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Sweet Sixteen By Rowena Morgan "I'm bored." "School will be out in a couple of months. What do you want to do this summer, Susan?" "Nothing." "Then you aren't bored. You're apathetic." "What's that mean?" "It means you don't care about anything." "Okay, I'm apathetic." "I don't believe that. Want to help me with a project I've been working on? It would involve you eventually anyway. Want to get in on the planning stage?" "Depends. Why would I be involved?" "Do you remember your 16th birthday a year and a half ago?" "You mean my bratty brother ruining it? Yeah, I remember." "Well, Carl's 16th birthday is coming up soon and I've been making plans. Still bored?" "Depends on what you've been planning." "Oh, nothing much, just a Sweet Sixteen party for him very similar to yours." "You wouldn't!" "It took me a while to decide to do this, but yes, I would. But I want it handled exactly right and no unplanned repercussions. If you're willing to help, we can plan around things to accomplish what I want. If you don't agree to do it my way, with no exceptions, then it won't happen at all. Still interested?" "I can't make suggestions?" "You may, but I get final say." "I can invite who I want?" "Within limits and all of them have to agree to doing it my way." "And his friends?" "No, neither boys nor girls, for obvious reasons." "So, what have you done so far?" "Don't look now, but your apathy is deteriorating!" "Give! What are you planning?" "Remember your Barbie birthday cake? I've bought a Southern Belle Barbie with a full, petti-coated skirt and her hair in sausage curls with a sun bonnet and parasol. I've also bought a Ken doll. I sent both off to an artist that does one-of-a-kind dolls. I explained what I was doing, and why, so she is giving the Ken doll long hair, styling it in the same updo, and will also repaint the face to make it look made up. Finally, she will make a matching outfit to fit the Ken doll. I already have the woman that did your cake willing to do Carl's with his new Ken doll. After she heard what happened last time, she was more than willing to go all out on this." "Oh! My! God!! You're serious! I don't believe it!" "Still bored?" "How could I possibly be bored now? That little ..." "Stop right there! This isn't about revenge, though it may look like it on the surface." "Then I don't understand. Why are you doing this then?" "I have a number of reasons. Let's just say I'm taking this approach because of his growing attitude about girls and women. He's going to take a walk in our shoes, at least for a while. What I need from you and whoever you invite is to just treat him as any other girl. But here's the catch, it won't be for just the party. They are not to intentionally demean or expose him, but it will last for an entire year." "Whoa! You're serious?" "I am. For your friends, it won't have that much impact unless they go searching him out. For you, it means you have a new sister." "He'll be dressing as a girl!?!" "No, he won't, at least not externally. Or rather he won't unless he screws up. I want to use the threat of what is called petticoat punishment to change his behavior. But the threat isn't enough. The behavior won't change until there is understanding. I'm relying on you and your friends to help provide that understanding." "OK, I'm lost. What are you expecting? Give me an example." "OK, Say you girls are going shopping for your Homecoming dress next fall. He's one of the girls and is 'invited' to go with you. As he will be dressed as a boy, he can't try on the dresses or go into the changing room with you, but he can see how important it is to you and how much time you spend picking just the right dress and why that dress won't work but this one will and what everyone else will be wearing and how the hair needs to be done to suit the dress and and and and. In other words, he will be embarrassed to be included but will begin to understand why it's important to you and that it takes that level of effort to look the way you intend. "Another example is simply girl talk. By including him you are showing him what girls deal with, the frustrations they have and how you deal with them. The purpose of all of this is not to turn him into a girl, or embarrass him or even punish him. I don't like how his attitude has changed in the last couple of years and where it is leading him with his friends. I don't think he is so far gone that this won't work, so I have hopes. "Of course, for a threat to be effective I have to be willing to follow through. That will be hard on me, as well as him, but I don't see another option right now. So, the question for you is: Can you be a caring sister to him should it go that far? Or are you fixated on revenge and will torment him about it?" "You've thought about this a lot, haven't you? And you trust me to handle this? And my friends?" "Yes to all of those. I'd like to have all the girls from your party here for his party. But you're going to have to decide whether they can be trusted or not. For instance, Jessica is a nice girl and a good friend, but her mouth never stops and she's always talking about others. I really don't think she could manage this the way I want it to happen. I'll trust you to decide. If it ends up being just you and me, I can deal with that, but it won't be as effective. I'd prefer to be able to step back and watch so I can arbitrate as necessary." "In other words, it's work, not fun." "No, I expect you to have a lot of fun with it. Including him in girl things will embarrass him no end, at least until he relaxes into it. That kind of embarrassment is fine. Treating him only as a girlfriend will embarrass him as well. Teasing him as you would tease your girlfriends is perfectly fine. As far as you girls are concerned, I want you to treat him no differently than you do each other. The circumstances alone will make it fun for you." "Except I have to do it all the time. That means I'm going to catch most of his blame, upset and frustration." "To some extent, yes. But I'll make it clear I'm imposing it and besides, I'll have things in place to curtail his balking too much." "Like what?" "Aside from whatever girly gifts you girls decide to give him, I'll have half a dozen or so gift certificates for some of you to give him; nails, hair, makeup consultation, ear piercing, clothes at a dress shop, aerobic dance class, and feminine things for his room; basically anything a girl would love to receive. When he balks or creates a scene he will draw one from a jar and have to do and maintain it for the rest of the year. Once should be enough to keep him on track, but if it doesn't he'll have to draw again and deal with an increasingly external feminine appearance." "You've said external several times now. Why?" "Because, for the entire year, he will wear girl's underwear as a constant reminder." "Bra, too?" "Not unless he screws up, but yes, possibly." "I'm beginning to see how much thought you've given this ... and how serious you are about it. I didn't like what he did at my party, but I don't hate him, even though I did at the time." "Good! Because if you did, or you were doing this for revenge, I'd end this right now. I really wanted him to do this last year as a Quincea?era, but I didn't feel like you were ready so I put it off, hoping you would be ready this year and he wouldn't be getting any worse. I've been looking for a way to bring it up, without much luck. So, can you take it as seriously as I do? Can your friends?" "I think I can. I'll have to think about my friends. When do you need to know? "As soon as you can. I want to get us all together prior to his ..." "His? If we are going to do this, shouldn't it be 'her'?" "Not for me, unless there are too few of you girls. But yes, for you and them it should be her birthday party. Anyway, I want to meet all the girls prior to the party to make sure they all understand. If I don't feel comfortable with even one girl then the whole thing is off and I'll have to find another way to deal with his attitude." "Okay, I'll think about it and talk to my friends." ************ Hi, girls! I assume Susan has explained what I intend to do with your help. I hope she has impressed on you how serious I am about his privacy and exposure. Are all of you clear on my expectations? Any questions?" "What do we call her?" "Pick a name; something unmistakably feminine. Just let me know soon for the party. As far as all of you are concerned, that will be his only name unless maybe others are around." "Will she have the option to refuse us?" "What do you mean?" "If we invite her to join us for whatever or try to include her in what we're doing, can she opt out?" "If he has prior plans that you are disrupting, then maybe. If I need to be arbiter, I will, but I'll be neutral and not favoring one or the other. As a general rule though, if his plans sound like an excuse then no, he can't opt out." "So, sitting together for lunch at school or shopping after school o ..." "or even slumber parties, though you girls are getting a bit old for that now. Yes, as a girl, he should prefer to be with other girls." "Any limitations?" "You can't do anything to externally feminize him. If it comes to that, he'll do it himself with his gift certificates. However, in private, you can push that boundary more, but it needs to be just between you girls with no chance of it being found out. For instance, girls play with each other's hair or try out makeup techniques or do each other's nails. You get the idea. But it shouldn't be focused on him. If you are doing it to each other, then he is to be included as the girl he is. In private, you can do pretty much anything you would do with each other, but it's private only ... unless I OK it. "Which brings up the next concern: pictures are fine as long as he is completely in boy mode. I'm the only one who can cross that boundary. In other words, there will be no blackmail photos or situations. He is to be treated as any other girlfriend, no more, no less. He needs to be able to trust you for this to work." "We agree with you about Jessica, but don't really want to cut her out of the group. She's still a friend. Ummm ..." "How should you handle that? However you wish. If she's comfortable with him being around, then fine. You just have to be very sure she gets no clue as to what's really going on with him. She's a gossip. If you can't control that, then it would be safer to only spend time with him when she isn't around. Look, I don't want this to be a chore or for you to ostracize one of your friends. I want you to have fun with this. Making it fun for him will also make it easier. You could have one of the group beg off and then spend time with him. Or you could come up with a plausible reason for including him with her there. Or you could simply leave him out until another time. "The reason why I wanted this meeting was to get all of this in the open and let you decide, in full knowledge, what you are getting into if you decide to do this. Any other thoughts?" "You said we couldn't externally feminize him. What about internally?" "No hormones, if that's what you mean." "No, I was thinking about periods." "I hadn't considered that, but for the year, to us, he's a girl. Girls have periods. Make it as real as you wish." "Can we say he's gay? That would tend to explain things without giving it away." "Ask him: If he's willing to go there, sure. If not, then no. He still needs to make his own choices. Other than setting up this situation and requiring him to complete it, I'm not dictating what he does or how he does it. This is all about expanding his awareness and showing him his current world view is skewed. If all of you are on board with this then my role is to provide a neutral structure." "So we know, what exactly are you requiring of her?" "Not too much, actually. I'm expecting him to act like a 'her'; only panties, only girl's PJs or nightgown, only a girl's robe, shaved body, but right now I believe that just means legs, a night time beauty routine for hair, face and hands, more time in the morning to be spent looking more presentable, posture. He can't cut his hair for the entire year so a year from now his hair will be six inches longer, though I may need to have his hair tidied and evened up at some point. That's about it. "Has Susan told you about the dolls? I have two stands for the dolls. Both will be displayed on his dresser as a constant reminder. Which reminds me, aside from the gift certificates, that's one of his incentives to do this. If he doesn't, then his Halloween costume this year will be made to be an exact duplicate of his Southern belle Ken doll. You'll see what I mean at the party and afterwards in his room. I think that's it unless any of you have suggestions." "Why not make her room a girl's room?" "Because he still has friends I approve of. Unfortunately, he has others I don't. This is to help him see the difference. It's the same reason I'm not simply requiring him to be a girl. Besides, he'll need a refuge to go to when he gets overwhelmed, at least in the beginning. Anything else? "OK then, in the light of the last few questions I'll tell you now. I'm going to require him to dress casually as a girl for her Sweet Sixteen birthday party. I'm going to let you girls sort out what that means and get her a complete outfit. Remember, I said casual. Since it was Susan's party that was disrupted, I'm going to let her see to it that the birthday girl is ready for her big day, but I have final say so I want to see what you've chosen ahead of time. "Now that you know what the plans are I need to know whether you are all willing to take this on. I'm asking a lot of you and I know it. I don't want to hear your answer right now. I want you to think about it and let me know privately what your thoughts and concerns are. At this stage of the game, because you all know, if any of you decide to back out then this is over. I'll try and come up with another way of dealing with Carl. If there are no more questions, I'm going to leave you alone to discuss it as long as you wish. If you need me, I'll be in my bedroom." ************ I left it till the last day and asked Susan to be gone for the evening. After all the planning and determination, I was feeling very insecure about it all. "Carl? Come into the kitchen. We need to talk about your birthday tomorrow." "What?", he said with a bit of a snarl. I heard the attitude in his voice and steeled myself to do what needed to be done. "Don't 'what' me! Get in here and sit down or you'll regret it." He walked in belligerently and plopped into the seat. "Lose the attitude right now. I'm tired of it." I took a minute to calm myself. I saw him keep glancing at me. He knew how worked up I was and knew from experience not to make it any worse. "Do you remember how you ruined your sister's Sweet Sixteen birthday party?" "I didn ..." I stared him down. "I said I was sorry." "And what did I say? Do you remember?" He shook his head. "I told you that you weren't as sorry as were going to be. Didn't I?" He nodded as his eyes got bigger. "Well, it's time. I've thought long and hard about you for the last year and a half. I didn't like your attitude then and I certainly don't like your attitude now. I feel that mostly it's not you, though I could be wrong. I believe that your change in attitude toward me and women and girls in general comes from your new ... 'friends'. Whether that is true or not doesn't really matter as we are going to fix it right now. "The problem you have is that despite living only with girls, you have no idea that they are people, too. You've begun to think you are better than any girl so you can treat them however you want." I could see that he was more focused on me and what I was saying but was confused enough that he didn't know where this was going. "You are going to learn that isn't so. You can make this easy, or you can make this hard, but one way or the other you will learn this. If you will listen and work with me, I promise I will make it as easy on you as I can. If not, well, you'll lose and regret it. Do I have your attention now?" He just nodded, but I could tell that my direct method of handling him had thrown him off balance. "Then here is how it's going to be. Tomorrow is your birthday. You are going to experience the Sweet Sixteen birthday party you ruined for your sister. NOT A WORD!!" He shut his mouth and looked at me fearfully. "It will be a feminine girl's birthday party and YOU will be the girl! Because you ruined her party, Susan gets to help you be all the girl you can be tomorrow morning. The girls that were here for her party are going to be here for yours." His eyes got even bigger with fear, but kept his mouth shut. "You will act just like Susan did before you ruined her party. You will have fun and giggle with your girlfriends. You will be excited opening up all your presents and gush over them with your girlfriends. To the best of your ability, you will act like a sixteen year old birthday girl. Do you understand me?" He nodded, but this time in a very demure voice said, "Yes." "Now comes the next part." He interrupted, "That isn't enough?!" "Are you asking my opinion?" He shook his head. "No, it isn't enough; not by a long shot. I said you could do this two ways. You can do what I've said to the best of your ability. If you do, I promise the girls will treat you no differently than they treated and still treat Susan. They are her friends and they will be your friends. They will not treat you as a sissy. To them, you will just be another girl that is their friend. "Or, you can fight me on this. If you decide not to go through what I've planned then I have to have another way of separating you from your new friends. I suppose I could send you to your father, but you don't like him any more than I do. Or I could just wait. I feel certain that the way you are going you will be in trouble with the police before too long. But that would feel like I was abandoning you so I won't do that either. What I am willing to do is simply to start talking about the problems I'm having with you to anyone that will listen. Of course the rumors that would start flying around the town would eventually be heard by your ... 'friends'. Given the rumors, they'll probably beat you to a pulp, wouldn't they ... sissy?" His eyes couldn't get any bigger. "You wouldn't," he whispered. I just looked at him. "Wouldn't I? You tell me. How upset am I right now? Would I or wouldn't I?" He just nodded. "So, now do you believe me I can make it easy or hard, but either way you will lose?" He nodded again. "Are you ready to listen now as to what you are going to have to do and how you need to do it?" He nodded. "That isn't good enough. I need to hear you respond. Are you ready to hear and understand what is expected of you?" "Yes." "Then here is the easy way. I've spoken to your sister and her friends. All of them agree to do this my way. There will be absolutely no revenge for anything you've done in the past. None! I won't allow it. To your sister, you are no more and no less than her sister. Though you won't have to dress as a girl, she will always treat you as a girl, except in public. Your new girlfriends will treat you exactly the same way. In private, you're a girl. In public, you're a boy who is hanging out with girls. Understood?" He began to nod and I tilted my head and stared at him. "Yes, ma'am." "Good choice, honey. You're learning. They are well aware of what they can and can't do. You will have to discover what being a girl is all about to discover what they already know. Come with me." We went to his room and I told him to open and look through his dresser. His shoulders slumped as he saw all the panties I had replaced earlier. "Look further." His sports socks had all been replaced with white footie socks that wouldn't show above his sneakers. Some had prettily colored trim at the opening. The bottom drawer held his pretty PJs and nightgowns. "Those are what you'll sleep in from now on. Look at your robe." He moved to look at the back of his closet door. It was a very pretty, ankle-length, yellow robe with embroidered flowers adorning the bodice area and hem. The white piping set off the deep shawl collar, the open front and the pockets. "Your slippers match." I could see he was near tears, but there were still things to do. "Get undressed. At least for tonight and tomorrow, you are only a girl. If you didn't have the attitude you've been expressing lately, I'd have said ALL girl. But since you have a low opinion of women, you are only a girl." When he had stripped to his jockeys he hesitated. "Everything, girl! You're done with jockeys and boxers for a while." He finished undressing and waited for my next instruction, covering his groin. I took the time to take a close look at his body. The only hair was on his legs and there wasn't much there. "Wait here!" I picked up his clothes and left to start a bubble bath in his bathroom across the hall. While it was filing, I took his clothes to the laundry room. I cut up his jockeys like I had the others and took them all to the kitchen table, placing them on a sheet of newspaper. I returned to his room. "Come with me." The bath was about half full. "Get in." He gingerly lowered himself into the sweet smelling bubbles. I lowered the toilet lid and sat facing him. In a much softer tone I told him, "For most girls, what you are doing is very enjoyable. Soaking in a scented tub is very relaxing. As a girl, I want you to be able to enjoy these kinds of things. I'm not going to require it of you and you may rebel in spite, but I am going to introduce you to them. What you do after that is up to you. You will find however, that a soak in the tub makes shaving your legs easier." I saw he wasn't beyond surprise. "You will keep your legs shaved at all times. If you have difficulties, after tonight your sister will help you. For tonight, because right now you're being re-born as a girl, I will pamper you and shave them for you. "As you are now a girl, you'll need to take better care of yourself. I'll show you what you need to do every night and tomorrow I'll show you your morning routine. With only a few differences, it is the same any girl does to maintain herself. As a boy, you can afford to be sloppy in your appearance. As a girl, you can't. From now on, I expect you to look much more presentable than you have till now. In case you are wondering, after tomorrow you can go back to your boy clothes, but I will no longer tolerate sloppiness. Do you understand me, girl?" I could see I was beating him down, but felt that it was still necessary at this point. He began to nod again, but corrected himself and said, "Yes Ma'am." "As you know and are now attempting to do, politeness goes a long way with me. It's been a long time since you've been polite to me. Can you remember the last time?" "No, Ma'am." "I can. You were in trouble then as well. So are you ready to hear how all of this is going to play out? Or do you want to be surprised?" All I heard was a mumble. "A girl doesn't mumble. She enunciates her words clearly and prettily." "Please tell me what I need to do, mother." "Mother! That's a nice touch. It's been even longer since you called me that. Yes, I'm your mother. And that is the only reason I'm going through all of this. You have no idea what it's cost me in time, in money, and in heartache. I honestly hope that you never have to experience what I've gone through the last few years, but enough of that. "Tonight and tomorrow you will be a girl and dress the part. You will be excited and overjoyed at your Sweet Sixteen birthday party. You will graciously accept your presents, treasuring them and your sister and friends who thought enough of you to share your joyous day and give you a gift they spent time trying to find, hoping it is exactly what you wanted. When the party is finally over and the day is done, you will revel in having such wonderful friends who care for you. After you have completed your nightly routine, you will get dressed in your nightgown and go to sleep dreaming of your party and friends. "Monday, you will rise earlier than you are used to and do your morning routine before putting on your pretty panties and getting dressed for school. You will spend as much time with your girlfriends as you can. If you see them, you will spend time talking to them between classes. You will certainly want to sit with them at lunch. You will all probably decide what you will do after school. You will be dressed as a boy, but your thoughts and actions should be focused on being a girl, at least internally. I don't expect you to mince or swish or act any way different than normal. It's just your thoughts and intent that needs to change. "The girls will simply treat you as one of their girlfriends and will expect you to act like one. So if the after school plan is to hit the mall and help one of them look for a dress for her cousin's wedding, what will you do?" silence "Well?" "I'll go to the mall and help shop for a dress." He said very softly. "What was that? It sounded like you were mumbling and not very excited." He looked like I was about to skewer him for roasting, but he tried harder. "Since my girlfriend needs help shopping for a dress, I want to be there to help in any way I can." "Better, if a bit forced. But with time you'll get the hang of it. You'll certainly have the time as this won't end till your next birthday." "What!?!" "Don't shout, dear. It isn't becoming. I said you will have a full year to understand girls and women. There will be other things, as they come up, but that is your task. I said you didn't understand us and you don't. You have a whole year to try and figure us out. As I said, I can make this easy or make this hard. The girls are willing to give you an insider's view of what being a girl is all about, without you actually being a girl. Would you prefer to be a girl for the entire year?" "No, mother, I wouldn't." "Well, if you change your mind I'll do what I can to make it happen. You're sure?" "Yes, mother, I'm sure." "Then you're prepared to spend this coming year learning about girls?" "Yes, mother." "Good girl!" I rose from the toilet and took off my dress, hanging it the door robe hook, leaving me only in panties and bra. "You've soaked long enough." I turned to see a shocked expression. "Stop it! Are you a girl or not?" He nodded. "Say it!" "I'm a girl." "Say it like you mean it! You're going to be a girl for the next year. You just told me so. So what are you?" He sighed in defeat. "Yes mother, I'm a girl. I'm your daughter." "Thank you. Yes, for now, even though I will continue to treat you as my son for appearances sake, you are my daughter. I hope I don't have to remind you of this and make it harder for me to remember that you are my son." "What do you mean by that, mother?" "You're pushing the mother thing too far, girl. As for what I mean, you will find out tomorrow at your party. As for my undressing, I intend to do your legs and don't want to splash water on my dress. Women aren't as body conscious as men, at least not in that way. We're just girls here together so get used to it. Your girlfriends and sister are going to treat you the same way given the right circumstances. So, deal with it and stop staring or I'll see about getting you your own to stare at! You didn't see any bras in your drawers did you? That can be corrected. Understand, missy?" "Yes, Ma'am." "Then get used to it. You're a girl now. Act like one." I shaved her legs and then washed her hair. After rinsing her off, I dried her with a big fluffy towel, blotting dry her skin instead of rubbing. I showed her how to put her hair up in the towel and gave her some scented lotion. "Here. Use this on your entire body, especially your legs." When she was done, I cleaned up the stray hairs from her eyebrows, but didn't try to shape them. "I told you that you need to take more time making yourself presentable. Just those few hairs were making your face look scraggly. As a girl, you need to be aware of such things." As she had just gotten out of the bath, I showed her how to moisturize her face and hands. I told her that usually she would need to remove any makeup she had on and then thoroughly cleanse her face before moisturizing. "Go put on your nightgown and robe then meet me in the kitchen." I put on my robe and went to get my old sponge rollers, hoping they hadn't deteriorated. I didn't plan for this, but decided her hair was just barely long enough to put some curl in it. When she came in I hardly recognized her. "That isn't the way girls wear their robe. See that string hanging down on the right side? That ties to another one on the inside. Undo it and do it right." When she finished I motioned her over. "Tie this in a pretty bow instead of the half knot you used. You're a girl. Make yourself pretty and presentable. Always! Now, look at what's on the table." She looked and soon realized what the pile was and what had been done to them. "What have you done!?!" "I've gotten rid of those things you called underwear. If they were mine, I'd be embarrassed to be seen in them." "You're a girl. Of cou ..." "Don't be dense. What girl would want to see you wearing those rags? They were rags before I cut them up. Look at them and pick out even one that you honestly feel would be presentable." She tried and then sighed. "I promise, when this is over they will all be replaced. In the meantime, for this year, you won't need them. Agreed?" She nodded. "Then please throw them away and join me in the living room." I sat down on the couch facing the TV. When I heard her slippers on the carpet I said, "Come sit here between my legs. You can watch the TV if you want, but be conscious of who you are as to your selections." I towel dried her hair and then combed through some setting lotion. The sponge rollers were ok and I hadn't forgotten how to use them, though it'd been years. I put the roller basket in her lap. "Hand me one of these when I need it. You'll quickly pick up what you need to do. Make sure they are open for me." Before long, her head was covered in them. "These are going in well. You'll look very pretty for your Sweet Sixteen party tomorrow. I could wish that we had time for a real hairdo, but that won't work; at least for now. But you will not be cutting your hair for the next year and in that time your hair will be about six inches longer. If necessary, we could do so much more with it then. Won't that be nice?" "Whatever you say, mom." He said dejectedly. I put the hair net on to cover her curlers. "Stand up, Carl, and sit with me a minute. We need to talk. Turn off the TV." He stood and sat next to me, but didn't turn to look at me. "I know you are a boy and my son." He turned on the couch and looked me in the eyes. I could see his eyes welling up. "Then why are you doing this to me?" "I told you why. I don't have an ulterior motive here, Carl. Neither does your sister nor any of her friends. They're all doing this to help you. I'm doing this to help you. I've pushed you hard tonight, harder than I originally intended to. If you were going to blow up, I wanted it to be with me and not with your sister or your friends. And, believe it or not, they are your friends. We all talked a long time. Unexpected things may happen, but I trust them to try and keep things together or at least make it right. I feel you can trust them too, but that's between you and them. "I could have gone whole hog tonight and you know it. I could have set this up so you couldn't show your face at school Monday. Couldn't I?" He nodded. "This isn't to punish you. It's to make you think. I neither want nor need another daughter. For the most part, I'm happy with the son and daughter I have. But if treating you as my daughter will open your eyes, then yes, I will welcome my new daughter with open arms, even if she'll look like a boy most of the time." I'm not sure what exactly triggered it, but tears started rolling down her cheeks. I opened my arms and she started sobbing into my shoulder. She didn't even notice when Susan came in and I nodded her into the chair. Eventually, she started calming down. Finally, she straightened up only to see Susan watching her. "Hi, Carly. Sometimes a good cry is the only thing that helps. Do you feel any better?" "Carly?" "Well, you need a girl's name and if someone overheard that, it wouldn't be too obvious. The girls kicked around a lot of names, but thought Carly would be best for you. Is that OK?" "I guess." "Carly?" I said with a raised eyebrow. "Thank you for thinking it through for me. It's a nice name. Thank the girls for me." "Thank them yourself tomorrow, birthday girl! I sincerely hope that you don't cry at the end of your birthday like I did on my Sweet Sixteenth. I honestly mean that, Carly." "Thank you." "Speaking of Sweet Sixteen, you're looking particularly sweet tonight. I love your robe. You can pull your legs up underneath it on the couch and get all comfy. I can't wait to help you tomorrow morning. Mom? Can I do her hair?" "I think I'd better this time. I want her to look her best tomorrow and I've got more experience. Besides, as I recall, you were anxious to do each other's nails. Sister bonding I think you called it. How can you do hair with wet nails?" "Oh, OK. We'll just do it some other time, Carly. OK, sis?" I watched as she tried to come up with an acceptable answer. "Carly? She's just trying to be your sister. That's all. I told you about this. Any embarrassment you feel is because of how you view women and girls. You're one of us now. There is no need to be embarrassed. The hair and polish will be gone before school Monday. We, all of us, will protect you. Please trust us. OK?" She kept her head down, but nodded. "Sis? If you're going to hold your own with our girlfriends you're going to have to step it up a bit more. The shy, retiring act won't hold up long, especially tomorrow. I know this day has been a shock to you and I know from the level of your sobbing that you are wrung out right now, but tomorrow is your Sweet Sixteenth birthday and I want it to be extra special for you. I really do. All the girls spent oodles of time figuring out what you might like since you weren't around to drop hints. As wrung out as you are, do you want to go to bed? I'll tuck you in and stay with you till you're asleep. If you have any questions I'll try and answer them. OK, sis? Come on, baby girl." I watched as my eldest daughter put my newest daughter to bed. I was finally able to relax a bit and almost cried myself. It could have been worse I suppose. I just hated to see him broken down that much. I thought about pouring myself some wine and decided against it. If I started now, I might not stop and that would ruin tomorrow. I sat listening to the murmurs from Carly's room. When they stopped and I heard the door close, I decided to go to bed. ************ I awoke late the next morning. I heard Susan in Carly's room trying to get her to pick a color. I pulled myself together and took a shower. I decided that a little reinforcement might be in order. I put my hair up in a towel and, after my bra and panties, wrapped my robe loosely around me, leaving it untied, before going to the kitchen for coffee. The girls came in shortly after, both in their robes. I pulled out some cut-up mixed fruit and some OJ. As a special treat I poured a splash of champagne into their glasses before making a full-strength Mimosa for me. "Enjoy your Mimosas, girls. Carl was too young last time, but you two are old enough now to celebrate a bit. What color did you decide on, Carly?" "I didn't care for the choices." "The choices were fine, sis. Any of them would work with your outfit. I think you're just balking because you didn't want your nails painted." "Is this true, Carly? If you don't like the colors I can make you a salon appointment tomorrow. They have lots of colors to choose from." Anxiously, "No, no, that's ok." "Carly? Are you wanting to back out of this and do it the hard way?" "Are you going to keep holding that over me?" "If necessary, yes, I will. And you know why." "Don't I have anything to say in how this is going to go?" "As a boy, no. As a girl, yes. I'm going to ask you again, hopefully for the last time. Who are you?" I made a point of looking at her robe and her hair in curlers. She saw what I was doing and eventually sighed. "I'm a girl, mother, and your daughter." "Then is there any reason why my daughter shouldn't have fun having her nails polished? Look precious, I know you're embarrassed, but you have no reason to be. The other girls will have theirs done, as will your sister. Mine are done. Look around you. We're all girls here. I would really love it if you could just let go enough to enjoy some of the things you are being exposed to. I like my pretty nails. Your sister does, as do your girlfriends. Most women do. I guarantee that nobody at school Monday will be able to tell. Yes, they will be cleaned up a bit, much like I did with your eyebrows. You've seen them. Did I make them girl's eyebrows? No. And your sister won't shape your nails to embarrass you. "I gather she wanted you to choose the color?" She nodded. "And you felt you were being made to make yourself into a girl?" She nodded again. "Well, at least for today, you are a girl, whether you paint your nails or not. But I'll make a deal with you. If you really won't do your nails today, I'll accept that, but in return, at some future time, you have to do whatever I say without question or argument. Do we have a deal?" "Anything?" "Yes, anything. It could be something trivial or it could be something major. I don't know now what it will be, but I'll guarantee that if I require it, I will honestly believe it's in your own best interest. More than that I can't say, as I don't know anything more right now. So, do we have a deal?" "Don't do it, Sis! It's too open ended. It's not a fair deal!" "Nevertheless, that's the deal I'm offering." "Sis? Would you pick." She looked at me before replying, "I'm sorry, I can't. If we are just forcing you, or allowing you to believe we are forcing you, then this whole thing is pointless and needs to stop. You have to discover for yourself why girls do what they do. If we are forcing you, you won't find that out." "The deal is still on the table, or I can make you a salon appointment for tomorrow after school. I'll even treat your girlfriends. Would you like that?" "Some other time, mother, but thank you though. I'd like to exchange manicures with my sister." "Wonderful! What color are you going to use? Please go get it so I can see." After she left I turned to Susan, "Too much?" and giggled. She just shook her head. "By the way, thanks for taking her side." When Carly returned she had a bottle of the sweetest pastel pink you can imagine. It was the perfect color for a Sweet Sixteen birthday party. "I thought this would be a good choice for us." "For both of you? Susan? Were you planning on matching today?" "I thought it would be nice to match my new sister, though I'll wear mine all next week. I hope it reminds her of the wonderful time we're going to have today whenever she sees it." "That sounds lovely dear. Are you going to do them in here or one of your rooms." "In here I think, the light's better." "Well don't be too long, I'll have to start getting the party ready soon. I'm off to get dressed. I still have a few things to pick up." ************ When I returned later, the girls were both dressed casually in cute tops, short skirts and flats. Their makeup was done and toes and nails were glistening pink. Susan's hair was curled prettily and Carly's was still in her curlers, waiting for me. What surprised me is it was obvious both were wearing bras. Carly's top said Birthday Girl in sequined script. "You look very sweet girls, perfect for the party. Would you please get the tables set up in the backyard while I get these packages sorted?" I really didn't need their help, but I wanted Carly to be outside for two reasons; one because she needed to get over her fear and two because I had more things for her room. She just stood there until Susan gently took her arm. "C'mon, sis. We got this, mom." I had retrieved the matching bras to some of her panty sets from my office where I'd stashed them. I opened up her panty drawer and filled up the remaining space with the bras. I knew she would wear them rarely, if ever. I was surprised Susan managed to get her into one today. But having them in her drawer would be yet another constant reminder whenever she saw them. It was simply more insurance to keep from having to change all this to the hard way. I cleared enough junk from the top of 'his' dresser in order to place a pretty fabric runner down the center and off the ends ending in a lace border letting the base color show through. The color coordinated with the matching gowns on both the Barbie and the Ken. I put the two doll stands in his closet on the shelf. I had been tempted to do more, but thought that even this would push his limits hard. He certainly wouldn't want one of his friends in his room but it would still be 'his' room, which was my intent. With that done I went to the kitchen with my roller basket and brushes and called through the back door, "Carly? Come on in dear, It's time to get those curlers out of your hair." She rushed in as if she were too embarrassed to be outside. "Carly? You're a girl and anything you do as a girl is acceptable or even expected. Now, take the trash out to the cans in the alley and wait for me to call you in again. This time I want you to respond loudly enough to let you know I heard you and then you will prettily walk in here and act excited about getting your hair done for your party. Have I made myself clear, young lady?" "Yes, mother." "Then do so. If I don't call right away, help your sister set up the decorations. If I call while you are working, finish what you're doing but let me know. Right now, you look like a girl. If you don't act like you appear you will draw attention to yourself. If you act guilty, you will be perceived as guilty. If you act embarrassed all the time, what are the people around you going to think? They will wonder and take a closer look at you. Is that what you want?" "No, Ma'am." "Then I suggest you start acting like the girl you appear to be. Now take out the trash and help your sister." I went to get the hairspray I had forgotten and returned to the kitchen. I decided to go ahead and make the punch for the party. Occasionally I looked out the window over the sink to see the two girls doing the decorations. Carly was still looking nervously around to see if anyone was watching her. I saw Susan trying to calm her down and jolly her out of it. It wasn't working very well, but I decided that we had time to spare so I delayed calling for her. When the punch was done I put it in the fridge to cool. I decided that it was time to pour gasoline on the fire. I took a small table out to the yard and placed it close to one of the outside electrical outlets. I retrieved an old, multi-cd boom box from the garage and set it up. "Susan? Please select some suitable music for the party and set this up." I could see Carly nervously watching Susan leave and me tuning the boom box to a radio station and turning it up fairly loud. When I went back inside, I knew she really wanted to come in herself, but I hadn't called her. When Susan came through the kitchen I corralled her into helping me sort out the party favors and wrap them for the girls. When we were done, Susan left to re-do the music. After it had been shut off, for the moment anyway, I called out again rather loudly, "Carly? Come on in. It's getting late and we really need to remove those curlers and give you some pretty curls." "I'll be right in, mom. I need to finish here first." "Alright, honey. I guess I've raised a real girly girl if you like being in curlers so much! Maybe I should have shown you how to use them earlier!" "Oh, mom! It's not the curlers! It's the way my hair looks afterward." I was pleased with how she was responding, but I couldn't tell from her voice how she really felt, though I could guess. When she did come in, it wasn't rushed and she brought the empty trash can with her, replacing it where it belonged. When she straightened, she just looked at me questioningly. "Yes. Much better. Does it feel better to you?" "Some, but I have to think more before I say anything. That makes it harder." "Maybe, for a while anyway. After a while you'll learn to just respond as a girl without thinking about it.. Which reminds me, are you really anxious to see your new curls? Or was that just for the neighbors benefit?" "The neighbors?" "Certainly! With the loud music and party decorations I'm sure they're quite aware of what is happening over here. And we were certainly loud enough for them to hear our exchange, or would be if they were out in their yard. Did you hear anyone in their pool?" Wide-eyed, she shook her head. "Well, maybe Phyllis was just sunbathing. Or not. She really doesn't like loud music. She complained about your sister's party. We'll see what happens today. Come over here and take a seat. Take the curlers as I free them." I removed her curlers one at a time from the nape of the neck upwards. The setting lotion was strong enough to pull the curls back into place looking like the curlers were still in her hair. When I had them all out I took my hands and fingers to the curls, scrunching them up to loosen them up while not losing the tight curls. Her haircut didn't have much shape and though it was a bit longer on top, it was mostly just the same length all over. I started again at the nape and started combing through half of each curl with my rat-tailed comb. Once combed through I positioned each curl and moved on, leaving the curls fairly loose and in a tousled interlock. The longer hair on top allowed me to create a tousled sweep of hair with what looked like a larger curl drooping above her left eye. The only thing that would give him away was the eyebrows. Everything else said girl. She was pretty, in her way, but not beautiful. The hair really didn't suit her facial structure that well, but was much better than without the curls. All in all, she looked like she was ready for her Sweet Sixteen birthday party. I sprayed her hair liberally, protecting her face from the spray. When it had dried I told her, "Don't touch it, but go take a look. It turned out better than I thought it might. I'll send Susan in to refresh your makeup and you'll be ready for your party, birthday girl. She left and I called Susan in. "Go take a look. Refresh her makeup now her hair's done. Curl her lashes more and add more mascara. The eyes need more pop now." "OK, the girls should be here soon. Are we ready?" "Pretty much. We aren't on any real schedule so there's plenty of time. I'll put out some crudit? in the living room so you girls can get used to Carly and she you. Take whatever time you want for that. If she acts like she looks, there won't be any issues. That's up to you girls to teach her. Go see what you think of your new sister." Later, when they came back into the kitchen, I saw that Carly's makeup suited her hair now. Her eyes popped and her glistening pink lips shimmered enough not to get lost. She was a girl. "Come with me to the living room, I want some pictures of my daughters." As expected, Carly got nervous. "Listen girl, no one else is allowed to take pictures of you. Only I can. And I'm not going to miss this opportunity! So wiggle your fanny into the living room so I can capture my beautiful daughters in a photo. As I was about finished with the pictures, the doorbell rang. Susan started to go answer it but I stopped her. "These are your friends but not your guests. It is up to Carly to welcome her guests. Carly?" She looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. "Carly? Listen to me! These are your friends. They are here to help you celebrate your birthday. There is absolutely no reason at all to be fearful. So please answer the door." As she finally moved, the doorbell rang again, which hurried her up. I moved to where I could see the door. I wasn't anxious about the girls, but I was about how Carly would handle it. She opened the door and a whirlwind entered. I started taking pictures as I wanted to capture her first experiences as a girl with outsiders. Carly didn't even have time to react. Lila almost screamed her name before kissing her check and exclaiming "Happy Birthday, girl! You're looking particularly luscious. I LOVE your hair!" Before the door could close, Tammy rolled in and the whole thing started again. Carly was simply overwhelmed and carried along in the mad rush. The door did manage to close, but before everyone could get to the living room the doorbell went off and the whole thing started again. More and more came till all six had arrived. They simply did not allow Carly to retreat. They kept her so off balance she didn't have to do anything but respond without thinking. I stopped worrying. The girls were doing all that was necessary. Carly was like a wallflower that discovered the wall wasn't needed. I pulled the punch out, iced it with a large chunk of ice and placed it on the coffee table. Since the cups were already there, the girls started filling them. The crudit? came next with three different dips. I went to check the decorations outside and turned on the music, but lower than before. I retrieved the boxes of party favors and started the final prep on the birthday table. By the time I was finished, it was the prissiest, most feminine party I'd ever seen. I couldn't have gotten nearly this precious with Susan's party. But for Carly's, there was no such thing as over the top. It was so feminine and sickly sweet that a real girl would have barfed as soon as she saw it. I was counting on Carly being and staying in the overload zone, even while she had a fake smile on her lips. As it turned out, the smile wasn't fake and she wasn't overloaded. The girls had done such a good job drawing her out and making her feel comfortable that when it came time for her southern belle, Ken doll cake, she screamed and laughed as much as the rest of the girls. Once she had cut through the skirt to give each girl a piece of cake, I removed it to pull the Ken doll to clean and dress before wrapping the present the same as the Barbie. I took both back to her room and placed them on her dresser. The party favors were matching, solid gold, Celtic knot necklaces; very pretty and feminine. They were engraved in script on the back with each girl's name. Carly had to put each girl's necklace on each of her guests. Susan did the honors for Carly, kissing her on the cheek and whispering in her ear. Then it was time for presents. The girls did Carly proud. None of the gifts were as feminine as the party decorations, but that wasn't saying much. There was jewelry and lingerie and a pink, leather-bound diary and a purse and a spa set and perfume and and and. Each of the seven girls gave the gift certificate I had provided. Carly handled herself beautifully. I was watching closely and I couldn't tell if she was faking anything or not. None of the gifts fazed her in the least. She was kept so busy that she never saw me taking all the pictures of her party, including a video from a tripod of her cake coming in and everyone, including her, squealing. When the party finally came to a close and all her guests had been hugged and kissed at the door, she came up to me and hugged me hard. Thank you, mom! I didn't think I would, but I enjoyed my party! I don't know what I'm going to do with all my gifts, bu ..." "What do you mean you don't know?" "Well, they're for ... " "Stop right there, missy! I thought we'd settled this. Tell me who you are!" "I'm a girl and your daughter." She said defensively. "And you were about to tell me you couldn't use your gifts because why?" "because ... uhh" "I watched you today, baby. You weren't acting a part. You were a girl all afternoon. Those gifts were chosen for you. The girls expect you to use them or wear them. But they also know that most of the time you can't. The exception is here at home, or their homes. Your sister is required to treat you as a girl whenever you aren't in public, right?" "Yes." "Are we in public now?" "No." "Are you supposed to act and react as a girl at all times?" "Yes." "Then please explain to me why you couldn't use or wear your gifts here." "because ... ..." "There isn't a because, is there?" She shook her head. "So, all your gifts can be used, right?" She nodded. "Will the girls expect to see you using or wearing their gifts?" She slowly nodded. "Then what's the problem?" "Those things I can do here are OK, but the gift certificates ar ..." "from me and part of the plan. Come with me to your room, sweetie. I have something to show you." As soon as she entered the room she saw that the dresser had changed. I gave her the present with the Ken doll in it, complete with the sunbonnet and parasol not on her cake. She opened it and was shocked to see it here in her room. I got one of the doll stands and placed the doll on the door side of the dresser on the runner. "This stays here as a reminder of who you are. It is not to be hidden when you have visitors. Understood?" I gave her the other present and got the other doll stand. After she saw the matching Barbie doll I took it to stand on the other end of the dresser on the runner. "This one stays visible as well. You may switch them around if you wish, even move them around the room or play with them, but they both must remain displayed at all times. If I ever catch you trying to get around this, both will be placed on the fireplace mantle and I will be glad to explain to anyone that asks whose they are and what they mean. Do you understand?" She was silent, but nodded. "Do you know what they mean?" She shook her head. "They are a visual reminder of how you will be made up and dressed for this coming or even the next Halloween, or both, if you don't stay focused on being a girl at all times. Dolls are for girls and these are for you, but they also ARE you. You were concerned about the gift certificates. You have seven of them. I will number them and put them away. You won't know what the assigned numbers are. I will put slips of numbered paper in a jar and when you don't do what you are supposed to without what I would consider a valid reason, then you will pull a single slip out and whatever that gift certificate is, you will have done. From that point on you will add that to your task, private OR public! Did you look at them?" She nodded. "Would you like to go to school after having any of them done?" She shook her head, wide-eyed. Now you know I'm serious about this, don't you?" She started to nod but I shook my head. "Yes, mother, I know you're serious." "So, can you tell me what your job is for the next year?" "I'm to learn to be a girl all the time. My sister and my friends will teach me. To the best of my ability I must act like a girl." "What is your name?" "My name is Carly and I'm a girl and your daughter." I nodded. "Look in your panty drawer." She opened it and immediately saw the bras. She turned to me with a pleading look on her face. "No, for now you are not required to wear them. I bought them as another reminder of what's in store if you fight this. I didn't expect you to wear a bra today, but I'm very pleased you did. You did a wonderful job being a girl today. But this is just the start and you have a whole year to go." I picked up the Barbie doll. "Do you want to end the year looking like this? I can make it happen." Her eyes became saucers and she shook her head violently whispering "no..no..no..no..n" "OK then, here's how it's going to go. When the girls come over to see you, and they will, you will make a point to be using or wearing whatever they gave you to show you appreciate the gifts. Do you recall who gave you what?" Her eyes got big again as she shook her head. "Then you can thank your sister for keeping notes. In as feminine a script as you are capable, I expect you to write each of them a thank you note. It should include why you like it and how you'll use it. Those should be mailed out no later than Tuesday so you'll have to buy what you need after school tomorrow, including stamps. "How did it feel being in a skirt all day?" It was priceless when she looked down in shock at the skirt on her body. "I see you forgot you had it on, didn't you?" She nodded. "Well, I won't be reminding you. Your clothes are yours to deal with, not mine. Which means: if you want to dress as a girl here at home, then it's your choice. You got lingerie and perfume as gifts I expect you to use them. Your purse is a very nice purse. I'm sure it will come in handy in the future, but until then you will practice keeping track of it here at home. It should never be far from your hand. It should contain everything Carl carries in his pockets and more. If I find it just lying about then you will have to do without or pay a penalty. Can you buy lunch at school without your ID?" "No, ma'am." "Then either you'll go hungry or pay the price to get it back. So you know, this isn't where your gift certificates will be used. We'll come up with something else to remind you how important it is to keep track of your purse. "What else did your friends give you?" "I got two" "You received, not got. Watch your language. You're a girl now." "I received two rings and a bracelet, a diary, some bath stuff and ... uhhh ..." "some lovely lingerie that is too good for daily wear. Do you realize that none of the gifts were cheap and that quite a bit of thought went into them? I supplied extremely nice party favors for the girls because they were willing to help you. I'm glad I did because otherwise I would feel cheap after seeing their gifts. Their party favors were supposed to be picked out by you, but given the circumstances, I did it. But since you are all friends, I expect they will want to wear their necklaces as a symbol of the group. What does that tell you?" "Susan told me when she helped me with mine. She said I should wear it all the time like the other girls intend to." "Will you? ALL the time? It's a girl's necklace and can't be disguised as anything else. So, are you a girl? And will you wear it like the other girls?" I could see the trepidation firm into resolve. "Yes." "Are you beginning to understand what is at stake and the level of commitment you need to make?" "Yes, ma'am. I do." "Then I'll quit harping on it. Do you have any questions or comments?" "What happens after a year?" "If you've done your best to be a girl, whatever you want to happen. If you haven't done your best, then, to varying degrees, you'll have to deal with whatever feminine aspects came out of your gift certificates. I can't imagine your so-called friends will have much to do with you, but probably your old friends wouldn't either. I guess it all depends on you and how you handle yourself this year." "What does 'being a girl' mean to you?" "In the long run, it means you no longer think of us as less than you or even worthless. In the short term, it means trying your best to act and react like you think a normal girl would. As a girl, you'll discover what type of girl you actually are. Right now, you don't have enough of an idea of what girls can do even though you saw it in action today." "What do you mean?" "How were you acting prior to when your girlfriends showed up?" "I was scared and nervous and wanted to run away." "and after?" "I was ... ... just a girl." "Do you begin to see? You couldn't do that on your own. I watched you try, and appreciated the effort. But your friends could show you the way and walk beside you, even when you stumbled, until you were running around and having as much fun as they were. You squealed when I brought out the cake! You laughed as hard as anyone there. Could you have done that this morning?" She shook her head, "No, I couldn't" "OK, can you imagine any of your old friends being able to do that with you in a similar situation?" "No, not at all." "So? What does that say about how you've been perceiving girls? I don't want to hear the answer. I want you to think about it. Tell it to your diary when you start to get a handle on it. Anything else?" She shook her head. "Then you need to find Susan and ask her to help you with your cleansing routine tonight. But before you do, I want you to take a long look at yourself in the mirror. Use the mirror on my closet door so you can see all of you. I'll put one in here for you. Tomorrow, at least to most of the school, you are Carl again. But as of today, they no longer know the real you, do they? Go see what I mean in my closet mirror." ************ After three months, things had settled into a comfortable rut. Carly had become her own girl despite whatever clothes she wore. I was beginning to be concerned how Carl could manage school in two months. The girls had drawn Carly out of her shell and as her comfort level increased she spread her wings more. About half the time she was home she was dressed as a girl, usually when her girlfriends were over, but other times as she felt like it. She was doing her own makeup and hair and rarely needed a touchup from either Susan or me. Things were running very smoothly with little or no need for my intervention. The girls were doing a wonderful job. They were all truly girlfriends now. So I was surprised when it all blew up. It started with Susan, but quickly involved all the girls. I came home from work one day to find everyone waiting for me. When I had changed and joined them I found out what it was about. It seems that the boy Susan was dating had his younger cousin staying with him for the summer. The problem was that he had been made responsible for him and it started to interfere with the summer plans Susan and her boyfriend wanted to make. Susan wanted Carly to double date the cousin. Carly balked and it was taken to the girls, as girls do. The girls all sided with Susan and Carly felt put upon and forced into a corner. The only good thing I could see was that Susan had approached Carly first without mentioning anything to her boyfriend. I could decide either way without it impacting Susan's relationship. I turned to Carly to hear what she had to say. What it boiled down to was she didn't want to do it. All of the girls looked at me expectantly. I sighed. "OK, let me sum up. Carly? Your task is to be a girl to the best of your ability to learn what it means to be a girl. Correct?" She nodded. "And your only reason for not doing this for your sister is because you don't want to. Is that correct?" "Yes." "You haven't met this boy and know nothing about him?" "Yes." "Girls? Your argument is that Carly can't know what it is like to be a real girl unless she understands interactions with boys. Is that right?" I heard a chorus of yeses. "And you honestly feel she is enough of a girl to do this without causing any issues whatsoever for Carl?" That stopped them for a bit but after a quiet consultation Lila responded, "Yes, we do." "Carly? The girls have made a good argument that fits with your task for this year. I'm not considering Susan's wishes in this as she has a personal agenda. But the girls don't. They are not taking sides and are simply trying to help you understand girls more completely. If you can't give me a better reason, I'm going to have to side with the girls." She just looked at me. I noticed how her eyes were done and that, over time, her eyebrows were shaped a bit more than I originally did. Her hair was casual and nicely done. She was wearing a top and shorts, but it was obvious she was wearing a bra. Her nails matched her outfit. I continued to look her over, returning her look in silence. Finally I said, "Do you have any other reason?" "No ma'am." "Then will you do this for your sister if we can minimize any potential repercussions?" "No, ma'am." "Very well." I got up and retrieved the jar from the kitchen, opened it and held it for her to choose. Eventually she chose a single slip of paper. I closed the jar and returned it. I went to my desk to get the gift certificates I had placed in non-descript envelopes. I didn't remember what had been placed in which envelope. I also realized that the jar was really unnecessary now. I took the envelopes back to the living room. "What was your number?" "Three," I handed her the envelope and we all waited while she opened and read it. She handed it to me. "It seems that Carly's room is no longer going to be Carl's. It's still early enough. Why don't you girls help Carly pick out how she wants her room to look. You might want to take a few pics of her room now that you can refer to as you shop. We'll do this again tomorrow unless Carly changes her mind." "You expect me to go out in public?" "It wouldn't be the first time, but even if it was, you are enough of a girl and look good enough that it won't be a problem. I might hesitate if you were going alone, but you're not." ************ By the next day when I returned home from work the girls were waiting again. I sighed and went to change. I stopped by Carly's room and found it feminine but not prissy. The bed linens and throw pillows changed the room a lot, but the changed curtains and bedside rug did even more. The dresser had been cleaned off and a jewelry box and a silver tray with a myriad of perfume samples joined the two Southern Belle dolls. Given the circumstances, I thought the girls had gone too far with the posters of boy bands decorating her walls. It was a typical girl's room. After I changed, I retrieved the envelopes from my desk and joined the girls in the living room. "Is there any change?" The girls chorused "No." while Carly shook her head. "Carly? Before we go further I'd like to tell you a few things." She nodded her head. "Any girl here will tell you that her first date was one of the most traumatic days of her life. There was fear and excitement and trepidation and anxiety and many other emotions that all mixed together. It can easily overwhelm a girl. In many cases, the girl has no idea whether she is attracted physically to a boy or a girl or both or neither. It is a rite of passage. In some cases, things go poorly and the girl is scarred by the experience. In others, everything goes well and the whole experience becomes magical. But the point is that good or bad, it helps define the girl that will eventually become a woman. "The date that is being proposed is, as explained to me, a casual day out. In the scheme of things, it is the safest possible way to dip your prettily painted toes into the dating waters." She blushed, refusing to look down at her toes. "Remembering my own first dates, I honestly believe that this will help you with your understanding of girls and women. So, I need to ask you again if you will be willing to double date with your sister." "No, ma'am." I sighed. "Can you tell me why? We can talk privately if you wish." She shook her head. "Very well. I want to remind you that anything you select from the gift certificates will be in force till the year is up. I believe you got very lucky with your first choice. If I can recall correctly, all the rest of these will change your appearance for the rest of your year, including when school starts. Are we clear on the consequences?" "Yes, ma'am." "Then please select another envelope." She selected number six. Opened it and turned white as the blood rushed from her face. She handed the certificate to me. I glanced at it and said, "I'll call in a bit and try to make an appointment for you tomorrow. The girls can accompany you. Please comport yourself as any girl would. From this point on, you will always wear makeup anytime a girl would. What that means is: unless you are getting ready for bed or before you do your makeup in the morning you will be fully made up. It doesn't mean it has to be heavy. What this means is you'll have to learn what is appropriate for the outfit you are wearing and the circumstances in which you find yourself. I'm quite sure your girlfriends will keep you on track. We will meet again tomorrow to see if you have reconsidered or have a valid reason for refusing. I'll leave you girls to your discussions." I returned to my bedroom and felt like crying. Instead, I took another look at Carly's room and decided, given her choice, to see what I could do about her furniture. Her bed was OK, but if I could find a tallboy dresser I could probably fit a vanity in her room. I called to set up Carly's appointment. It turned out they had one for ten the next morning. I confirmed the appointment and told her it was on a gift certificate that included a consultation and all the selected makeup for a sixteen year-old girl. She said that for that she needed more time and asked if the appointment could be changed to nine-thirty. I told her that was fine, but told her nine would be equally good. We set Carly's appointment for nine the next morning. I returned to the living room to find the girls ganging up on Carly. "What's going on here?" Lila took the lead. "We're trying to convince Carly she should not take any more envelopes." "I see. And you think seven against one is the way to do that?" "Not exactly. We're just concerned about the impact on Carl. Is there any chance of you mitigating when she wears makeup?" "If I mitigated these certificates they wouldn't be effective at keeping Carly on the path to understanding us, would they? She got lucky with the first one and decided to push her luck. Had she selected the ear piercing, with her hair now, she might have been able to easily get away with it. Even the hair can be mitigated to some extent. But the only mitigation for makeup is being able to very skillfully apply it; in other words, girl skills. No, I won't mitigate them. "It's her choice to choose between the date or an envelope. As her friends, you have the right to try and convince her. You do not have the right to force her through numbers to do what you think she needs to do. Her choice is her choice, just as your choices are yours. Convincing her is fine. Brow beating her is not. Understood?" Carly looked at me thankfully as I heard a chorus of "Yes, ma'ams." "Can we withdraw our recommendation she go on this date?" "Other than her current distress, do you have a valid reason for doing so?" "No, ma'am." "Then as the original reasons are still valid, no, the decision still stands." I handed the gift certificate back to Carly. "Your appointment is for nine tomorrow morning. Wear something comfortable in colors you like. You're going to be there a while. Try to enjoy it, but better still, do your best to learn the skills you'll need to master." I went to my desk and pulled up local furniture stores. After about an hour of searching, I found a bedroom suite that included a highboy dresser and a vanity. I looked at the cost of the complete set and found that it wasn't too much more than the two individual pieces I was interested in. The suite was French Provincial, though not in a little girl's white, like Susan's cream set. It was adult and feminine and her current linens would work fine with it. I called out. "Susan? May I see you for a moment?" "Whatcha need, mom?" she said as she entered. "Have you plans for tomorrow?" "Not really. I was debating going with the girls for Carly's appointment is all." "Would you do something for me instead?" "Sure, if you want." "Come see." I showed her the bedroom suite I was looking at and told her my decision to go ahead and get it. I asked if she would empty out Carly's things after she left tomorrow morning and let the delivery men in to set up the furniture if I could get the delivery time I wanted. "I can do that." Then I had an idea. "Susan? You've been under a lot of stress handling all of this with your sister, though except for the latest thing, it's gotten easier. Would you like to have this bedroom suite? It's better than yours and more adult. You could give yours to Carly. I was looking to have a vanity for her. Your set will work for her needs. Would you like it?" Her face beamed! "Yes! I'd love it. Thank you!" "Then we have a decision to make. It would be easiest to put the new bedroom in Carly's room. How do you feel about swapping rooms with your sister?" I could see her mind churning. "It would be a lot more complex to keep my room." "Yes, but if you want that, we'll do it." She was silent for several minutes. "I'll swap rooms." "Then start boxing up your things tonight. I'm sure we have some boxes and tape in the garage. Tomorrow, as soon as Carly leaves, move Carly into your old room and set it up for her. Talk a few of your friends into staying behind to help you. I'll try and get an early afternoon appointment for the delivery. Have them move her old furniture into the garage and then set up your new furniture. Your linens will fit the new bed and Carly's will fit your old bed. If you will, please completely set up Carly's room before starting in on yours. If necessary, I'll help you with yours when I get home, but with your friends you'll probably be done before then. Oh! Re-accessorize your new bathroom to suit you and take Carly's stuff to her new one. She can set that up herself, unless you want to help her." I called and confirmed delivery for twelve-thirty before purchasing the suite. "They'll probably arrive late, but be ready for them to clear out your new room by twelve-thirty. They have our number and will call when they're on the way." ************ The following day the girls were all in the living room again. I nodded and went back to my bedroom to change. Susan's room seemed finished and her bathroom looked much more like a girl lived there than it ever did with Carly. Carly's room looked even sweeter than I thought. It was definitely a younger girl's room and her new accessories went perfectly with the walls and carpet. Her bathroom was also done and looked more like it should. To start with, it was cleaner. I changed and went back to the girls. The first thing I checked was what I expected: Carl's eyebrows were no more. It made a huge change on her face, opening up her eyes and framing and giving definition to them. "Carly? You look very nice dear. Did you do this or did she?" "She taught me to do it." "That is what I intended with the gift certificate. Did you get the video?" She nodded. "Then I expect you to practice at least an hour every day. Maybe, just maybe, you can become skilled enough to do a clean, girl-next-door, no-makeup makeup before school starts. It'll still be makeup and all the girls will recognize it for what it is, but maybe the boys won't. Do you like your new room?" "I'm still getting used to it. It's much more girly than my old room." "Yes, it is. But who are you again?" She sighed and responded, "I'm a girl and your daughter, as you well know, Mother!" "So is 'girly' an issue for you?" "No." "So tell me, for the most part, who do girls date?" "Mostly they date boys." "And you tell me you are a girl and my daughter. You certainly look and act like a girl now. All of your friends have been on dates. You are the last one to take the plunge. Are you ready to dip your pretty toes in the water?" She shook her head slowly. "Very well, I'll be right back." I retrieved the envelopes and fanned them out in front of her. She held up her hand to select one, but couldn't seem to finish the motion. We stayed like that for what must have been four minutes or so before she dropped her hand. "Have you decided then?" She nodded. "Please tell your sister what you decided to do." "Sis? I will be happy to double date with you at the amusement park with you date's cousin. But I'm concerned about what happens if you continue dating and it's time for me to switch back." "Carly sweetie, most relationships don't last very long. And your switch is still about nine months away. Besides, he's going off to college in the fall. I'm just having some fun times with him, that's all. If that's what's been bothering you we could have sorted this out ages ago! Why didn't you say something?" "Because you seemed so happy and I didn't want to create a problem for you." "OK baby girl. Listen carefully to me! Girls TALK about these kinds of things. We work through problems. If it's a real problem, we either find some way to solve it or we don't even go there. As much of a girl as you are becoming, THIS is a lesson you need to learn, and the sooner the better. I appreciate you were trying to think of me, but look what it's cost you! I mean, you really look great! But it's going to be more difficult for Carl now, isn't it?" Carly nodded and broke down into sobs. All the girls moved to console her but Susan was there first and held her till she calmed down. "Sweetie? All of us will help you with your makeup. There's still time. OK?" ************ The year was almost over and, to be honest, I didn't know if I had a daughter or a son. No more of the gift certificates had been used. I was glad I had checked before buying them that there was no expiration date! Carly was as active a girl as any of her girlfriends. Once her first date had passed she was more relaxed and related more to her friends. The problem now was that her sister and all her friends were graduating seniors and would be leaving for college in the fall. She had so immersed herself in the group, to no small amount of talk about Carl at school, that she really had no other friends. I looked closely at the scrap book photo album I had started after the party. Even in pictures when she was in boy mode, mostly I saw Carly. It was time to start dealing with all the fallout. "Carly? May I see you for a bit, sweetie?" I winced at how easily I called her. "Whatcha need, mom." She sounded so much like her sister. "Your birthday is coming up. We need to talk about where we go from here." "I know." "Do you have any thoughts?" "I think I can safely say I understand girls better now." "I think you do, too." "So where do we go from here?" "That depends entirely on you, dear one. Do you know what you want to do now?" "Well, despite having periods for the last twelve months, I like girls. I mean sexually, I like girls." "Have you been active with any of your girlfriends?" "MOM!" "Well, have you?" "No, I didn't want to take the chance of losing them as friends." "So you're still a virgin?" "Yes mother, I can wear white at my wedding. Sheeesh!" "So, do you like girls as a girl? ... Or as a boy? ... Or both? "I don't know the answer to that one. It would be easier on all concerned if I was a boy." "If you had to say, what is your percentage of girl to boy right now?" "Probably 70-30. Maybe 75-25." "Maybe 80-20? I haven't really seen much boy in a long time." "Maybe." "Since all of your friends will be gone in the fall, would you like to switch schools? It would make it easier on you to not have to deal with all the rumors from this year." "Those don't bother me anymore." "But it might bother those you would be interested in being friends with." "True." "In a way, I can't believe I'm going to ask this, but would you like to go to a girl's school?" "I don't really know. I know that right now I'm more comfortable with girls." "Do you want to be a girl?" "Again, I don't know." "OK, It's obvious I don't know enough to deal with all this. I was the one that did this to y" "Stop right there! I did this to myself! I know now how bad a situation I was in. Judging by what happened, it was much worse than your harshest nightmares! I'd probably be dead now! You don't know what happened! You got me out just in time. I've never thanked you for that. I've tried to pay you back by being the best daughter I could be, since that was the only avenue open to me. You have no reason to blame yourself on this! Ever!" "I didn't know. I've been blaming myself all this time." "Now you know. So stop it! I'm a MUCH better person because of you. You don't have any idea how much I appreciate it. I would do anything you asked of me. Anything! And it still wouldn't be enough to pay you back." "You don't owe me anything, dear one. You're my child and I love you." We sat in comfortable silence for a while. "I've been checking into people that help others with gender issues. There are some very good people out there. Would you like me to set up an appointment for you?" "Do I have to draw another gift certificate if I refuse?" "No, but it might be fun to see what you'd get. Want me to get them?" "Yes, I do. I want to see what I'd have gotten if I continued to refuse that pitiful little date." When I returned, she pulled out number four and opened it. After glancing at it, she showed it to me. "I paid a lot for this one. She's the best in the city. You don't tell her what you want done, she tells you. The thing is, she's right! When she's finished with your hair, it is the perfect complement to your face and personality. You look so good you feel like you can conquer the world with a glance. I'd love to see your hair done by her now, but it would have been the death of Carl to have drawn it then." "Maybe Carl needs to die." "Do you really mean that?" "I don't know, mom. For right now, it's far easier to just be a girl. But I've grown, and I've filled out some and I'm having to shave a lot and" "And it's no longer as easy to be Carly. That settles it then. I'm going to set you up with someone that can help you sort through this. But I want you to remember something: I will love whoever comes out the other end." "I know you will, mom. I know you will."