Methinks Thou Dost Protest Too Much.
By Teddie S.
Part 1 It Begins.
"No! Katie, I won't do it."
"But, it's only for a few days."
"No way."
"But, this won't work without four. All the publicity shots have
been done and printed. We can't change them."
"I don't care. There is no way, not even for an hour."
"You're being selfish."
"No, I'm not. What if someone finds out. I would never hear the end
of it."
"No one will find out. We'll be on the cruise ship."
"Mark will be there."
"Mark?"
"We don't get along at all. And if he found out, it would be all
over town."
"He wouldn't do that."
"Yes he would. In a heart beat."
"Please. Just think about it?"
"No. I won't do it. Period."
Katie was crying when she left my room and that hurt. I loved my
sister. I guess I should explain this whole thing. My older sister,
Katie, who's five years older than I am, I'm sixteen, had put
together a girl's singing group, The Four Hearts. I thought the name
was a little dumb, but it worked for them. They started in high
school and continued afterwards. They have done a number of local
gigs, become well known locally, have received some good publicity
and made some decent money. Then they had gotten an offer to work for
five nights on a cruise ship, which was offering a special cruise for
the twenty something crowd. And the group jumped at it. They figured
that it might open some new doors for them.
My sister's best friend, Nan, was one of her backup singers, as well
as doing a couple of duets with Katie. And a little while before the
cruise, Nan was hurt in an automobile accident. This was a major
tragedy for everyone. I liked her a lot and didn't like seeing her
hurt. She was going to be in the hospital for a while and of course
she would miss the cruise. Katie had spent a long time looking very
hard for a replacement for Nan. But, there wasn't anyone that would
fit the bill. And she was at her wit's end and almost ready to cancel
the gig.
The group consisted of Katie the oldest at twenty-one, the lead
singer. Nan who's also twenty-one and plays bass guitar. Abby who's
twenty and played guitar. And Pam, the baby of the group at nineteen,
the composer of the group, as well as the keyboard player. Mark, was
Katie's long time boyfriend and was the groups sort of manager. He
and I never got along. There was just something about him that I
never liked.
A few years ago, my dad, before he died, had built a practice room
for them in the basement and they practiced there almost every day.
And I, being a typical teenage boy, hung around them when they
practiced. I enjoyed being around four pretty girls. So, I knew most
of their songs. Oh yea, Pam had actually written most of there
original stuff.
It wasn't long after Katie had left my room that mom found me. She
said, "Mat. Katie told me the idea that she had come up with. And I
thought she was crazy, but you and Nan are close to the same size.
You can sing and play the guitar. And it would be almost like she was
there."
"Mom! You're not making sense."
"Why?"
"I'm a guy. I'm your son. And there is no way that I'm going to
dress up as a girl. Besides, there is no way that I could look like a
girl, or act like a girl. Let alone Nan. She's gorgeous. Besides ..."
"Matty. You could. You and Nan are the same height and about the
same build. I think her outfits might even fit you. A little makeup."
"Mom. A little makeup?"
"Oh. I see what you mean."
You see, along with being gorgeous, Nan was also black. And I'm as
white as could be. Blue eyes and blond hair. My northern European
heritage. Nan had brown eyes and her skin tone wasn't really that
dark, it was like a nice tan. I burn when I get too much sun, so I've
never tanned.
"I know all the publicity photos have been done for this trip,
showing the four girls. And of course one, Nan, is black. Can't Katie
find anyone?"
"You know she's tried. I guess she'll just have to cancel, if the
cruise line won't accept just three girls. Nan's a big part of the
group. And finding someone that knows the songs and all, on such
short notice is hard."
"I know she's trying. I really don't even sound anything like her.
My voice is too deep."
Mom looked at me a little funny.
"What?" what I asked.
"Honey. You have a very nice singing voice. Your voice hasn't
changed that much."
"Oh. Thanks. I'm sixteen and sound like a girl."
"Don't worry. It'll change when it's ready."
Mom finally walked out of my room and I went back to my reading.
Something else you should know about me, is that I am small. In
fact, our whole family is on the small side. My dad was five foot
six, my mom is five foot one, Katie is the giant of the family at
five foot seven and I'm like my dad, a whole five foot six. And yes,
my voice had never changed much. I sing countertenor in the high
school choir. And I've never played sports, but can play the piano,
guitar and saxophone.
Also, I'm one of those kids that don't have many friends. There
aren't any kids in the neighborhood that are close to my age. Most
are much younger. I do have a couple of friends when school's in
session, but they live out on farms and spend most of the summer
working on the farm. So, I guess my closest friends are the girls
from my sister's group. I spend most of my time reading and helping
mom take care of the house. And the girls at school have never really
liked me.
An hour or so later, I wandered downstairs and into the kitchen
looking for lunch. Katie was on the phone, when she saw me, she
quietly said goodbye to whoever she was talking to, hung up and said.
"Hi Matty."
"Hi sis. Any luck finding someone?"
"No."
"Sorry to hear that."
"I know. It was a dumb idea thinking that we could make you look a
little like Nan."
"Not dumb. Just far fetched. How's Nan doing?"
"That was her on the phone. She's still sore and the casts are
bugging her. But, she's just happy to be alive."
"So am I. I hope she gets out of there soon."
"So does she. She's lonely. Want to go see her?"
There was a little smile and a twinkle in her eyes, when she asked.
"Yea. That would be okay. After lunch?" I replied.
"Sure."
So, after lunch, we headed for the hospital. When we walked into
Nan's room, I was surprised as to how she looked. I knew she had been
hurt. But, a cast on one leg, a number of bandages, all kinds of
wires and an IV line. I just stood there and stared.
"Hi guys." Nan said, "Don't be afraid, it isn't as bad as it looks."
Nan was always upbeat, no matter how bad things were. We walked over
to her bed, Katie bent down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. And I
tried to smile at her. Nan looked at me and said, "Mat. I'll be fine.
The doctors say I'll make a complete recovery. And it won't take that
long."
I just looked at her, tried to smile a little more and said, "It's
just hard seeing you laying there like that."
"I know. Now, sit down and tell me everything that's going on."
We sat with her and Katie filled her in on all the gossip and goings
on. And I added a few comments from time to time. Finally Nan said,
"Katie, would you be a sweetie. And run down to the cafeteria and get
me a ginger ale?"
"Sure." Katie replied.
I went to get up and go with Katie. But, Nan said, "Mat. Stay here
and keep me company."
"Okay. If you really want me to?"
With a sweet smile, Nan said, "I'd like that."
So, I sat back down and my sister headed to the cafeteria.
Nan looked over at me, smiled and said, "Thanks for coming and
seeing me."
"No problem. I miss seeing the four of you together."
"I guess Katie is going to have to cancel the gig on the ship."
"Yea. She can't find anyone to take your place. And with all the
publicity stuff done, I don't know if the cruise line will accept
only three girls."
"She told me about her crazy idea of turning you into me."
"It is kind of crazy."
With a grin, Nan said, "I guess there's no way they could turn a
white boy, like you, into a pretty black girl, like me."
I looked back at her with a little smile.
"But," she continued, "you know ... "
My smile turned to a questioning look and I said, "Now don't you
start. You were right when you said, 'There's no way.'"
"But, Matty. You don't want the group to fail. Do you?"
"Of course not. But, there's no way that I'm going to dress like a
girl. It's crazy."
"Matty. It's only for a few days. And it would mean so much to all
of us and especially me. Since I messed this whole thing up."
"The accident wasn't your fault. So, don't feel bad."
I could see tears appear in Nan's eyes. This wasn't good.
"Matty. I just feel so bad. I would give anything, if there was
anyway that I could undo this."
And the tears started rolling down her cheeks.
I felt bad. I took her hand and said, "Nan, don't cry. Everything
will be fine."
"No, it won't. I've messed this up big time."
"Nan. You haven't. I wish I could help."
"Would you try something for me?"
"Maybe. What?"
"Well. I have a friend that works at a tanning place. Would you stop
and see her?"
"For what?"
"To see if there is a way that she can get your skin color close to
mine."
"No way. It would take months to get a tan like that. Besides, I
burn."
"No, it wouldn't. They have a spray they use and it only takes a few
minutes. How do you think your sister keeps her tan during the
winter?"
"A spray. How long does it last?"
"Until it wears off."
"And how long is that?"
"About a week."
"A week?"
"Yes. It wears off after that time."
"Well ... I don't know."
"Matty. For me?"
"Well. Maybe. But, what about everything else. My eyes? My hair? My
voice? And I know nothing about being a girl."
Nan had a way about her. Was I starting to bend to her way of
thinking?
"You sing in the school choir. So, I know you can carry a tune. And
you wear contacts. Don't you?"
"Yea."
"Then colored contacts."
"My hair?"
"Well. I usually wear my hair fancy, with long braids and colored
beads. But, I was going to change it for the cruise, something a
little easier to take care of. Your hair is somewhat long. I know of
someone else that might help."
"No. There's no way. I can't. What if someone found out?"
"Matty. No one will know. I know people that are so good with makeup
that they could make a cat look like a dog."
I smiled a little at that. Nan was starting to really bend me to her
way of thinking. I couldn't believe that I was starting to think
about doing this. There was no way that this would work.
"Hi guys. Have a nice chat?" Katie said as she walked back into the
room, carrying three drinks.
"Matty is always a good talker." Nan said.
"Good. What did you guys talk about?"
"Oh. Just Mat becoming me for the cruise."
"Really?" Katie said, looking at me.
I just shrugged my shoulders and shook my head yes.
Katie added, "I figure he's still saying no to trying it."
"I don't know. He hasn't said yes and he hasn't said no."
Both girls looked at me. Nan with her big brown eyes and a smile.
Katie with her blue eyes and a questioning look. Could I say no to
these two?
"All right, you two. This is nuts. But, I'll go to the tanning place
and see what happens. But, that's all." I said.
The two girls looked at each other and smiled. Katie looked at me
and said, "Thanks for doing this Matty."
"I only said that I'd go to the tanning place. No promises."
"I know. But, you've given me a little hope." Katie said.
We sat and chatted with Nan for a little longer. I didn't catch
Katie checking her watch every few minutes, or the nod she finally
gave to Nan. But, it wasn't too much later that Nan started to become
sleepy and Katie said we should be going. Nan tried to get us to
stay, but Katie insisted that Nan needed to get some rest. Katie got
up and gave Nan a kiss on the cheek. I just said good bye to her. And
she made us promise to come back soon. I also missed the thumbs up
that Nan gave Katie as we were walking out of her room.
As we drove out of the hospital parking garage, we turned right
instead of left toward home. And I asked Katie, "Where are we going?"
"I thought we might stop at the tanning place."
"Ah ... Now?"
"Why not. You got a heavy date?"
"Hmm. I guess. I did promise Nan."
"I know."
Ten minutes later we pulled into the parking lot of the Tanning
Barrel. Katie got out of the car and I just sat. She bent down,
looked in at me and said, "Come on. It won't hurt."
I looked at her and slowly got out of the car. We walked into the
Tanning Barrel together. I looked around and there were a number of
people waiting. A girl walked up to Katie, greeted her with a kiss on
the cheek and said, "Hi Katie."
"Hi Mary Ann. This is my brother Mat."
"Hi Mat."
"Hi." Was all I could say.
"Is he the one that Nan and I talked about?"
"Yes. He's the one." Katie replied.
I thought, 'Nan had already called here? That was quick.'
"Come on with me and we can get started."
I followed behind Katie and Mary Ann to a private booth. Mary Ann
closed the door behind us and said, "All right Mat, take off your
shirt and will see how dark we can make you."
I slowly and reluctantly, removed my shirt.
Mary Ann continued, "The way this works, is that we get you as dark
as you want to be. Then if you want to keep it, you come in every
week and we redo the spray. What I'll do today is just a small area,
to see how your skin will accept the solution. Then if you decide to
do it, we can do the spray booth anytime you want. I'll also give you
some lotion, which will help extent the time the tan lasts."
"Spray booth?" I asked.
"We have a special booth that you go into and the spray is applied
in a very uniform way."
"Oh."
Mary Ann got out a little device that she called an air brush. She
carefully sprayed an area on my back, waited a little while and
checked it. She said, "This looks good. What do you think, Katie?"
"Looks great to me. Can't really tell if it's that close to Nan's
coloring without seeing more." Katie answered.
"Can I see?" I asked.
Mary Ann moved a couple of mirrors around and I saw an area on my
back that was tanned. Interesting.
I heard Mary Ann whisper something to Katie. And Katie say. "You're
right."
"What?" I asked.
"Oh, nothing."
"No. Something. What?"
"Mary Ann said, that if you do this, you'd need too lose your body
hair."
"What!"
"If you go along with this. The body hair has to go."
"No way."
"Matty. Have you seen a girl with hairy legs, or arms?"
"No. I'm not a girl and there is no way am I letting you guys do
that."
"Matty. Relax. It's no big deal. I do it all the time."
"Yea. But, you're a girl."
"It grows back."
"Sure. But, how long does it take to grow back?"
"It depends on how it's done."
"Hmm. How's it done?"
Mary Ann said, "There's three quick, none permanent ways.
Depilatory, shaving and waxing."
"And?"
"Well. With shaving you'd have to do it almost every day and it's
prickly when it grows back in. With the depilatory, again you have to
use it every few days. And with these you'd have to have someone do
your back. With waxing, we'd do it here. It's slow to grow back and
it grows in soft. No prickly regrowth. You'd only have to have it
done once. But, it's a little painful to start with. This is what
your sister and Nan have done."
"I don't like pain."
"You kind of get used to it after a little while." Katie added.
"We could show you on your back. And you're not that hairy, so it
won't be too bad." Mary Ann added.
"Get used to pain? I don't know. This is really starting to getting
too deep for me." I said.
Katie said, "Matty. Just give it a try."
"I really don't know. I only said that I'd try the tanning."
"Just one spot? For me."
"All right. Just one spot."
Mary Ann, as she was walking out of the room, said, "I'll be right
back."
I looked at Katie and said, "Sis. This is really getting too deep.
Hair removal. Tanning. Not to mention everything else that you and
Nan have talked about. I'm really having second thoughts."
"Matty. Please, for me, give it a shot."
"Sis. I don't know if I can do this. I don't know if I can pull it
off."
"Matty. Please rethink this. It would mean the world to me, not to
mention Nan, Pam and Abby."
"You are going to owe me big for this."
"I know."
"Alright. We'll see what happens with this wax thing."
Just then Mary Ann walked back in and said, "Come on with me."
Katie and I followed her to another room. This room had a nice
padded table in it, a couple of nice arm chairs and a roll around
table with various stuff on it. Mary Ann patted the table and said,
"Hop up here Mat and lay face down."
I reluctantly did as she said. After I laid down, Mary Ann said,
"Here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to spread a little wax on
your back. It'll be warm, but not hot. Then I'll place a strip of
cloth over the wax and then remove the strip. Like I said, it will
hurt a little. But, the body gets used to it after awhile. Okay?"
"I guess."
I felt Mary Ann spread something warm on my back and then pressed
something over it. She asked, "You okay?"
"So far."
"Now for this part." With that Mary Ann removed the strip very
quickly. I jumped about five feet and yelled.
Finally I was able to say, "That hurt!"
"Just relax for a minute and it'll stop."
I looked at Katie and said, "Hurt a little! That really hurt. I
can't do this. No way."
"Matty. I have this done all the time." Katie replied.
"Yea. But, you want to do it. I don't. How often do yo go through
this?"
"Every four or five weeks. But, only my legs and under arms."
"And it hurts like this every time."
"Only the first pull."
"Yea. Right."
"Your body really does get used to the pain after a few minutes."
Mary Ann said, "Can I show you?"
"I don't think so."
"Please, Matty?" Katie said in a very sad voice.
I looked at her for a minute and reluctantly said, "I ... guess."
Mary Ann applied some more wax to my back, another strip of cloth
and again quickly removed the cloth. I jumped. But, she was right, it
didn't hurt as bad.
"Was I right?" Mary Ann asked.
"I guess. But, it still hurts."
"But, it does get easier. Want me to show you? Your back is half
done and I might as well finish it."
I wasn't able to see the wink that Mary Ann gave Katie.
"Well." I said, "I guess it would look funny only half done."
Mary Ann continued with my back and by the time she was done, it
really wasn't too bad. I have to admit, I really liked it when she
massaged some lotion onto the area that she had waxed.
"Want me to do the rest?" Katie asked.
"The rest?"
"If you're going to be a girl, we need to do the whole body from the
neck down."
"You're kidding. We only came here to check on the tanning and now
I've gotten my back waxed."
"Well. We know the tanning is going to work. What do you think?"
"You know what I said about you owing me. Well that just doubled.
Mary Ann, is there a rest room close?"
"Sure. Turn left and it's the third door on the right."
After Mat had left the room, Mary Ann said to Katie, "Nan said he
would do this if we worked it just right."
Katie, smiled and said, "There's just something about Nan. She can
wrap Mat around her little finger."
When I got back in the room, Mary Ann handed me a thong and said,
"You'll need to put this on."
"Why?"
"We need to do your whole body, except your privates. And it's to
keep you decent. You can go behind the screen and change."
I looked at it and wasn't sure it would cover everything. Even my
little everything. But, I went behind the screen, stripped and put on
the thong. When I walked back out, Mary Ann said, "All right. Back up
on the table."
I looked at Katie and said, "Does mom know about all of this?"
"Not yet. But, I was going to call her while Mary Ann works on you."
She got up and walked out of the room. And Mary Ann went to work,
starting with my backside and working down the backs of my legs. She
worked quickly and methodically. Her only comment was, "I'm glad
you're not too hairy. This won't take long at all."
About the time she was having me roll over, Katie was back and said,
"I talked with mom. And so far she's fine with this. The waxing and
tanning. But, she wants to talk to us before things go much further."
"Much further? I'm not sure it's going any further." I mumbled to
myself.
When Mary Ann started on my chest, the pain was almost the same as
when she first started on my back, but again subsided as she did
more. When she was all done, she again massaged lotion everywhere
that she had waxed. She also looked over my body very carefully,
looking for any hairs that she had missed and didn't find any. As I
was starting to get off the table, she said, "Wait."
"What?" I asked.
"I almost forgot. Your underarms."
"Do we have to?"
"Ever see a girl with hairy underarms?" Katie asked.
I looked at her and just shook my head. I figured this was really
going to hurt, but it didn't. I was surprised. As I was finally
getting off the table, she asked, "Do you want to do your first
tanning session today?"
I looked at Katie. She looked at me and said, "It's your call."
"I'm ... I'm ... Oh. Why not." I finally said.
"By the way. After I called mom, I called Nan and told her. She said
she owes you a big kiss for doing this."
Mary Ann had me put on a robe and she led us, me still in the thong,
back to the tanning booth. She put me inside, after telling me how I
needed to stand. It only took a short time. She looked me over and
touched up a few spots using the air brush. I looked at my arms and
they had a nice tan to them, as did my legs.
Katie said, "It looks good on him. He should have done this a long
time ago."
On the way home, Katie said, "I'm proud of you."
"Proud of me? I think it was set up."
"Set up?"
"You and Nan set me up. I don't think she needed anything to drink.
It was just away to get me alone with her. And let her work on me."
Katie just sat there and grinned.
"So, you may be able to get me to look like a girl. But, what about
acting like a girl?"
"You've got four teachers, they've been girls all their lives and
can probably do a good job in teaching you. As long as, you are
willing to learn."
After we got home, mom intercepted us in the kitchen and said, "All
right you two, sit."
The three of us sat at the kitchen table and mom looked at me and
said, "Well you do look good with some color. But, are you doing this
because you want to help your sister, or did she and Nan coerce you
into this?"
"I'm not sure what happened, mom. One minute I was myself, the next
I was hairless and tan. And I wasn't sure why I was doing it. But,
it's done."
"Are you going to do the cruise with the group?"
"I don't know. I told Katie and Nan that I would check out the
tanning and that was it. But, I guess I went a little further."
"I'd say a lot further. Katie, you know if he goes through with
this, you're going to owe him. And Mat, if you do, be careful who
finds out. Afterwards it may be a fun thing. But, during, it could be
very embarrassing for everyone."
"Mom," I said, "you don't have a problem with this?"
"Yes and no. Yes, I don't know if I want my son dressing and acting
like a girl. And no, I don't want to see my daughter fail and if my
son wants to help her succeed, that's his choice."
"I'm going to have to sleep on this. I don't know if I can do it."
"Abby and Pam are coming over to rehearse. Want to join us?" Katie
asked.
I thought, 'What! And let those two work on me too.'
But, being a teenaged boy, I couldn't resist being around three
pretty girls, even thought they were older than I am and one was my
sister. So, later that evening I joined them, in the room in the
basement. I sat on a stool and just listened to them for a while.
They sounded good, but without Nan there, something was missing. As
they finished one of the songs, Abby looked at me, smiled and said,
"That tan looks good on you Mat. Going to keep it?"
"I don't know." I replied.
"It does look good." Pam added.
"Thanks. I think."
"Nan said that you were considering doing the cruise with us."
"Just thinking."
"I think it would be cool."
With a nasty tone to my voice, I said, "But, you don't have to do it."
"Mat! That wasn't nice." Katie said.
"I'm sorry. But, this is really beginning to be too much. I'm a guy
and I don't want to dress up as a girl, or act like a girl."
"It's no big deal Mat," Pam said.
Abby added, "It's just clothes and some makeup. And you look good
with tan you have. It's almost like Nan."
"In fact it could be fun. Just to see how the other half lives."
"You guys are really pushing this. Clothes and makeup. Yea. But,
then I have to also act like a girl. I've been a boy for sixteen
years. I don't think I can do it." I said.
"The big thing is." Abby added, "If we don't find the fourth. This
gig is going to fall through. And then I think that the group will
fall apart."
Abby was the serious one of the group and could always be counted on
to come to the point. My sister looked at her, then me and I could
see tears welling up in her eyes.
"Mat." Pam said, "You know most of these songs. Why don't you join
us for just one?"
Katie looked at me and said, "Yea. Just do a background part."
Against my better judgement, I slid off the stool and said, "Just
one."
Nan and I were at about the same level with the guitar and I knew
the music. So, that wasn't a problem. Singing with them was another
matter. But, not much later, I we had done six songs. And one was a
duet with my sister.
"Matty." my sister said, "That was nice. You actually sounded good.
Want to hear what it sounded like?"
They taped all of their practice sessions. I looked at her and said,
"I guess."
We sat there and listened to the tape. To start with, I could hear
myself in the group, but as the session went on, my voice started to
blend in with the group. And with the duet with Katie, I wasn't sure
it was me.
"That sounded very nice girls." my mom, who had been standing at the
door, said.
I turned around and said, "Girls?"
"Sorry Mat. But, it did sound like a girl's group."
"Oh, thanks. Just what I needed"
"Mat. It did sound good. For some reason your voice blended with
ours." Pam said, "And I think with a few more sessions you would
sound like a natural. You have a nice sultry voice."
"Now I'm sounding like a girl!"
That night I lay in bed thinking about this whole thing. I really
didn't want my sister's group to fail. But, I also didn't want to
dress up like a girl. I'd gone as far as the hair removal and tanning
session. And that may have been too far. Did I want to go further?
Could I go any further?
The next morning I came down for breakfast and only Katie was there.
She looked up and just said, "Morning."
"Hi. You okay?" I asked.
"I didn't sleep very well last night."
"How come?"
"Worrying about the cruise ship gig. I'm going to have to call them
this afternoon, explain what's going on and see if they'll accept
just the three of us. But, we're really missing something without a
fourth voice. And I just don't think it'll work."
I got myself some cereal and sat down across from Katie. And between
mouthfuls I said, "Did I really sound that good last night?"
"Yes. Toward the end. When you relaxed and started having some fun."
"It was kind of fun."
"The girls also thought that you were really fitting in."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"If I do this. What more would we have to do?"
I saw a little hope appear on my sisters face, as she said, "Get
your hair done. Find someone to do your makeup, so that you'd look
right. Get you a couple pairs of brown contacts. And be sure that
Nan's outfits will work for you."
"You've been thinking about this, haven't you?"
"Yes. I've been running it over and over in my mind. Just incase you
decided to do it."
"Think Nan is up?"
"Oh, probably. Hospitals are notorious for getting people up early.
Why?"
"I just wanted to talk to her."
"Okay. I'll call her."
"Hi Nan. It's Katie. Didn't wake you up did I?" ... "I figured as
much." ... "There's someone here that wants to talk to you." ...
"Yea. Hang on."
"Hi Nan. It's Mat." ... "Fine. How are you feeling?" ... "Good. I
just wanted to tell you that I've decided to try and do the gig." ...
"Yea. I sang with them last night and they all said I sounded good.
My mom even said so." ... "Yes, I'm willing to give it a shot." ...
"Thanks. Here she is."
I handed the phone to Katie, who had a big smile on her face. And I
was still wondering why I had just said what I did.
Katie took the phone and said, "Hi." ... "No. A big surprise to me.
He never said anything until he told you." ... "I know." ... "Yes. A
lot of work in a short time. But, I think we can manage." ... "That's
great. Let me get a paper and pencil." ... "Okay." ... "Alright. Talk
to Aba at the Hair Hut on 12th." ... "Yea. See Tom there. They'll be
all right with it?" ... "Yes. It will be interesting." ... "That'll
be cool if you can do that." ... "I'll wait till I hear from you."...
"You take care and get well. Love you. Bye."
Katie hung up the phone, looked at me and said, "Mat you really
surprised me. Are you really going to do this for us?"
"I'll try."
"Are you sure?"
"I guess."
"No guess. I only want you doing it if you're really sure."
"I am. I don't want you guys to have to cancel the gig. It may lead
to something big for you."
"Mat. If you weren't my brother, I'd kiss you."
"You'd better not. But, promise me something?"
"Sure. What?"
"That Mark will never find out."
"He's harmless."
"I don't care. He really doesn't like me and there's no way I want
him finding out."
"Okay. But, then we'll have to really keep you under wraps and only
let him see you when you're fully dressed and in girl mode."
'Girl mode?', I thought, 'This isn't going to work.'
An hour or so later I heard Katie talking on the phone and it
sounded like it might be Nan. And it was later that day that we were
off to somewhere that I'd never been before and I wasn't really sure
that I want to be, a beauty parlor. It was called the Hair Hut, we
sat and waited for a certain girl.
A girl, in full Goth, finally walked up to us and introduced herself
as Aba. She said that Nan had called her earlier and explained
everything. We got up and started following her. As we walked toward
the back of the shop, I whispered to Katie, "How many more people are
going to know about this?"
"Not many. We have to get your hair done. And your make over."
Aba showed us into a private room and said, with a smile, "Mat.
Don't worry. Nan told me the whole story. And I think you're really
cool for doing this. And I want to help you do it. The biggest thing
is getting your hair to look as close to Nan's as we can. I do her
hair all the time and she figured that I had the best shot at doing
it. Have a seat in the chair and I'll take a look."
I sat in her chair and she started looking at my hair. Finally she
said, "This will work. What we're going to have to do, is add hair
extensions, dye it a mahogany brown and do it in tight curls."
"How will he keep it like that for the cruise?" Katie asked.
"Easy. The curls will be very tight and will stay in for the most
part. And if it's like most cruise ships, they have a good beauty
shop on board and can fix it. And just being a little careful when he
sleeps. When do you want to do this?"
"How long will this whole thing take?"
"The longest part will be doing the extensions. We could do the
extensions, dying and set in one day, but it would be a long day."
"Think he should be in girl mode for this?"
"At least when he walks out of here. His hair will be so feminine,
even with just the extensions, that it will look funny if the rest of
him looks like a guy."
"So, if Mat walks in. A girl should walk out?"
"That would be best. If he looks completely like a girl, there won't
be any strange looks."
"What about makeup?"
"I think one of the girls here would be willing to help. Nan uses
her when she wants a really good look. And she's really good at
special looks."
I had been sitting there taking in all this talk between Aba and
Katie, felling like the odd man out and I finally said, "Stop. You're
talking like I'm not even here. I'm the one that's going to go
through this. If I do. So, once I get the hair extensions I have be
in girl mode from then on?"
Nodding her head yes, Katie said, "And it might help you get into
the role of being a girl."
"Role of a girl?"
"There's more to it than just looking like a girl. Remember I told
you, you are going to have to act like a girl, move like a girl,
become a girl."
I just sank down in the chair. This was going to be more trouble
than I thought.
"First lesson." Katie said, "Girls don't slouch. So, sit up."
I frowned at her, but sat up in the chair.
As we were walking out of the beauty salon, Aba said, "I'll order
the real hair extensions as close to Mat's color as possible and
we'll see you later in the week. And I'll also talk with Viv about
the makeup."
We got into the car and I slouched down in the seat. Katie said,
"Mat. Sit up."
Reluctantly, I obeyed her.
She turned, looked at me and said, "Mat. If you're not going to do
this, we're going to stop right now before we waste any more money.
Now. Are you doing this or not?"
I looked at her and I could tell she was being very serious. She
just sat there and looked at me. Then said, "Well?"
"I said I would, didn't I?"
"Yes you did. But, the way you've been acting... "
"I'm sorry. But, there is just so much."
"Yes there is. Trying to make a boy look like a girl, is a lot of
work. You're trying to turn a macho male, into a sweet girl. It's a
major challenge."
"How much more?"
"We're going to stop at Nan's place and pick up the clothes that she
was going to wear for the cruise and take them home. That way we can
be sure they fit you and we can make any alterations that we need to."
"What else?"
"Another stop, on the way to her place."
"Where?"
"Look at me and tell me what's the biggest difference between you
and me besides our faces."
I looked at her. And I must have gotten a puzzled look on my face,
because Katie took her hands and pointed to her breasts.
"No way." I said.
"Mat. Only forms, something to go inside a bra."
"Underwear. I've got to wear girl's underwear?"
"Mat. It's the whole thing or nothing."
I just looked at her, sighed deeply and said, "Okay."
We drove to the other side of town and pulled into the parking lot
for a place called Stage Front. As we were walking in, I asked, "Now
does Nan know about all of these places?"
"You didn't know?"
"Know what?"
"That along with being a singer, she's been into the theater since
she was very young."
"You're kidding."
"No. She's done a number of plays and musicals. And has gotten to
know a lot of people."
"I guess."
We walked into the Stage Front and Katie asked for Tom.
Tom walked up to us and said, "Hello. I'm Tom. You must be Katie and
Mat. Nan called and said you were coming." Then turning to me, he
said, "I think it's just wonderful that you're going to be helping."
"Thanks. I think." I said.
"Come on and we'll get started."
We followed him to the back of the store and into a dressing room.
He had me sit in another beauty shop type chair and said, "So, we're
changing you from a white boy into a black girl. A challenge, but
possible. The tan looks great. I took the liberty of pulling some
breast forms and we'll see which looks best on you. These are all
close to Nan's coloring, but in different sizes and we may have to
order something closer to your skin color. Do you have a bra?"
"Ah ... No."
"Okay. Lets see what size. Stand up and take off your shirt."
I stood and took off my shirt. He wrapped a measuring tape around my
chest and said, "34" Then wrapped it around my waist and said, "25".
Then wrapped it around my butt and said, "28. Okay, I'll be right
back."
Tom walked out of the room and I just looked at Katie. She said,
"What?"
"You know this is going to be a lot of work and money."
"You're right."
"I said that I'd do it and I haven't been very good about it. Have I?"
"No. Not really."
"I'm going to try and do better. You're having enough problems, what
with Nan and everything."
"Really?"
"Yes. I really do want you guys to succeed with this gig. I'll do
whatever you want me to."
"Really?"
"Yea."
"Thank you. It's going to take a lot of work just getting you to
look like a girl. And you're also going to have to act like one. Not
to mention fitting you into the group. I think we have to get you
started thinking like a girl right now."
"Okay."
She just smiled at me. Tom came back in carrying a number of bras
and something else. He laid everything down on the counter, turned
and looked at me. He picked up a garment that looked like underpants,
but more.
"These are special panties." Tom said, "You need a girl's figure.
Your chest size isn't bad, your waist is good, so you don't need
anything to give you a waist. But, your butt needs help and that's
where these come in. They're padded in just the right places and
they'll also help keep your friend in control. Also, they're the same
color as the breast forms and will be hard to detect."
"My friend?" I asked.
"You don't want to have a bulge in front with some of the tight
stuff that Nan likes to wear. Do you?"
"Oh, that friend."
"If Katie will excuse us, I'll show you how to come up with a smooth
front."
Katie got up and walked out the door. Tom explained how to tuck my
two little friends up inside and pull my other friend back between my
legs. And then pull the panties up to hold everything in place. These
panties were very tight and it was very uncomfortable at first. But,
after moving things around a bit, it started to feel better. Katie
came back in and was amazed as to how flat I was and that I now had
hips and a butt.
Tom then went to work on the breast forms. They were dark, just
about Nan's skin color. He explained that there were various sizes
and we needed to try various ones to see what looked best. He handed
me one of the bras and I just looked at it. He grinned and said,
"Never put one of these on before?"
"No. Never." I answered.
"Here. Slip your arms through the straps, turn around and I'll
fasten it for you."
I did as he said and it sure felt funny with that strap around my
chest.
He then said, "Your sister can show you how to do it properly later."
"One of your lessons Mat." Katie added with a smile.
"Now." Tom said, "We'll try this size form first."
He proceeded to place a form into each of the bra cups and adjust
them to his satisfaction. He stood back, examined them, looked at
Katie and said, "What do you think?"
Katie said, "No. They need to be bigger."
Tom walked back up to me, removed the forms and inserted a bigger
set. Again, he stepped back, examined them and asked Katie. And again
Katie said, "Still bigger."
Again Tom walked up to me, removed the forms and bypassed the third
set and went to the fourth. He stepped back, looked at Katie and
said, "Well?"
Katie said, "Perfect. Looks just like Nan."
"Good. How do they feel Mat?"
"Heavy and cold." I answered.
"They'll warm up and you'll get used to the weight once they're
attached."
"Attached!?"
"Yes. To make them look natural they need to be attached with glue
and makeup used to hide the edges. And then no one will be able to
tell. And Nan likes to wear tops that show cleavage."
"How long does the glue last?"
"It starts to degrade by itself after about two weeks and then the
breasts will just peal off. Or, you can use a remover anytime. I'll
show your sister how to apply them and then she can put them on
anytime. But if you come back just before you leave, I'll attach them
and do the makeup around the edges. Now, what we normally do, is have
the forms custom tinted to match the persons skin color. But we're
lucky with you and the set your sister picked is so close that it
will match without a problem."
He laid me back in the chair and showed Katie how to mark where to
place them. Then explained how to use the glue, place and hold the
forms in place until the glue set. Then how to work the glue around
the edges. When we left, I had a set of breast forms, three bras,
three sets of the special panties, the glue and the remover. And
Katie had me wear a pair of the special panties to 'just get used to
them.'
As we went to the car, I got in like a guy would. Katie caught me
and said, "Wrong."
"Wrong. What?"
"Lesson two. A girl doesn't get into a car that way. Get back out."
I got out, stood beside the car and said, "Well how should I do it?"
"Sit and then swing your legs in."
I did as she said and it felt funny doing it that way. I watched and
she got in the car the same way. And I said, "I've never noticed the
difference before."
"That's because mom never harped on you to keep your knees together."
"Keep my knees together?"
"So the boys couldn't look up your skirt."
I though, 'Look up my skirt?'
We drove over to Nan's apartment, to pick up the clothes that she
had planned on wearing on the cruise. Nan had everything separated in
her large walk-in closet and Katie knew exactly what to take out and
she set them on Nan's bed. Then she walked over to Nan's chest of
drawers and started looking for something. "Here take this." she
said, handing me a package. "And this." handing me a second package.
I looked at the first package and it was a six pack of very sexy
panties. The other package was three pairs of very shear panty hose.
I asked, "What are these for?"
"Nan said, that she got the panties for the cruise and that you
might as well have them."
"But, I've got the others."
"But, they're skin colored and if you didn't wear panties it would
look like you weren't wearing anything."
"Oh. And pantyhose?"
"Nan usually doesn't wear nylons, but for some of the formal stuff
on the cruise she figured that she might need them."
"Oh."
"She also said that you could borrow some of her jewelry. So, lets
see what she has."
Katie walked over to her dresser and opened up a jewelry box and
started looking at things. I just kind of looked over her shoulder. I
knew Nan like to wear a lot of rings, but I couldn't believe how many
she had. Katie picked out a few and set them aside. Then a couple
choker style necklaces and bracelets. Then she started looking at
earrings and she hesitated for a second. She turned and looked at me.
"What?" I asked.
"Earrings. Nan's are all for pierced ears."
"No way."
"You already have your left ear done. All we have to do is your
right. Besides, finding long dangle earrings like Nan wears in clip
ons will be impossible."
"Ah ... I know I said that I'd do this, but ... "
"A lot of guys have both ears pierced and no one cares."
"Oh all right... I guess."
"I'll even do it for you. In fact, we can probably do it right here.
Nan has some nice studs. Let me see if I can find some things."
Katie went looking and I just sat on Nan's bed waiting. Katie was
back in a few minutes and shortly afterwards, along with the stud
that I already had in my left ear, I had a small diamond stud in my
right. Katie changed the stud in my left ear to one that matched the
one in my right. Her comment, as she was piercing my right ear, was,
"We should do multiples. Nan has five in her left and four in her
right."
I just looked at her and said, "No!"
Katie then selected a dozen or more pairs of the longest dangle
earrings that she could find and a couple pairs of big hoops. I
remember Nan wearing the big hoops and I thought it was cool.
Katie carefully packed the clothes into a suitcase and the jewelry
into a small travel case. Saying, "We'll try them on at home. Next."
"Next?"
"Shoes. Nan said we could borrow anything we want."
"But, they won't fit me."
"They just might. We don't call her 'boat feet' for nothing."
"That's not nice."
"She called herself that first, when she found out that she had the
biggest feet in the group. And it stuck as an inside joke."
"All right. I guess."
"We'll need a dozen pairs."
"A dozen? Why so many."
"For many different looks."
"Does she have than many?"
"Didn't you see the shelf at the back of her closet? There must be
four or five dozen pairs of shoes, a few pairs of boots and each has
their own cubbyhole."
"Why so many."
"It's a girl thing." Katie replied as she walked back into Nan's
closet. A few minutes later, she was back out with two pairs of shoes
and a pair of boots.
"Okay Matty. Off with the shoes and socks."
I took my shoes and socks off and she placed a pair of what looked
like sandals on the floor in front of me. I looked at them, they had
a short heel on them and what looked like laces.
"Go on. Slip them on." Katie said.
I slipped my feet into them and it felt strange, my heels higher
than my toes. Katie knelt down, wrapped the laces around my ankles
and tied them. Then, she helped me stand up. She looked up at me and
said, "Well?"
"It feels strange."
"You'll get used to them."
"But, a high heel sandal."
"These are only about two inch heels and they're the lowest heeled
shoe that Nan has other than her trainers. Lets try this pair, if
they fit then anything Nan has should fit."
This pair was a pair of black, pointed toe stilettos. The heel
looked to be twice as high as the sandals. Katie untied the sandals,
slipped them off and I carefully slipped my feet into the shoes. They
were tight, but fit. And I felt a little tipsy being on heels that
high and skinny. Katie asked, "How do the feel?"
"Like I'd break my neck if I tried to walk in them. And they're
tight. They pinch a little."
"A little pinch is nothing. You'll have to learn to walk in these.
We'll work on that at home. I'll go pick a few more pairs and we'll
get those packed up. Then we can go home."
Katie and I carried the suit cases with clothes, shoes and jewelry
down to the car. I went to get in the car, as I usually did and Katie
said, "Stop."
"I know. I know. Sit and swing my legs' in."
"You got it."
As Katie and I were taking everything into the house, mom said, "A
girl by the name of Aba, from the Hair Hut, called and she didn't
have to order the hair extensions, she found them in the shop. She
also said, that tomorrow was a slow day and she could do Mat's
extensions. So, I made you an appointment for nine in the morning."
I looked at Katie with, I guess, a little look of fright. And she
said to mom, "Mom. Mat will be in girl mode after we go tomorrow."
"Why?" mom asked.
"We figured, since he'd look more like a girl at that point, that it
might be best for him to be in girl mode from the time the extensions
were added."
"Matty. Did you really agree to this?"
"I guess. I told Katie that I was going to go through this without
much more complaining."
"I see." And I got the look from mom. The look of, 'I'm not sure
about this.'
Katie and I hauled all of Nan's stuff up to my room and laid the
clothes out on my bed, or at least as much as we could. I, with
Katie's help, put on a bra with the forms. And we started trying on
all of the clothes. Some of the skirts were very short, there were
two long formals, a couple shorts outfits. The ones that I really
didn't care for were the ones that showed a little bare midriff. But,
that's what everyone was wearing. Surprisingly most everything fit or
came very close.
Mom walked in just as I was trying on one of the formals and said,
"Very nice. But, it looks strange seeing Matty in a dress with
breasts."
"It feels funny, too." I replied.
"You're really going to do this. Aren't you?"
"I did promise Katie and Nan that I'd really try."
She nodded her head and walked out of the room. Katie and I
carefully made room for all the clothes in my small closet and put
everything carefully away. I looked at her and said, "What's next?"
"I think you had better practice with the shoes."
"Which ones."
"If you learn to walk in the stilettos, then you'll be able to walk
in any of them."
"But, I feel like I'm going to break an ankle."
"If you're careful and remember to take small steps you'll be fine."
"What about tomorrow?"
"We'll pick out some things later. But, I figure that we'll keep it
simple, a pair of jeans, a loose top and maybe the sandals will be
good for tomorrow."
I slipped on the stilettos and tried to walk in them. Luckily I was
next to my bed, as I almost twisted my ankle and fell on my bed.
Katie helped me sit up and said, "Maybe we had better start with a
lower heel."
Later that evening, I practiced with the group again. That night it
was my turn to not sleep very well, thinking about the change to come
tomorrow. Was I really ready for this?
The next morning, after breakfast, Katie laid out some clothes for
me. And we packed them in a small case. And as she was walking out of
my room, said, "Be sure and wear the special panties."
At nine o'clock we were walking into the Hair Hut and Aba was
standing at the desk chatting with a couple of the other hair
dressers. She saw us, smiled and said, "Hi Mat. Hi Katie."
We returned the greetings and followed her to a private room. We
were shortly joined by two other girls and Aba introduced them, "This
is Viv, she'll be doing your makeup. And this is Penny, she's the
nail tech. I figured, that while I was doing your hair, Penny could
give you a manicure and pedicure. And then Viv can do your makeup. Is
that okay?"
I looked at Katie and she said, "Sure." I looked back at Aba and
said, "Okay."
Aba had me sit in her chair, she wheeled over a tray and Penny
rolled over another tray. Aba started working on my hair and she was
pulling and twisting. But, what Penny was doing to my hands was
relaxing. I closed my eyes and tried to relax. I don't know how long
this took, but at about the time Aba was done with the extensions,
Penny had finished with the pedicure.
"Mat." Aba said.
"Huh?" I said shaking myself out of a fog.
"Mat. I'm going to have to style your hair, do you have any idea
what you want?"
"Ah. No."
"I think I know something that will look very cute."
"You know best. I guess."
I don't know how long it was, but when she was done, I saw myself in
the mirror and I had a very feminine hairdo. And the hair went well
below my shoulders. Then Viv walked in and started on my makeup.
I happened to look at my hands. My nails were a dark red and longer
than they had been by about half an inch. I looked at Katie and she
grinned, as she said, "You must have really been zoning. Penny put
acrylics on your nails and polished them. Look at your toes."
I looked at my toes and those nails were the same color as my finger
nails. I looked back at Katie and she said, "Remember we decided full
girl mode after the hair."
"But, I wasn't expecting this."
"It's part of it."
Viv asked me, "Mat, are you shaving yet?"
"No." I replied.
"Good. We won't have to hide a beard shadow."
I sat there while Viv worked on my makeup. The worst thing was when
she was plucking my eyebrows, it wasn't the pain, but how much she
was doing. When she was completely done, she turned me around to face
the mirror and I saw for the first time what she and Aba had done to
me. I just looked at myself for a long time. I was a girl, hair,
makeup and all. Viv had actually given me nicely arched eyebrows.
Katie said, "I love the look Matty. Aba and Viv did a really good
job."
"I know sis. Almost too good."
"What do you mean?"
"Will everything be back to normal by the time school starts?"
"It should be. We'd better get you changed. We have other things to
do."
I looked at Katie and said, "I guess I'm stuck going out like this
now. Aren't I?"
"And you'll do just fine."
"Know what?"
"What?"
"We've never come up with a name for me to use with Mark."
"Oh... You're right. I'll have to think on that. But, as far as the
cruise line is concerned you're Nan."
Katie helped me change into the clothes that she had picked for me,
a bra, the forms, a leather skirt that hit me about mid thigh and a
brightly colored blouse. Katie called it a tie-front silk blouse. It
actually felt nice. I also wore the sandals with the ties.
Now, don't get me wrong. I was standing there for the first time
looking like a girl, but feeling very scared. I knew that Aba and Viv
had done some remarkable work to make me look like a girl. I looked
in the full length mirror and saw a girl. Blond with a deep tan. Even
kind of cute. But, could this boy, now looking more like a girl, walk
out of the beauty shop and be a girl, not a boy. I wasn't sure.
"Come on Matty we have things to do." Katie said, as she took my arm
and led me out of the room.
As we walked to the front desk, Aba and Viv were standing there,
they looked at me, both smiled and Viv said, "Looking really good
girlfriend."
I think I might have actually smiled at that. I know I felt a little
bit better. There were a number of other customers in the shop, some
looked, some didn't. But, there were no strange looks like what I had
expected. Katie and I said good bye to Aba and Viv and walked toward
the door. I hesitated at the door, Katie looked at me and said,
"Matty. You look cool. I know you're nervous about this, but you'll
be fine. The more we get you out, the better you'll feel."
As we walked to the car, Katie said, "I think I have a name for your
female side."
'My female side?' I asked her, "What?"
"Kyla."
"Kyla... Hmm. I guess."
Katie watched as I got in the car. And I did it correctly. She just
smiled at me, then said, "You have a lot to learn in the next week
and a half. And start watching all the girls that you see. Not like a
guy watching girls, but to learn how they walk, move and interact.
Remember the things that I've told you, always a little smile, walk
with your head up, one foot in front of the other, short steps and
everything else. You're now a pretty girl and you need to be proud of
that. Think you can do it?"
"I'll try."
"I can't ask any more than that."
We drove over to the optometrist that we used, to pick up my brown
contacts. Then we stopped at the mall and walked around for a little
while. It took Katie awhile to get me out of the car and into the
mall. As we were finally walking toward the mall, Katie told me that
we were doing this for a couple of reasons. One was to get me use to
being around people. Another was to watch girls and women. And lastly
to just do some window shopping. We spent a couple of hours there and
I started to relax. The more people ignored me, the better I felt. I
received some smiles from women and some admiring looks from guys.
Then, as we were leaving the mall, we stopped in a small boutique and
Katie bought me a purse. The clerk at the boutique treated me just
like any other customer. It was like I was just one of the girls.
Now, mom when she saw me was almost speechless. But, finally said,
"Mat. I never thought that you'd go through with this whole thing."
"I promised Katie. And we had a long talk about it."
"I just hope this will work for you Katie. It's been a lot of work."
"I know mom." Katie said, "Everyone that's seen Mat this way is just
struck by how good he looks."
"It's not all looks."
"We know mom and we're working on it."
Three days after Aba had put in the hair extensions, we were back
having my hair dyed mahogany brown. She also dyed what was left of my
eyebrows the same color. I had worn my brown contacts, so that when
we were done, I'd be completely Kyla. It took Aba awhile to put my
hair in tight curls, but when she was done, I had what looked like a
thousand curls down to my shoulders. Viv then redid my makeup to go
with my hair and eyes.
Katie had brought a pair of Nan's large loop earrings and replaced
my studs with them. She commented, that we shouldn't be removing the
stud from my right ear yet, but as long as we were careful we should
be okay. When I finally looked in the mirror, I saw a pretty black
girl and Katie with a broad smile on her face looking over my
shoulder. I turned around and said in my best Kyla voice, "Well
girlfriend, are you happy? You now have a sister instead of a
brother."
"Matty... No. Kyla. You look fantastic. And I really owe you big
time." She walked over and kissed me on the cheek, just like she did
with her girlfriends. Then said, "There's someone that's going to be
even more surprised."
"Who?"
"Nan."
"Yea. She hasn't seen any of this."
"Want to go surprise her?"
A little while later we were walking down the hall to Nan's room and
Katie stopped me. She said, "Lets really surprise her. You go in by
yourself and see how long you can fool her."
"Cool."
We stopped outside Nan's door. Katie looked me over. Smiled. And
said, "Go have some fun."
I slowly walked into the room and peaked around the curtain. Nan
looked up, saw me and said, "Hello honey. Can I help you?"
Again, in my best Kyla voice, I said, "I'm looking for my friend.
She's supposed to be in this room."
"I'm the only one in this room. What's your friends name?"
"Nan."
"My name's Nan. But, I don't think I know you."
I couldn't help but get a big grin, as I said, "Does the name Mat
mean anything?"
"Mat!?"
"Uh huh,"
"No way?"
"Way."
"Where's that sneaky sister of yours?"
"Right here." Katie said, walking into the room with a big grin on
her face.
"Matty. If I could get out of this bed, I'd give you such a big hug.
And I love your earrings. And your hair is just perfect."
"The earrings are yours and I can wait until you're better for the
hug." I replied.
"They're yours now. And Katie he, no she, looks so good. Is there
really a boy in there?"
"He's still in there some place. It took a lot of work. But your
friends did it."
"How's his singing voice?"
"I'd worry, if I were you. He's beginning to sound almost as good as
you do."
"Mat. You'd better not take my place."
"Don't worry." I said, "You just hurry up and get well. I'll stop
being Kyla any time."
"Kyla. That's a cool name."
"Katie came up with it."
"Has Mark met Kyla yet?"
"No." Katie replied, "He won't be back until just before we leave."
"That will be the real test. If you can fool him, you can fool
anyone."
Nan saw the frown on my face and added, "What's wrong honey?"
"Mark. I just don't like him."
"It'll be fine, honey. There's no way that he'll know that you're
really Mat."
"I sure hope not."
I was sitting on Nan's bed and trying to break the sullen mood that
I started, she reached out for my breasts. 'My breasts?' Touched them
and said, "Are these real?"
I jumped like they were real. Katie laughed a little. And Nan
grinned. We sat and talked like three girlfriends for an hour. I
tried very hard to maintain Kyla. At one point a nurse came in and
said, "Could you girls excuse us for a couple of minutes? I have to
change a dressing."
I looked at Nan, grinned and said, "Sure. We'll be in the hall."
Once in the hall, Katie said, "See. I told you that you were
passable."
"Meeting Mark will be the test to pass."
"Why don't you like him?"
"I'm not sure. I just get bad vibes from him. He just seems ...
seems like he's always up to something."
"He's harmless."
"We'll see."
We stayed another hour with Nan and as we were leaving, she said,
"Kyla. It's really nice to have another girlfriend."
"Thanks girlfriend." I said, as I bent down and kissed her on the
cheek.
I was feeling pretty good. Almost sure of myself. Was I really
beginning to get into this?
When we walked in the house, my mom saw me, she just sat down on a
kitchen chair and stared. I looked at her and said, "Mom. Are you all
right?"
She just continued to stare. But, finally said, "Matty, do I have
another daughter?"
"Only till after the cruise, mom."
"It amazes me how pretty you look. Just be careful."
"I will mom."
The next week was a flurry of activity. I practiced every day with
the group and I was beginning to feel like a member. Katie and the
others, corrected everything that I did that wasn't feminine. We
spent more time at the mall. And I began feeling more and more
confidant. Abby and Pam were treating me more like Kyla than Mat. And
I was feeling more like Kyla.
But, the biggest test was yet to come. Introducing Kyla to Mark.
Something I really wasn't looking forward to. Mark had been away for
some reason or other and was coming back two days before we left for
the cruise ship.
The day Mark was to meet Kyla. We went back to see Tom at Stage
Front. He carefully attached the breasts to my chest and then blended
makeup around the edges. Katie watched very closely, just incase she
had to redo them. Tom told us that the makeup was waterproof, but may
need to be reapplied after a couple of showers.
As I finally sat up, it amazed me how heavy the forms were pulling
on my chest. I looked in the mirror and I had breasts. You couldn't
see where the forms ended and I began. I looked at Katie and she just
smiled. I finally put my bra back on and it felt so much better. I
thanked Tom with a hug and he wished us good luck.
Next was a visit with Aba, Viv and Penny at the Hair Hut. Aba
congratulated me in keeping my hair in fairly good shape, she only
had to touch it up a little. Viv asked how I'd done my makeup so
well, I had to admit that Katie had done it all, so Viv had nothing
to do. And lastly Penny not only changed the color of my nails, but
did some fancy designs on them. So, I guess I was as good as these
people could make me.
As we were walking to the car, I asked Katie, "Can I meet Mark with
the rest of the girls around?"
"Sure. Safety in numbers?"
"Sort of."
"He should be at the practice tonight and we can introduce the two
of you then."
"If we have to."
"Relax. It will be fine."
"I hope."
As I was changing clothes later that day, I looked in the mirror and
saw the pretty black girl looking back at me. She was only wearing
panties and a bra. And looked very cute. But, she was me. I'm a guy.
Why was I doing this? Could I do this? I wasn't sure. Not sure at all.
That evening at practice, after we were about half way through our
fifth song, Mark walked in. I felt the knot in my stomach tighten. He
stood at the door and listened. When we finished, Katie went over to
him and gave him a big kiss. My stomach turned over. He was looking
at the three of us, but I felt it was more at me.
"So, this is our new fourth?" he said, looking at me in a way that
it made me very uncomfortable.
Katie said, "This is Kyla. Nan found her for us. She's a bit quiet
until she gets to know you. Kyla, this is Mark."
"Good thing Nan found her. She caused this whole mess."
I felt the hair stand up on the back of my neck and was about to say
something. But, Katie beat me to it with, "You know the accident
wasn't Nan's fault. So, just give it up."
Mark just looked at Katie. He then walked over to me and I offered
him my hand. He took it and looked into my eyes. I didn't like the
look. And when he said, "From what I just heard, Nan had better get
well quick, or we have her replacement already." I felt hatred
building inside and I pulled my hand back from him.
Katie said, "Mark! Kyla is a friend of Nan's and she's doing this as
a favor to her. If you make her mad, she'll probably back out."
"Sorry. But, I had figured this gig was a bust."
"It's not. Thanks to Kyla. Be nice to her. And remember onboard
ship, she's Nan."
"Yea. Nan."
Katie walked back over to the group and Mark sat on one to the
stools. We practiced for another hour before calling it a night. Mark
hung around, so I left with Abby. We drove around, stopped to get a
Coke and just sit for awhile. Abby, for some reason, sat there and
stared at me. I finally said, "Please stop staring at me."
"I'm sorry. But, I jus