I could feel myself blush, “You’re very sweet to say that, but I did look at myself just a minute ago.”
Jeff still had my arm, and he pulled me up against him. “You are absolutely gorgeous…” he said as brought his lips against mine. His tongue found mine and we held each other tight as we kissed deeply. I kissed him as if I was never going to see him again. Tears started rolling down my cheeks. Jeff pulled away and brushed a tear from my cheek.
Looking into his eyes I said softly, “I’m going to miss you so much!” I kissed him again as more tears started to flow. I was suddenly so filled with emotion; I felt as if I was about to burst. I started to shake trying to keep from all-out crying. Jeff pressed his nose against mine as we looked right into each other’s eyes. I cried out, “I love you…”
Jeff hugged me again, wiped away another tear and said softly, “I love you too, babe.” He tried to force a smile as we just stood there holding each other. Finally, Jeff separated and lifted my chin up with his hand, “I have to go. Take care of yourself. I’ll see you in two weeks, OK?”
I just nodded my head as the tears continued to flow. I couldn’t believe just how much Jeff’s leaving for the holidays was affecting me, “Bye, Jeff. You be careful. I hope you have a good time.”
He bent down and kissed me ever so softly and lingered for a moment. Then he stood up, looked into my eyes as I ran my fingers down his cheek. “Bye babe. I love you,” he said and turned and walked back towards the waiting car.
As the car rolled down the street, bathed in cold, early morning sunlight, I whispered, “I love you, too…”
Sitting down on the couch, I curled myself up into a little ball, and cried.
* * *
‘This room is just too boyish’, I thought as I stood in the middle of my old room. Well, now it’s my new old room, I guess. Just a few minutes ago, Dad had called to say he and Diane were about an hour out from home. I’d spent Saturday afternoon moving my stuff out of Diane’s room and back into mine. I decided for now not to take down the old posters in my room and also not put up the new ones I’d accumulated the past couple of months. I couldn’t believe how much my taste in music and celebrities had changed in that short amount of time.
Mom stuck her head in the door and called out, “Chrissy, did you wash all of Diane’s undies?”
“Yes, Mom,” I said. “Her room is as pristine as the day she left.” I paused a moment, then added, “And don’t call me ‘Chrissy’!”
“Sorry, Chris,” apologized Mom. “You just don’t seem all that boyish to me.”
“Come on, Mom. I’m trying to get back into the proper mental state.” I said as I pulled my hair back into a ponytail. My plan was to stay in boy mode for the next two weeks.
Mom just made a snorting laugh as she said, “Well, it might help if you removed your nail polish, and those aren’t boys jeans you’re wearing, either.”
* * *
I heard car doors slamming out front. I looked out the window and saw Dad and Diane approaching the house. When Diane left for college there was much rejoicing... at least from me, anyway. And when she decided to stay at college to get her MBA, I couldn’t have been happier, and now, life as I knew it was about to come to an end. Diane stepped through the front door.
“Mom!” Diane squealed as she ran across the living room with her arms outstretched, “I finally made it! Oh! I missed you guys so much!”
Mom braced for the oncoming hug and smiled, “We missed you too, honey! … ughff.” Diane hit Mom with huge bear hug.
Diane surveyed the room and announced, “And I missed this house.” An odd expression crossed her face as she continued, “And I uh, missed that couch.” Her eyes then fell on me, “And I missed my little baby brother.” She gave me a little hug.
Still looking at me, Diane said, “I really expected to see my new sister, or do you only dress up when you go out with your boyfriends?”
Diane hadn’t been home a full thirty seconds, and she was already trying to pick a fight. “If you must know, since I’ve been living totally as a girl for the past couple of months, I decided that while I’m off for Christmas, I would go back to being me.” I defensively folded my arms, “And my Significant Other is in Arizona during the holidays.”
Diane laughed and said, “Your Significant Other? Oh please. Just say ‘boyfriend’. Are you ashamed of him or something?” She suddenly noticed a framed picture that Mom kept on an end table of Jeff in his football uniform with his arm around me while I’m wearing my cheerleader uniform, “Wow, he’s cute, and you two make a cute couple. I approve.”
I was about to say something when Dad walked into the house. He looked at me and said, “Oh good, you’re a boy. I’m going to need some help unloading this truck, and I’m going to need someone who isn’t worried about breaking a fingernail. Get the lead out; I have to get this truck back before six.”
* * *
No one talked for the first few minutes while we were eating dinner. On the way home from dropping off the rental truck, Dad had stopped by Taco Bell to pick up something to eat.
Diane finally broke the silence saying, “So Mom, what do you think of what Chris has been doing? I couldn’t help but notice that all the pictures you have around the living room are of Chris as a girl. You even have some pictures of this Jeff guy. I’m guessing you approve?”
Mom looked uncomfortable, “Well dear, I could hardly have Chris’ boy pictures around if everyone knows him as a girl, and I didn’t approve at first. I thought it was an extremely stupid idea. But, I have to say that I’ve seen some positive changes in Chris, since he’s been living as a girl. I hope some of those changes stay after he switches back.”
Diane started to ask, “Chris, you mean you plan to…”
Dad interrupted her by saying, “Yeah, he’s actually been a good girl. Unlike some other daughters I know.” Diane shot Dad a hurt look. Dad ignored it and continued munching on a taco.
Diane turned back to me and asked, “Anyway, you’re planning on dropping this girl shi… crap soon?”
Frowning, I said, “I’m committed to the end of the school year. If I take the cheerleading scholarship, I may have to go to college as a girl, too.” Dad choked on his taco.
Diane shook her head, “Chris, you’d never survive college as a girl. College students and professors are much more astute than mere high schoolers, and they’d have you pegged as just a cross dresser or drag queen or something before you even got to your dorm room the first day.”
I laughed, “Yeah, just like your friend Phil and your professor friend!” The sudden thought of Phil brought a longing ache to my heart. “I mean Phil couldn’t even tell the difference between us. In fact, he thought I was cuter. And not the mention…”
“OK, all right already!” Diane interrupted, cupping her ears with her hands. “Maybe you could pull off the girl thing after all. But, I tried cheerleading in college one year. It’s tough... a lot tougher than high school.”
I shrugged and said, “Well, I haven’t made up my mind yet. I don’t know if I’ll take the scholarship or not. It’s supposed to go to Mandy.”
As she started to get up to clear the table, Mom said, “That’s very nice of Mandy to offer you her scholarship.”
Looking sheepish I said, “She doesn’t know. She doesn’t even know that Ms. Thornapple was planning on giving it to her first. Ms. Thornapple offered it to me kinda as a payment for keeping her out of jail.”
Mom looked at me sternly and said, “Then, you need to make some other arrangements with Ms. Thornapple. You can’t take that girl’s well deserved award from her.”
Whining a little, I said, “Mom, it’s supposed to go to the best cheerleader.”
“Make another arrangement with Ms. Thornapple. That’s final. Tell her the award should go to the best cheerleader.” She disappeared into the kitchen.
Dad got up and headed for the living room. I heard the television turn on.
Diane
tried to suppress a giggle. Shaking her head, she said, “I just can’t believe I’m hearing this conversation.” Looking directly at me and pointing her finger right in my face, she said, “And you, buck-o, I can’t believe what you’re doing. Not even considering that you’ve been a girl for the past couple of months, for God’s sake; I can’t believe you’re actually a cheerleader. After all the grief you gave me about becoming dumber when I put on the uniform and how stupid and silly cheerleaders were, you become one yourself!”
“I admit that I was wrong about cheerleaders,” I said, studying Diane’s fingers pointing at me and hoping I could borrow that nail color from her later. “Now, I know just how much is involved in being a one. I absolutely love cheering. Honest! I wish now I could have been a cheerleader all through high school like you.”
Diane laughed again, “Wow, Mom’s right. Being a girl has helped you a lot. You just admitted to me that you were wrong on something!”
* * *
Diane was getting situated into her old room by putting her clothes away and re-arranging some furniture. I walked into her room and stood for a minute.
“Does the chair really work better on that side of the room than where it was?” I asked.
Not even bothering to turn around Diane said, “That’s where the chair was when I left. That’s where it’s supposed to be.”
I was about to say something when I noticed the neat piles of panties lying on the floor next to my… I mean, Diane’s dresser, “Diane, why are you taking your panties out of the drawer and putting them on the floor?”
She turned to face me and frowned, “Well, I plan on burning them since I suspect you’ve worn all of these, which means your dong has been in them. Not to mention that you’ve probably farted in every one of them.”
“Like you don’t fart!”
“Girls don’t fart,” Diane said smugly.
I snorted a laugh, “Can you say… ’bullshit’?” I picked up a panty from the pile. “Take this one for instance. This brown streak was already there before I ever wore it. Ewww… see this panty with the brownish red stain? You couldn’t pay me to wear that one!”
Diane snatched the panty from my hand and before I could react, had pulled it over my head. “Oh! Eww! Yuck!” I sputtered as I clawed the panty from my face. “That’s not funny!”
Diane laughed, “Maybe not, but watching you try to pull it off your head was!”
Feigning anger, I tossed the panty on the pile. I bent down and picked up my favorite panty — a black, lacy, satin panty and asked, “You aren’t really going to burn these. So what are you going to do with them?”
“Actually, I really was going to burn them. Why? What do you care?” Diane asked.
“Because I like some of these,” I said, caressing the black satin panty. “If you don’t want them, can I have them?” I asked hopefully.
Shrugging, Diane said, “Sure, I guess. Take all you want, but just from that pile on the floor. The ones in the drawer are mine, and I don’t want to catch you in them!”
“Thanks. There were a couple of dresses in your closet I liked too…” I said hesitantly.
Pretending to be annoyed, Diane snapped back, “Don’t you have any of your own freakin’ dresses? What kind of girl doesn’t have a closet full of her own dresses?”
“One that’s only been a girl two months!” I squealed. “Christmas is coming up this next weekend you know. Wink wink.”
Diane shrugged and said, “Sure, OK. I’ll box up a couple of my old dresses and give them to you for Christmas. Sure’ll make it a cheap Christmas!”
“No way! You don’t give used clothes for Christmas presents!”
“Maybe we should start a new tradition!” Diane grinned.
She studied the fabric of a panty she was holding for a moment. Without looking up, she said, “Mom said you were crying this morning. Don’t tell her I said anything to you. She said she came up to hug you, but you really wouldn’t tell her why you were upset. She thought it had something to do with Jeff.”
I ran my toes along the small pile of undies on the floor. Finally, I said, “Yeah, it was about Jeff. I don’t really know why I was so taken over by emotion, but he stopped by to say good-bye on his way to Arizona.” I paused a moment, then continued, “I won’t see him for two weeks, Diane. Since we started dating, we haven’t been apart for two days. I guess it just sorta overwhelmed me.”
Diane shook her head, “Don’t get so hung up on Jeff, Chris. He’s just a guy. Guys always manage to find some way to hurt you.”
“Jeff’s different. He’s really cool. You’ll like him. Just don’t like him too much!” I joked. “He’s very special.”
Looking at me sideways, Diane said, “You’re really hung up on him, aren’t you?” I nodded and she continued, “Just be careful. Guys always seem special at first.”
“You’re thinking of Phil, aren’t you?” Diane nodded after a moment’s hesitation. “What happened? Phil seemed very nice and well… very cute.” We won’t even mention his heavenly kisses.
Diane tossed the panties she was holding into her dresser and slammed it shut then turned towards me, “The usual crap guys pull. I caught him with another girl. Tried to say she was his cousin from Wisconsin.”
“Maybe she was,” I suggested.
“She was naked. Outside of Arkansas, who gets naked with their cousin?” Diane snapped.
All I could say was, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s OK. I got my revenge. He French kissed my brother,” she grinned. She let out a short laugh and said, “I never thought I’d be giving my brother advice on boys.”
I touched her shoulder and said, “Hey, I’m your sister whenever you need one.”
She put her arms around me and gave me a big hug, “Thanks. It’s nice having a sister.”
It was a Hallmark moment…
* * *
“Dad!” I yelled. “Dad, make her give them back!” I yelled again as I chased Diane down the hallway.
“Get lost, creep. You didn’t care anything about them until I picked them up!” Diane yelled back as Dad caught up to us.
Looking tired, Dad asked, “OK. Now what’s this fight about?”
“She’s wearing my earrings! She didn’t even bother to ask!” I squealed.
Dad started to say, “Diane, now why…”
Interrupting, Diane shouted, “You’re not wearing them! You’re a boy now. What do you care?”
“Now Chris, why…”
“Those are my favorite earrings! They’re special. Now give them back!” I yelled.
“Diane, why don’t you…”
“Special?” Diane sneered. “What would make these earrings special? They’re pretty, but why are they special?”
“Chris, now why…”
“Well, they just are. That’s all!” I tried to sound forceful and manly.
“Diane, you should…”
“I bet a boy gave these earrings to you. Is that true? Was it Jeff?” Diane asked with a mocking laugh.
“Chris, who…?”
“If you must know, Shane gave me those earrings!” I shouted back.
“Diane, you really should…”
“Oooh! Shane! ‘Shane, come back!’ My God, Chris, how many boyfriends do you have, anyway?”
“Diane!” Dad shouted. “For God’s sake, give him back the stupid earrings!”
“Dad!” I shouted. “Don’t yell at my sister like that! I can’t believe you did that!”
“Yeah, Dad. I wasn’t doing anything, and I think these are very pretty. Don’t call Chris’ earrings stupid!” Diane shouted at Dad.
“Diane, I don’t mind if you borrow my earrings,” I said defiantly.
Dad shook his head and turned around and walked slowly away. I heard him mumble, “I think I could use a stiff drink…”
* * *
It felt good to be a slob again. I stretched out on the couch, wearing sweat pants and an old t-shirt with a rip in t
he armpit, a sock with a hole at the big toe and sipped my hot chocolate. The television was on and life was good.
Mom walked by and said, “You certainly look comfortable.”
“Yeppers,” I replied. “I think I’m going to stay right here all day.”
“Well, if you want to get a shower in this morning, you’d better go now. Your sister spends about an hour in the shower,” Mom said with a sigh.
“Naw, I’m not going to take a shower today,” I told her, “and I might not take one tomorrow either!”
Down the hall, I heard Diane turn the water on in the shower. I was disappointed that it was only fifteen minutes later that she turned off the water. Great! So much for peace and quiet. Maybe she’ll go shopping or something and get out of the house.
The Reluctant Sister (Reluctant Series Book 3) Page 12