I passed on that idea. How about wearing my jeans and one of Dad's shirts? Eww, a third day in those jeans? I don't even want to think about that. How about run to a store and pick up something new for today. Not bad, what time is it? Crap, no time for that. "Well, there are boxes of stuff I could wear," I said to myself. "Yeah, but they're girls stuff," I replied. "There has to be something relatively gender neutral in there," I argued. "Let's take a look," I agreed and started going through boxes, again. I remembered seeing some T-shirts in one of the boxes and Brandy's jeans would fit if I could find them. The shirts were easy to find, but turned out to be all girl T's. At that point, I didn't have any other options, so I pulled out plain black and plain white versions and threw them on my bed. "I hope no one notices," I mumbled. It took me a few more minutes to find the box with Brandy's jeans in it. I actually had a pretty decent selection to choose from. There were even a few with the tags still on them. I grabbed one of those and slipped into them. They fit OK, but were almost as low as the ones Tess had given me. Not good for gender neutrality or the school's dress code. It took a few more tries before a suitable pair could be found. I found it both distressing and satisfying that they all seemed to fit me perfectly. I decided against most of them simply because I thought they were too feminine. The last pair I tried also had the tag still attached. I pulled it free and looked to see what size it was. I was surprised to see two things. The first was that I was a size eight. It had been a while since Brandy was an eight. I know this because I had to listen to her complain about how she had to buy tens and was determined to get back into her eights by the time summer came around. I bet she'd be pretty pissed to find out that I fit in them quite well, thank you very much. Umm..., forget I said that. I was lost in the moment or something. Anyway, the second surprise was that they cost one hundred and ten dollars! I could get a week's worth of denim for that price. I checked the other tags and found that they ranged from a low of fifty bucks to the high of one ten. I need to have a nice conversation with Mom and Dad. There seems to be a large clothing allowance gap and I'm on the low end of the scale. How unfair is that? In their defense, I have never been one to spend much on clothes. I tended to lean more towards computer upgrades and photography accessories. I still think that Brandy was getting the better part of the deal. I could get a whole new computer for what she had spent on her jeans alone. I was really starting to run late. I decided to go with the black T and slipped it over my head. Up to that point, I had thought that all T-shirts felt the same. Sure some were heavier and thicker but they still felt basically the same. I was surprised to find that Brandy's shirt was lot smoother and softer. It stretched and moved easier, too. Overall, I'd say it was much better than the stuff I had been wearing. At that point, I started thinking that maybe girls were on to something. I definitely felt that what I was wearing was better than my usual attire. The bad part was that it only served to get me even more confused about my whole gender thing. I guess it's time for me to start looking for that therapist I was hoping to avoid. It was way past time for me to be downstairs. I was going to have to skip breakfast if I was going to get to school on time. My regular hikers would have to do for footwear. Once they were secured I headed back to the bathroom to finish my hair. All I needed to do was give it a quick comb through and pull it up. It only took a few seconds to get that done and head down stairs. I was almost to the kitchen when I heard Mom and Dad talking about me. I normally don't eavesdrop but I couldn't help myself. "OK, Connor, so we both agree that Jules has to find his or her own way and make the decision alone," Mom said. "I think that's the only way to handle this. We'll support whatever decision or direction Jules wants to go but we can't encourage either gender. If he wants to be Julia again, it has to be because he wants to not because he thinks we want him to," Dad replied. "This is going to be hard. I hope that things turn out better this time." "Hold on, Love. We can't assume that he'll want to be Julia again. He's had nearly ten years living as a boy and he may want to stay that way." "I know, but I still worry." "You're a Mom. Jules is a very smart kid and has always been independent. He's going to go his own way. We just have to let him go there." I hadn't thought about how hard this thing may be on my parents as well. Nothing like adding a little more pressure to an already stressful situation. I backtracked a few steps and made an effort to make more noise so they knew I was coming. "Morning, Jules. Running a bit late?" Mom asked and gave me a quick look over. Dad did the same, making me a little nervous. "Morning, Mom, Dad. Yeah, I had to find something to wear. I still don't have anything thing of my own. This doesn't make me look too much like a girl, does it?" I asked. "Maybe a little. Sorry Jules," Dad answered. "If it's any consolation, you look good," Mom added. Damn, I hate that we never lie to each other. A little white lie never hurt anybody, did it? Now I knew I was going to be a nervous wreck all day. Oh well, too late to do anything about it now. "It's OK Dad. It's not like half the people at school don't think I'm a girl anyway. I'll just give them more to wonder about," I responded. "Sometimes you amaze me, Sweetheart. We do need to get you some of your own clothes, though. Here's my credit card. Please don't go crazy." "Woo hoo, shopping spree!" I joked. "Why do I get the feeling I just got myself in a lot of trouble?" Dad questioned. "I'll be good. I promise." I briefly thought about bringing up the disparity between the cost of Brandy's clothes and mine. Better judgment won out and I took Dad's card and ran. Literally almost, I was running way late. With a bit of effort, I made it to class on time, just barely. * It was almost lunchtime before I got a chance to catch my breath. Between the marathon note taking, boring reading assignments, and quizzes, I was pretty busy. That turned out to be a good thing since it took my mind off of how I was dressed. I didn't need to worry about it since no one seemed to notice I was a guy in girl's clothes. I probably wouldn't have thought about it except for catching a few comments on the way to lunch. "Dude, look at her," some guy told his friend. "Not bad, but she definitely needs more up top," the leader of another group announced. 'So much for not being noticed,' I thought. "Great, another Barbie," an insecure girl said a little loudly. The mixture of emotions from those comments was confusing to say the least. I was nervous and afraid of someone spotting me for a guy and raising a fuss about it. I was unnerved by the fact that no one was questioning whether I was a girl or not. They all seemed to assume I was a girl. Apparently, I made a decent looking one. That actually made me feel good. Ah, I didn't just say that out loud did I? The obvious attention was making me nervous. I felt totally exposed and vulnerable. A voice I recognized saved me from my own torment. "Jules? Is that you," Tom asked. 'Just play it cool, Jules,' I reminded myself. "Hi, Tom what can I do for ya?" "I...umm...how are doing with the Colorguard pics?" he stammered. "Something wrong, Tom?" I knew he was having trouble with my gender and wasn't sure how I should handle it. I should have grabbed the Colorguard out, but my stressed mind short-circuited and picked up on his hesitation. "Uhh, you just surprised me, is all." "Surprised?" Damn, another mouth mutiny! What is up with that? Why couldn't I just let the silly comment slide? "I, well, this look suits you," he recovered. "Thanks, I thought I'd try something new." Hey, it's kind of true. "You're welcome, and I've got to talk to Mr. Cooper about you." "Did I do something wrong?" I asked worriedly. "No, don't worry. It's not anything you did. He seems to think you're a boy for some reason. That's why I referred to you in masculine terms. Can you forgive me?" Uh oh, now what do I do? "You're forgiven. I didn't even notice. If that makes you feel any better?" Dammit, mouth. Will you quit that already? I don't do well under pressure do I? "I just didn't want to offend you. I'd ask if you'd like to have lunch with me but I've got to get to the journalism room. I've got a ton of work to do." "Anything I can help with?" I asked. I guess I just don't know when to shut up. "Actually, I think there is, if you don't mind giving me a hand." "No problem, I don't know anybody in this lunch period anyway. Just let me grab something to eat. I skipped breakfast and now my tummy is screaming for something." What the heck am I doing? Did I just say tummy? It's gotta be those old memories. Only a six-year-old girl says tummy. I really need to be more careful. "Are you telling me you haven't made any friends yet?" Tom questioned. "No, I have a couple but they have the second lunch," I replied. "That's OK then. Meet me in the J room when you're done?" "Will do. Now, I've got to get some food." Tom headed for the J room and I went in search of something to eat. I wasn't about to touch whatever it was the cafeteria was trying to pass off as edible. I managed to round up reasonable looking chicken Caesar salad and an apple. For the record, that would be a normal lunch for me. Everyone has given me a hard time about my "diet". They all say that I don't need to worry about what I eat since I manage to stay so skinny. I keep trying to tell them that I'd like to stay that way so I watch what I eat. It helps that I have naturally boring tastes. I can't tell you how my sister hated that. Anyway, the weather outside was gorgeous, so I decided to eat in the courtyard. It's located behind the main building between the gym and another set of portable buildings. One side is lined with trees and there's a small, but pretty, garden-type thing on the opposite side. Overall, it's a pleasant place to spend your lunch period. The staff must have realized it was a nice area because they had installed a couple benches under the trees. I picked the one that was set back a bit hoping to stay out of view. I was still nervous about how I was dressed even though it was turning out to be a non-issue. I at least, could have a quiet lunch without thinking about it. Well, that was the plan. I figured that I was out of sight so letting my hair down wouldn't be a big deal. Everyone was thinking I was a girl anyway, so I really wasn't worried about the dress code Gestapo. A few passes of my comb and I was feeling much better. Yes, I carry a comb in my bag so no snotty comments, please. I did mention I'm a bit of a girl, umm ...even before recent revelations. I finished off my salad and started going through some of the product specs Bill had given me. I guess I zoned out and wasn't paying attention to what was going on around me. Brian managed to sneak up on me. "Hi, Julia, how's it going?" he surprised me. What is it with everyone sneaking up on me, today? Maybe I should pay more attention to what's going on around me. "Oh, hi Brian. It goes. How about you?" I asked. He gave me a funny look, "What happened to your accent?" I had forgotten I had used a bit of southern belle when we went to dinner. I was surprised that he picked up on the accent but not the inflection. I wondered if I sounded as much like a girl as I looked. Great, just another little tid bit I hadn't been aware of. No wonder I was an outcast. "Sorry, I was just messing with you the other day. This is my real voice," I answered. "OK, let me get this straight; first, the voice I heard wasn't your real voice. Second, you didn't tell me you go to this school. Third, the number you gave me isn't your number. Not to be rude but, you breasts were bigger, too. Next you're going to tell me that you're a guy, right? No, you're way too cute to be a guy. By the way, you look good. Why did you lie to me?" Oh crap, busted big time. I should just give up on being a guy. Apparently, I make a much better girl. Does anyone think I'm a guy? "Hey, look, if you didn't like me you could have just been honest and told me," Brain said a little upset. "Sorry, Brian. This whole situation is new to me. I was a bit of an outcast in my old school and getting attention from guys is new to me. I have to admit that it scared me. I probably didn't handle things very well," I said. It was the truth...mostly. I was feeling badly about lying to him. He seemed to soften a little after that "Was anything the real you?" "Actually, other than what you busted me on, that was the real me. Can you forgive me for trying to trick you?" I asked still upset at myself. "Don't go and get all down on yourself. I find it hard to believe that you didn't have guys knocking your door down, but I know how things change when you switch schools. Two years ago I was a major geek. I got tired of being made fun of so I started working out and taking care of myself. It didn't hurt that puberty hit and I started growing. At the end of the year I turned myself into what I am today but everyone still treated me the same. Things didn't change until Mom moved us here a few months ago." "It looks like the move was good for you then." "I can't complain. It did take some getting used to, so I do know what you're going through." "So, you're not mad at me?" I asked. Why? I don't know. I've given up "Not as long as you give me your real number and promise to have dinner with me," he smiled. "I don't know, Brian, I'm still not comfortable with the whole idea," I replied trying to find a way out without hurting him or getting myself into trouble. "The best way to get comfortable with something is to just do it. We can go to a nice, busy, and public place. Think of it as getting something to eat with a friend. Nothing more, nothing less." Crap, why couldn't he be a jerk? I could tell a jerk to get lost and not feel bad about it. But no, he has to be Mr. Sweet even after he found out I lied to him. I was feeling like a real ass for that. OK, one dinner then I'll tell him I'm not ready for a relationship. Nice simple and no one gets hurt. "A nice, busy, and public place, OK? If you take me to some cozy little place and try to get me to share a plate of spaghetti with you, we'll have serious problems." "Deal. How about tonight?" he grinned. Did his eyes just light up? Damn! They did! I'm in trouble. What have I gone and gotten myself into now? "Sorry, I have to work tonight." "Really? Where at?" 'OK, he thinks I'm lying to him again,' I thought. I couldn't really blame him for it. "The Focal Point. I'm the newest employee. That's why I've been studying all this," I said showing him the thick packet of product specs, "How about tomorrow after Guard rehearsal?" "I didn't know you were on the Colorguard. You guys finish up around six, right?" "I think so," I answered. "Great, I'll pick you up about seven then?" "Make it seven thirty, I'll probably need a shower." "OK, seven thirty it is. All I need now is your address and phone number. The real ones, please." "What fun would that be?" I joked then gave him the real stuff. "Thanks, and I'll see you later. I was supposed to meet Scott ten minutes ago." "Oh crap, I forgot about Tom. I was supposed to help him with some work when I finished eating," I remembered. "Well, you still have about a half hour left. Better get moving." It only took me a couple seconds to clean up my lunch mess and get everything back into my bag. I was putting my hair back up when the band I was using broke. Not usually a problem since I keep an extra in my bag. However, I must have forgotten to replace the last one I used. 'Great, now I'll probably have to use a regular rubber band,' I grumped to myself. For all you guys who have never had long hair or tried to use them before, regular rubber bands suck. They tend to tangle in hair and make a real mess. They hurt like Hell when you try to pull them out, too. 'Wait a minute, if everyone thinks I'm a girl, then I can get away with leaving my hair down. Excellent,' I reminded myself. That minor catastrophe averted, I headed to the J room. The halls were a lot less busy and I didn't get any comments or looks that I noticed. My heart even stayed at a reasonable only slightly elevated pace. I guess I was getting used to it. I had barely made it through the J room door when the realization of what I had just done struck me. I'm going on a date with a boy. I don't even like boys. What was I thinking? Ugh, I really do need constant adult supervision. I tried telling myself it's not a date. It's only two friends getting together for dinner. Same basic situation but I felt better thinking of it that way. Tom must have noticed the look of sheer terror that I'm sure I was wearing, "You OK, Jules?" "Umm..., yeah. I think so. I just realized that I've gotten myself into trouble again," I answered. "Despite what you may have heard, I'm not that bad," he returned. "Huh? Oh, it's nothing to do with you. I just sorta agreed to go to dinner with Brian." "Which Brian, there's only about half a dozen of them running around." "Brian... what was his last name? Hang on, I'll remember it in a sec." "You didn't strike me as the air head type. He did tell you didn't he?" "Yes, he told me. It's just that I've had a lot going on since then. Corser, Brian Corser, that's it. I remember now." Tom was trying really hard not to laugh at me. I knew I was gonna regret asking why, but I did it anyway. Curiosity did kill the cat, as they say. "What's so funny?" I queried. "You, do you have any idea how cute you are when you're flustered?" I knew I shouldn't have asked him that. You'd think the last few days would have taught me something, right? Apparently, I left my brain in with all my other stuff and it was donated to some sock puppet somewhere. Cute, he called me cute! As if I wanted to hear that! "Don't go and get all pouty on me now. We've got work to do," he said after a few seconds. I couldn't think of anything that wouldn't involve some less than lady-like words. I didn't mind the whole girl thing. I was even enjoying a good bit of it but I wasn't ready to have it crammed down my throat. I was hoping to ease into it. You know, test the waters a little. It looks like I still had a good bit of bad karma debt to work off. "Can we just get to work, please?" I asked. "Absolutely, you can give me a hand with this layout," Tom said pointing at the light table he had been working at earlier. We would have gotten a lot more work done if he would have treated me like I had half a brain. He must have thought I was some clueless bimbo who couldn't figure out how to read a ruler. Geez, guys are so dense. We managed to get the page he was working on finished before lunch ended, though. "Thanks, Jules, that was a big help," Tom smiled. "No problem, Cap'n. Glad I could help," I replied. "Wanna help again tomorrow?" "I don't know. It depends on how much other stuff I have to do. I'll meet you here if I'm free." "Fair enough. Thanks, again." * My day was officially over and I had made it through unscathed. I'd finally get to talk to Becca and Tess. I didn't get a chance to call Bec the night before and I just knew she was stressing out about it. I wonder how she'll take the news. Tess is going to flip when she finds out, too. For the first time since I started, I walked to the Theater arts building alone. Either I got out ahead of Tess or she was in a real hurry to get there. Bec's last class of the day was drama so she was already there. I started getting very nervous the closer I got to the building. I don't know why but my stomach felt like it had a swarm of angry butterflies just itching to get into a fight by the time I made it to the door. 'What am I so freaking nervous about? It's not like I'm doing this for the first time,' I asked myself. I know why I was nervous and it didn't have anything to do with the way I was dressed or where I was going. I was nervous about Bec. She had basically told me she was attracted to me, well the female me, before she drove off last night. I had no idea how to handle that or how I felt about it. I mean I like her but I'm not sure how I feel about her liking me as a girl. I was going to have to be very careful handling that one. I had just started reaching for the door handle when it flew open, followed by the hapless freshman Bec had been berating the first day I met her. He looked like he was a rabbit being chased by a fox. He wasn't paying attention to what was in front of him and ran headlong into me knocking us both down and scattering everything in my bag. He picked himself up and with a weak "I'm sorry" high tailed it toward the main building. "Thanks, a lot," I grumbled picking myself up. Bec came out shortly after with tears running down her cheeks and red- faced from laughing. "Oh, I do feel sooo much better now," she grinned evilly. "Ow, a little warning would've been nice," I said rubbing my tailbone, "That hurt." "Jules? Wow, is that you?" she asked. "Yes, it's me, could you give me a hand with my wayward equipment? What was all that about, anyway?" She started gathering up some of the free floating product description sheets, "Oh, that. He forgot some stuff he was supposed to bring and gave me attitude about it. I told him he had until everyone was ready to be back with everything or else I'd tell the whole school he sucks his thumb. I meant it as a threat, but apparently he actually does and doesn't want it getting out. I'd say he's certainly motivated. That'll teach the little squeak not to give me any crap." "You enjoyed that entirely too much," I prodded her. "Probably, how'd it go last night? I got worried when I didn't hear from you." "Yeah, sorry about not calling. It got a little crazy and I found out some stuff that really threw me." "And?" "And what?" "What happened? I want details, woman!" "Hey, I'm still a guy here!" I exclaimed. "Have you even bothered to look at yourself, lately? Or did aliens abduct you, change your clothes, and drop you back here on Earth for a laugh? Come here," she said grabbing my hand and pulling me inside. It was either follow her or lose my arm, so I stumbled along behind her. She didn't slow down until she had placed me in front of a large full-length mirror. "OK, Jules, what do you see girl or boy?" she asked. She had made her point. I looked like a girl. I knew that. Hell, it's not like it wasn't made ridiculously obvious all day long. "A girl," I replied. "Does looking like that make you happy?" I had to admit that it did. The reflection in the mirror was me, no pretending to be anything or anyone else, just an average looking teenage girl. "Yes, I guess it does." "So why are you getting so upset when you're referred to as a girl?" "Force of habit?" "I'm confused. Why would that be habit?" "I've spent the last, oh, ten years or so trying to act like a boy and getting upset when I didn't. I guess it's habit now." "I still don't get it. Am I missing something?" "Yeah, do you have a few minutes?" I asked. "Hold on a sec," Bec answered, then disappeared leaving me alone with my reflection. "Well, nice to see you again," I said to the girl in the mirror, "it's been a while." I felt like those words released the spell that was over me. I didn't have to pretend to be a boy anymore. I didn't have to hide my feelings. I could cry at sappy old movies and not get harassed for it. I made much more sense to myself and felt I fit so much better. I couldn't help but smile. Have you ever had a moment where you realize it's all going to be all right? You get that warm tingly sensation deep inside you and it makes you want to spin around and laugh in sheer unadulterated delight. I was having one of those precious few moments. Yes, I was even spinning in slow circles. I felt like the world was taken off my shoulders and I was free. "Well, I see you're in a much better mood. You just figured yourself out didn't you, Julia?" Bec asked as she watched me. "Yes, I think I did. I hope you don't mind, but I think I'd like to stay Julia," I answered. "Works for me. And that smile really does fit you, along with that outfit. Did you put that together yourself?" she smiled as she walked over to me. "Thanks, and yes, I did put it together all by my lonesome. You really like it?" "Absolutely. I just have one question for you." "Just one?" I asked skeptically. "Well, we'll just for starters then, do you prefer boys or girls?" "Girls, definitely girls." "Good," she said as she pulled me into a rather passionate kiss. "Wow," I said when she finished with me. "I hope that isn't a one time event." "Only if you want it to be." OK, that wasn't my first kiss. I was just my first kiss of that magnitude. I guess that pretty much cleared up any confusion I might have about the way she felt about me. I really liked that kiss and liked being a girl, so maybe being a lesbian wouldn't be such a bad thing. I certainly won't be complaining about it, that's for sure. "Will you two get a room or something?" Tess commented as she walked in. "Now what did I miss?" I gave both of them a run down of everything that had happened since Bec dropped me off the night before. They both were surprised when I told them about Brian and our 'date'. "I thought you weren't into guys," Tess commented. "I'm not. He guilted me into it," I returned. "Sure, and the fact that he's one of the cutest boys in school had nothing to do with it." "Is he? I didn't notice." "Riiight, and you two couldn't stand each other the other night." "She's got you there, Jules. You two were getting along amazingly well," Bec added. "Not you, too. I thought there was something between us," I replied. "I don't mind sharing a little. There isn't anything romantic between you two, now is there? I don't mind you hanging out with the guys just no kissing, OK? Only I'm allowed to kiss my girl," she grinned. "You're not going to have to worry about that. I have no desire to go down that road. When did I become your girl, by the way?" "About five minutes ago. You don't mind do you?" "Me, no, but how am I going to tell my parents that their straight son has turned into their lesbian daughter?" I asked. "Very carefully," she stated. We had to get back to work on the play. Bec had one of the other members watching over the rehearsal but was itching to get back to it. Tess and I needed to start getting everyone's costumes fitted. Most of the hard work had been done, so we were just taking care of the final details. We worked on one cast member at a time to avoid totally wasting the rest of rehearsal. Between the two of us we managed to get everyone sorted out and finalized. Bec was impressed with the final results. "Tess, you're absolutely amazing. Everything is perfect and coming from me, that's saying something," Bec uncharacteristically gushed. "Thanks, they did turn out well, didn't they," Tess answered. "Everyone looks wonderful, Tess. I'd love to hang around but I've gotta get to work. I don't want to be late on my first day," I commented. "Aww, you have to leave already?" Tess joked. "Call me later, let me know how it goes?" Bec asked. "Sure, I won't forget this time," I answered. "One more thing, Jules," Tess stopped me. "What's that?" "These," she said tossing me two familiar flesh colored blobs. 'Here we go, again,' I thought. "Hey, you're a girl now. Besides, Bill has already seen you with them and would probably find it strange for you to go from curves to none," Bec said. I'm starting to get creeped out by the way everyone seems to be able to read my mind. It's a good thing I don't lie... much. With this group I'd be busted before the words left my mouth. "Not to mention the fact that Bec loves a girl with a nice rack," Tess grinned. "TESS!" Bec exclaimed. I just about swallowed my tongue when I heard that. I definitely didn't expect that from Tess. I was starting to wonder about her self- control or more specifically, her lack of self-control. I was going to have to be more careful around her. "You do, so don't try and act all innocent. It's not like we're little kids anymore, anyway. We should be able to talk like adults," Tess returned. She had a point there. I hate to say that I know of quite a few high school sophomores that have had more than their fair share of sex. The least I could do was be able to talk about things in a sexual context and not get all goofy about it. I may still turn bright read when the subject comes up but I can deal. I took my position next to Tess' makeup table and pulled off my shirt. The reflection in the mirror was a bit distressing. My flat chest bothered me a lot more than I would have thought. Even though I only had breasts for a few hours, I found that I felt much better with them than without. Tess only took a few minutes to get me back into my new shape. I was amazed at how easily she made that look. One minute I'm flat chested Julian unhappy with my body and the next I'm Julia and feel so much better. Maybe I need to take notes for that therapist I still need to find. "Thanks, guys, I appreciate your help," I thanked them. "No prob, Jules, you're helping us out just as much if not more," Bec replied. "Yep, you're a life saver," Tess agreed. "Gotta run," I said grabbing my bag and heading towards the door. Bec cut me off before I made it. "Before you go, I have one more thing for you," she smiled then gave me another deep kiss. "You know, I can definitely get used to this whole lesbian thing," I grinned back then reluctantly headed to work. I was seriously looking forward to spending some more time with her. * "Hi there, Jules. Ready to get started?" Bill asked as I walked in to work. "I'm all yours, Chief," I replied. "Excellent, how about we start with the display camera's," he stated and led me to the main display area for the film cameras, "I like to make sure that everything is in good working order. That means that nothing is broken and that everything has film and good batteries. "We want the customers to be able to really explore the different models. How many times have you been trying to check out how user friendly a display camera is only to find nothing works? It might as well just be a big chunk of plastic at that point." "I hate that. I've been to some places that have two dozen models and not one of them works. It's so annoying. " I commented. "Me, too. That's why we want everything in good order. If you find a broken camera, just pull it off display and take it to the back. I'll show you where to put it shortly. You'll need a key to unlock the cables and I'll have that for you tomorrow. The batteries and films are back there as well," Bill continued. He showed me how to unlock the displays and free the cameras from their mountings. During our inspection, we found one with a broken shutter release, two that had empty batteries, and six that needed new film. The broken camera and the two that needed fresh batteries had to be removed from the display but the ones that needed film could stay. I was handed the key and got to work freeing the offending models. I took me a few tries to get the removal process down. I had the third undone in about twenty seconds. Bill carried the cameras and led me back through the employees only door and into the behind the scenes area. I found it to be just as interesting as the main part of the store. A long table ran the entire length of the back wall. It was divided into four nearly identical stations. Each looked to be for repairing or maintaining some form of photography equipment. The first station was marked for film cameras and was stocked accordingly. I don't know enough about the inner workings of cameras to tell you exactly what was there. I can say that there are a lot of teeny tiny screws holding the various bits together, but that's about it. The second station was for digital cameras and I knew even less about the magic that goes on inside those. The amount of equipment in that area was intimidating. The oscilloscope and large lighted magnifying glass gave me the vague impression of a mad scientist's workstation. I wanted to look around for some wild haired guy in a lab coat but I resisted, just barely. The third was marked for light meters and flash units. That area was empty at the moment. The final area had four shelves that were covered in various battery chargers and batteries. Another two shelves were stocked full of film. Bill gently set the broken camera in a bin marked display at the first station. "Store cameras go in here. Customer cameras go in the customer bin. Please don't drop them into the bins. Just set them down. It shows that you care about the equipment and the customers appreciate that. There are tags on the shelf. Just grab one and write a note telling me what's wrong with it, then attach it somewhere, same thing with the customer cams. That way I know what I need to fix," he directed. "No problem. I'm guessing the batteries get swapped with the ones in the chargers and I grab how ever much film I need for the ones out front. Doesn't wasting all that film get expensive?" I asked. "It could, yes, but I buy in bulk, factory closeouts, expired rolls, basically anything I can get dirt cheap. I'm not too concerned about the quality since it's not going to be developed. Just watch out that it's not gunking up the cams. If it is, just toss that lot in the trash." "Gotcha, what's next?" I asked. We spent the rest of the evening going over my duties and learning my way around. I did pretty well at keeping focused but my mind would wander. If I wasn't concentrating on something, my thoughts would turn to Becca and her kiss. I really wanted to see her again, soon. Bill kept me busy enough that I didn't dwell on her for too long. I was a little nervous about dealing with customers directly. Like I said before, I'm not the most socially adept person out there. I did feel better talking about photography so that helped. A few folks even purchased digitals on my suggestion. I was feeling pretty good by the time my shift was ending. It was just after nine when Bill and I got the store cleaned up and shut down for the evening. I know I'm going to sound like a complete nerd for saying this, but I actually enjoyed the evening. Yes, there, I said it. I actually like my job. Maybe this move isn't turning out so bad after all. * "Mom, Dad, I'm home," I called out walking through the door into the kitchen. "Hi hon, did you have a good day," Mom answered from the living room. "Yeah, I actually did. I think working for Bill's gonna be great." "I'm glad to hear it," Mom said walking into the kitchen, "dinner's in the frid...," she trailed off, again after seeing me. "Mom, you OK?" "I just forgot you were dressed that way. It took me a second to figure out who the girl standing in my kitchen was." I had totally forgotten about the way I was dressed. Somewhere between kissing Bec and finishing work, it stopped being an issue and I was just being me. I felt really good, better than I had in a long time. I couldn't help but smile. "That looks good on you," Mom commented. "What? These?" I asked pointing at my chest. "No, silly. Well, yes actually, but I was talking about that smile. It's been a while since I saw it. Wanna fill me in?" For the hundredth time in the last few days it was time to bring someone up to speed on what had happened to me. Short of keeping everyone within ten feet of me, there wasn't much I could do about that. So I took a deep breath and started in. Mom did a really good job at keeping a straight face through most of my recital. Her resolve cracked when I told her about Brian and our "non-date". I just knew I was in for an earful about that, but she just laughed and asked me to continue. I was a little nervous about that but I was banking on the hope that I burned off enough bad karma the last two days to keep me in the green. I attempted to sidestep the subject of Becca and me, but Mom, and that darn mind reading thing, busted me on it and dragged it out of me. "What about you and Becca," she asked. "We're good," I answered praying she'd leave it at that. "Good? Isn't that a little vague?" Damn, she knows! How does she do that? Any chance of me changing the subject? I'd have better luck getting a T-bone steak away from a hungry bulldog. OK, here goes, "OK Mom, we're really good, she kissed me not once but twice and it was amazing. How do you feel about having a lesbian daughter?" I asked as quickly as my lips could move, then braced for impact. Silence. That eerie, calm before the storm, kind of silence. You know, the kind that is somehow more ominous the longer it lasts. How long has it been, ten seconds, twenty? I'm in trouble. It was a full minute before Mom said anything. "You certainly don't like doing things the easy way, do you?" Mom questioned. "I thought you liked a challenge?" I asked. Yes, that was a little bold of me but there is a method to my madness. If Mom was laughing, I had a chance of surviving. She laughed, "and you were supposed to be my easy child." "I am easy. I'm just a little different." "That you are. So when do I get to meet the girl who's stolen my daughter's heart?" "Umm, Friday?" "OK, and what about this boy Brian? Anything going on there?" she asked getting more serious. "No, I'm just trying to make up for lying to him the other day. I'm not interested in boys, Mom." "OK, OK, I had to ask. Is he cute?" "MOM!!!" "Your Dad is going to love this," she grinned mischievously. * "Hey, Julesia," Dad said poking his head in my door. "Julesia?" I asked. "Yeah, I was going to say Jules but I saw Julia instead." I can't help but smile when someone says things like that anymore. I hope get some control over that. I really don't want to walk around grinning like an idiot all the time. I so love being a girl. I hope Dad doesn't mind it though. "You don't mind, do you?" "As long as you keep that smile I see right now, I won't mind one bit," he smiled at me, "can you give me a hand with something?" "Sure," I answered. I walked over and gave him a big hug, "Thanks, Dad, you guys are great." He gave me a funny look and led me downstairs. I knew something was up. My first thought was that they tricked me and the guys with the nets and coats that buckle in the back were waiting for me. Yes, I'm probably a little paranoid, arrest me. I was expecting to help him with something of a hold this while I do this sort of thing but he had other ideas. He didn't stop inside but continued out the front door. I dutifully followed wondering just what he was planning. "Well, what do you think?" Dad asked pointing at one of Volkswagen's new Beetles. "Yellow isn't your color. Not exactly your type of car, either. You're more of a truck person," I responded. I knew Dad had a thing for Volkswagens but I thought it was for the old timey ones. I guess nostalgia got the better of him. I like them personally, so I was hoping to get to drive it some. "Not my kind of car, huh. Well, I guess I'll just stick with my truck then. Here, why don't you take it then," he deadpanned then tossed me the keys. "No freakin' way!" "I can take it back, if you don't want it." "Want it, of course I want it. But I thought we were going to wait until I had some more money saved before we looked for something," I wondered. "Let's just say that my new job has been very good to me. You deserve it anyway. Think of it as a reward for being such a good kid. You get pretty good grades, hardly ever give your Mom and I any trouble, and didn't complain with the move. This is just our way of letting you know how much we appreciate that. Keep your money for gas. Oh by the way, it's a diesel so watch what you put in it." Whoa, did I just hear him right? I did! He just bought me a car and a pretty decent one at that. I know what you're saying, "but, it's a diesel." Hey, have you checked them out, lately? These little buggers get fifty miles per gallon. I like a fast car as much as the next person, but as for an everyday car, I'll take a diesel Beetle any day. Mom had joined Dad and they were watching me check out my new car. It wasn't brand new but it might as well have been. With a touch over twenty thousand miles and hardly any sign of wear it was as close as I needed to get. Wow, what a difference a day makes. "You guys are the best," I told them as I walked back up to the house. "We know," Dad joked, "I was debating on getting it since it was yellow, but I figured that you wouldn't mind too much." "I don't mind at all. It's a good thing I'm doing the girl thing, though. Guys would give me more grief than I could handle driving a yellow diesel Volkswagen Beetle." "Speaking of guys, who is this Brian you're going out on a date with?" Dad asked. "IT'S NOT A DATE!"