Rock Star Makeover free porn video

Rock Star Makeover "You can't be serious!" "Why not enter the contest?" "Well, duh, it's for girls?" "Doesn't say that anywhere. Says you have to be 15 or older, that's it." "Come on! I know you like Cathy Mason, and that the contest winner gets a meeting with her, as well as a trip to Hollywood for the winner, their parents and a friend. But it also includes a new wardrobe, as well as a 'makeover'. You know, like makeup and stuff?" He just grinned at me. "He" was Gavin Martin, my best friend, and this is our story. I am Noah Alexander, and we were both 16 years old. "And besides which, wouldn't you need your parents' permission?" "I have already talked to them, dude." "You always did plan ahead." He smiled at me, and I had to shake my head. In the eight years I have known him, he has always been a bit... off. But since by then I was already at the bottom of the social pile, he and I became friends, and honestly, I have not regretted it. But this idea...entering a contest mostly directed at girls, it seemed to hold a strange fascination with him, I was not sure just what to make of it. "Alright dude. It's not like your chances are good anyway." "Maybe, but since the contest is doing one of her songs, and since I know all the words to all her songs by heart, I've got as good a chance as anybody" "Want me to help you do the video?" "Got it all figured out, besides, I want to surprise you with the result." "Well, have fun" I went back to my house, and greeted my brother, Adam. "Hey." "'Sup bro?" "Just got in from being at Gavin's." Adam shook his head and said, "I don't know why you hang out with that guy. Most of your school thinks he's gay, and therefore are wondering about you." "Let 'em wonder. Fact is, when I didn't have a friend to my name, he reached out to me, and has done it every time I have needed since. Whatever he is or will be, I owe him." "OK, bro. I will do my best to keep the creeps off your back." "Appreciate it." The next couple of days were pretty typical for us, except whenever I tried to ask Gavin about the contest. He would just smile, and change the subject. Then, things got weird at school. I was used to being shunned for being with him, but now the whispers and stares seemed much worse than usual. When I got home that afternoon, my brother came in and said, "You got to see what is on-line. Someone forwarded this to me, and it is making the rounds at your school." I went to the computer, and soon I saw... He really had gone all out. He looked just like the singer.... And that wasn't the only thing. He had taken one of her songs, a happy little piece about experimenting with another girl, and turned it into... a lament, a wish, a need........ To be a girl. I found myself moved to tears watching. I thought to myself, "If he wasn't just acting, if this video represented his true self.... God, why didn't he ever tell me?" I turned off the computer, and called his house. His sister Terry answered and said, "Gavin told me to expect your call. He asked me to tell you to come over if you really want to talk." That was an easy call. I went. When I got to his house, his mom ushered me in, and called up to his room, "Sweetheart, your friend Noah is here. You ready to see him?" "Send him up," I heard coming from upstairs. Before I could go, Gavin's mom stopped me and said, "I take it you saw the video." "I did. It was...moving." She looked at me and said, "That's the response my .... child was hoping for. I hope your friendship survives this." "Mrs. Martin, I don't exactly know what to make of it. But ... I don't plan on going anywhere." "I think my ... ?child will be happy to hear that right now." I went upstairs, and knocked on Gavin's door. "It's Noah, Gavin." "Come in. I have... been making some changes, though." I went in, and for a second, I thought I was in the wrong room. He didn't look like Gavin at all. He was.... a girl. It wasn't the clothes; it was... just everything about her. I sat down on his (her?) bed and said, "Oh. I guessed, from the video, but ... wow." "I'm sorry you had to find out like this. I just couldn't think of how to tell you." "You were not acting in that video, were you? You want to be a girl for real?" "Close, Noah. I.... think I already am one. I just want to be able to not have to hide that anymore." I looked at her. "I ... I think I see that. In the video, you looked relaxed, happier than I have ever seen you." "I was, and I am." "But one thing. We have been friends forever. How come you didn't tell me before this?" "I was scared, Noah." "Of me?" "No, of me. For a long time, I was scared that I was ... crazy. I tried to hold it in, because I thought as long as I didn't say it out loud, it wasn't true. But it was killing me. Finally, I just had to come clean. I told my folks, and then tried to figure out how to tell you. When this contest came up, it seemed like ..... it was the right time. I'm so sorry." I came close, and opened up my arms. She hugged me, and I said, "I.. I'm so sorry you have had to deal with this on your own. If you let me, I want to help, okay?" "Thanks," she said and then the broke the hug. "Anytime. How are you folks doing with it?" "It was pretty shaky at first. Mom is still struggling, I think. Dad is actually doing okay." "What are you going to do about school?" "Try and hold on until spring break. If I don't win the contest, I will spend the time figuring out what the next step is." "Well, I ... don't know how much of this I understand. But you have supported me and been my friend though a lot of crap. I will be here for you." "I was.... hoping that would be how you felt." "One more question." "What?" "What the heck do I call you? I mean, Gavin is no name for a girl." "I have been thinking of ... Gabrielle." "Cool. Nice to finally meet you, Gabbi." She smiled, and it lit up the room. We chatted for a while, and then I looked at my watch and said, "I better go. Mom will be wondering what I am up to." "You could tell her you're in a girl's bedroom." "I don't think she would be happy to hear that.?But with your permission, I'll tell her about you ... being Gabbi." "I guess. How do you think she'll feel? You think she'll still let us...hang out?" "I don't know. I think she'll be okay. You still want to hang out tomorrow if she doesn't freak about it?" "If you're okay with spending your Saturday with a girl. I don't want to have to pretend to be Gavin anymore than I have to anymore." "You still like bad sci-fi, don't you? We were going to see the festival at the Art Theater." "Yeh. It's still ME, in here. I'm not going to turn into some stereotype girl. A lot of stuff about me will stay the same." "Then that sounds cool to me. I wasn't ready for a tea party with you, or whatever." "No worries there." "Then I'll see you tomorrow." I went home, and told my brother and my mom about Gavin/Gabbi. My brother said, "I ... guess I should have seen that. From the way he, she acts....It makes sense." "How about you Mom? You okay with me still being her friend?" "It's not going to be easy for either of you, sweetie. But I am proud of you for not abandoning her." "That's how you've raised me, mom." "I hate to break up this love-fest, but I'm hungry," my brother said. We all laughed, and started supper. The next morning, I got ready, and went over to Gabbi's house. She answered the door wearing a pair of jeans that stopped high enough that I could see she had no socks, flat but very girly shoes, and t-shirt with the main character from the anime "Ranma ?." Weirdest was she .... filled out the t-shirt a bit. ?I hadn't really registered that yesterday, but she definitely had a bit up top. ?She grinned and said, "Geeze. I've been dressing as a girl for such a short time, and I've already got guys checking out my assets." I blushed and said, "It's not like that. I just didn't expect you to have assets at all." "Not my own, at least not yet. But a little padding goes a long way in passing, or so I've been told." We headed to the theater, and I asked, "Speaking of passing, are you scared? I mean going out in public?" "A little, but my sister took me to a mall on the other side of town last week. Nobody gave me a second look, so I think I do okay. But that's one reason why I chose not to wear a dress or skirt today." "I don't understand." "Noah, when we get to the theater, look at what the other girls are wearing. You won't see many in dresses. I don't want to stand out, at least not today." We got to the theater, and taking her advice, I peeked at the girls' outfits. There weren't a lot of girls there,?but Gabbi was right. ?A few were in costumes, but most were dressed a lot like her. We grabbed popcorn, and settled into seats near the back, like we always did. I found it strange. Gabbi was a girl, in more than just her clothing. And it was clear she was ... happier, more comfortable than I had ever seen her. ?Sometimes that kinda threw me. I wasn't used to spending a lot of time with girls. But at the same time, bits of my old friend were still there. The intelligence modified by goofy humor, especially. She must have noticed my occasional double takes, because she said, "You are having some trouble with this, aren't you?" "Sorry, Gabbi. I guess its going to take me some time to adjust. But I am not going anywhere. That I can promise." "Thanks. Monday is not going to be fun." "Why not go as Gabbi? I mean, everyone has had to have seen the video by now." "No. We need to clear it with the school first. I will just have to be Gavin, and hold on." "Well, you won't be alone." "Thanks again." We went back to watching the movies, doing our usual snickers at the crappy special effects until the festival was over, and then we went to Gabbi's house. I said goodnight, and she looked funny. "You okay?" I asked. "Yeh, thanks for letting today be so ....normal." "Normal? I wouldn't know normal if it ran me over, Gabbi." "Yeh, but it felt the same as the last time we did that, and ... I needed that." She fidgeted, then started moving close to me, and then suddenly stopped, and turned and went inside. "Now what the heck was that about?" I thought to myself and then went home. Sunday morning, as I got ready for church, my mom called me down. I came down the stairs to see Gabbi's sister, and Gabbi herself, wearing a rather pretty pale blue dress. "Hay, Gabbi, I... I didn't expect to see you today." "I... I wanted to have one day of looking pretty, before I had to go back to being Gavin again." "You look lovely, dear," my mom said. "Don't you agree, Noah?" I looked at her, and saw something in her eyes that made me want to make her happy, so I said "You... look very pretty, Gabbi." She beamed so brightly, I could hardly look at her. Church was fine, and if anybody thought there was anything unusual about Gabbi, they didn't show it. Once again, I felt weird being around her. She was girly; there wasn't any doubt about it. But the little bits of Gavin that peeked out threw me. "You're really happier now, aren't you?" I asked her after the service. "I am, Noah. To be honest, to not have to hide... It's such a relief." "Then I am happy for you." "Thanks, Noah. Your support makes this much easier." "You're still my best friend, Gabbi. What kind of friend would I be if I let you down when you needed me most?" She smiled, but there was something wrong with it, and she kept quiet the rest of the way home. After she left, I told my mom about her attitude, and she smiled. "It sounds like she may be hoping to be more than your friend, hon." "No way. Why wouldn't she just say so?" "Maybe she isn't sure herself. Or maybe because she is scared of losing your friendship if you don't feel the same." I shook my head. "I.... I got to think about this, Mom. I... I don't want to hurt her, but I don't know if I can be anything but her friend." "Take some time, hon. Both of you are having to make some adjustments in terms of how you relate to each other. But try and not take too long, or it might ruin what you do have." I went to bed that night with my head spinning. Monday morning, I went to school, half-expecting to see Gabbi. Instead, she was back to being Gavin again. He looked miserable, and I went up to him and said, "Hey bud. You are going to get through this, okay?" He gave me a sad smile and said, "Thanks, Noah." "No problem. Chin up." We went inside, and as I suspected, we were even more outcasts than usual. I kept Gavin close to try and prevent physical stuff, but the occasional shove became the norm. Finally, I said, to Gavin, "Gav, we got to get you some backup. You are going to get seriously hurt." He shrugged. "Like who?" "I could call my brother. Or we could talk to the principal." "Appreciate the thought, but it's only for a short time. They should be announcing the winner of the contest tonight, and either I will be going to L.A., over spring break, or not. Either way, when I come back, I expect to be attending school as Gabbi. Either at this school or somewhere else." "I hope it's here. I'd be lonely without you." He gave me a smile, and for a moment, I saw Gabbi again. The rest of the day, moments like that would keep happening. One minute, he was all Gavin, except even more depressed than usual. The next, Gabbi would peek out, and she would smile, and then there would be this struggle to put Gabbi back in hiding again. I started to have trouble believing this could go on even a week.... That night, with our parents' permission, we sat together with a laptop waiting to hear if Gabbi had won or not. I had mixed feelings about this contest, and it must have shown, because Gabbi asked, "You worried about me?" "Yeh. On the one hand, I could tell how much you want this. But I wonder if you've really thought it through. I'm assuming you want to be Gabbi for the trip, but you'd have had to enter as Gavin. You ready for a bunch of strangers to know they are one and the same?" "I guess I figure it might actually be easier with strangers. Plus, it's in L.A. I can't be the first transsexual person they've met." We waited, and finally, the site holding the contest said that Cathy Mason herself would be announcing the winner in one minute. ?We both fidgeted, and then the screen changed, and Cathy Mason was in front of a microphone. She opened up an envelope, and announced... "Gavin Martin!" Gabbi squealed. I pointed at the screen, and it replayed the video Gabbi had entered, while Cathy said how much she admired the bravery it must have taken to enter it. Gabby hugged me so hard I thought she might bruise something..... Finally, I got her to let go, and I left to go home. Once I did, I told my family about what happened, and I told my mom about being worried about Gabbi. "Well, hon, if you are that worried, why don't you ask to go with her? Didn't you say that the contest allows the winner to bring a friend?" she asked. "I figured she would take her sister. So they can do girl stuff together." "That may be the case, Noah. But you could ask." "Would you be okay with me going? I mean, if she wanted me?" "I think we would survive without you over the break. And her mom would be there to keep the two of you in line." "I don't know, Mom. If you're right about her feelings, that might be awkward." "Maybe. Or maybe it would give you both a chance to figure out where you stand with each other." "I guess I'm still struggling with that idea, Mom." "I know, but ask yourself a question. If you found that you could ... fall for her, would that be a bad thing?" I had no answer for that, so I went to bed. The next day, as Gavin and I navigated around to get to classes, I noticed a difference in how people treated him. There was still a lot of rejection, but a number of people congratulated him on winning the contest, and many of them said they had been moved by Cathy Mason's comments. At the end of the day, I said to him "Quite a bit of improvement, yes?" "Yeh. But it makes waiting harder." "You'll make it. I'll help too." "Thanks, I'll hold you to that." She smiled, and it was all Gabbi talking. I had trouble meeting her eyes. "What?" I blushed. "I... I was going to ask about the trip. I guess you are going to take your sister? Have some girl time?" "Actually, I ... was meaning to talk to you about that. What...what would you say about going with me? I ... I'd would love it if you would come." I thought about what my mom had said, and looked at her in a way I hadn't dared to before. I started thinking hard. "I...I gotta ask, Ga...Gavin." I was stalling, and I was sure he knew it, because I could see the disappointment on his face. She had tears in her eyes and said, "I.. I understand. I guess I was....asking for too much. Maybe I should keep my distance. Maybe you'd rather not be around a freak." She started to leave, and I shouted, "Wait!" She ignored me, and ran off. "Crap," I muttered to myself, and went home. By supper time, I couldn't hide my misery, and told my mom. By this point, I was in tears, and she held me for a bit until I breathe again. "I messed up, Mom. What the heck do I do?" "Your only hope is to tell her that hon. It will work out exactly the way it's supposed to." I tried to phone her, but she wouldn't take my calls. Finally, I had no choice but to go to bed. Wednesday morning rolled around, and I went to school, and got more depressed as the day went on. Every time I tried to approach Gavin to apologize, he would cut me off, and walk away. Desperate, at lunch,?I decided to talk to Mrs. Franklin. She was my Art teacher, and one of the few I had ever talked to before, so she was the obvious choice. She not only listened, but she helped me make something that might at least get Gabbi to listen long enough for me to apologize. When I was done, I hid it, and waited for the end of the school day. I snuck out of my last class, and went to where he would exit the building. I pulled out the little project I had worked on. I figured this might work better if she couldn't see me, so I left my little gift on the sidewalk, hid in a nearby bush, and waited for her to come. I tried to control my breathing, but I kept thinking, "If this doesn't work...." After a few minutes, I could see her coming, and took a moment to say a prayer as she got close. She slowed, and looked at the little bit of artwork I had managed to cobble together over lunch. I had drawn me on my knees, crying, begging toward an angel with her face. Words like "Sorry", "I was wrong," "Forgive me," were all over the picture. To me, it was like the whole world held its breath, waiting for her to decide what to do. Finally, a small smile came on her face, and she said, "Noah? You can come out." I came out of the bushes, and went on my knees. "Gabbi, I'm sorry. Please forgive me." "I'm sorry too, Noah I....I guess I was asking for a lot from you." "Gabbi, look at the back of the drawing." She flipped it over, and then reacted just as I had hoped. She dropped the paper, threw her arms around me, and actually kissed me on the lips. When we came up for air, I glanced at the paper on the ground. The back side was up, and the three little words shone in glitter. "I LOVE YOU." ******* We walked to my house hand in hand. We didn't say much, but the contact seemed to say all we needed to say at that moment. We went inside, and told my mom what happened. My brother came in the room in time to hear Gabbi tell my mom about the card, and he grinned. "Pretty mushy, Noah," Adam said. "It worked. I got my girl," I said, grinning back. Gabbi slipped her arm around me and said, "And I got my guy." ? I couldn't help myself. I gave her a kiss right then. My mom cleared her throat and said, "As sweet as a first romance is, I have to call an end to this for now. Gabbi, you have to go home, if I don't miss my guess." "You're right." She looked at me and said, "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" "Okay Gabbi. One thing though. How do you want to play it at school? You gonna be okay being my girlfriend?" "If you are okay being my boyfriend. It's not like we can be any more outsiders than we are now." "I was kinda hoping you'd say that," I said, and gave her another kiss. "Bye," she said and left. Adam asked, "You sure you're gonna be okay with doing PDA with her in public dude?" "Bro, when I thought I had lost her, my world turned to ash, so I'm not losing her again. And anybody who can't see she is a girl needs to get their eyes checked. Besides, she's right. We were never gonna be in the popular crowd anyway." The next morning, she met me at the door to school, and she said, "I..I'd understand if you ... well, you know, have trouble being with me while I'm still dressed as a boy, Noah." I looked her in her beautiful eyes and said, "Gabbi, I'm the luckiest boy in this school to have you, and I don't care who knows it. In fact..." I paused, and raised my voice, attracting the attention of people around us and said "You are the most wonderful person in the world. I love you!" and kissed her. After our kiss, I peeked at the other students. Some grumbled, some shook their heads, one or two looked angry and repulsed. But a lot of people smiled, and a couple of people actually applauded. She blushed, and we went in to class. The rest of the day, whenever I could, I made a point of holding her hand, putting my arm around her, making contact any way I could. I had a few scary moments with some of the jocks, but it seemed like every time somebody would try to start trouble, another student would step in and defend us. After school, we decided to stop by her house first, and we shared the news with her mom. ?Her mom said, "I.....I'm not sure about all this. Ga...Ga.. dear, please. This is all is... happening so fast, I can't keep up." "I'm sorry mom. Things seem to have got rolling faster than even I thought they could." "I... I know, but I... I wanted to tell you. I... I have decided to not go with you to L.A." "How can I go without you Mom? I still need a parent for the trip." "I know. I have asked your father to go, and he agreed. I assume you still want Noah to come with you?" "Of course, Mom." "How is that going to work? I looked into it, and they provide only one room with two beds. I'm... not comfortable with you and Noah sharing a room." "Mom, think about what you just said. If I was still pretending to be Gavin, would you have minded?" Gabbi's mom looked shocked, and silence reigned for a while. Finally, I said, "I need to go home. See you at school tomorrow, Gabbi. I gave her a hug, and she kissed me on the cheek. Her mom almost choked, so I broke off and left. The next morning, I met Gabbi at the door of school, and she looked horrible. I held her and asked, "What happened?" "My mom and Dad had a fight over me. They were actually yelling at each other. They never yell. It's all my fault!" She started crying. I held her as tight as I could, and then pulled her chin up so she was looking at me "Gabbi, please. It's not your fault. You had to do this. Trying to be Gavin was killing you. They would be burying their son soon, and that would be much harder for them then having you as a daughter." "Th....thanks." "Welcome. Come on, we'll be late for class." The rest of the day, I could see how she was struggling to keep going. I drew her a heart-shaped hug in Art class, and she smiled, but it faded fairly quickly. I felt totally out of my depth. Finally, the day was done, and I invited her back to my house, hoping my mom could cheer her up. Mom was great, as she often is with me. She listened to Gabbi, let her cry, and we both held her tight. After a while, she looked up at the clock and said, "I... gotta go. Sorry, Mrs. Alexander, I.. I..." "Young lady, you have nothing to be sorry for. You are NOT responsible for your parents' choices. You have been given .... a huge burden, and you are making the sanest choice possible, in my opinion." "Gabbi," I said, "I want you to promise me you won't give up. Your dad will help, your sister too. And of course, you got me and my family too. Okay?" "O....Okay. But I better go," she said and then left. After she left, my mom, my brother, and I prayed for her. Prayer is a funny thing, at least for us. It's a...recognition that we don't run the universe. Maybe you can't prove anybody was listening, but letting go of the stuff you can't control anyway seems to help. At least it did for me, enough that I was able to sleep that night. The next morning, I went over to her house, and her sister answered the door. I went in, and saw Gabbi dressed in her boy clothes, sitting stiffly across from his mom. Her dad was hovering nearby. Everything was quiet, but tense, like a fight had just been suspended by my arrival. Gabbi gave me a sad smile and said, "Noah, I need to spend some time with my mom before I go." She must have noticed my blood start to boil, because before I could explode at her mom, she said, "It'll be okay, Noah. Terry can you go with him?" Terry surprised me a bit by saying, "Sure. We'll see you later," and ushered me out. After we left, I turned to Terry and said, "Okay. You can go do your own thing. You don't need to babysit me I just wish I knew why your mom is hurting Gabbi." "Noah, please. She's... struggling with this. You did too, remember?" "I know. I just... hate seeing her hurting." "Me too. But what's going on? Can't you tell me why she's acting like this?" "It's ... not my story to tell, Noah. Just believe she isn't acting out of malice." "Fine. So what do I do with my day? I had planned to spend some time with Gabbi before we went to L.A." "You sound like a man in love." "I.. I am. Probably seems a bit weird." "If Gabbi wasn't Gabbi, maybe. But I'm happy for her. She deserves a good man." "She does. So I'm going to do everything I can to be one for her." We walked toward the local mall, when I made a decision. I decided that as soon as I could, I would ditch Terry and slip back to Gabbi's house. I caught a break not long after we got to the mall, because a couple of Terry's friends showed up, and wanted her to go power shopping with them. She looked at me and I said, "Go ahead, I will just wander around." With her gone, I headed back to Gabbi's house. I went around to the back, and found the spare key Gabbi had shown me years ago. I hesitated. I realized I didn't have the right to do this. I went back around to the front, and rang the bell. Gabbi answered, and I said, "I'm sorry, Gabbi. I ... I really want to be with you. Please?" Gabbi let me in, and "Okay." She took my hand, went to her mother, and asked, "Why mom? Why can't you see this is who I am, what I need to do?" "You don't understand ..." "You're right. I don't. Not unless you tell me. I think I deserve the truth. Because it feels like my own mother hates me, and anything would be better than that." Gabbi turned from her mother, and I held her. Her mother said, "I don't hate you. Gabrielle, look at me." Gabbi turned back. "You are my child, and I love you. And that's why I wish you wouldn't do this." "But why, Mom?" "Because I'm scared for you Gabrielle. You've been ... lucky so far, but all it's going to take is one person who doesn't understand or accept you for you to get hurt or...I don't want that to happen. Not again." "Again?" Her mom sighed and said, "I... I should have told you as soon as you came out. You're ... not the first person I've known that was like you. I...had a friend, once. When her parents caught her playing dress up with me, they freaked. A couple of months later, they shipped her off to a military school to make a man out of her. She...never came back." Gabbi left my arms and ran to her mom and held her. "Mom," she said, "things are...better now. People actually congratulated me on my bravery at school. And Noah... he kissed me mom, right in front of everybody, and you know what happened? People applauded!" I blushed a bit, and added, "And she has something else your friend didn't." "What's that?" Gabbi's mom asked. "Parents who accept her, and won't try to make a man out of her." She reached for me, pulled me in, and hugged us both, while Gabbi and I hugged each other. And...well....there are some times, when it's okay for a guy to cry, you know? ********* The next morning, I was happy to see Gabbi with her mom waiting for us to come to church. "You both look fantastic!" I said. Gabbi blushed and her mom smiled. ? We went to church, and it was pretty good. After it was over, I whispered to Gabbi "I think your mom is impressed by how everyone here is so cool with you." "Yeh, well, before I came here as Gabbi for the first time, I talked with the pastor." "That's so like you. Planning ahead." She just grinned at me. After the service, we parted ways, because I had to pack. I was going to meet them in a couple of hours, and we were hoping to be on our way to L.A. by just after supper. I went to my room, and mom had left me a nice suitcase to use for the trip. Pretty quickly I packed a week's worth of clothes, smiling at the thought of how different this kind of activity must be for Gabbi now. I took my church clothes as the closest thing I had to a suit, in case there was something formal required. I also packed my Art kit figuring I could at least doodle while Gabbi was being pampered. Once I was packed and said my goodbyes to my family, I headed for Gabbi's house. When I got there, there was a different feeling in the place. The tension had lifted, and the release of pressure was demonstrated in every smile and touch between the members of her family. We piled into her dad's car and took off, her mom and dad in the front, me, Gabbi, and her sister in the back. "Good thing you guys got a big van, huh Gabbi?" I said. "Good thing for you, Noah. Otherwise, you would be on the roof." "As long as I get to ride inside the plane," I said. We went to a restaurant to get a bite while Gabbi's dad went to pick up the tickets. When he came back I caught him giving Gabbi a wink, and wondered what was up. "Well," he said, "I guess it's time to get going." "I'm sorry, Mark. I wish I could go too," Gabbi's mom said. "I was hoping you would say that. Cause I got you a ticket," he said. "You did what? How? And what about the things I would need to pack?" "You are going, because our daughters need their mother for this trip. I'm not coming, so that's why you can go. And thanks to your two daughters, everything you need is in the suitcases." "And what would you have done if I didn't want to go?" she said. "Tell you nothing of mine is packed. And convince you that you wouldn't want me running around L.A. in your skirts." "I'm almost tempted to make you go, in that case." She smiled at him. "Next time, dear. I would need to shave my legs first." He grinned. "Fine, I surrender. I'll go," she said, and a lot of hugging and kissing followed. We went into the line to get on the plane, and I noticed they had brought in people to do pat-downs on passengers. I looked at Gabbi, and whispered, "What are you going to do, Gabbi. They pat you down, they may find you're 'smuggling' something you'd rather them not know about." "Already on it, Noah," she said, and whispered something in her mother's ear. When it was her turn, her mom whispered something to the woman who came forward to pat her down, and they stepped behind a screen. A few moments later, they came out, and were waved through, and it was my turn. I didn't enjoy being touched, but got through it, and joined them at the entrance to the plane. "What did you tell her?" I asked Gabbi. "The truth, of course." "A bit risky," I said. "Maybe, but less risky than letting her find out the truth the hard way," she said. I had no reply to that, so I just took her hand and went into the plane. After we boarded, I told Gabbi that I was a little anxious about flying, and she held my hand. I wasn't that anxious, but having an excuse to hold her hand didn't hurt at all. When we got to L.A., we were met by a representative of the record company, and were whisked away by limo to a nearby hotel. We were told to check in, and we would be picked up in the morning. That's when I noticed we only had the one room. "Gabbi, what are we going to do? I'm not sure your mom will like the idea of us sharing bed space now." "You're right, I'm not going to let you two share a bed," her mom said. "But then, what do we do, mom? Noah can't sleep in the hall." "Don't worry, hon," her mom said. "There are two beds in these rooms." We went up to the room, opened the door, and sure enough, there were two beds. "But..." "It's simple. Gabbi and I will take one bed, and you can have the other. We'll make it work." "Thanks mom," Gabbi said. "Welcome." It was a little awkward, but we did make it work. I sleep in a t-shirt and shorts, so I had no worries there, and it turned out that Gabbi and her mom actually had matching PJ's. I took a double take, and Gabbi giggled. "Cute," I said. "So are you, when you have your mouth hanging open. But no drooling at my mom." "You are the only girl I'll drool at, Gabbi." "You say the sweetest things. Mom, I think I'll keep him." "Go to sleep before I swat you both," her mom said. "Yes Ma'am" I said, and slid under the covers of my bed. As I lay in the bed, I realized how much I had changed in my view of Gabbi. Even in pajamas, even knowing she still had male parts inside them, I couldn't even think of her as anything other than all girl. And I was utterly in love with her. Finally, I fell asleep. The next morning, I got dressed, and packed my art stuff in a backpack. Soon, we were back down in the lobby waiting. ?A few minutes later, the rep came back, and with her was the rock star herself. "Cathy Mason!" Gabbi squealed. "You must be our winner. I'm assuming you aren't going by Gavin at the moment, so what can I call you?" "Ga...Gabrielle, ma'am." "Call me Cathy, and it's nice to meet you, Gabrielle. And who is the handsome young man with you?" "I'm Noah," I said, "I'm Gabbi's boyfriend." "Nice to meet you, Noah. Well, Gabrielle, I'm here to help you with your makeover, although it doesn't look like you need much." "Th...thanks. But I do have some ideas, if it's okay." "You won the contest hon. What are you thinking of?" "Well, basically, all I have that's girl stuff is some hand-me-downs from my sister, and that's that cool. But I need.... well I need a good bra." She blushed, and then continued, "And shoes, and maybe some makeup." And so, off we went. We went to a mall, and went into a Victoria's Secret shop. I hesitated, while turning red and trying hard not to look at the posters on the walls of models in their underwear. Gabbi saw my blush, and grinned at me. She went to a rack of bras, and held one up against her chest. She said, "What do you think, Noah. Wouldn't you like to see me in this?" I couldn't help imagining Gabbi with real "assets" instead of just padding, blushed even deeper, while stammering trying to craft a response. Then she held the bra against my chest and said, "Maybe we should get a matching set, so you can try one too." I pushed her away, hard and said, "Stop it, Gabbi. That's not funny." I stormed out of the store. ?I sat down beside a fountain, and tried to pretend it was the spray that was making my face wet. A minute later, I felt someone approach, and looked up to see Gabbi's mom. "Noah, talk to me, please." I looked up at her and said, "Doesn't Gabbi understand how HARD this is for me? When I realized I loved her I wondered, what does that make me? Am I gay, straight, what? And now she wants me to wear a bra? What does she see me as? Who does she want me to be?" I was seeing everything a little blurry, so I didn't see Gabbi come up. "Noah," she said. "I'm sorry. I... Well, you heard my mom and dad before we left home. They tease each other like that all the time, So I ... thought we could have what they have." I got up and looked at her. "Gabbi, I love you, please never doubt it. But I... I can't be a girl for you. I...I like being a boy. I... I'm sorry." ""Noah," Gabbi's mom said, "Ron is a man, and nobody would doubt it for a minute, even if he was wearing one of my dresses. And it's because he knows it, and knows I know it, that he can tease me like that. " "Noah," Gabbi added, "you asked who do I want you to be? ?I want you to be Noah. Happy, healthy, and ......mine, if you can forgive me." I took her into my arms, and gave her a kiss. "Forgiven. You forgive me?" I said. She kissed me back?and said, "Does that answer your question?" We kissed again, until her mom coughed and said, "Okay, if the sorries are done, let's get back to the store, before Cathy wonders what happened to us." "I'll wait for you guys here," I said. "You sure, Noah? I promise, no more teasing," Gabbi said. "It's okay. I brought my art stuff so I could work while you get pretty, anyway." She gave me another kiss and said. "Okay. Love you." "Love you too." They took off, leaving me to think of what I wanted to draw. I smiled to myself, as an idea came to me. "I bet Gabbi will love this," I said to myself. Pulling out my stuff, I went to work. ********** Part 4: I was so far into my work I had no idea how much time passed. The next time I was really aware of the outside world was when Gabbi, her mom, and Cathy came up to me. They were each carrying a couple of bags, and it looked like both Gabbi and her mom had taken the opportunity to get a new hairstyle and makeup. The effect on Gabbi was ?... electric, at least for me. "Wow. Oh...wow," is all I could manage. "You like the look, Noah?" she asked. "Wow." "You said that. Can I assume that's a yes?" "Yes." "Good." She looked at my work and asked, "Is it finished, Noah? Can we look?" "Just putting on my second signature." "Second signature, Noah?" Cathy asked. "I always put on two. One is hidden in the work; the other is in the traditional place." "It's a fun exercise to try and find the first one, Cathy," Gabbi said. I finished my signature, and turned the paper around, so they could see it. "Wow," Gabbi said. "Can I assume that means you like it?" "Darn right you can," Gabbi said. Cathy took a look at it and asked, "Can I have this, Noah?" "I kinda meant to give it to Gabbi," I said. "I love it, Noah, but I would be okay if you wanted to give it to Cathy." "I'd really like it, Noah," Cathy said. "Okay. If it's okay with Gabbi, it's yours." "Thank you," Cathy said, and then took all of us for lunch. After we ate, Cathy said, "I will have to go soon. I have to rehearse tonight, because the concerts at the Staples Center are Wednesday and Thursday. I'll give you guys some backstage passes to the dress rehearsal tomorrow, and front row seats for both shows." I?said,?"Thanks, Cathy. Honestly, ?I'm surprised at how much time you're gave us today as it was." "I'll be honest with you Noah, I hadn't originally planned to spend this much time with the winner of this contest. But when I saw Gabrielle's entry, I just had to do more than just meet her. Gabrielle, you are one of the bravest girls I have ever met, to do what you are trying to do." "Th...thank you." She paid for our meals, and then walked us back to our ride. She gave Gabbi a hug, and then, to my surprise, gave me one too. "Thank you for the drawing, Noah," she said. "You're...you're welcome," I managed. "He's very talented, as you can see, Cathy," Gabbi said. "Yes, I see that. So are you, Gabbi. It's been...an honor to meet you both." We both blushed. She started to walk away, and then turned and said, "You two make a cute couple, by the way. See you both at the rehearsal tomorrow." She turned away, started walking, and soon was out of sight. I looked at Gabbi's mom and asked, "What do we do now?" "Well, we should drop off this stuff at the hotel, and then maybe we could do some sightseeing. Might not get another chance to see L.A." "Sounds good to me, Mom." We went back to the hotel, and dropped everything off in our room. Going back to the lobby, we picked up a map of the sites, and tried to figure out what we could squeeze in. The rest of the day, we had a blast. Being geeks, we made sure a visit to the tar pits and the natural history museum were on our list of things to see. We also did a lot of the places more common for tourism, including the walk of fame and a visit to the Warner Brothers studio. At that stop I said to Gabbi, "I hoped we might be able to see a comic- book movie being made." ? "No such luck, Noah. But I'm having a pretty good day anyway, as long as you're with me." "I feel the same about you, Gabbi," I said, and gave her a kiss. Finally, we went back to the hotel and crashed. The next morning, we got up early, and after we got dressed and had a quick breakfast, I asked Gabbi's mom, "What time do we have to be at the rehearsal?" "It's not until 8 tonight, so we have the day to ourselves. Any suggestions as to what we should do?" "Mom, could we go to Disneyland?" "Sweetie, that's in Anaheim." "Oh." "But we could make Universal Studios, if we hurry." "Sounds good to me, Mom. I always wanted to meet Bruce." "Bruce?" "The mechanical shark. From the movie Jaws." "Fine. We will meet Bruce." So off we went. We were lucky in terms of traffic, and made good time. When we got there, Gabbi's mom said, "We probably wont have time to see everything, so pick and choose your priorities now, okay?" "Okay." The day was great. Bruce was as scary as Gabbi and I hoped, and I discovered the reason why guys ask girls to scary movies. It gives the girl an excuse to hold the guy tight..... Finally, we had to go if we wanted to make it back in time, so we left the park. The road was crowded, but we moved quickly enough, and got back to the Staples Center with time to spare for the rehearsal. Cathy came over and said, "Hi Noah, Gabbi, Mrs. Martin. I can't talk long, but my assistant will show you around." "Thank you," Gabbi and I said together. She smiled at us and said, "Mrs. Martin, I said it yesterday. These two make a very cute couple, don't you think?" "They do. I'm glad Gabbi is happy, that's what matters." "I am, mom." "I'll talk to you guys later. My assistant Alice will take care of you while I rehearse." For the next little while, I think Gabbi was in heaven. She was introduced to all the people who make a performance possible, and was able to ask them about lighting, sound, costumes, and just about everything else needed to run one. At the end, Alice was smiling and said, "Gabbi, you should definitely make theater or music a career. Do you take Drama at school?" Gabbi said, "No. Drama would have been .... torture. To be that close to such beautiful clothes and not be able to wear them, I... I couldn't take that." "But there are lots of plays where a boy plays a girl. You could have gone for that, surely?" Alice asked. "I....I was scared. I was convinced they'd figure out the real reason, that I really was Gabbi. In fact, last year, they were doing a production of Cinderella, and offered me the part of one of the step sisters, and I...turned them down and...it hurt so much, that's when I made the decision to come out, I couldn't take it anymore." I held her tight and said, "It's behind you now, Gabbi. You're moving forward. Look how far you've come." "I would have to agree, hon," Gabbi's mom said. Gabbi wiped her eyes, and we went back to where Cathy was finishing her rehearsal. "Did you guys have fun?" "Yes, thanks," Gabbi said. "Gabbi could have a real future in show business, Cathy," her assistant Alice said. "That's wonderful. Do you plan to go to a performing art school after you graduate?" "I...I can't. I have to tap into most of what we've saved for college to .... take care of my situation." "I'm sorry, Gabbi. I wish we could do both," her mom said. "Have faith, Gabbi. You will find a way. You're a smart girl," Cathy said. "Th...thank you," Gabbi managed. "Anyway, here are your backstage passes for the concerts. Do you want to go to both shows, or is there something you guys haven't had a chance to do yet you would like to?" Gabbi said, "We were hoping to go to Disneyland but it's too far away if we have anything else to do that day." "Tell you what. Come to tomorrow's show. And I will send tickets to Disneyland to your hotel for Thursday." "We....we couldn't ask you to do that." "You're not asking, I'm giving. See you tomorrow night." She gave Gabbi a hug, and then we left. We went back to the hotel, and got ready for bed. Soon I was asleep, and dreaming. The next morning, Gabi asked, "What should we do today, Mom?" "I thought we might take it easy until the concert. We've been spending pretty freely." "I'm sorry mom. I should've been thinking of that." "It's okay hon. You guys deserved to take advantage of this opportunity." "Thanks mom." "Welcome. Let's go eat some breakfast." We had a fairly quiet day. Gabbi watched TV, her mom read, and I worked on some drawings. Even dressed casually and not wearing makeup, Gabbi looked good. Especially when she would catch me looking at her, and she'd smile. It warmed me inside, every time she did. Finally, it was time to go to the concert, and we got changed, and went downstairs. A limo arrived, and we got the red carpet treatment when we arrived. The best part was a number of people took pictures of us, and everyone who did complimented Gabbi on how pretty she was, which made her glow. Once backstage, Ms Mason took a moment to say to Gabbi, "Part of winning this contest means you will be announced during my opening song. You okay with that?" "S...sure," Gabbi stammered. "You'll be okay. Your mom and I will be right beside you," I said. "Okay," she managed. We went to our seats, and settled in. Soon, the lights went down, and the opening act came out. I was not familiar with them, but they were pretty good. After about a half-hour, they were done, and the lights went down again. Cathy Mason came out, and the Staples Center exploded with cheers and applause. When it finally calmed down, Cathy went to a microphone and said. "Thank you very much. Before we get this place rocking, I want to take a moment to give props to a very brave girl. She won the 'Rock Star Makeover' contest, and here is her entry." A video monitor dropped down, and Gabbi's entry was played. The monitor went back up, and the place was dead silent. Gabbi squeezed my hand tight as the moment seemed to stretch for several minutes. ? Then Cathy spoke again. "I can tell you I was moved by her courage. And now I've had a chance to meet her in person, and she is even braver than I thought. Some people would hate her, for wanting to be true to who she is. But, even knowing that could happen, she is doing it anyway, and I am in awe of her. She had to enter the contest with her boy name, but I want to introduce her tonight by her true one. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I give you ... Gabrielle 'Gabbi' Martin!" A light shone on our seats, and Gabbi's mom nudged her. "Stand up, hon," she said. Gabbi shook, but managed to stand. She tugged on my hand, whispering, "Come stand with me. We're in this together." I stood, and Gabbi managed a shaky wave. I raised my free hand and sort of wiggled my fingers. ?Ms Mason said, "That's Gabbi's boyfriend with her. His name is Noah. He's a brave young man too. Come on, folks, give them both a hand." The applause almost deafened me. The rest of the concert was pretty good too. ************ Part 5: The next morning, we were woken early by a message from the front desk, saying there was a message for us. We dressed, and went down. The message turned out to be from Cathy, and it said, "Here is everything you will need for a good time at Disneyland. There is also an outfit for Gabbi included." The outfit turned out to be a copy of Cinderella's dress. She changed into it and I said, "Wow. You really look like a princess." "Maybe. But if I am, it's because I have got my Prince Charming already." We went to the park, and found out that the tickets were V.I.P., and included having our own tour guide and front of the line at every ride we wanted. One of the coolest moments was when we were having lunch, and a whole section of trees and flowers suddenly lifted up to reveal a stage underneath. They then took kids from the audience to "fight" Darth Vader with light sabers. They looked like they had a blast. I sure did watching them. The other cool thing was just watching Gabbi be a princess. Everyone, not just park employees complimented her on her outfit, and every time they did, her smile got a little bigger. The day ended with the Fantasmic fireworks show. It includes using water as a screen to show videos on. Gabbi watched beside me with her arm around my waist, my arm on her shoulder, and her mom holding on to her other hand. It was a moment to treasure, forever. Finally, it was time to leave, and we made our slow way back to hotel for one last sleep. The next morning, we had a leisurely breakfast, and packed up for the trip home. Gabbi looked rather sad, so I asked her, "Are you okay?" She managed a sad smile and said, "I will be. I guess I'm a little nervous about going back to school Monday." "Why nervous?" I asked. "Because I want to go back as I am. I don't want to have to go back to pretending I'm a boy." "You will go back as Gabbi, honey," her mom said. "You mean it mom?" "Sweetie, for the last week I've had a chance to really see Gabrielle in public. Not only are you happier, healthier, and a nicer person to be around...." "Thanks mom." "Let me finish. I have also watched how others treat you. Not one person thought you were a boy in a dress. I.... I'm less scared for you now. Yes, you might have trouble with people who remember Gavin, and so you will still have to be careful. But I know now how much it means to you to try. So you have my support." Gabbi gave her mom a big hug and said, "Thanks!" We finished packing, and called for our ride. Soon, we were going through the airport procedures, and boarded our flight home. Once we were on board, Gabbi looked at me and said, "Now it's my turn to ask. You okay, Noah?" "I'm fine, Gabbi. I just realized I haven't spent a lot of time this week thinking of my own family. ?I hope they're okay." "I'm sure they're fine, Noah. I know you've been phoning every night," Gabbi's mom said. "Yeh. But also, it's gonna be a bit weird to go back to school after all this," I said. "You'll be okay. After all, you got me with you," Gabbi said. "That I do, Gabbi, that I do." I smiled. Once we got back to our hometown, I found my own family waiting for us, along with Gabbi's dad. They had a banner saying "Welcome home." Hugs were exchanged, and we all went to the restaurant in the airport to share stories. "We had a pretty quiet week, Noah," my mom said. "Speak for yourself," my brother said. "I found a girlfriend. I'll introduce you to her tomorrow." "I'm happy for you, Adam," I said, "I'm sure I'll like her." I then told them all about our trip. Gabbi jumped in to add her own story, and we showed pictures we had taken. Finally, I must have been yawning, because my mom said, "It looks like you're pretty tired Noah. Time to go home, I think." "'Kay, mom." I gave Gabbi a hug, and then said, "See you tomorrow, Gabbi." "Night, Noah. Sweet dreams." "Only if they are of you." That got me a big kiss that lasted until my mom cleared her throat. "Come on, Romeo," she said, and took me by the hand. "Bye Gabbi, Love you," I said as I walked away. "Love you too," I heard her say, and then we were out of range. I was three quarters asleep by the time I got home. ******** Part 6: The next morning, I phoned Gabbi and said, "Gabbi, I should hang around here today, I've ... kinda missed my family." She said, "That's cool Noah. I'm sure my sis and I can find some girly stuff to do." I chuckled. "Have fun, Gabbi," I said. I had a nice breakfast with my family, and while we ate, I asked my brother Adam, "You going to bring this girl around? I want to meet her." "I was just about to ask Mom. You cool with her dropping by?" he said. "Sure hon, but why don't you go over there and bring her back. I actually need to talk to your brother alone." "'Kay, mom." After he left, my mom started cleaning up, and after a while, I asked her, "What's on your mind, Mom?" "This isn't going to be an easy subject, Noah. But.. how far have you and Gabbi gone?" I turned red and said, "Mom! Gabbi's mom was with us the whole time." "Okay, dear. But you do realize,?if you stay together you'll want to get a little ... closer ... ?physically than you've been. Have you thought about that?" "I kinda like where we are right now, Mom." "And nothing wrong with that, but in case you do go further, you need to plan for it. Because Gabbi has... a flaw, physically, how are you going to handle that?" "I don't know, Mom. I don't see us going that far right now." "Sweetie, you?went from friends to boyfriend/girlfriend almost overnight. I've seen the kisses you've given her, you are going pretty fast, if you think about it." "Well, what do you suggest?" "I hope you two hold off the heavy stuff for a while yet. But if you feel like moving forward, have an honest conversation with her about any concerns you have. If I know Gabbi, she has already some thoughts on the subject." I blushed again and said, "Not to change the topic, but have you met this new girl of Adam's?" "Not to change the topic my behind. Don't avoid the issue. Talk with her." "Okay, okay. I will, I promise.?Now, about Adam's girlfriend? " "Her name is Francine, and she seems nice." "Good. Adam deserves it. I don't know why it's taken him this long." "He got badly hurt in the last breakup, as you should recall." "Yeh, I remember." "Good. I know you will, but be nice to her, okay?" "You got it, Mom." I played video games until Adam came back with Francine. She was tall, with dark hair, and casually dressed. I stood up and put out my hand, but she turned quickly to Adam and said, "Let's go out, okay?" Adam and I looked at each other in confusion, but he recovered and said, "Sure, Francine, let's go." They left, and I went into the kitchen, and told my mom what happened. "Mom, that was totally weird. Wonder why she acted like that?" "Not sure, Noah. Maybe we can ask Adam when he comes back." I shrugged, and went back to my games. Less than an hour later Adam came back in and his eyes were wet. "What happened?" Mom asked. "I just dumped Francine," he said and sat down heavily. "Geeze, bro. What happened?" "She recognized you, Noah. Apparently your little moment in the spotlight at the concert has gone viral, and some people...." his voice shook, and he took a breath before he continued, "Some people are making less than kind comments about you and Gabbi." "I'm sorry, Adam," Mom said. He said, "I'm going to my room," and left. I went to leave myself, but Mom said, "Wait, Noah." I turned to her and said, "Mom, it's my fault! If I..." She looked at me hard, and interrupted, "Don't you dare. Don't you dare say sorry for loving Gabbi. She is a brave, beautiful girl, and I'm proud of you for standing with her. We knew that there were going to be people who had a problem with Gabbi. Don't let a bigoted girl stop you." "But how do I help Adam? He's been the best big brother I could hope for, and now...what do I do?" "Let him be for now, Noah." "I gotta do something, Mom!" "Go clear your head. Take a walk, and maybe you'll feel better." "Okay." I grabbed a light jacket, and went out. As I walked, I realized I had a serious problem. I didn't know what to tell Gabbi. If I told her what happened, she would be sure to blame herself. But did I have the right to keep it from her? ?Then an idea hit me, I could ask her sister, Terry. I tried Gabbi's house, but they were both out, and I ended up just leaving a message with her mom. I went home, and talked to my mom about telling Gabbi. "I'm not sure, Noah. I know if I was in her shoes, I'd rather hear it from you than find out any other way." "But it'll hurt her mom, won't it?" "Not as much as thinking you hid the truth from her." "I gotta think about this, Mom." "Do. And pray, too." I wrestled with the question the rest of the day. Lunch was quiet, and none of us ate much. After lunch, Adam went back to his room. I was going to try and talk to him, but just then, Terry got back to me, and I told her I would talk to Gabbi tomorrow. My mom looked at me with concern while I was on the phone, so when I got off, I said, "I'm sorry Mom. I'm just not ready. I still got to think about this." "I understand hon." "I can't hurt Gabbi, mom. I'm ... supposed to protect her. Isn't that my job as her boyfriend?" "Which is exactly why she needs to hear it from you, hon. If she finds out you kept it from her, you think she won't lose her trust in you?" "Mom, what am I supposed to say? That a girl just dumped my brother because Gabbi and I are dating?" "You will find a way hon." And like that, a light bulb went off in my head, and I knew how I could tell her. I went and grabbed my art stuff and began working. The rest of the day, I worked on my project. At some point, Adam came out. "Hey, bro," he said. "Hey, Adam. You... okay?" "I won't lie, bro. It hurts." "I'm sorry Adam." "It's not your fault, Noah. Or Gabbi's." We both did this stupid male thing where you really should just give a hug, but because we were both guys, we couldn't do that. So instead we just stood there, awkwardly. Finally I said, "Well, I better get back to work." "It's almost supper time, Noah. Come eat, and then go back to it." "Okay. Adam?" "Yeh?" "I..." "Yeh. Me too, bro. Me too." I found I had a much better appetite. Looking across at Adam, it looked like he had a better appetite too. After supper he said, "You want some help?" "Sure." He messed up my hair and I pushed his hand away, and then we sat down, and got busy. The next morning we got ready for church. Gabbi and her family stopped by to join us. I gave Gabbi my project just before church service, and told her to look at it as soon as we were done. We went for lunch after, and she opened up the paper. On it was a comic strip version of what had happened to Adam, with him as a shining knight refusing to be corrupted by an evil witch. She looked at him, and he told her about Francine had done, and how he had responded. She said, "I'm sorry, Adam. You... didn't have to do that, not for me." He gave her a half-smile and said, "Yes, I did, Gabbi. I wouldn't have been able to look myself in the mirror if I hadn't." Finally, he got the hug he had deserved. From Gabbi, of course. ******* Part 7: After lunch, Gabbi came with me back to my place, and we hung out for the rest of the day. Gabbi made sure to include Adam in our games, and by the end of the day he was smiling again. After she left, I asked Adam, "Well, that was pretty close to how we would've hung out before she came out to me, don't you think?" He said, "Well, except for the occasional kisses you were sharing." "Yep, that part's new. But fun, I'd have to confess." "I'm glad for you bro. Too bad I can't find somebody like her." "You will. You're too good a guy to go without for long." "Okay. That's enough mushy stuff for the day. Let's eat supper." That night, as I slept, I had a dream Gabbi and I being in a maze. At the start of the maze, she was Gavin again, and at various "stations" within the maze, she became a little bit more feminine. What made it odd was that there were voices around us. Some were encouraging, but some were trying to get Gabbi to turn around and go back to the beginning. Then Gabbi seemed to be stuck in the floor, and she started crying. Then her cries turned into my alarm ringing, and I woke up. I went to school, and was totally taken back by seeing Gabbi dressed in her boy clothes. I went up to her, and asked. "Gabbi, what happened? I thought you were going to start attending school as your real self." "After what happened with Adam, I....got scared and decided to come to school as Gavin. I'm.... I'm sorry. Are you disappointed in me?" she said. I gave her a hug and said, "No way. I ... I can only imagine how it must feel. I just...I just hope you don't get hurt trying to be somebody you're not." "Thanks Noah. I...I knew it wouldn't be easy. I... I thought I had thought of everything. But I... I'm more scared than I thought." "It will be okay, Gabbi. But as far as I'm concerned, you don't need to be wearing a skirt to be ... Gabbi. You're just in tomboy mode, and that's cool too." That got me a kiss. The rest of the day was hard, to put it mildly. I could get her to brighten up for brief periods, but they wouldn't last. ?At the end of the day, I told her. "Gabbi, I have to help my art teacher. You going to be okay to go home alone?" "You and your projects. Okay... I'll be all right." Once she was safely on her way home, I ran to the Principal's office. I lucked out, he was still in, so I knocked on his door. "Come in," he said. I came in, and sat down. He looked at me and said, "What can I do for you? It's... Noah, isn't it?" "I'm... surprised you know my name, sir." "I'm not totally blind to what's been going on the last while. About your... friend?" "She's more than that now." "Ah... so its 'she' is it? Well,?that explains a few things. It might not surprise you to know her mother booked an appointment to see me today, but canceled." "I think that's because Gabbi made her. She found out my brother lost a girlfriend over her, and I ... think she's ..." "Blaming herself?" "Yeh. Can... can you help her? Please?" "I'll do what I can. Thank you for coming and telling me." "Thanks," I said, and left. I felt much better on the way home. I was almost to my door before I realized I had just blown it, big time. I suddenly remembered what my mom had said about hiding the truth from Gabbi. I realized that I had just done worse than that. I had lied to her. I had gone behind her back and told the principal. "Gotta make this right," I said to myself. I made a quick call home and went to Gabbi's house. I rang the bell and Gabbi answered. She was still in boy clothes. "Gabbi, can I come in?" She let me in and I said, "Gabbi, I .... I have a confession. I ... I lied to you. I didn't have a project with my Art teacher. I went to see the principal. I ... told him what's been going on." "How could you do that, Noah? If I wanted him to know, I would have told him myself. How could you betray me? I don't want to see you again!" She stormed up to her room. Her mom came in and said, "I heard, Noah." "I'm sorry, Mrs. Martin. I ... I was scared for her. Can't she see I just didn't want to lose her?" "I'm sorry Noah. I'm worried too." She gave me a hug, and I left and went home. That night, I dreamed again. It was like the dream I had t