by Daring Diane
Sally understood that Darby did not want to upset Lee and she was willing to consider being the bearer of bad news. “I will consider it. You and the rest of the tribe are going to have to promise me two things. First, no one and I mean not one of you will ever say anything derogatory about Lee, his dressing, grooming or anything else he does to fit in or go along with your squad rules. Second, as his best friend and a partial leader of this tribe, I expect your group to stand by him and destroy anyone who even hints at giving him any trouble about this clothing or any other changes he makes for your group. Do you understand me?”
Darby had never really seen Mrs. Corcoran so serious. It was sort of scary. Like a mama bear protecting a cub. “Mrs. Corcoran, I would never let anyone do or say anything about Lee to his face or behind his back. Lee has done so much for us. It just seems like we are always asking him to do a little more. I don’t want to hurt his feelings or make him feel bad.”
“Darby, you head home now. I’ll see what I can do to get Lee to conform to your needs. It may take a week or so.”
Darby left.
Lee’s mother called upstairs, “Lee, get in the shower. I want to do a load of wash and I want your practice clothes to add to the load.”
“Okay mom.” Lee was jolted from his clothing review. He put the two black and white space dyed items on the bed and everything else in the closet. Stripping off his clothes, he threw them in a clothes basket and put it beside the door.
Lee took a long shower. It was only now that he realized how hard he had pushed everyone today. Even he was feeling the pain. After drying his hair, he donned clean panties and a black tank before pulling the leggings on. They were longer than the team leggings. They fit like a glove and yet were soft and did not feel like they were limiting his movement. He pulled the matching top on over his tank top. Looking in the mirror, it seemed a little girly. But, it was so comfortable. Lee lay down on his bed to just absorb the feelings. He loved these clothes. He just wasn’t sure where he could wear them.
Sally called up, “Lee, are you dressed? I want to start the washer.”
Lee called back, “Yes I am dressed. All done in the bathroom.” He closed his eyes and lay there enjoying the feel of his new clothes. He wasn’t sure why he liked these clothes. But it gave him such a rush.
There was a knock at the door.
Without thinking, Lee said, “I said, I’m dressed come on in.”
Lee was jolted from his personal moment by a slight squeal. “Oh my god. That is so cute. That top looks so comfortable. Don’t you just love it?”
Lee heard Darby’s voice, cringed and dove off the bed and ran for the closet, closing the door.
“Lee, what’s the matter. You look great. I love those leggings. And, isn’t that top comfortable?”
“Darby, why’d you burst into my room? I thought it was my mom.”
“I knocked and you said you were dressed and to come in. Lee, what is the problem? Your mom told both of us about the clothes. I just knew you would want to try them on. You were taking forever to come over to my house so I thought I would come get you.” She paused and walked over to the closet door. “Lee, you are my best friend. I would never do anything to hurt you. You really do look nice in that outfit. Please open the door and talk to me.”
Lee slowly cracked the door. He looked like he was going to start crying. “I didn’t want anyone to see me. I was just trying these on. It’s way too girly.”
“Lee, do you know why people, boys and girls wear leggings? They are comfortable. I am not into skirts and lacy dresses. But Leggings are really nice. Don’t you think these leggings are comfortable?”
Reluctantly Lee shook his head yes.
“As far as tops go I like lots of things. When we work out, I like a tighter top. Girls like to have their breasts under control when jumping around. But other times, I like a loose top. It’s not like you don’t have something on underneath. The material of that top is really soft. And your tank top looks soft too. Don’t you just love the feel of soft material on your body?”
Lee had to agree, “It is really nice. I don’t have a lot of shirts that are soft like this. But, I don’t want people to see me like this. It feels too girly. I’m supposed to be a boy. I should look like a boy.”
“Lee, maybe you should be you and wear whatever is comfortable. You are not supposed to do anything. Why let other people tell you what you need to do to make them happy? Make yourself happy. Well, sometimes make me happy. But most of the time worry about yourself.”
“I’ll try,” Lee said as he sat on the end of the bed.
Darby sat next to him and put her arm on his shoulder. “Of course, we are wasting time because my house still needs to be cleaned for tomorrow. Can we go now?” Darby stood up and pulled his arm towards her.
Lee pulled back a little saying, “Let me change.”
Darby held tight. “Lee, it’s just you and me. No one is going to see you. You look good. Hell, you look cute. Let’s get the house cleaned up and watch a movie. I’ll get my mom to make your favorite smoothie.”
Darby dragged Lee to the kitchen. Sally stopped them to look at Lee. “Lee you look great. Everything fits perfectly. Is it comfortable?” His mother asked.
Lee wasn’t sure about her reaction. He thought his mom might give him some trouble. But, he admitted, “They are really comfortable. I’m just not sure I will want to wear this style all around town.”
“Lee, you look lovely. The clothes fit. We all pick clothes based on our situation, where we are going and who we will see. Go get things cleaned up for the party. I’ll see you guys later.”
Lee and Darby headed over to her house to clean up. Once they were working, Lee forgot about what he was wearing. Erin made them their favorite smoothies as they sat down to watch some movie Darby picked out. As Lee sipped his drink he was again aware of his clothing. Sitting on the couch near Darby, he felt more comfortable than he could remember. He wanted more clothes like these even if he could only wear them at home. As the movie progressed, Lee braided Darby’s hair. After he was done, Darby turned him around and did a French braid. Darby took Lee’s black scrunchie and used it to tie off the braid. It was something they had started when younger and they kept it up today. When watching a movie, Lee could do what he wanted to Darby’s hair and when done, she got to play with his hair. They seldom talked about it. Lee would just run his fingers through her hair and she would turn to give him access.
After the movie, when Lee was preparing to leave, Darby asked, “You think we can get away with running shorts in the morning?”
Lee thought about it, “Yeah. We’ll warm up pretty fast. See you then.”
Lee wandered home. It seemed silly. But, he really liked the feel of his new clothes. It still felt a little wrong. But Darby had insisted there were no problems.
After their run on Saturday morning Darby and Lee had breakfast at the Corcoran house. Darby planned to change and run to the store with her mother to pick up last minute items for tonight. Lee told her he would be over after his shower so that he could go with them to help.
At the grocery store, a woman said to Erin, “Your daughters are so cute. Are they twins?”
Erin laughed looking at Darby and Lee arguing over what crackers to buy. “No, they are not twins. But pretty close.” Since Lee had worn his hair long for a number of years, it was not uncommon for people to assume he was a girl. They had all stopped correcting people and it became more of a game.
Looking at the two Erin thought, as Darby develops more up top, they aren’t going to look like twins for much longer. They went to the movie store and argued about movies. They only needed one or two. But they left with five.
After Lee helped cut up some fruit and vacuum the floors he decided to run home so he could be back before any of the girls arrived. Darby insisted that he wear the cropped black leggings. Lee reluctantly put on the leggings thrilling at the feel. Over his tank top camisole, he wore one of the practice shirts fro
m football. Trainers with no show socks and he was ready to go. He had his navy blue scrunchie holding his ponytail in place. As he left the room, he stopped, backed up, grabbed his pendant necklace and put it on.
Chapter 13 – Week Twelve
Lee was at Darby’s over half an hour before everyone else was expected. They put some simple snacks together and put the movies near the TV. At around 4:30, the girls started arriving. Lee and Darby took turns opening the door. Everyone was there by 4:50. Lee and the girls were all sitting around in the couch pit that encircled part of the room or on the floor. Sleeping bags and blankets were piled to one side.
Everyone was talking. A couple of the girls had new boyfriends. They wanted to tell about the boys and all the girls wanted to hear. To tell the truth, Lee enjoyed hearing about the older girls and their dating adventures. It gave him some insight that he hoped to use when he decided to start dating.
The party was interesting because the cheer squad involved girls from all four years of the high school. Through their experiences earlier in the year, they had bonded. Most parents would have been surprised to see the older and younger girls getting along so well.
June and Paula were seniors. They were not snooty and were really good friends to all the cheer team members.
At the end of the season, Marcia, a junior, had been elected as next year’s captain for cheerleading. Linda, a quiet junior, was very hard working and never let people down.
Ellen, Laura and Mary were all sophomores.
The remaining 5 team members, Darby, Holly, Cathy[Cat], Ann, and Barbara were all freshmen. And of course, Lee was a freshman.
June and Paula had steady boyfriends who they had been going out with most of the year. They mentioned the boys, but there was not a lot of drama.
Marcia had dated several guys and each one seemed to bring along his own drama. Linda just recently started dating a new boy and had never really had a steady boyfriend.
The girls asked Marcia about her recent date with Gary. She explained that Gary was a senior and had a really nice car. They had been out twice; once to a movie and the second time they had spent a Saturday afternoon at the zoo. Someone asked if he was a good kisser. Marcia made a face.
All the girls demanded more information. Marcia explained that Gary seemed really nice. After their day at the zoo, they wandered near some fountains in the attached park and sat down under a few trees to watch the ducks and other birds. The kissing was nice at first and then Gary seemed to get more aggressive. He started putting his tongue in her mouth, but seemed determined to get it down her throat. She said she suddenly felt trapped and almost like Gary was holding her head. When she pulled away, she said, it was like he had poured water all over her. She described how her entire face felt like it was covered in saliva. “The guy must have a saliva problem. If you got trapped there you could drown.” All the girls and Lee screamed “Eww.” simultaneously. The girls then spent the next ten minutes making jokes about Gary and the potential gland problem. There was a lot of giggling and laughter.
Several girls described disaster dates which garnered sympathy from everyone. Then several of the older girls described some of the formal dances they had gone to and how magical it seemed. The girls all seemed to feel they were there with the girl describing the situation.
When the girls were describing their dresses and how soft they were and selecting their panties, bras and other lingerie. Everyone seemed to have forgotten Lee was in the room. And, yet, Darby noticed that Lee listened with rapt attention to the intimate details. He seemed just as fascinated as all the other girls.
Pizza arrived and all the girls grabbed a diet drink before scarfing down pizza. Lee acted as waiter bringing drinks, napkins and anything else the girls needed.
After eating the girls decided it was time for the first movie. They selected a romantic comedy about a princess and everyone positioned themselves. Girls whispered to the girls nearby and there was a constant banter about the movie. Several scenes including the kissing scenes had to be rewound and played again. Lee had positioned himself on the couch and Darby sat on one side of him while Marcia positioned herself on his other side. Thirteen teenagers wearing black leggings and a variety of casual tops all leaned near each other to watch the movie.
Half way through they paused for a potty break and so that Erin could deliver popcorn in several bowls. Lee ran to get napkins and soon everyone was back in position munching away in the dark room waiting for the princess to find her true love. After eating popcorn, Lee escaped for a few minutes and washed his hands after using the bathroom. Moments later, he was back between Marcia and Darby.
About three fourths of the way in, Lee ran his fingers through Darby’s hair. She turned her head slightly and Lee did a complicated braid with her hair and finished it with her scrunchie. As the movie was ending, Darby was French braiding Lee’s hair.
Marcia saw Lee do Darby's hair and when he turned to let Darby do his own hair, she turned a little away from him and motioned to her own hair. While Darby was doing his own hair, Lee braided Marcia’s hair.
As the movie ended, someone saw Darby and Lee doing other people’s hair and someone said. “Hey that’s not fair.” In minutes, several girls were doing different things with their friend’s hair.
There followed a lot of talk about different hair styles. The girls discussed options for their hair during competitions. Everything then evolved into grooming and makeup. While some of it was fascinating, Lee was not fluent in the topics and was reluctant to participate.
Marcia really liked her hair. Darby and Lee had long ago accepted that they knew what they were doing with the other person’s hair.
It was getting late and the girls decided it was time for another movie. Some of the girls pulled out their sleeping bags or blankets so they could get comfortable. Darby suggested that if people wanted to change into sleep clothes, they could use either of the two bathrooms. They took turns but most of the girls changed clothes. Lee planned to walk home later since he thought a sleepover with a group of girls was the wrong place for a boy. He figured he would start watching the movie and when people started drifting off, he would leave quietly.
The second movie was another tear jerker. Lights were turned down and the girls all got comfortable. Marcia had changed into a sports jersey and satiny pajama pants. Darby was wearing a similar outfit to Lee but she just changed her top to a loose fitting pajama top. She kept her leggings on. Everyone had removed their shoes earlier and most were barefoot at this time. Darby had a couple of pillows and a big comforter. Marcia had a pillow and a soft quilt.
Darby put a pillow behind her butt and another at head height. The pillow leaned on Lee’s shoulder. Marcia was sitting up holding her pillow with her quilt wrapped around her. Lee wasn’t cold and he was pretty comfortable where he was. As the movie progressed Lee and Darby leaned on each other as they often did. Darby fluffed the comforter up so it covered Lee’s lower legs. Marcia moved around getting comfortable as more people succumbed to the late hours. Lee was caught up in the movie but no one was talking anymore and suddenly he was out.
Sally came over to see how things were going and to see when Lee would be coming home. She and Erin stood in the door and looked at the sea of girls. Darby was half awake staring at the TV. Lee appeared to be totally unconscious leaning on Darby's side and they were somehow sharing a pillow. Marcia had turned and she was sleeping next to Lee on the couch. The three of them were under a comforter and a quilt.
“Sally, do you want me to wake him up? He said he was going to go home. I think he just passed out.”
“If you are okay with it, leave him asleep. I’ll leave the back door unlocked and the lights on. If he wants to come home, he can. He could easily sleep through the night. I think they are all just worn out.”
Erin took several pictures with her cell phone camera. Lee, Darby and Marcia looked like three little dolls curled up together. It was really cute.
Lee heard a weird noise and slowly awoke. The first thing he noticed was he was not in his bed. Before opening his eyes, he felt someone holding him. It felt really good. He also realized he was holding someone. He decided it felt really good. He knew he was still at Darby’s and had fallen asleep. But he wanted to experience this for a little longer. Lee drifted in and out of sleep until he felt someone tapping his arm.
Slowly opening his eyes, Lee could see Darby's head above him. He was apparently holding her torso and laying on her pillow and her side. He had one arm which was under her and the other was around her waist. Darby smiled as she saw Lee’s eyes open. She whispered, “I have to go to the bathroom. Can you let me go?”
Lee had not been aware of how tightly he was holding Darby. He relaxed and pulled his arm back. “Sorry. I fell asleep.” He sounded apologetic and like he had done something wrong.
Darby said, “It is okay. I just have to go. I’ll be right back.”
Lee made room, she slithered out and tiptoed across the room. Moments later she was back. She crawled back into position. Pulled the comforter over the two of them and grabbed his arm. She pulled it back around her abdomen and laid down.
He was surprised when Darby came back. He held on and tried to sleep. Just laying here holding someone else was really nice. Frankly, being held by someone was nice. Lee found himself totally relaxing. It was really just perfect.
After another half an hour several other girls started moving around. Lee did not want to let go of Darby. Darby it turned out was really enjoying being held. But, Lee and Darby had a surprise for the girls for breakfast. Now that people were waking up, Lee and Darby needed to get going on their surprise. Lee moved a little and looked over his shoulder. Marcia had her arms wrapped around Lee’s torso in much the same way as Lee was holding Darby. Lee lifted Marcia’s arm and slipped out. He and Darby made their way to the kitchen.
Lee reminded Darby, “I left the forms in my kitchen. I’m going to run home, brush my teeth, grab the forms and I’ll be back in 5 minutes. You get the griddle out and start gathering the batter items.”