Don And The Mall free porn video

Don and the Mall. Beep! Huh? Wha? I groggily lifted up my head. Day was turning into evening outside. Beep! The phone! I jumped up, got my feet tangled in the sheets, and I fell on my face. Wotta klutz. Beep! Okay, okay. I stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing my nose. "Hiya honey, how's my boy?" "Oh, ok, I guess." "You guess? You don't sound too great, have you got a cold?" "I don't think so, although I was out in a hailstorm. No, I sound funny because I just fell on my nose trying to run and get the phone." Mom laughed. Thanks for the maternal sympathy. But I chuckled too, it was hard not to. "So how did you end up in a hailstorm?" So I told her about hanging out with Zach the paper carrier and getting to meet his family and seeing their work and then saving Dexter from the raccoon. "Whoa! Donny saves the day! Good for you, it just confirms my opinion that you are an outstanding person." "Aw Mom..." but I liked hearing it of course. "So they had you over to dinner to repay you for feeding Zach, and how did that come about?" So I explained about the pool guys and the police and how Zach had stayed over to help keep an eye out for the bad guys. I left out a lot, such as the lovemaking cats, or holding hands, or what I had been wearing. "Oh no! I suppose I could arraange for somebody to take over things here and I would come home; I hate to think of you in danger....well no I can't because that nasty seller has subpoenaed me to appear in court Tuesday! But I could maybe hire security or something...?" "The police come by every fifteen minutes at night, and the security system is working fine, and nothing happened last night. I'll be fine. Court? What's up with that?" "Oh they are seeking an injunction to prevent the buyers from taking her precious built-in appliances. I'm so mad I could just spit." "What about the other two deals?" "The mold got resolved, both sides renegotiated to cover it. It wasn't a super serious problem but it did have to be dealt with, so now that is ok. I expect the new crew to get the perc test at the other place done right away and then we'll see; I expect it will work out okay. So that just leaves this witch." "If anybody can handle her, you can, Mom. You're smart and tough." Which was the plain truth. She is a great person, but you don't want to mess with her. "Flatterer. So, it sounds like you're already making friends?" "People here seem amazingly nice." I told her about the thrift shop guy and the folks at the Italian restaurant, how friendly they had all been. Of course, I did not tell her that they were being friendly to somebody who looked and talked and acted exactly like her daughter, my older sister Donna. "Mom, you remember how you explained about those things Sis used to wear, the weird padded panties, and the bouncy bra insert things? You said she was just expressing herself, presenting herself to the word in a positive way, making a statement?" "Yes, mm hm...?" "Well, it got me to thinking. I have never done that. I just would hang around in the background and blend in with the potted plants. I mean, look at my clothes. Baggy shapeless stuff. And I never made an effort to greet people and be friendly or confident or anything. So what I am saying is, I'd like to change that." "Got any special plan in mind?" She was cool about it, like I expected she would be, not agitated or anything. But did I really have anything in mind? I wasn't really sure any more. I didn't like being me, that was for sure. But I didn't just want to be a clone of my sister, either. "Ah, well, I have been trying to be more outgoing and it has been working well I guess, but I need to be more myself only I am not sure what that means? It sounds all confused but that's me right now, I'm all confused. I guess I want to find some brand new style that's not like the old me but not just a copy of somebody else. I want to invent a new "me". But I have no picture of what that's going to mean." "Oh Don," I noticed she didn't call me "Donny" this time, "I know this is a transition time for you, with the move, and your age....Right now I wish more than ever that your Dad was here. You need a man to talk to. I...I don't feel adequate. I'm here for you, and if you say I should come home right now I will and let my attorney find a way to keep me out of trouble with the judge. I...I love you, I guess that's all I can say." And she started to cry. I almost never heard Mom cry. She was strong, she was the one who worked and studied and held the family together, taking good care of us while becoming a big success in her business. I couldn't say anything. "I'm sorry Mom, I didn't want to upset you, it's just that this has been on my mind and I thought I should say something." "Oh you didn't do anything wrong! I did, by coming back out here in the first place. I should just have stayed home with you." "But Mom, I still have to face these questions anyway, figuring out who I really am and who I need to become. I love you too. I know you always want what's best for us. Maybe this is all for the best. This situation has allowed me to face myself. Now I need to figure out just who is looking back at me." She sighed, a long drawn-out sound. "Here's a long distance hug, Don. As soon as I come home, we'll have some serious talking time together. Maybe we can go to that forest preserve you said your new friend showed you. Find a tree to sit under or something." "I'd like that Mom. I'd like it a lot. I really do need you to help me sort things out." So we talked some more and then said loving things again and hung up. I went around and made sure all the doors and windows were locked. I turned on the area lights outside, and made sure the security system was armed. So far, so good. Then I went back to bed, still buck naked and unadorned. I wasn't sad any more. That phone call had helped me realize that I just needed to step back, take a good look at everything, and make my own decisions. Tomorrow I would begin again to express the real me, whoever that was. It seemed like no time at all before I woke up again. There was a "thud!" on the front steps. I cautiously opened the door; there was the morning paper. Zach was up way before me. I brought the paper in; a note was stuck under the rubber band. "What a great weekend!" it read. "Best time I've had in years! and you were fantastic with the Dexter creature; the parental units love you. School is over Friday, and I'm looking forward to more good times together!" I sighed. I liked Zach, I really did, but I couldn't tell him the truth. Suppose I decided to drop this Donna iompersonation? I really don't like just simply copying her. If my new style had no more disguise element, I know he would be shocked, and probably disgusted. I padded into the bathroom and looked at the image of my naked body. Not impressive. What if I beefed up? I could have a new image and still be a guy. I hunched over and made like a crab shape with my back the way the wrestlers do, and curled my arms in front of me. I clenched my fists and flexed my biceps. "Grrr," I said, fiercely. What biceps? I looked at myself, I was a joke. I looked like an angry rooster. So what self could I express as a guy that others would accept? I wanted to be smiled at the way I was when I was Donna's clone, but I didn't want to just be a clone. Well, some skinny guys could look dapper. Wear the latest styles. Be sophisticated and debonair. Know the names of jazz artists. Who is showing at the gallery this season. Be able to order in French. Hmmm. I raided my stash of new stolen clothing but did not find anything suitable. Mom, however, had a couple turtleneck pullovers, just the thing for this new role. I popped a black one on and looked for an ascot. Of course there weren't any, but Mom had a couple lightweight scarves, not the heavy winter kind. I chose a white one and tossed it around my neck, in what I hoped was a debonair way. Sunglasses? Yup, there were a few around, damaged ones but good enough for my purposes. Hats? These guys always wore hats, for a Euro look. A fedora maybe, or even a beret. Something you could tip over one eye. Mom had a hat like you wear in the Alps, Tyrolean or something? It had a feather in it, and made me think of William Tell. I put the hat on at a rakish angle and looked in the mirror. "Oho my cherie, you and me, we make together ze sweet musics, non?" But I almost choked myself laughing. All I could think of was that romantic cartoon skunk. Whew! No, that was not gonna happen, no way. So what was left? I refused to go on being a mirror image of Sis, but maybe I could build off of what I had learned by being her and go on to be my own person...my own woman. I got out my old student ID card from back home. Mom had a scanner printer; I ran it through there. Then I uploaded the image and used a photo modifier program to change the "Don" to :"Dawn," not hard at all. Then I added two years to my age, just changing one numeral. What about the image? I had no choice but to become Sis again until I became someone else. I made the transformation a thorough one. Steamy shower, open the pores. Cool off with a refreshing spray. Buff and lubricate the rough ankles and elbows. Exfoliate, tone, mositurize. Then the makeup, being very careful and thorough. First the pink liner inside my bottom eyelids. This hurt but I believed it had a wonderful subconscious effect on people, helping them think I was warm and friendly. My brows were fine, they had not instantly regressed into being wooly bear caterpillars. Light shiny stuff under my brows, then filling in below with darker warmer color, then dusky shadow near the lids, smudged outward beyond the corners of my eyes. Black liner, volumizing mascara. A little light color on the apples of my cheeks, to echo the color inside my lower lids. Not deliberately sexy, not "made up" looking, just healthy and friendly. Next the lips. I had heard about lining them first but had no idea how to do this so I stuck to what I had done first, a creamy moisturizing mauve color with some dabs of gloss afterward. I attached the clip-on hair extensions with great care, getting them positioned just right, and then moussing and volumizing and combing so that they blended in as well as I could get them. After today, I did not intend to use them again. Then the molded microfiber bra and the silicone enhancers, I wiggled those things up and down to get them settled properly in place. It reminded me of times when I was trying to net a wriggling fish I had hooked. Over that went a nice neat looking lightweight, white button-up style top with a V-shaped neckline that did not plunge much, very discrete and demure. Perfect! Just right for an official photo (other than my bottom half, which was still naked boy, but that didn't matter). Using my phone I took a picture and uploaded it to Mom's computer. Then I cropped that image and used it to replace the image of my former face- how odd and funny it feels to say that- on my old ID. Now I ran off a couple copies of the fake ID, put one in my dresser, and took the other down into the basement. Mom had a laminator she had bought for making plaques and awards for her staff. When Zach and I had unpacked, I had stored it down here. Finding the plastic material was hard, but laminating my new card was easy. I just put the new stuff right on top of my old card. Nobody could ever tell the difference. I checked my fake nails. They needed work, but I would save that for the professionals at the mall. The silicone padded panties were next. If you did not know better, they would seem just like ordinary panties, cotton with white eyelet trim, the same usual shape. But hidden inside was the silicone form that rounded my backside while tucking my front parts out if sight. I realized with a pang that I had missed wearing them. They were hot in this weather, but they made me feel so good, so right somehow. Weird. Then some skinny jeans. I might get some nice things at the mall, but it would be a big spread-out place and I wanted to be comfortable as I walked around. Was something missing? Oh of course, everybody carries a purse or bag. I made sure my simple one (white, for summer) carried some tissues, a lipstick and mascara, my wallet (an old one Sis had left since mine was too fat), some change, a piece of paper with Mom's number on it. and I even rummaged around in the bathroom and found a spare sanitary napkin. If somebody saw me reaching in my purse, that item might help confirm my diguise. Likewise for the feet; I put everyday sneakers over sock liners. Maybe I would get heels today, but no way would I walk all over the mall in them. Earrings, check. Actually just sparkly stick-on decals, but that would change today too. Lastly I spritzed on some scent that Sis had left. Lemon and musk or something. I would try to find my own scent today, too. I went into the garage and raised the outer door. Hmm,. maybe I'd better take a backpack. Oh, and a bike chain lock. I knew where my old one was, and at least I knew what the combination was, so I took it. It had red and black plastic on it but I was sure nobody would look to see whether somebody's bike chain was for boys or for girls. Zach had pointed out the nearest bus stop to me so I tried just riding over there, but that stop had no place safe to keep my bike, so I kept on going. I rode downtown (mostly downhill) and looked where all the buses were going. I just followed them right to the central terminal. They had lots of bike racks there, so it was easy to find an open spot. I locked up the bike. Hey, that chain lock did look ugly next to the pretty bike. Oh well. I went into the main office there and got a one month pass, using mom's debit card. The man asked for ID and I showed him my new forgery, the one for Dawn, and he wanted another source of ID too since I was from an out of town school, but I explained about just having moved here so that was ok. He took a new photo of me (I wish I could have had this done after the makeover I was about to get, but you can't have everything) and in a minute I had a brand new card that said that Dawn Symonds, two years older than I really was, of such and such address, was allowed to ride the bus for a month. Just having that thing in my purse felt great. It was easy to get a bus from there to the mall, they ran every few minutes. There was a crowd on the bus but I got seated with no problem and nobody stared at me. Except maybe for a couple younger guys, but what their looks conveyed was not suspicion. I squeezed my knees together and stared down at my feet until we all got off. We pulled off at the main entrance and I got off with everybody else. It was already getting hot out, even this early in the morning. I marched in the gate with the rest of the bus people. We all coughed from all the smoke of people who were finishing up cigarettes before they went inside. The place was huge, they had a fountain, and a carousel, and stairs and escalators both, and a friendly looking person at an information booth. Rather than bother her though, I headed straight for the first thing that caught my eye. There, between the fountain and the carousel, was a kiosk selling earrings, and the sign said they did piercings. I saw a girl sitting there wincing, and there was a short line. The guy doing the piercings was brusque and very matter-of-fact. "Take a number" was all he said to me, he didn't talk to anybody, or smile either. But his license was hanging on a peg behind him, so I was reassured that this was a safe place. It didn't take long for my turn to come. He swabbed each earlobe, I asked, "Is this going to hurt much?" and ZAP! I was done. "Yeah, a little" he said then, with a half grin. He gave me a booklet on how to care for it. "Can I get earrings now?" "Sure, but they need to have gold posts. Other metals don't work as well at first. After maybe a month you can come back, we'll check you, maybe then you can get some other stuff." So I got gold posts, and two shiny pairs of earrings, not huge, but glittery. They danced around when I moved. "So what do I do now?" "It's in the booklet. Next!" Okay, that was the best I could get out of him. Now I did have to go back to the information person, to get directions to a good salon. That guy at the kiosk was never going to waste his breath telling me directions. "The best? I am not allowed to give opinions, since I work more or less for all the shops. But I can tell you an undeniable fact, which is that I myself go to Jackie and Jill's's. Just go back past the ear piercing place, and past the fountain, and bear right." She gave me a friendly wink, so I knew this was her way of telling me which place she thought was "best". "Thanks!" I bubbled. "You're great!" "Oh really? Then would you mind filling out a brief customer survey here on this computer screen?" So I basically told the computer that this person was great, and then it was her turn to say thank-you to me. Off I went, past the busy ear guy, around the fountain- kids, don't play in there, it's not safe! I wanted to shout- and there it was, Jackie and Jill's. There was a counter in front, with a guy sitting there. "Oh hi!" I said. "Since you can't be Jill, you must be Jackie, am I right?" He laughed. "I'm just the hired help." He had beautiful teeth, his tanned-looking skin made them even nicer looking. Or was he Latino, or Greek? Where was my mind going? He was still trying to talk to me. "I am just the pretty window dressing up front. Like law offices have a nice looking lady for a receptionist, right? But here most of the customers are women, so they put me out here to draw them in. Like bees to honey." Some of the stylists behind him groaned. "Ignore him girl, he's taken." Then I did notice a gold band on his finger. "Old habits die hard," he said with a smile and a shrug. "So, how can I help you?" "Well, ah, erm, see it's like I have hairstyle regret? I mean, my last cut is way too boyish (which of course it was) so until it grows out I need some help, like maybe extensions or something?" "Aha, you have come to the perfect place! Jackie is famous throughout the region for her extensions. She's just finishing up, there in the back, so take a chair, it will only be a few minutes. Your name please?" I took a chair, the place was busy so they must have a good reputation or good prices, either way it worked for me. I picked up one of the magazines. "How to tell if he's cheating" said the main article. Nope, not my concern, at least not yet. "How to get the look that is truly 'you'," now that was something that grabbed my interest. They had a website where you could go and upload a picture of your face and then try on different outfits, shoes, and even change your hair! I tore off a corner of the page and wrote down the web address. Then I read some advice, and it surprised me by talking as much about hygiene and behavior as it did about clothing. Well, that did make sense, it was all about the self that you were projecting to the world. "Don?" somebody called, and I stood up. Then I fell into a panic, I should not identify myself as Don today! Then I figured that the guy at the counter and Jackie and anybody else would naturally be calling for "Dawn," not "Don," so I walked over to the lady who had called me. I say "lady" but she was probably closer to my age than to Mom's. African American, pretty, svelte, another great smile. For a place that worked with hair, these people had great dental work. "Hi Jackie!" I said in what I hoped was a friendly way. "That's me!" she confirmed. "And this is my partner Jill." Now Jill did look like she could be Mom's age, she was rail thin, with close cropped reddish blonde hair. She gave me a smile and a nod. "So, how can we help you?" That was what the guy had said, it must be their standard phrase. Without saying anything, I simply removed my clip-on attachments, one after the other. "Oh!" gasped Jill. "Yeah, I see," mused Jackie. "So, you figured out a boy cut was not for you, but now it's too late? Well, it's never too late! Jackie and Jill are the queens of extensions..." "and weaves!" bust in Jill. They both chuckled. "Yeah, it was what brought us together, our skills. Between the two of us, we make an operation that nobody in the area can beat. We have hundreds" "Thousands!" (another interruption) "...of customers but you could never tell because our results look so natural," finished Jackie, with an annoyed look at Jill, who just stuck out her tongue. Clearly these two were old friends. "I would like something shoulder length, but I guess that would be unrealistic?" I started. They agreed, yes, that was asking too much. But if that meant I did want something more feminine with some style to it, no problem. And as it grew out, they could modify into a longer look. Fine. So they showed me a couple catalogues. They were pictures in plastic sleeves all held together in 3-ring binders. Each picture showed a front view, and a view from the side and back. While I thumbed through the pictures they went off to talk to other customers. When they came back I had narrowed it down to three possible choices. "Sorry kiddo," said Jackie, "your first choice is still too long. The others would both work well for you though." One was very full and drew attention upward, it was almost fluffy, but had some shape. I thought of heroines in anime I had watched. Ranma! How amusing. But his hair did get full on top when he changed (plus he got a braid, didn't. he?) But I did not want to look like an anime figure. All three of us talked it over and agreed on the other style. It would part off more to one side, with the hair swept back across my forehead. There were two long wings coming down in front of my ears, across my temples and under my cheekbones, framing my jaw line. You could see the ears, and then behind them there were wavy curls going down the back of my neck. It was kind of sophisticated for my age, or even the age I was pretending to be, but it did not look at all like Sis. "Now, if you allow us, we would like to add some weave as well as extensions, because you really did damage your cut. We also want to include some subtle colors and highlights, nothing too obvious, just to add interest." "What sorts of colors?" I asked nervously. "Oh, a dark blue, like ultraviolet, and a dark magenta. Just a few streaks, a few hairs here and there. You will not look like a Halloween character." They both hovered over me and went to work. I could not read or watch tv very well so I just closed my eyes and meditated. or daydreamed. I saw a crowd on its feet, cheering. A pack of runners was coming into view. Some were struggling for position but the leader was running easily, barely breaking a sweat, maintaining a healthy distance over the runner up. Her dark, shoulder length hair flew out behind her (okay, it would have to be windy for that to happen, it would be sticking to her otherwise, obviously, but hey, this is my fantasy. Go edit your own.) "Dawn Symonds wins the 10k! Congratulations to the young phenom, her third win this year!" The winner held up the trophy in her graceful arms, and turned around and smiled brilliantly at all her adoring fans. "Dawn! Dawn!" they chanted. "Dawn! Dawn!" What? "Ah, erm, uh, what...?" "Dawn, wake up, sleeping beauty, you're perfect now." The two of them were giggling at me as I shook myself out of my dream. Jill held out a mirror to me. I felt like it was hard to breathe. I had expected a change, but this person looked exactly like the model in the catalogue, and I do mean exactly. except I was prettier yet, with these subtle glints of color peeking out. "Gurk" I squawked eloquently. "I think she is trying to say 'I love it!'" laughed Jackie. "Or, 'Good job, here's your generous tip!'" hinted Jill. I laughed with both of them. "I feel like saying both things at once. Remember, I'm just a kid, so the tip has to take Mom's bankroll into account." "Oh, pfft," Jill waved it off. "No problem, I was just joking." They gave me a video disc with instructions, warning me not to be too rough on my hair, like I should pat it dry and not rub it, and don't blow dry with high heat. Wear a scrunchie at night, and put my hair up in a bun until morning. They gave me a special brush and conditioner. I should condition twice a day, but not shampoo for five whole days! yuk! "What about swimming?" I asked. "Wear a swim cap" they replied briefly. Most people could get by with a pony tail, but I did not yet have enough in back to shape into a tail. They could tell I was really excited, and I felt like they enoyed my reaction. We shared a three way hug. As I paid up, they called out to me "One month, ok? See us in a month and we'll check everything out." I nodded and waved. As an afterthought, I asked the handsome vain guy at the counter about nail parlors, or did Jackie and Jill do nails? "It's not really their thing, although they will do it if you insist. But I can tell you where the two girls go" as he gestured toward his bosses, "they go right around to next corner, opposite the way you came in. Just ask for Ms. Nguyen" he added with an odd quirky grin. So off I went again. What time was it getting to be? I realized for the very first time that I had entirely skipped breakfast, which I never ever do. Clearly my mind was preoccupied. "Grrr!" My stomach sounded the way I had this morning when I was pretending to be a wrestler. "Hush!" I told it. "One more stop and then you'll be fed." There it was, the one more stop I was looking for, right around that corner. I walked in and asked for Ms. Nguyen, the way I had been told to do, and was greeted by polite chuckles and giggles. I looked questioningly at everybody. Three attractive ladies stepped forward. One looked not much older than Sis. "I am Ms. Nguyen," she said. Another stepped up beside her; she could have been Mom's age. "I am Ms. Nguyen," she also said. Then an older lady stepped forward, still looking very elegant, with little gray in her hair, but clearly the eldest of the three. "Shall I tell you my name as well?" she asked, with a twinkle in her eye. Oho, I got it. The guy had been having a little joke at my expense. "Let me guess; it's a family business?" I asked. They all nodded affirmatively, and looked at each other with obvious affection. "Well, I need some help with damaged nails, maybe an acrylic application? But I only need one of you to help me, so the other two can be spared from dealing with me." The older two nodded and pushed the younger one forward. She took my hand and saw at once what was going on. "What are you covering up here?" she queried. "Bitten nails," I confessed. "Let's go over here." So I got comfy in a reclining chair, and she gently and carefully removed the fake green nails. I was afraid I would get scolded when she saw what was underneath, but she just shrugged and said "Meh, I've seen worse. So sure, we can't give you a regular manicure just yet, but an application should work just fine. Acrylic looks good; gel looks and works better but costs more." Ho boy, here we go again. Poor mom and her bankroll. But I was only going to do this once, at least I was only going to go all out this one time, to see what results I could get. "Let's go with the gel," I said, "but I've never done this before so I hope you will explain things, and teach me about what to do and what to expect." The girl smiled brightly at this. I deduced that she liked me respecting her expertise, especially in front of her older family members. "Yes! Then let us begin." She actually started with a basic manicure, working on my cuticles, smoothing the nails, buffing them and everything, carefully scraping them clean underneath. "The gel may feel a little strange at first, but it is perfectly safe" she explained. She pressed a bead of material onto my nail and smoothed it all around; then she added something on top of it and began rubbing and smoothing. It looked funny, not real at all. Maybe she saw my quizzical look. "Oh, we color this once it is all ready. You see, every person has a slightly different skin tone, so we do not use nails which are precolored. We start with what you call a "blank slate" and add color to match your own." I was impressed. A light pink went over my whole nail. Then white was applied underneath the tip. She didn't get any on my skin itself, but the whole tip looked pinkish white. Then a couple more outside coats of color over the lower part. I had to hold very still and not mess anything up. After a few were finished, she went back and buffed them carefully, looking for imperfections. "Grrr!" "Excuse me? she asked surprised. I blushed. "It's just my tummy telling me I forgot breakfast" I admitted. She giggled. "Here, have some cashews. I keep a stash around in case of emergencies like this." I gratefully chewed the nutty treats as she chatted about their work. It took a lot of time and effort every day, but they had built up a great return business and had a big home in the suburbs, with a pool. Perfect for this hot weather. "Oh, a pool! Can I swim with these things on?" Yes but do be careful to dry off thoroughly afterward, and never let any water get between my real nail and the application or bad things would happen. "The Jackie and Jill salon (they recommended this place, by the way) told me to come back in a month. Can I do that here too?" She shook her head. "Three weeks is the most you can safely wait. There can be problems after that. But we are not looking for extra business. If your nails look fine, we will go ahead and send you home for a couple more weeks, and call it a free consultation. We just want you to keep looking good; our reputation depends on it." Before long we were all done. I held up my hand, palm outward, fingers spread, and admired the work. My fingers had honestly never looked this good. They seemed long, slender and graceful. The white part was a little brighter than normal but the whole effect seemed natural and appealing, not dramatic or overdone. "Like it?" she asked hopefully. "LOVE it!" I enthused. I felt like I had made her day, she smiled so much. My manicurist and her mom gave me directions first to the food court and then to both of the big chain department stores. That was where I could find high quality makeup, they told me. "I will be back in two weeks," I promised them. That way, if they gave me an additional two weeks, the second time I came back could be the same time I returned to the hair salon. Suddenly it hit me; what if Mom disapproved? A little late to have it hit me, huh? But what if I had to return right away to have all this work undone? The hair, the nails...what about the ears? How embarassing! Humiliating! I almost broke down in tears. Then I considered Mom. She had strong opinions, but she was always fair, and she was always on our side. No, whatever happened, I did not expect her to be mean to me. I had a chicken quesadilla, hot and spicy, but the mall was air conditioned so I didn't mind. I did have to be careful not to get the melty cheese on me. The stuff stayed off my clothes but did get on my fingers. I licked it off. I saw a guy across the food court staring at me. What in hell was on his mind? It was like the bus. I was not used to being in this position. I was just sitting there sipping my drink, wondering how to handle being the object of unwanted attention. It was something I never had to deal with before. "Mind if I sit down here?" I looked up at the pretty Italian girl standing beside my table. "Maria! Hey, sure! But, uh, aren't you like always at work? It seems like if you aren't waiting tables or cleaning up, you're outside sweeping the sidewalk," I blurted. What a dumb thing to say. "Sorry, that was dumb" but she was already laughing it off as she sat down. "For a mercy, we do all take Mondays off. So this is like my weekend. Fancy meeting you here!" So we chatted about our errands and things. She was picking up some medication. "Yeah, I have this chronic condition, but it can't keep me down." You never can tell. Here she seemed totally healthy and full of life to me. She noticed my new look, and approved. I explained "Yeah, I looked too much like my big sister. Now it is time to figure out what it means to just be me." "Tougher than it sounds, isn't it?" she asked sincerely. I nodded silently. Apparently she had gone through something similar? Or maybe she thought she had, at least. Some major transition. "You know," she said, "they are having a free concert in the main concourse tonight at nine. Wanna hang out maybe?" "That sounds like so much fun! I'm amazed you would ask a little kid like me. But can I like take a rain check? Is there another event next Monday?" "Yes, mm hm, although I don't know how I'll be feeling then. Here's my number (she scribbled it on a napkin), maybe you can call me up early that morning and check signals?" "Sounds great. I'm just so tired today, and I still have to get makeup and clothes and...and things," I finished lamely. I wanted to get breast forms, but I couldn't tell that to her. To show her I was not putting her off or anything, I gave her our home number too. "Where are you going for your makeup?" "Oh, either of the two big stores. I don't know anything about them, all I know is where to find them." "I go to that one, you can see it from here. Ask for Lily, she's terrific, very experienced and understanding, and she's a good listener." Maria's eyes glowed; she really liked this person. I could not turn down such a recommendation; Maria was a true beauty. Obviously Lily's advice had not done her any harm. "Well, I gotta go, just wanted to say hiya" Maria said. "Just watch out for that Mexican food, okay? It can really pack on the pounds!" she teased me. I teased her right back. "Oh, so you never touch any of that delicious Italian food, that stuff you work with six days a week?" "Nah that doesn't count. Italian food has no calories!" She winked at me, and we walked away laughing. That store had two floors, and they directed me up their elevator to where the cosmetics were. When I hopped off, I scouted around for a cluster of competing makeup stations. That was what I had been told to expect. There, I saw big shiny chrome signs, each with the name of a different cosmetics maker on it. I wandered around there, looking for someone who looked "very experienced". Most of the people did not look very old at all. There was one lady who looked more mature, but hardly "old". I gathered my courage and walked over to ask "Excuse me, are you Lily? Or could you tell me where to find here?" She smiled warmly. "That's me! My, how my fame has spread." I explained about Maria and she nodded. "A wonderful girl, a pleasure to know. So, do you want me to make you look like her? It may be a challenge, but I like challenges." :"Yeak, well can you make me grow five inches? Then I could maybe look more like Maria" I joked. "But that would be more than a challenge, it would require magic." She nodded. "My magic does not extend that far perhaps, but it may surprise you. What sort of look did you have in mind?" So I explained that I had been copying my older sister's look but wanted to find something that was more uniquely "me". That was all true but of course it left out a lot of really important details. I had already finished with my hair and nails, so now it was time, I felt, for makeup. "Certainly, it is a big step but one which many others have taken before you. Will you please come sit over here?" There was a tv screen. She pulled down a blue shade behind me, and turned on a camera. There I was, on the screen! I was still amazed at how different I looked, older, more "together" maybe? "Now I will pull up examples of different styles that would suit your coloring and the shape of your face, all right? Each one has a letter, so just try to remember the letters of the ones you like best." Well, that was not too hard. My face disappeared and these others popped up there, and I chose pictures that did not look too glamorous or sexy but not too childish or corny either. "Good! Now comes the fun part; we show your face with each of those combinations superimposed on it." And my face flitted in front of me in one guise after another. At first it was only confusing, but eventually I could sort things out. No, that one was too dark and grim. No, that one was sort of insipid. In the end there were only two. With a shock, I realized that one of them looked a lot like Sis! "The other one! The other one!" I was almost shouting. Why was it so hard for me to distance myself from her? At least the search was over. Now all we had to do was choose different products, and have Lily show me how to apply them. I was amazed at how she made my nose almost disappear, by painting a small white strip down its center like a little bandage, and putting a dark brown line along each side of that. She blended the edges of these a little bit but did not smear.them. Cosmetic pads and brushes were the way to go, try not to use your fingers to do the blending. More white on the top of my cheekbones, to make them stand out. Then, when foundation was applied, those colors seemed to disappear, but they still created the effect of making my cheekbones higher and my nose smaller. Incredible, the color seemed invisible but it was working an illusion. We brushed contouring powder in a horseshoe shape around my face, starting in the hollow of one cheek (I had to pretend I was sucking through a straw, to make my cheek look hollow), and then up around that temple, over then over top of my forehead, and back down around the other side. This was blended in and topped with finishing powder. The eye makeup was not much different than what I had done before, but more subtle. Instead of black mascara and liner I used a dark glittery gray. Right above the liner we added a lighter smoky color and continued it out past the corners of my eyes into a V shape, above and below the eye. This was feathered out with a brush so it would not look too harsh. We put just a little true pink on the roses of my cheeks. "It helps balance out the darker colors elsewhere" she explained. She showed me how to use lip liner, and fill it in. The first filler coat was for moisture and fulness. It actually made my lips look plumper, how could that be? The second coat was for color. It completely covered the liner. We were careful to blend in behind the ears and around the neck. It looks awful when you can see the line between the skin and the makeup. Finally she showed me my face in a mirror. I looked just the way we had made me up on the tv screen, only better, more lively and natural. At last I looked like I might be Sis' sister but no way was I her clone. I might even be mistaken for her older sister. I bought all the stuff I needed; she printed me out a list of instructions and reminders. I said goodbye but she said "Until we meet again; I know you'll be coming back for more!" Now I needed directions to the place where I would face my greatest challenge. Someplace where I could get fitted for breast forms. Could I trust Lily? "Ah, kinda embarassing, um, you see, I've been using these breast enhancers? Yoy know, you slip them into your bra cups? But I want something I can use when I'm swimming, or wearing a summer dress that might be revealing, not just a pad but something that looks natural, more like a part of me. Do you know a place where I...?" I couldn't finish. How was I ever going to go through with this? But she smiled gently and patted the back of my hand. Yes, she thought she understood (Maria had said she was understanding); there was such a place outside the mall, it was in the plaza next door, a strip of shops that shared the same parking lot. She pointed the way to me; I could see the place from their upper window. "If you wait at the main gate, you can catch a shuttle there. It's all owned by the same developer, so they cooperate." I was so glad she had undertood, and not mocked me or anything. I grabbed her delicate hand fiercely with both of mine, and started to sniffle. "None of that, now! You'll spoil all my hard work!" She gave me a gentle nudge and off I went, first to the shuttle and then through the hot hot parking lot to the shop I needed. The shuttle stopped at the near end of the little plaza, and I had to walk in the heat past nine shops, tanning salons, a consignment shop, a fortune teller (!)...the place I wanted was the very last one, next to an empty storefront. There were two cars in front, not very promising. I took a deep breath, checked my reflection in the shop window, and walked in. There were two middle aged women in there looking at clothes, holding them up in the air, giving their opinions to each other. One had a bandana wrapped around her head. This place was mostly for cancer patients, they had wigs, and mastectomy bras, and things like that. A tall regal looking woman with Katherine Hepburn style hair walked up to me. "Are you looking for something in particular?" she asked. I said yes I was, but could I first rest a minute, cool down and catch my breath? I was afraid she would think I was not a serious customer but was just there for the AC but she said fine, take my time. I waited until the two ladies had made their purchases and left. Then I walked straight up to the manager person (owner? maybe) and said as boldly as I could: "I need help with my figure. I have none at all. I wear enhancers but they do not work well with revealing summer outfits, or with most swimsuits. All the girls my age have a real figure; I would like to have as close to that as possible." I did not come right out and say "I am a teenage crossdresser"; I let her draw her own conclusions. I had put off my visit to this place until I had the right hair and nails and makeup, just so she would be more likely to think I was a genuine girl. I felt dizzy. Stupid! I had been holding my breath! She reacted very calmly. "We do not have very many requests like yours, but we do get a few. Most of our prosthetics are a C or D cup, but I hope you would not want to go that large, it would be quite out of proportion." I agreed. She seemed reassured. "You might be surprised," she told me, "how many people come here to indulge a fetish in breast forms and wigs. I do not turn them away. a sale is a sale, but I would rather wait on somebody like you." I felt my cheeks burning. What would she do when she saw my flat chest? Would she think I was just another fetishist? But the moment could not be put off. "Here then, I'll put up a 'back in 15 minutes' sign on the door, and we can get some privacy in the changing room at the back," she told me. So I followed her into the back room. It was roomy and comfortable, with a chair and a bench and a mirror, a shelf and a rod with clothes hangers. "All right, let's see what we have to work with, shall we?" So I reluctantly took off my backpack and then my white top. So far I did not look too obvious. Then I removed the silicone enhancers, and finally the shaped microfiber bra. "Ah yes, I see what you mean. Still, believe it or not, yours is not the flattest chest I have ever seen!" Really? I looked at myself in the mirror. The hot showers and loofah and toner and moisturizer had toned and softened my skin. The bra had been clinging to me on this hot day, and had left an imprint on my soft chest that suggested the possible beginning of young breasts. I sighed with relief. "That is reassuring to hear," I confessed. She smiled in a motherly sort of way and brought over several boxes. "This color is wrong, don't you agree? Maybe these, or are they too large?" I was not certain, and wanted to see the others. We had some discussion and settled on a moderate sized pair that matched my skin tone perfectly. They were not real big, but would still make me look a little fuller than when I was wearing the stuff Sis used. "Here is how you apply them. Position carefully! Maybe you could outline the area with a brow pencil lightly first, and then erase it once they are in position. You put the adhesive on in this configuration. First swab the chest with alcohol and let it dry. Now the adhesive on the form, put it carefully in place, gently wiggle it around to get it seated but don't overdo it. If it looks all right, you go to the other side. There! They will set quickly. You can remove them with hot soap and water, but once removed you will need to cleanse them with this special cleanser. Cleanse your chest thoroughly too. A good body wash gel should work. You should be able to move around now, take a look, turn back and forth, raise your arms, how do you feel about them?" I did as she said, and was amazed, awestruck. There was my naked top half with the new hairstyle, makeup and earrings. And there were my beautiful breasts, "I can't see the seams!" I whispered. "You're not supposed to," she chuckled. "The edges are very thin and almost transparent." I moved around, raising and lowering my arms, making arm circles the way I had earlier with my sister's enhancers. These were so much better, they seemed totally real. They bounced and jiggled, but not too much. They weighed more than her stuff had but it felt somehow like just the right weight. The nipples were almost but not quite firm, so they would look realistic in warm or cold weather. I touched them with my fingertips. "They are warm!" I gasped. Her smile broadened. " They do conduct your body heat quite well. To you, or to anyone touching you or hugging you there, they will seem as authentic as can be." Touching me there? My mind started to wander. Then I came back to my senses. "Sorry, I guess I was dreaming, daydreaming!" "It happens frequently; when a customer is happy she may zone out like that. Sometimes the cancer survivors cry." Awww. "They are absolutely perfect. Thank you so very much!" She gave me a little hug. My, people have certainly been huggy today. I put my bra and top back on and grabbed my backpack, stuffing the enhancers in there. These prosthetics were not cheap at all, but I felt completely transformed with them on. One more stop, for clothes and shoes, back to the store where I got my makeup. As I was leaving, she said "Why not wait here in the cool? The shuttle stops at both ends of the plaza, you know." No, there was a lot this dumb kid did not know. Here I had trudged around in the heat for nothing. I wondered what other dumb mistakes I might be making, even now. I thought back to the garage at home; had I locked it up when I left this morning? I couldn't remember! Yep, I was one dumb kid. Too late to worry about it now. By the time the shuttle stopped outside, the manager was busy with somebody else. I still waved goodbye at her and she waved back. "We are in the phonebook if you have any questions or if they need maintenance" she said. Well, now her new customer knew what I had come there for. No big deal. We were all just women of various ages trying to cope, trying to present our best selves to the world. The shuttle got me back to the mall in just a minute, and then it was easier than expected to find the store where I had bought the makeup. I took their elevator; good, there was Lily, still at her station. Not busy at the moment, either. "Hiya again, Lily! Can I steal a couple seconds of your time?" "Sure, just don't ket my manager see us." She was halfway serious; she got me to step behind a large pillar while we talked. "Since you helped redesign me today, I hoped maybe you might have some suggestions for summer things to wear that would go with my new face?" She stroked ther chin with her fingers and considered. "Hm, needs to be suitable for the season. Light colors, light fabric, casual. Hmm..." She scribbled some things on a note pad. "These ideas might help get you started. And if you buy them here at the store, I won't get in trouble for deserting my post!" She gave me a friendly little hug. I was really getting to enjoy hugs. Off I went, in the direction she had pointed out to me. It was the Juniors section. I got the first item I saw, a floral sundress with spaghetti straps, a bow in the center of the neckline, and elastic along the high waist. It was shortish but decent. I had to run to the changing room (well, sort of run, I had to wait in line) to check the size on the top I was wearing, so that I would not get things that were too large or too small. I was probably the only girl there who did not know her size. As it turned out, I had chosen something too big. At least I could get the same style in a smaller size. I got a shortall, like bib overalls with really short legs. They had straps that came up the sides but the straps went around the sides of my boobs and kind of emphasized them. The bib part tucked neatly against my tummy and did not blouse out. It rose a little bit in the back, and was cut away on the sides. I was surprised by how high up the shorts rose between my legs; I was not used to that. They also clung to my butt cheeks. I guess this is just something that all girls experience. To go with the shortalls, and some cute plaid skirts, I got stretchy white tees. One had a cute face on it, with eyes and a mouth. These tees were really clingy too, but the sleeves were short and the neck scooped out so I hoped I would not get too hot in them. I also got a white shirt with puffy short sleeves and little cutout shapes all over, and a few other tops and shorts and skirts. I also got a couple swimsuits, since I had been asking everybody if I could swim with the new nails and hair extensions and so on. They both had a bandeau style top, with the material gathered together between the breasts and puckered down the middle. Most of these were strapless but I chose two with detachable halter straps. I got a one piece in a neat windowpane check, navy blue and white, and the other in a two piece, turquoise. Both had a "boy leg" style, so I could safely wear my magical panties underneath without anybody seeing them. Finally I got a couple summer nighties. They were light and short, with designs and things but you could still see through them. I thought I had better try these things on just to check the fit, so I waited in line for a turn at a changing room. I had to remove all my clothes, of course. I wondered whether a security camera or something might be watching me? They had these opaque panels on the ceiling, so you couldn't tell. I left my panties on, but on a whim I took off my bra. Oh, my nipples showed quite clearly through the new tees. Yes, it was even more obvious with the shortalls on. And when I tried a nightie (champagne. the other was lavendar) it draped over my curves above and below and you could clearly see the breasts peeking through. I licked my lips. Okay, maybe that was enough for now. I got dressed again, but went over and added some new bras, ones that were soft, not molded. I did not want to hide or disguise my shape any more, I wanted to advertise it. Some sandals and white shoes (not high heels, not yet; I tried them and they nearly killed me. I thought I heard somebody giggle), two inch stacked heels, that was all I could manage. After I bought everything, I had an afterthought. It was going to be a long hot bike ride up the hills from the central bus terminal to our home. I should wear the coolest possible outfit. So, I went back to the changing room and removed my jeans and top. I put on the stretchy white tee with the cute face, and the shortalls. This time I did wear a bra, though; one of the new ones. I kept the same sock liners and sneakers. I went to say goodbye to Lily; she was just getting ready to go home herself. I hope I didn't make her late, but I had to show her everything. Oh yes, she really liked these choices. She especially thought what I had on was just right for a hot summer day, and also just right for me, for my age and personality and so on. We went down the elevator together. Her car was parked in back by the service entrances, so we said goodbye and see you later. The bus was right outside the main gate, just as if it had been waiting there for me. At this time of day it was really crowded but I found a seat okay. I didn't look at anybody, I did not want any more eye contact. This part of being a girl was not so much fun. Back at the main terminal everybody peeled off for their various connections. Reluctantly, I went over to my bike and started to unlock it. Why had I bothered with a lock? My old bike was trash, nobody would want it. It was going to be a long hot bike ride up those hills. I wish I could think of another way to do it, or even to put it off. Then I noticed somebody taking their bike onto a bus! And over there, same thing with a different bus! Could I really do that? Ah, to carry my bike onto the bus, and ride home in air conditioned comfort. So I left my bike locked up and went over to the main office and asked. "Oh sure, no problem, driver's discretion based on the number of passengers but usually if there is space down here at the terminal the bus will not get too crowded. Say, that's a nice change you made to you hair since this morning." What? Whoa, it was the same guy, and he remembered me! How could that be, with as many people as he must deal with every day? But I just smiled and thanked him. I quickly unlocked my bike and stashed the chain lock in my backpack. It was stuffed with new things, and my hands were full of bags too. Good thing I would not have to carry all these on my bke. I did not know which bus to take. There was a big map, but it was confusing. Lines crossed, and everything seemed to be in code. B circuit, C circuit, red bus, green bus, arrgh. I saw a couple I recognised from the Italian restaurant Friday night, maybe they lived in my neighborhood? I ran over and asked them for help. They did live near there, on a different bus line, but they helped me identify the proper number for mine. I thanked them gratefully and wheeled my bus over to the spot with the right bus number hanging over it, just as the bus pulled up. I waited for several others to get on and then rolled my bike up the steps. I noticed that the space at the top of the stairs was wide enough so that the bike could easily get through. "Excuse me, ma'am? Can I take my bike?" "Sure" said the driver, "Do try to keep it out of the way, though. Find a spot with lots of room. Where are you going?" Before I knew it the bus was at the stop nearest my house. I didn't recognize the stop since I had never used it before, but the driver took care of me, she told me this was the place. "Thanks!" I had been saying thanks many times today. Well, I had been given many happy reasons for doing so. I was afraid I would find the garage open when I got back, but it was shut and locked. I unlocked the front door, dropped my bags and backpack, and unlocked the inside door to the garage. Then I opened the garage door with the switch there. As I wheeled my bike in and shut and locked the outer and inner doors, I felt like these bad guys were not likely to bother locking everything back up again, if they had come here and found things unlocked. I was probably safe. Still, I looked all around, and listened carefully. Nothing unusual. Why did I start to feel negative whenever I came home? Yesterday had been great, but when I got home I began doubting myself, feeling bad about what I had done and who I had pretended to be. Well, today I was no longer pretending to be Sis. So why was I starting to feel gloomy again? For one thing, I kept calling it "my" bike, and it wasn't. And "my" molded microfiber bra, and "my" sneakers and sock liners. I was just as bad as a thief, or worse. Then there were some of the guys. The ones on the bus the first time were rude, staring at me, talking to each other and nodding, I hated that. The guy at lunch was just as bad. I had a hunch my finger licking had somehow seemed suggestive to him. Creep. No, I did not like that part of being a girl. Maybe I did not know how to act, how to sit or eat or something, maybe I looked odd to people. But no, that is not what it seemed like. And Maria had completely accepted me, no problem. You know, Sis could explain a lot of this girl stuff to me. Would I ever dare be Dawn once she came home? Would I dare talk to her about this? I wandered into the kitchen and made myself a tuna sandwich. I munched it, and an apple, as I stared out at our side yard. No answers, not now anyway. Maybe later.