A Year In My Life (Part I - 2) free porn video

A Year In My Life Part I-2 Friday, March 10 The previous week was a blur. We spent a lot of time at Mary's, and in the pool house. Kate had done my makeup a couple of times, and the job she did was as good as, if not better, then what Mary had done. She'd taken me to a unisex beauty shop, to have my split ends taken care of. And, they had also treated my hair, so it was softer, and shinier. I had worn the shoes as much as possible. Her idea for making the shaper more comfortable for me, was to use a sanitary pad. And, this embarrassed her a bit. But, it worked. She'd also worked with me on how to act, sit, walk, and stand, like a girl should. I'd learned a lot, but felt like I was no where ready for this. This evening, I took Kate to Greg's Drive In for dinner, and then we headed back to her house. When we got there, her parents had left for the evening, and we headed for the pool house. And, after a long kiss, she said, "Are you ready to start becoming a girl?" I'd had second thoughts about this whole thing all week, and said, "I don't know." "You don't know? We've done all this stuff, and now you're having second thoughts again. Why?" "I don't know. I guess I'm a little scared about going to the dance, and looking like a girl. And, what people are going to say." "From the rumors I've heard, only six of the ten guys have found someone willing to dress up as girls. And, a lot of people have figured out who four of the guys are, and there's lots of talk about the other two, but no one has picked up on it being you, or even your brother bringing one of the girls. "Everyone I know is excited to see how good the girls will look. Most are saying that they'll look like guys in a dress. But, we know you won't." "I know. That's what worries me. I'm going to look too good, and everyone will wonder about me." "Love. Most of these guys don't have anyone helping them. You had two girls working on you. Two girls that want to see you look good. And, no one is going to wonder about you. They know that we're a couple. And, if anyone questions that, I'll straighten them out. You have a lot of support." "I know. And, the only good thing is that I can see coming out of this whole thing is you." She just smiled, then said, "Are you ready to get started." "I guess." "The only thing we're going to do tonight, is your legs, and toes." "Do we have too?" "Love. We've talked about this. Your hairy legs and hose, don't look good together. And, with those open toed shoes, you need your toe nails done." "All right. What do we need to do?" "First your legs. I got some good depilatory cream, and it'll take only a few minutes. There's a Speedo swim suit in the changing room. Go on in there, strip, and put that on." "Why?" "I need to help you with the cream, and then you'll need to get in the shower to rinse it off." I walked over to the changing room, with Kate right behind me. As I walked through the door, Kate said, "Call me when you're ready." I went into the changing room, found the Speedo, undressed, and put the Speedo on. Looking in a mirror, the Speedo didn't leave much to the imagination. I called to Kate, and told her that I was ready. When Kate walked into the changing room, she was carrying two bottles, she smiled, and chuckled a little. Then said, "You look good in that suit. But, I meant the guys suit over there. That's one of mine." "Oh. I was kind of wondering why you'd pick a girl's suit for me. I'll change." "No. It doesn't matter. It looks cute. Stand up on the bench, and I'll do the honors." I got up on the bench, and Kate went to work. She carefully covered my legs with the contents of one of the bottles. Then looked at her watch. After a few minutes, she took a wash cloth, tested a spot, and said, "Not yet." A minute later she tested another spot, and said, "Good. Take this wash cloth, and get in the shower. Just kind of wipe, don't rub. But, be sure to get all the cream off." I did as she said, and when I came back out of the shower, she said, "All right back up on the bench, and let me check them." I got back up on the bench, she carefully finished drying my legs, and looked at them. She looked up at me with a smile, and said, "Looks good girlfriend. Now for some lotion." She applied lotion to both of my legs, and it felt really good. When she was done, she said, "Okay. Get dressed, and we'll do your nails." As I was dressing, when I put my pants on the feeling was really different. Kate was standing by the couch in front of the fireplace when I came out of the changing room, and used her index finger to tell me to come over to her. I walked over, grabbed her, and kissed her. She playfully pushed me away, and said, "Later lover. Have a seat. I need to work on your feet." "Huh?" "I've got to make those feet look pretty." I sat on the couch, and she sat on the floor in front of me. I hadn't noticed all the things she had on the table beside her, but she went to work on my feet. I just sat there and watched her. I finally asked, "Do you do this all the time?" "Do what love." "Your feet, and your legs." "Sure. I love a pedicure, it's relaxing, and feels good." "How about your legs?" "I have mine waxed. And, only have to do it every few weeks. Some girls use the cream like we used on you. Other shave every few days. Why?" "Just wondering." "It takes a lot to keep us girls looking good for the boys." I sat back and let her work, and she was right a pedicure was relaxing. I didn't pay attention to what she was doing, until she said, "All done. Take a look." I sat up, looked at my feet, and was surprised. My feet looked good. She'd even painted the nails red. Not a bright red, but a very nice subdued red. Kate asked, "You like it?" "Yea. Sort of." "Sort of?" "It'd look better on you." She got up, sat next to me, kicked off her shoes, and put her feet next to mine. Her toes were identical to mine, but of course her feet were smaller, and more feminine, than mine. She turned to me, and said, "See. We're identical." "You're crazy." She turned, and kissed me. We spent the rest of the evening just cuddled up in front of the fire. And, as I was leaving, she said, "My parents are going to be gone a good part of the day, there's a banquet at the country club, and dance afterwards. So, they'll be gone early, and back very late. See you tomorrow, girlfriend." Saturday, March 11 It was the big day. And, I hadn't slept too well the night before. I still wasn't sure about this whole thing, and why I was doing it. I ran into Bob in the upstairs hall, and said, "I don't know if I can go through with this. Kate and I had a talk about it last night, and I felt okay with it then. But, now I don't know." "Bro," Bob said, "I shouldn't have talked you into this. But, I've heard that there is one other guy coming that is supposed to look really good as a girl." "That's supposed to make me feel better? I'm more worried about what people will think about me afterwards." "From what I've been hearing around school, everyone is surprised that some guys are willing to do this. But, they think it's cool that someone has the guts to do it. And, I think they will see it more of a gag, then anything else. I know this is hard for you, but when I saw you all dressed up, I didn't see you, I saw Anne. Sure something you do, might give you away. But, Mary said that she and Kate really worked with you. So, be cool, and have fun." Late that afternoon, Bob took me to Kate's, and was coming back later to pick me up. As I walked back to the pool house, Kate met me, and said, "I've got everything we need in the pool house. I thought I'd get dressed there too." I was very quiet as we walked hand in hand to the pool house. And, as we walked in, Kate turned to me, took both my hands in hers, smiled at me very sweetly, and said, "Honey. Relax. Everything is going to be fine. No one is going to make fun of you, and if they do it's because they're jealous of you." I looked at her, tried to smile, and said, "Jealous of me?" "Sure. For having the guts to do this, and looking so damn good doing it." "Yea. Right." She just held me. Then kissed me. Finally she said, "Your panties, and pantyhose are in the changing room. Go change, and then we'll get started on your makeup." I took a deep breath, and walked into the changing room. I stood there for a little while, and finally thought, 'You can do this. Kate and Mary have gone to a lot of trouble. Bob's counting on you. And, who cares what others think.' I stripped, and put on the panties. Then sat, and started putting on the pantyhose. As I got the first leg up to my knee, I thought, 'These sure feel different without any hair on my legs.' I got the hose pulled up, and it did feel different, very different. Actually kind of good. I walked out of the changing room, Kate looked at me, nodded her head yes, and said, "Those legs look much better. And, with the heels on, they'll really look sharp." "I guess." "Gary. You've got to get a better mind set about this. Believe in yourself. Make it fun." "I'm sorry. I'll try." Kate helped me with the bra, and enhancers. Then said, "We'll do your makeup and hair first, and then get you dressed. That way, you can use the bathroom just before you put the shaper, and dress on." "Oh. Right. I'd better not drink too much." "Me either." "Why?" "I'm going to wear one too." "Why?" "Because you are." I just shook my head. "All right," Kate said, "Lets get your makeup, and hair done. Then I'll get changed, and do my makeup. Then we can finish getting dressed." Kate had basically setup a dressing table in the pool house, lighted mirror, all the makeup she'd need, everything. She worked very slowly, and carefully, on my makeup, until she was happy with it. Then she worked on my hair, brushing it, and using hair spray on it until she was satisfied. She stepped back looked, and said, "Hi Gwen." I actually smiled at that. Then Kate said, "I found some jewelry for you." "Jewelry?" "Sure. It's a formal dance. You've got to wear some jewelry." "Like what?" "Earrings, a necklace, and a couple of rings." She proceeded to put a pair of clip-on earing on my ears. The earrings were pretty, a hoop with a number of silver strands hanging from them, and hanging almost to my shoulders. She then placed a necklace on me, it was a fine gold chain, with a diamond heart hanging from it. And, the rings she had were very nice, and were adjustable, so they actually fit. Then she took my right hand, and started working on my nails. And, I noticed for the first time how pretty her nails were. She worked the cuticle on each of my fingers, roughened the nail itself a little, and cleaned it. I watched as she worked on each nail, then she carefully chose a fake press on nail, and put one on each finger. Then she did the same thing to my left hand. I looked at my nails, and they were the same color as my toes, but not as pretty as hers. As she got up, she said, "I'm going to change. Why don't you put on your heels, and walk around in them a bit?" "Sure." As she walked into the changing room, I found my heels, and put them on. It was interesting fastening the ankle straps with longer nails. But, I was able to do it. Then, I walked around a little. And, it surprised me how easily I was able to walk in them. Kate had told me little steps, and heel in front of toe. And, it worked. She was back out in a few minutes, and was dressed in only her bra, panties, and pantyhose. I looked at her, and said, "Ah. Katie. Bra and panties? I'm still Gary under here." "Lover," she said, "If I wasn't so modist I would have changed in front of you. This girl loves you. Loves you very much. In fact, if I hadn't promised to not have sex in high school, I would have seduced you by now." I just looked at her, and I guess the look was of complete surprise. I was finally able to say something, and all it was, was, "Katie!" "I'm sorry. But, I just had to say it." "I ... I didn't know you felt that strongly." "We've only really known each other for a few weeks. But, I felt something for you right away. And, I'm tired of keeping it to myself. If I wouldn't have to redo your makeup, I'd kiss you right now." "Katie. I love being with you too. And, ... " I didn't get to finish my thought. By the time I had gotten to 'And', Kate had come across the room, had her arms around my neck, and was kissing me. It was a very sensual, deep, kiss. When we broke the kiss, I held her, and whispered, "Katie. I love you so much." She stepped back a little, we looked into each others eyes for a long time, I pulled her to me, and kissed her again. When we broke that kiss, she smiled, and said, "Your makeup is a mess." "I don't care," I said. "We'd better hurry up. The boys will be here soon." "To hell with them. I want to spent the evening with you." "Gwen love. We've got dates. And, I've got to fix your makeup, and do mine. And, we both have to get dressed." Kate fixed my makeup, it took her a little while, but I swear I looked better then before. She then added perfume to my wrists, and behind each ear, as she said, "We not only have to look beautiful, but smell good too." I then watched in amazement, as she did her own makeup. Which she did very quickly, and when she was done she was beautiful. Her hair didn't need anything. It was perfect, even after our long kiss. But, then she became all business, by saying, "Gwen. You'd better go to the restroom so we can get you into the shaper." I did as she said, and when I came back she helped me into the shaper. Then she excused herself, and was back in a few minutes, and put on her shaper. She really didn't need one. Then came the dresses. She helped me with mine. Then she stood back, looked me over, shook her head yes, and said, "Nice. Very nice." Her dress was very pretty. It was a sleeveless, strapless, floor length gown, in black. Her shoes were almost the twins of mine, except with a higher heel. Her jewelry was also very pretty, earrings that were multiple hoops, a necklace that was a duplicate of mine, and a few rings, including the one I had given her. Terry was picking her up in fifteen minutes, at the house, and she had to get there. And, Bob, who was by now parked on the street, was picking me up, as soon as he saw Terry and Kate leave. Just before she left for the house, she handed me a clutch purse, and said, "You'll need this. It's got your lipstick, a compact, a key to the pool house, just incase you get back before I do, perfume, and some other things you might need." She looked at me, and said, "I'd kiss you again, but we'd never get out of here." I smiled, and said, "I know." But, we hugged. And, I whispered, "Katie. I want to be with you so much tonight." "I know. But, after tonight, it'll be just you and me." Kate turned, said, "Lock the pool hose when you leave," and ran to the house. And, it wasn't two minutes later that Terry pulled up. I couldn't see them leave, but I heard them. A minute after they left, Bob pulled into the drive, and walked to the pool house. I met him at the pool house door, and he just shook his head. I asked, "What?" "God. I just can't get over how much you look like Anne." "Too much?" "No. Here I have something for you." And, he handed me a corsage box. I opened the box, and it had a very pretty wrist corsage in it. I took it out, and slipped it on my left wrist. I actually took Bob's arm as we walked to the car. He held the door open for me, and I remembered how Kate had told me to get into a car. Right about now, I got a big knot in my stomach. Could I back out? Did I want to back out? I looked at Bob, as he got in the driver's side. He smiled at me, and said, "Gwen. You look very pretty." I smiled back at him, and with a grin, said, "Thanks bro." "Not tonight. No way." Saturday, March 11 - The dance As we drove toward the school, we rode in silence. Until Bob said, "I guess there's only five of us showing up with dates like you." "Like me?" "Yea. A guy dressed as a girl." "No. I'm a girl tonight." He looked at me a little strangely, and said, "What ever." "I have to think that way, or it's a no go. So, five of the guys are backing out of the bet?" "No. They had to put the hundred in up front. They either couldn't find someone, or who ever they found backed out. So, the money is being held, and they just lost." Just then we pulled into the school parking lot. Kate and Terry had gotten there just before we did, I watched them walk into the building, and thought, 'I wish that was me with her.' Bob found a place to park, he came around to the passenger side of the car, and opened the door for me. I sat there thinking about this whole thing. I looked at Bob, and as lady like as I could, I started getting out of the car, and Bob offered me his hand, which I took. Surprisingly he let me take his arm, as we walked toward the building. We walked into the building with a few other couples, and there were no strange looks. Only smiles from the other girls, which I returned as Kate had said to do, and a good once over from the guys. As we got to the gym, the dance committee had a table set up to either sell tickets, or collect tickets that had been purchased earlier. One of the committee sitting at the table, was Wayne, one of the group that Bob hangs with, and I figured was in on the bet. As we walked up, Bob pulled our tickets out of his pocket, and handed them to Wayne. Wayne looked up, recognized Bob, then looked at me, and his eyes got big. He motioned for Bob to bend down, so that he could whisper something to him. I heard Bob reply, "No. It's not Anne. Her name is Gwen. And, it's for me to know, and for you to find out." As we walked away from the table, toward the gym, Bob whispered, "Wayne wanted to know if I had backed out of the bet, and brought Anne." "Why?", I asked. "He had a crush on Anne, and thought you were her. But, I told him you were Gwen." As we walked into the gym, I saw a number of people that I knew. Bob introduced me as Gwen, a good friend of Marys' >from Southeast High. Which is the high school on the other side of town. We walked around finding various friends of his, including the rest of the group that had made the bet. I kept looking for Kate. And, had to remember not to talk to any of my friends that we ran into. I figured out who three of the other girls were. It wasn't hard. Two looked like guys in a dress, and the third actually wasn't too bad. And, they were really getting a good amount of razzing from everyone. The dates the other six members of the group had with them looked like girls. I knew three of them. So, one of the other two had to be like me, a guy looking like a girl. And, as Bob introduced me his group, I heard the same answer >from him a number of times, "For me to know, and for you to find out." Bob and I did dance a few dances, and it took me a little while to get use to following, and not leading. It was something that Kate and Mary had forgotten about. The fast dances weren't bad, as everyone kind of dances with everyone. I finally spotted Kate. She was slow dancing with Terry. Not too close, but closer than I liked. She saw me, and smiled. I smiled in return. We'd been there a little over an hour when we finally found a table to sit at. We sat there for a little while, and I finally asked Bob to get us something to drink. While he was gone, I watched Kate lead Terry toward where I was sitting. As they walked up, Terry asked, "Do you mind if we join you?" I just shook my head no. He helped Kate sit, then sat down between us. Bob was back in a minute, set our drinks down, and said, "Hi Terry. Hi Kate. This is Gwen from Southeast High, she a friend of Mary's." Kate said, "Hi Gwen. So, Mary doesn't trust Bob?" "No," Bob said, "Gwen knew that Mary was going to be gone, and volunteered to go with me when none of the girls from this school would." Kate then said, "Terry, be a dear, and get me something to drink." Terry got up, and disappeared. And, Kate moved over next to me. She whispered, "You're doing great. And, I've heard a couple of Bob's friends trying to figure out if he's backing out of the bet, or if you're really a guy." "Yea. I'd like to back out of the bet myself. I'm still nervous." "Love. You're doing just fine. But, you need to freshen your makeup." "Why?" "Your lipstick is all most gone." I reached for my purse, opened it, and went to take out my lipstick, and compact. Kate said, "Not here. Come with me." "Where?" "Come on." As we got up, Kate told Bob, "Tell Terry that we'll be right back." Kate took my hand, and started leading me through the gym. I saw where we were headed, and whispered, "I can't go in there." "Sure you can. A girl doesn't fix her makeup at the table." "But, it's the girl's room." "Duh. And, you are a what?" "Yea. On the outside." "Do you want to go in the boy's restroom to fix your makeup?" "No way." "So, you do it here. Come on." Kate had a tight hold on my hand, and pulled me into the girl's room. If you've ever been in a high school restroom, you know what they're like. Luckily there was a nice long counter, with wash basins, and mirrors. There were a number of girls in there, working on their makeup. Kate and I went to the far end of the counter, away from most of the other girls. I looked at my makeup, and it still looked very good, except, as Kate had pointed out, for my lipstick. I took my lipstick out of my purse, and carefully reapplied it under Kate's watchful eye. She smiled, and whispered, "Very nice. You learned." I whispered back, "How could I help not learn? You and Mary must have put it on, and taken it off, twenty times in the last week." She just smiled. We walked back out on the gym floor, and back toward the table. Terry was siting there by himself, and Kate asked, "Where's Bob?" "Right after I got back," Terry said, "One of the chaperones came and got him. They also got a bunch of others, and they're in the back of the gym talking." Kate and I looked toward the back of the gym, and saw the senior class Vice-Principal, a couple of teachers, and what looked to be the ten boys that had made the bet. The boys were listening, and the Vice- Principal was doing all the talking. I looked at Kate, and whispered, "This isn't good." "Maybe. But, lets wait, and see what happens." "I think I want out of here." "Relax love." Not much later, the senior class Vice-Principal, one of the teachers, and the group of ten boys, walked across the gym toward the stage where the band was. They walked up on the stage, the Vice-Principal said something to the band, and they stopped playing. He then walked up to the microphone, and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention." It took a minute for the crowd to quiet down. And, I whispered to Kate, "I want to crawl under the table." "It may be too late, love," she whispered back. Terry looked at us, and said, "I wonder what they did?" We looked at him, and shrugged our shoulders. Once the crowd had quieted down, the Vice-Principal continued, "I know that the rumor mill has been working overtime lately, and that all of you know that some of the senior boys were going to bring other boys dressed as girls as their dates to this dance. And, that a bet was made among them, as to who would bring the best looking, for lack of a better word, girl." There was some laughter. And, I thought I was going to be sick. Kate put her hand on my knee, and squeezed. And, I took her hand in mine. The Vice-Principal continued, "As you all know, gambling is against school policy. But, in talking to the boys, they really didn't make a bet. They told us that they were raising money for charity. And, it's going to be a nice amount to be given in the name of this years senior class. A thousand dollars will go to a charity chosen by the student council. "But, we still want to know who's the prettiest of these girls, don't we ladies and gentlemen?" There was a lot of applause, whistling, and cheering. He continued with, "Now, they told me that only five of these senior boys were able to find a date like this, and ladies, we know who you are. So, would you please come up on the stage, before we have to call your names, and stand with your date." I looked at Kate. She gave me a look that said, 'Oh no.' I looked around the room, and saw a couple of the girls get up, and start toward the stage. Then another one. I looked at Kate, said, "I love you." She said, "I love you too." I stood up. Terry looked at me, and said, "Not you?" Kate just said, "Yes." I slowly made my way to the stage, along with the other four girls, and stood with Bob. He whispered, "I'm sorry." I whispered back, "Not as much as I am." The Vice-Principal then said, "I'll now turn this over to Mr. Grabber, the senior class faculty advisor." Mr. Grabber walked up to the microphone, turned, and looked at the five of us. Then he turned back to the microphone, and said, "It looks to me like we have some very creative people in the senior class. These girls all look very nice." He was kidding, two of the girls didn't look good at all, one was all right, the fourth looked very good, and then there was me. He continued with, "We've decided that this dance needs a king and queen. And, we'll choose them by choosing the prettiest of these five girls. And, we are going to use your applause to make the selection. So, as I walk down the line, I'll hold my hand over each of the girls heads, and you will applaud for your favorite. The one with the loudest applause wins." I was fifth in this line, and the second girl was a very pretty, and looked Oriental. And, I figured that she'd win this without a problem. Mr. Grabber started down the line. He held his hand over the first girl, and she wasn't very good, and only got a few claps. The second girl, the Oriental one, got a great round of applause, some whistles, and some cheers. The third girl was the one that wasn't half bad, and she got a real nice round of applause. The fourth girl, like the first, wasn't very good, and like the first, only got a few claps. Now it was my turn, and I received about the same reception that the Oriental girl did, a real round of applause, some whistles, and some cheers. I noticed that the real girls in the crowd really gave me a cheer. Mr. Grabber said, "Well. It sounds like we have a tie between Miss number two, and Miss number five. I guess we'll have to have a tie breaker. But, first, I think we have to find out who these two pretty girls really are." 'Oh God no,' I thought. I turned and look at Bob, and from the look on his face, I think he wanted to hide worse than I did. Mr. Grabber then said, "Will Miss number two, and Miss number five, please join me out here." The Oriental girl walked out to where he was standing without hesitation. I hung back for a few seconds, then figured that I'd better get it over with, and I joined them. Mr. Grabber picked on me first, and said, "Miss number five, what is your name?" I just looked at him. Then he said, "Come my dear. Who are you?" I said very quietly, "Gary Cutwright." "I don't think anyone heard you." I said a little louder, "Gary Cutwright." There was a pause, then applause and cheers. Mr. Grabber looking at Bob, said, "Well Mr. Cutwright. You got your brother to dress up as a girl, and come to the dance as your date. I must say that he makes a very pretty girl." Then looking back at me, he said, "It appears that next years senior class is going to have to really outdo themselves to top this. Don't you think Miss Cutwright?" Very quietly, I said, "Yes sir. I guess so." I looked at Bob, and he was looking at the floor. He looked up at me, and I thought he was going to cry. Mr. Grabber moved to the Oriental girl, and asked the same question, "And, what is your name my dear?" And, without hesitation she said, "Jimmy Yamashita." She received about the same applause and cheers that I did. I looked at her, and thought, 'I thought she look familiar.' Jimmy was another junior. She looked at me, and smiled. Mr. Grabber then looked at her date, Dave Williamson, and said, "Mr. Williamson. A very pretty date you have too in Miss Yamashita. Now ladies and gentleman, we need to decide which of these lovely girls shall be queen of the dance. We'll try the applause again. And, if that doesn't work, we'll have to do something else. So, again, as I hold my hand over each of their heads, please again applaud for your favorite." He walked behind me, held his hand over my head, and the applause was very nice. Then he held his hand over Jimmy Yamashita's head, and again the applause was very nice. But, I thought that it sounded a little louder. Mr. Grabber looked at the crowd, and said, "I think we have a winner." And, I thought, 'Not me. Please not me.' Then he said, "I proclaim, Miss Yamashita queen of the dance, and Mr. Williamson king of the dance." There was a big round of applause, and cheers. And, Jimmy Yamashita actually gave me a hug. Then I got off the stage as quickly as I could. But, getting back to Kate wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. I got stopped by a number of people, some just to say how good I looked, and others to ask how I did it. Not one person said anything bad, or harassed me. It was interesting, and the girls were the most supportive. Kate was waiting for me, and gave me a big hug. Terry looked at me, and said, "You sure fooled me. I thought you were a real girl." I got out a, "Yea. Thanks." Then I said to Kate, "I want out of here." "Relax love. You were a hit," Kate said. "A hit? I felt like a fool." "You weren't. You were great up there. And, I saw a lot of people talking to you on your way back here." "I know. It surprised me that no one said anything nasty." "I think people were surprised that you did it, and did it so well. And, did you see Jimmy Yamashita and Dave Williamson dancing right afterwards?" "No. I had too many people talking to me." "They were actually having fun being the center of attention." Bob finally found his way back, and just slumped down in a chair. I looked at him, and said, "Thanks bro. I got humiliated in front of the whole school." "So did I," he replied. "And, you still owe me." "I know. I know." I was ready to get out of there, but a number of people stopped by to say how good I looked, and to talk. One guy even asked me to dance, I wasn't sure about this, I looked at Bob, and he said, "Go ahead." Then, I looked at Kate, and she said, "Have fun girlfriend." It was a slow dance, and the guy, Fred Albright, another junior, was a good dancer, and I just let him lead. I noticed a lot of people watching us. I figured that he was going to ask all kinds of questions, but he didn't. They only thing that he said was, "I guess our class is going to have to work hard to beat this prank?" "I guess we will," I said. After the dance, he walked me back to the table, and said, "Thank you for the dance Gwen." "You're welcome Fred." Terry, and Kate were still sitting with Bob, when we came back. And, Terry said, "Gary. You still amaze me. Can I have this dance?" For some reason that I'll never know, I said, "It's Gwen tonight. And, if Kate and Bob don't mind, yes you can have this dance." Bob said, "No. Go ahead. But, I get the next one." Kate said, "Have fun you two." As Terry was leading me to the dance floor, I heard Bob say to Kate, "Gary's beginning to worry me." I heard Kate start to say, "Don't worry. She's just ... " And, the noise got too loud for me to hear the rest. Terry did ask a lot of questions. How did I get talked into doing this? Why did I do it? And, so on. I guess I came up with some good answers. I didn't get a chance to sit down. When Terry walked me back to the table, Bob stood up, and escorted me back to the dance floor. This was a fast dance, so we didn't talk. And, I saw that Kate and Terry were also dancing. After this dance, I had to sit down. Kate and Terry also came back to the table, and Kate said, "You look like you're feeling better about this whole thing." "Kind of," I said. "Kind of?" "Yea. I got humiliated in front of everyone. But, Jimmy Yamashita had fun when he won. And, now that I think about it, I'm a little disappointed. But, he was prettier. And, the way everyone's treated me. Not one nasty comment, just nice words. Especially from the girls." She smiled, and said, "I'm glad it turned out this way. You've had fun, except for being called up on the stage." "Yea. It's been kind of fun." The dance was scheduled to end at midnight, but Bob and I left a little after eleven-thirty, and Kate and Terry left with us. And, all four of us went straight to Kate's house. There were lights on in the house, so we knew Kate's parents were home. And, we went straight to the pool house. Sunday, March 12 As we walked into the pool house, I looked at the clock, and it was just after midnight. And, Kate said, "We need to get you back to being Gary." Then, looking at Bob and Terry, she said, "Why don't you two sit and enjoy the fire, while I get Gwen back to Gary? And, help yourself to something to drink from the bar, but no booze." Kate lit the fire in the fireplace, the boys walked over to the bar, got themselves something to drink, and then sat in front of the fire. Kate and I headed for the changing room, but stopped when we heard the door to the pool house open. We turned, looked, and in walked Kate's mother. Kate said, "Hi mom." "Hi Kids," Mrs. Branson said, "I didn't think you'd be home so soon?" "We decided to come straight back here, and just chill out." "That's nice dear. Who are your friends?" "This is Gwen. You know Bob, Gary's brother. And, I think you also know Terry." "Yes. Hello Gwen. It's nice to meet you. And, boys it's nice to see you again." The boys said, in unison, "Hello, Mrs. Branson." I just smiled. Kate's mother looked at us, and said, "Can I talk to you girls alone?" "Sure mom," Kate answered, "What's up." "Lets go in the changing room." "Sure." Kate's mom looked at Bob and Terry, and said, "We'll be right back." "Okay. Mrs. Branson," Bob said. Kate and I followed her mother into the changing room. And, when the door closed, Mrs. Branson looked at Kate, then me, then back at Kate, and said, "Now, young lady. Do you care to tell me what's going on?" "What do you mean mom?", Kate asked. "I just got a call from Mrs. Snyder." "Mrs. Snyder?" "Yes. Mrs. Snyder. Paul Snyder's mother. She was one of the chaperones at the dance tonight." I got the knot in my stomach, again. "Oh the dance? Why did she call you?", Kate said. "Yes the dance," Mrs. Branson said, "She called because she knew you and Gary were dating. And, she told me that some of the senior boys brought dates that were guys dressed up as girls." "Yea. They did." I was starting to get really worried. "And, one was Bob. Who's outside right now." "Yea." "And, she said his date was his brother Gary." "Yea." "And," looking at me, she asked, "This is Gary. Isn't it?" "Mom. I can explain." "I hope so young lady." "I can." "Good. But, I think your friends need to go home how." "Mom! I need to help Gary change, and Bob's his ride home." "All right young lady. But, make it quick." "Yes ma'am." "And, then in the house. We need to talk." "Yes ma'am." Kate's mother turned, and started to walk out of the room. She stopped, turned, and said, "And, be sure it's quick." Then walked out of the room. I looked at Kate, and said, "She's mad." "No kidding," Kate said, "I'll explain everything to her, and it should be fine." Kate stuck her head out of the door, and said to Bob and Terry, "Guys. We'll be back out in a few minutes." She helped me out of the dress, and shaper. Then said, "Get back into your boy clothes, and come on out. I'll tell the guys what happened with my mother. Then, I'll get your makeup off. Just leave everything in here, and I'll clean it up later." It didn't take me long to get out of the slip, bra, pantyhose, and panty. And, back into my guy clothes. I walked out into the pool house, the guys looked at me, and Bob said, "Bro. If I ruined things between you and Kate's parents, I'll never forgive myself." Kate said, "Bob. I'll talk to her. It'll be fine." Kate had me sit down at a table, and put my hands into two bowls of warm water. She said, "Those fake nails use water soluble glue. And, by the time I'm done taking off the rest of your makeup, they should come off without a problem." Kate then removed my earrings. And, went to work carefully removing my makeup, and applied a moisturizer. I noticed that a couple of the false finger nails had floated off my fingers. Kate then took my hands, and easily removed the remaining false nails. Then she brushed my hair, and put it back into a male pony tail. Looked me over, and said, "I think I got everything. The only thing is the perfume, and it'll take a hot shower, or time, for it to go away." "Okay," I said, as I removed the necklace. "You guys had better get going. And, I'll go face the music." "I'll go with you." "I know love. But, I'd better do this myself." "Okay. But, call me when you can, and let me know what happens." "I will. Now get going." As I started to walk out with Bob and Terry, I stopped, grabbed her, and gave her a hug. And, I whispered, "I love you." "I love you too." We kissed, and then I caught up with Bob and Terry, as they were walking down the driveway. Bob asked, "Want to go to Greg's? I'm buying." "I guess. I don't want to go home right now," I said. "I'll see you guys later," Terry said. "No. Come on with us. We messed up your night too." "It's not messed up. But, I'll come with you if your sure you want me to?" "Sure. Bob can buy you something too." Terry followed us to Greg's Drive In. And, as I figured there was a bunch of people there who had been at the dance. As we walked in, no one said anything, but we did get some looks, and some smiles. I still couldn't get over how everyone was reacting to my dressing as a girl. The three of us sat in a booth together, and ordered. Then I said to Terry, "I'm sorry about your evening with Kate." "Don't worry Gary," Terry said, "I knew it was a one time date, and that the two of you are a couple. I'm just happy that Kate didn't want to break the date. But, it made for a very interesting evening." I sat there, sipped on my Coke, and just played with my fries. I was hoping my cell phone would ring. But, it didn't. I was worried about what was happening with Kate and, it was getting very late. Terry had already left, and still no call from Kate. Finally Greg's was closing, so Bob and I headed home. Our parents were already in bed, so we didn't have to face them. But, we had talked on the way home, and decided that we'd better tell them before someone else did. I didn't sleep much that night worrying about Kate. And, by the time I got up later on Sunday morning, still no call. I got dressed, came downstairs, and found my parents, and Bob in the kitchen. I could tell by the way they looked at me that they knew. My dad said, "Have a seat son." I sat at the table, and he continued, "Your brother told us about the prank last night, and we're not happy with the part either of you played in it. I can't visualize you dressing up as a girl for any reason. But, letting your brother talk you into it, and then going as his date, is beyond me. What do you think your punishment should be?" "I ... I don't know. But, after what I went through last night, I don't think I need any more punishment." "No punishment? Your brother did say that they brought you up on stage, and said who you were. So, the whole school knows about it." "Yes sir." "And, you're going to have to live with it." "Yes sir. I know." "I'll tell you what. You're grounded for two weeks. School and home, and that's it." "Yes sir." "We understand that Kate was also involved." "Yes sir." "I don't know if I want you seeing Kate anymore." "Dad! Kate wouldn't have done it without us asking her to. It's not her fault." "All right. But, you're walking on thin ice young man." "Yes sir. I understand." I ate some breakfast, and went back to my room. And, hoped that I'd hear from Kate. But, I didn't. Later that afternoon, Bob came into my room, and said, "Bro. I know I've said this before. But, I'm so sorry that I got you and Kate involved in this stupid thing. If I could undo it, I would." "I know," I said, "I'm just worried about Kate. She said she'd call, but hasn't. Her cell phone's turned off, and I'm too afraid to call her house. When's Mary coming home?" "She'll be back this evening." "Will you have her call Kate?" "Sure bro." After a very quiet dinner with my family, I went back to my room. And, I guess Bob went back to his. Because around seven I heard his cell phone ring, and I listened. It was Mary, and after the usual greeting, I heard him tell her about the dance, and aftermath. One statement that I heard >from him, which surprised me was when he told Mary, "You should have seen Gary. After all the mess of being called up on stage, he relaxed. Everyone was nice to him, even the faculty. And, I think he actually had fun after that, until we got back to Kate's." I listened as they chatted some more. And, finally Bob asked Mary to call Kate, and see what was going on. I then heard them hang up. Ten minutes later, I heard his cell ring again. And, it was Mary again. I finally heard him say, "Oh no. They can't do that." And, I knew from his tone, that something had happened, and it felt like my life just ended. I just sat, and waited for Bob to come to my room, and give me the bad news. A few minutes later, Bob opened my door, and said, "Bro. Can I come in?" I looked up at him, and said, "Yea." And, I think he knew, that I knew he had bad news. "Mary talked to Kate's mom." "Her mom?" "Yea. Her parents went off the deep end. And, she's grounded big time. Only school and home, and no telephone, until school is over." "Oh God no!" "There's more." "More?" "Yea. They've forbidden her to see you." I could feel the tears well up in my eyes, and start running down my cheeks. "Bro." Bob said, "I'm really so sorry. I should have never done this." "It's not fair," I said, "We didn't hurt anyone." "I know. It was a harmless prank." "Leave me alone." "Sure bro," Bob said, as he walked out of my room, and closed the door. I heard him go downstairs. I sat, and thought about Katie. How she must be feeling. What we were going to do. How we were going to handle this. I finally fell asleep. Monday, March 13 I got up, and went to take my shower. As I was getting in the shower, I looked at my feet, and it hit me. I still have nail polish on my toes. I'd noticed it yesterday, but it hadn't mattered to me. I finished my shower, and went downstairs. My mom, and brother were sitting at the kitchen table. They both looked at me in away that told me that Bob had told mom about Kate. Mom said, "Honey. Bob told us, and I'm so sorry about you and Kate." "We'll work something out," I said. "I hope so. I know you like each other a lot." I sat down, and ate my breakfast. Then looked at my mom, and asked, "How do you get nail polish off?" "Why honey?", she asked. "We didn't have time to get it off my toes last Saturday." "Oh. Well. I've got some polish remover that you can use." "Okay. After school." As Bob and I were leaving, mom said, "Try and have a good day. And, remember, straight home afterwards." "Yes mom," I said, as I walked after Bob. After we had gotten to school, I went looking for Kate in our ususal place. I expected to see Kate there, but she wasn't. I just sat, and waited as long as I could, but no Kate. As I was walking to home room, one of my friends caught up with me, and said, "Hey man. That was so cool what you guys did at the dance." "Not so cool." "Why?" "Kate, and all she did was help me, has been grounded until schools over. And, her parents have told her that we can't see each other." "That's not right!" "Tell me." As I walked into home room, I got smiles from the girls, a one or two strange looks from some of the guys. But, I got more of, "That took guts, man," then the strange looks. None of this made me feel any better. When our home room teacher, Mrs. McDonald, came into the room, she stood in front of the class, and said, "Mr. Cutwright. You, and a few others, are the talk of the school." I just looked at her. She continued with, "That prank was one of the best that the senior class has tried. And, from what I heard from the faculty that was there, you and Mr. Yamashita made very pretty girls." That actually got some applause, and 'Yeas', from people in the class. I just looked around, and tried to smile, but my thoughts were with Kate. We did the rest of the home room stuff, and when the bell rang to change class, Mrs. McDonald said, "Mr. Cutwright. See me before you go to class." I sat and waited for everyone to leave. Then I walked up to her desk, and stood there. She looked up at me, and said, "Gary. You're not your usual self. Is there something wrong?" "Yes ma'am." "Care to tell me. It might help?" "I guess. Kate Branson, who had nothing to do with starting this stupid thing, but just helped me with makeup, and stuff, has been grounded until school is over. And, we'd been dating, and her parents have forbid us to see each other. It's so unfair, everyone thinks it was a lot of fun. And, it was, until our parents found out. My brother and I got grounded for only two weeks, and he was one of the instigators." "Oh. I see. Maybe a little over reaction " "Yea. Maybe." I went to my four classes before lunch, and I really didn't pay much attention. And, by the time lunch came around, I was getting some interesting, knowing, looks from the faculty, and most of my friends knew what was going on with Kate. As I walked out of my fourth period class, Jean, one of Kate's friends, stopped me in the hall, and said, "Kate's in the commons waiting for you." "Really?", I said. "Yes." "Thanks," I said as I almost ran to the commons. As I walked out into the commons, it was cold, but I didn't feel it. I saw Kate sitting on our bench. There were a few other out there, and when the saw me, and they walked away >from us. It was like they wanted to give us some privacy. I walked up to Kate, she looked up at me, and I thought I was going to cry. I've never seen anyone look so sad. I sat down next to her, she turned, and looked at me. She threw her arms around my neck, and I held her. I knew we would probably get in trouble, but right now I didn't care. I could tell she was crying, and I whispered, "Katie. Don't cry. It'll be fine." "No ... No it won't. Everything is ruined." "Honey. No. Our parents will get over it." "No. Mine reacted like I was pregnant." "I know. But, it'll blow over." "Yea. If blowing over, is me going to St. Mary's next year." St. Mary's is an all girl's Catholic school in town. I said, "What!?" "Yea. They've threatened to send me there if I ever see you again." I just held her tighter, and whispered, "Just remember. That I love you very much." She whispered, "I know, and I love you too." A minute or so later, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked around, and it was the junior class Vice-Principal, Mr. Young. I let go of Kate, and said, "Ah ... Hello Mr. Young." He said, in a fairly apologetic tone, "Mr. Cutwright and Miss Branson. I'm sorry, but we can't have affection shown that way at school." "We're sorry sir. We know." "Can I sit with you?" "Yes sir." He sat down between us, and said, "Mr. Cutwright, you and a few others are really the talk of the school. The faculty knew that the senior class was planning something to do with some boys dressing as girls. But, we weren't expecting that you and Mr. Yamashita would look so good. It actually added some interesting fun to the dance, and didn't cause any harm. I don't know if you remember two years ago when the Principal's car was destroyed? "Yes sir. I do." "I guess a couple of the parents that were chaperoning took offence, and one of those must have called Miss Branson's parents. And, we're sorry for that. The faculty is actually on your side. We've also heard rumors this morning what Miss Branson's parents are doing. Miss Branson, are they really talking about sending you to St. Mary's?" "Yes sir," Kate said. "And, they've ground you for the rest of the school year?" "Yes sir." "And, said that you two couldn't date?" "Yes sir." "Well, Mrs. Browning is going to call both of your parents, if you don't mind, and have them come in for a talk." Mrs. Browning is the school principal. "A talk?", I asked. "We think that they need to see that the faculty feels that there was no harm in what you did. That it was all in fun. And, that most of the boys involved aren't being punished in any way." "You think it will help?" "We hope so. We don't like to interfere with the way parents punish their children. But, since this happened at a school function, we feel that we need to let your parents know how we feel about it." "It's all right with me. Katie?" Kate said, "It couldn't make it any worse. Sure. It's fine with me." "Do you think both of your parents would be able to come in tomorrow afternoon?" "Probably," I said. "I don't know why not.". Kate said. "Good," Mr. Young said, "We want to talk to them before Wednesday." "Wednesday?", I asked. "Yes. The school newspaper comes out on Wednesday." I got that knot in my stomach again, as I said, "School newspaper?" "You, Mr. Yamashita, and the other three, are front page news, and there's a full page photo spread." I put my face in my hands, and just shook my head. "Don't worry," Mr. Young said, "The newspaper staff has done a really nice job. You, and Mr. Yamashita, are really heroines, so to say, for going through with what you did. The other three, well, there's not much about them in the article. And, ... " "And?" "It may be a little too late. But, the year book staff it also trying to get something about it in this year's edition." I looked at Kate, and said, "I guess I'm going to be immortalized in print." I saw her smile for the first time. "Now," as he got up, Mr. Young said with a smile, "I don't want to see any more show of affection between the two of you on school property. But, between here and the door, you'll be behind my back, and I won't be able to see anything. And, it'll be a slow walk." As he got up, and walked away, I took Kate in my arms, and just held her. Her grip on me was like a vise. I whispered, "I don't believe what just happened." "Me either. I hope this works," Kate whispered. "I think it will." I held her until Mr. Young's slow walk got him back to the building. And, as we broke the hug, I said, "Katie. Everything will be fine." She said, "I hope you're right. I miss being with you so much." As I helped her up from the bench, I noticed that she wasn't wearing the ring that I'd given her. And, I asked, "Where's the ring?" "I ... I'm not allowed to wear it." "Oh." "But, I am." "You are?" She smiled a little, and pulled a fine chain necklace out of her blouse. On that chain was the ring. I just squeezed her hand. We walked back into the building together. And, did we did get the questions from our friends! After school, I watched as Kate's mother picked her up. Then, as Bob and I headed home, I filled him in on the talk that Mr. Young had with Kate and I. Mom was waiting for us when we got home, and as we walked in, she said, "The principal called today." "Oh?", I said. "Yes. Mrs. Browning called, and asked that your father and I come in for a talk with her and Mr. Young about Saturday. And, I guess Kate's parents are going to be there too. Did you get in more trouble?" "No ma'am." "Did you know about this?" "Yes ma'am. Mr. Young had a nice talk with us during lunch." "Do you want to tell me what it's about?" "Just how the school feels about the prank." "That's all?" "Yes." "We'll see." Tuesday, March 14 Kate and I were able to get together again at noon. We kept the show of feeling down to holding hands. And, I asked Kate, "What did your parents say about Mrs. Browning calling them?" "They wanted to know if I'd gotten into more trouble," she said. I chuckled a bit, and said, "That's what my mom wanted to know. Did you tell them what the talk was about?" "Just that the faculty wanted to talk about last Saturday night." Our parents showed up just as school was letting out. I saw Kate's mom tell her to go sit in their car, and wait. Bob, and I sat in his car, and just waited for our parents to walk out of the building. It was an hour later when we watched Kate's parents, and ours, walk out of the school. As they walked toward the parking lot, we watched as our fathers shook hands, and our mothers actually hugged. I looked at Bob, and said, "That's a good sign." "I think you're right, bro." "But, we'd better beat them home." "No problem." That evening at dinner, nothing was said about the meeting. And, it made me a little nervous that nothing was being said. Finally, after the dishes were cleared, my mother said to my father, "You now Phil. I think we need to have that framed." "Maybe you're right. I'd bet they'd even give us a glossy of it," my dad said, "And, will Anne be surprised." "Ah. Guys," I asked, "What are you talking about?" "Just this," my dad said, as he reached behind him, and took something out of his briefcase, and held it up. It was a copy of the school paper, and there were Jimmy Yamashita and I in full color, taking up the whole front page, and the headline above it read, 'Two boys compete for Queen of the Spring Dance." I just buried my head in my hands, and said, "Oh God no." "Gary," my mother said, "No talk like that young man." "Sorry." "And, I didn't know Anne had a twin." "I know. That's what Bob said when he saw me." "Don't you want to know about the talk?", my dad asked. "Yes sir." "It appears that the faculty at the high school, and even the board of education, doesn't have a problem with what was done. They weren't happy about the bet that your brother and the others made. But, when they volunteered to donate it to charity, it smoothed that over. From then on, they thought it was fun. They were just happy that the prank wasn't destructive. "I know you didn't think it was so much fun, being called up on the stage, and everything. But, Mr. Young told us, that it was all done in fun. And, that they were very surprised as to just how good you, and Jimmy Yamashita looked. "They hoped that we wouldn't punish you or Kate too harshly for this. Kate's parents were unhappy about it all going on behind their back, right in their own home. And, they admitted that they might have been a little hard on Kate." "A little," I said. "Young man. Just like you. She's still underage, and responsible to her parents." "Yes sir." "They said, that they were going to back off on her punishment." "Did they say what it was going to be?" "Just like yours. Two weeks, school and home." I sat back, and relaxed. My mom smiled a little, and said, "I'm glad to see that look back on your face." "I was just so afraid I was going to lose Kate." "The two of you are too young to be so serious." "I know. But, I can't help it." As I was working on my homework, and my cell phone rang. I looked at the caller id, and it said, 'Kate.' I pushed, 'Talk', and said "Hi." I heard, "Hi." It was Kate. "Hi yourself. Everything all right?" "A lot better then it was this morning." "I bet. My parents told me about the meeting." "Mine too. Mom and dad couldn't get over the pictures in the paper." "My dad wants to frame it." "You are kidding?" "I think he is. At least I hope he is. But, they commented on how much I look like Anne." "I've only seen pictures of Anne. But, there is a real likeness." "You think?" "Yes. You were very pretty." "Thanks, I guess. But, it was you and Mary that did it all." "The outer part. But, it was you under all the fluff." "I hear that the sentencing to St. Mary's has been cancelled." "Yea. But, I'm grounded just like you. Two weeks of just school and home." "Not two weeks." "Huh?" "Eleven days." "Counting all ready?" "You bet. I'll figure out the hours and minutes a little later. What did they say about us?" "I think it's all right. But, don't be surprised if we get a talking to." "I won't." We continued talking for a good forty-five minutes. Wednesday, March 15 All I could think of was the school newspaper coming out today, and it usually was out just before lunch. And, I figured that by now everyone at school knew about Saturday night, even if they weren't at the dance. I was hoping that this would end it. After my fourth period class, I walked down the hall to meet Kate. And, I saw a stack of newspapers on a table outside the library, and everyone was taking one. I managed to get one of the last ones. As I walked to where I usually met Kate, I saw a bunch of people around her. As I got closer, I saw they all had copies of the newspaper, and were talking to Kate. I wasn't too sure I wanted to do this, but I walked up, I looked at Kate, and said, "Hi." Kate was able to say, "Hi Gary." The chatter stopped for a few seconds, as they all looked at me. Then they started tossing questions at me. 'How did it feel to dress like a girl?' 'Why did you do it?' 'Would you do it again?' 'Are you gay?' And, on, and on. I answered as many as I could, in as few words as possible. 'It was just clothes.' 'Because my brother made a bet, and I thought it might be fun.' 'No.' 'No.' Kate and I didn't have our usual time alone at lunch. And, as we were walking towards our next class, we saw Jimmy Yamashita, and he was going through the same thing I just had. He saw me, motioned me over, and the questions started all over again. Kate stood at the outside edge of the group, and just smiled. Then I heard something strange. Someone asked Jimmy, one of the same questions that I'd been asked, 'Why did you do it?' And, Jimmy's answer was something that I didn't expect. He said, "I'm transgendered, and my friends thought it would be good for me to go to the dance as who I really am. So, I did." Just then the class change bell rang, and I didn't get to ask Jimmy what I wanted to. And, I missed saying goodbye to Kate, as the group around us wouldn't let us go. After school, Kate called me, and we talked about all the talk that the newspaper had stirred up. And, we both hoped that it was over. Then she said, "Do you know what Jimmy meant when he said he was transgendered?" "No," I said, "I was going to ask him, but didn't get a chance to. But, I did look it up on-line." "What did you find?" "I found a couple of different meanings. But, I think it's basically being born as one sex, and feeling that you're the other." "Like being born a girl, but feeling that you're a boy?" "Yea. Something like that." "Are you that way?" "No. Why?" "You just looked so good as Gwen." "Looking, and being are two different things." "Yea. But, you were so cute." "You, are so bad." Thursday, March 16 When I came down to breakfast, as usual my dad had already left for work. But, my mom and brother where still sitting there. I got some breakfast, and sat at the table. "Your father left the newspaper home for you," my mother said. "Why?", I asked. "You made the paper." "What!?" "They picked up the article from the school paper." My mom handed me the paper, and continued, "They don't mention your name like the school paper did, but the same picture that was on the front of the school paper is the picture they used. And, the article is more about the dance. And, there's no way that anyone would recognize you >from the picture." I looked at the picture, and the caption read, 'These two lovely girls, can't be boys? But, they are. These two boys, identified as only Jaimie and Gwen, were the finalists for Princess of the dance.' I skimmed the article, and mom was right, it was only about the dance, with one paragraph about the boys as girls. And, the thousand-dollar donation to a charity. I thought, 'This paper is so lame. They can't get anything right. It was Queen, not Princess.' I looked at my brother, and I think he wanted to hide. He knew, without me saying anything, that I wasn't at all happy about all the publicity. Then, as he and I were driving to school, he handed me an envelope, and said "Here." "What's this?", I asked. "Something I owe you." I opened the envelope, and it contained five twenty-dollar bills. I looked at him, and asked, "What's this for?" "For last Saturday." "I don't want this." "You told me that you'd go along with the prank, but that I'd owe you." "Yea. But, no one won anything." "You did." "I did?" "Yea. Believe it or not, respect." "Respect?" "Yea. Everyone that I've talked to, thinks it took real guts to do what you did, and look so good doing it." I just sat there. Then, Bob added, "And, you also found Kate." "Yea. That was the best thing that came out of this whole mess. But, I don't want your money." "Bro. Take it, and buy Kate something nice." I just looked at him, took the money out of the envelope, and put it in my wallet. Things had finally calmed down at school, and Kate and I were alone this morning. She had seen the city newspaper, and agreed that it was no big deal. This was one of our quiet mornings. Not much talking, we just sat there enjoying each others company. And, as we sat there, I tried to think of something that I could do for Kate. I'd given her a lot of grief, and she could have walked away. But, she had stood with me through the whole thing. As, we were walking back into the building, I noticed the ring was back on her finger. Monday, March 27 It had been two weeks since I was really able to be with Kate, other than at school, and it had been hard. They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder. And, if I can judge from Kate's reaction when we were finally alone, the saying is correct. I was finally able to walk her home today, and when we got to her house. And, to that special place, that was out of sight of everyone. The first kiss that we had shared in two weeks was nothing but amazing. When we finally broke the kiss, she whispered, "You don't know how much I've wanted to do that?" "Yes I do. Just as much as I have." With a grin, she said, "Have not." "Have to." "Haven't." "Have." And, before she could say anything more, I kissed her again. And, then just held her. Hugging her just makes me feel so good inside. I took her hand, and started walking toward the pool house, but she stopped, and said, "The pool house is off limits for now." "Oh?" "Yea. Mom and dad don't want us to be that alone for a while." "As long as I can be with you, I don't care where it is, or who's there." Tuesday, March 28 It had taken me a while, but I was finally able to talk to Jimmy Yamashita, and what he told me was very interes