SUMMARY: After revelations of a possible move, Charlie’s life has become somewhat more positive as he now craves for a brighter future. However, his life is about to be shaken up as his ‘’relationship’’ with the blackmailer, Dave heightens as he they go on a shopping date together where Charlie will meet a young woman who will inevitably change his life…forever.

The moment that Charlie was told that he would be moving out of his current home he could not help but feel a little sad at first. However, the more he thought about the prospect the more it made him feel hopeful for a brighter future. For so long he had been stuck in a never-ending chasm of darkness and now there was a light at the end of the tunnel. It was something to look forward to, something to root for and above all else a chance to restart his life. It was the perfect plan to escape Dave’s blackmail and all of the bad memories that came with the house.

Nevertheless, he had to admit that he felt sad he would not be returning to his school that September to spend his final year with his friends. At the same time, he could not care less because it would only be a year before they reunited in college once more. Yet, he was not sure if his carelessness came from logic or from his lack of sympathy for friends such as Sean and Joseph. He did not know but he was sure about one person he would be truly heartbroken to leave, Julie.

Even though this ‘’move’’ offered Charlie something to aim for, the chances of it actually happening remained uncertain. The bank had given Mary three months. That was all summer long to come up with enough money to balance out the mortgage bills. She had taken on extra hours at the restaurant and now worked seven days a week, much to Charlie and Rachel’s dismay of course. Because of her fragile mentality, they worried for her health and benefit. The combination of stress and depression can be lethal but she did not listen and insisted that she would try her very best to keep their home.

They knew that there were things their mother had not yet told them, deeper feelings, emotions and conflicts that not many would desire to share. They still did not have a clue of what could be wrong with her. She refused help and insisted that everything was okay. When people said this it always annoyed Charlie because, hypocritically, he hated liars but he refrained from attacking her in an angry outburst because he knew it would push her over the edge. Despite her lies and will to concentrate only on getting enough money together, her every day behaviour seemed to return to what could be described as ‘’normal’’.

Because Charlie felt guilty and now gained the will to help his mother, he took the offer of the part-time job at the restaurant that she had offered him months ago. From June 4th thereafter through the summer months he would be working every Monday, Tuesday and half of Wednesday as a dishwasher in the kitchens for 225 in cash per workweek. The money was not bad but he had two problems. Firstly, he would be working a gruelling twelve hours straight, from nine to nine on the Mondays and Tuesdays and from nine to three on Wednesdays without breaks. Secondly, he would have no idea what to spend his wages on because from what he could remember, Dave said that he would have to pay for the clothes he bought for him from then on. It was either pay money to support his family or protect his pride and dignity. He tried not to worry about it until he actually started working.

Rachel was ultimately very upset about the possibility of moving. It crushed her inside to think that she would not be able to graduate next year with her friends at school but in another one entirely. She somehow felt responsible for the houses foreclosure so out of guilt she took a weekend job at a pet shop owned by her friend’s family as a part-time assistant. Unlike Charlie, she believed that her mother had relieved almost all of emotions that night she came home drunk. She blamed the stress of money and single parenthood as the underlying cause of her mother’s manic outburst and refused to consider that there were other causes elsewhere. She was not the one who was slapped across the face, she was not the one who got the most abuse, and she was not the one who had stared into her mother’s unrecognisable eyes as she berated and cursed her for being a bad child. She did not understand her mother’s problem as much as her brother did.

As for school, the twins continued to attend and prepare for their summer exams, which were ever so close. When Rachel told Kayla that she might be moving, she burst out into a frantic fit of tears and began wailing in the middle of the school corridor. ‘’A-Are y-you sure you’re m-moving!’’ she sobbed tearfully.

‘’We do not know yet Kayla,’’ said Rachel softly, ‘’but I am afraid it’s likely.’’

When Charlie told Sean and Joseph, they wore poker faces and looked as if they did not really care despite their eyes saying otherwise. Sean’s face turned a little pale and looked as if he were going to get sick but he retained his ‘’manly’’ demeanour. ‘’Well it doesn’t really matter does it? I mean, you only had one year left in this school anyway!’’ he said reassuringly.

‘’Yeah but I don’t know if I’ll be even living in this city anymore,’’ said Charlie coldly. ‘’It could be an entirely different town or even a foreign country if things get extreme.’’

‘’Nah mate, I wouldn’t move abroad,’’ said Joseph. ‘’No money there whatsoever.’’

‘’There’s no money anywhere you twat! In case you haven’t noticed the whole world is screwed!’’ snapped Sean. ‘’If you plan to live abroad you’d best stick with me and take my advice, Charlie. Greece all the way, no questions asked!’’

Oh how Charlie would miss his two friends idiocy!

His social life outside of the Sean/Joseph friendship remained rocky. Julie no longer said a word to him ever since he stood her up at the café. It was not his fault as he was too busy being horribly blackmailed by Dave. She went to hurtful measures and would do such things as walk straight by him on the school corridors as if she had never known him. It pained him deeply when she did this because he never imagined that she would be so resentful, so callous, so bitter, and so cruel. She always seemed so delicate, sweet and kind but this side made their whole relationship feel like a tragedy. However, he knew he could not speak much for himself. If he was going to be moving away, he wished only to resolve his differences with her before he left for good.

As for Dave, well, Charlie continued to go to his house every Friday night to dress up in the schoolgirl uniform to help him study for the summer exams. His abnormally insane behaviour seemed to tame down the more Charlie visited. His disturbing reaction of Charlie’s resemblance of Rachel had dramatically reduced to casual speech and talk as though everything were normal. When they were not studying, he would chat politely to Charlie, talk about such things as school, and work as if they were the best of friends. Because Charlie could do nothing but play along, this made things easier for the both of them. If Charlie gave him no reason to strike out in a fit of anger, Dave would not harm him. Moreover, he was not cruel or forceful when he handed him the uniform each Friday night because Charlie obeyed and accepted to protect his secret and dignity.

Charlie did not know whether to find this relieving or worrying because he feared that Dave had something big in store for him. However, he chose to hope that things would remain steady with them both as long as he complied and performed his role as Rachel each Friday night. Yet he could not tell if Dave was playing with him or not, if he was testing him. He felt unsure of his motives, his charming behaviour, and comforting nature. From what he saw the first night he went to his house, he was a highly unstable man with serious issues. Charlie could not tell if Dave’s niceness came from his conformism to his bidding or if he was preparing something big for him.

The thought of being trapped within Dave’s grips forever was the main cause of Charlie’s misery before he found out he would be moving. Again, the thought of moving away gave him hope, a light at the end of the tunnel. Now that he knew there was a way to escape Dave’s grips he felt that he could play along with him. However, he still had his terrifying uncertainties and questions such as what would he be doing at Dave’s house that summer if there was no more studying and how long could he hold off his sexual advances before he got serious? If there was no schoolwork to be done indoors then what would they do? He feared that Dave would make him go outside, dressed as a girl to go on ‘’romantic’’ dates.

Dave would not make Charlie go that far. Definitely not. Or would he?

---

Charlie rolled over in his bed and groaned happily. The amazing feeling of the summer sleep-in had taken him into its warm and comforting embrace. He felt truly rested and planned to lazily stay there for some time. It was the first day of the summer holidays, Saturday June 2nd. He had finished his exams the day before and had gone out with his entire school year that night. They all went to the same nightclub as before. The one that always let the underage in or as Charlie remembered it, the place where he found out that Julie was a bitch.

Despite the night being a complete haze, he remembered actually having a great time. It seemed that everybody was in their best spirits after the end of the school year. He remembered vaguely chatting up a girl at the bar but he could not decipher much after that. He smiled to himself as he tried recalling the night’s events. It was difficult to try to think straight but in time he knew the memories would come back to him in the form of flashbacks. He figured that the saving and scrounging up for the celebration money over the past few weeks had been well worth it.

He lay there, basking in the soft cushiony mattress as he opened one eye to look at the clock. Suddenly, he felt as if somebody had given him and electric prod in the back. He quickly jumped out of bed in a panic as the time dawned upon him. It was quarter past nine o’clock. He was supposed to meet with Dave fifteen minutes ago at the top of the cul-de-sac.

‘’Shit, shit, shit, shit!’’ he repeated frantically as he pulled on his jeans.

He did not have time to shower or eat breakfast. His mother had already left for work two hours ago but his sister still remained in the house. He hopped down the corridor as he put on his sneakers before bursting into Rachel’s room.

‘’You awake?’’ whispered Charlie. She did not respond. She was obviously very hung over. ‘’HEY!’’ he bellowed. ‘’WAKE UP!’’

Rachel let out a long, horribly dramatic groan.

‘’I’m going into town with the guys. I’ll be gone a while,’’ said Charlie.

Rachel responded with a grunt before falling asleep again and Charlie took that as an understanding. He ran down the stairs, pulling his red t-shirt over his head and nearly tripping over the bottom three steps. He swung open the front door, the bright morning light nearly blinding him. As he walked down the front path, feeling a boiling heat of the warm summer morning sizzle the skin on his neck, his vision focused in to see a small blue Ford Fiesta pulling up outside the front gate.

Charlie’s jaw literally dropped to the ground in outrage. He looked over his shoulder to see his sister’s bedroom curtains remained closed. He opened the front gate and began assaulting Dave through the open car window, ‘’What the hell do you think you’re doing?!’’ he said sharply in a low tone of voice.

‘’What?’’ shot Dave. ‘’You were late!’’

‘’That doesn’t mean you have to turn up outside my house!’’ snapped Charlie as he walked around the bonnet to the passenger seat. ‘’You could have waited longer!’’

Charlie got in the passenger seat and slammed the door. ‘’You risked my exposure Dave! We agreed that we’d always meet in private not outside my house!’’

‘’Well you’re not caught!’’ shouted Dave.

‘’Shh,’’ Charlie hushed, ‘’I could have been! What if Ra — ,’’ he stopped mid sentence, releasing he had to keep his cool, play along and especially not mention the ‘R’ word, ‘’ - um — ugh, never mind,’’ he said, turning his head away and sulking moodily.

Dave turned the car, left the suburban estate, and drove out onto the main road. Charlie had no idea where he was taking him. He did not have time to speculate as he only received the text from Dave the previous night stating, ‘’Meet me at the top of your road tomorrow morning at nine.’’. It was only now that it had hit him that something was not quite right and it came down on top of him like a ton of bricks.

Oh god!

Dave drove casually along the highway towards the city with the radio blaring with the windows rolled down fully. The swift gust of summer breeze gushed in and out through the interior of the car as the sun pelted its powerfully hot rays over the blue metal exterior. Summery dance music pounded from the sound system as Dave rhythmically tapped the steering wheel with his forefinger. He wore a pair of stylish sunglasses. His brown hair was independent of gel for once as it flew freely in the wind. His large muscular physique was evident through his tight blue polo shirt and matching jeans.

Charlie stared out his window at the road as it sped by him so fast that it seemed to be nothing but a tarmac themed blur. He could feel his pulse in his neck pounding anxiously. He was trying to think clearly about what Dave might have in store for him. All he could think about was the worst. His feet shuffled nervously as he bit his lower lip to cope with the stress.

‘’Relax man! I’m not going to murder you or anything!’’ Dave grinned jokingly.

Well that’s that prospect off the list!

‘’What are we going doing today anyway?’’ asked Charlie, hoping for an honest answer.

‘’It’s a surprise,’’ teased Dave.

‘’I hate surprises,’’ sulked Charlie.

‘’You will like this one!’’ said Dave happily.

‘’Will I though? Will I really?’’ Charlie questioned.

Dave drove and drove until he was on the other side of the city where the industrial landscapes and docks lay. The grittiness and dangerous nature of some of the neighbourhoods they ventured through made Charlie feel uneasy. He started tapping the dashboard impatiently with his fingers.

‘’Could you please tell me where we are going?’’ plead Charlie. ‘’You don’t have to be so secretive.’’

‘’Okay fine!’’ snapped Dave. ‘’Remember how I told you that we would be buying you plenty of clothes to wear from now on?’’

‘’Yeah?’’ said Charlie softly, feeling weary of what was to come.

‘’Well that is what we are doing today. We’re going shopping,’’ smiled Dave.

Charlie did not like the idea of shopping for girls clothes seeing as he was obviously a boy and nothing more. He would look like an obvious transvestite or at least some sort of a pervert, especially if he was with Dave whilst doing it. He still felt that Dave was not being completely honest with him. He could not figure out why they were in such a remote part of the city. Dave drove until they left the slums and ventured into a modern industrial estate by the east river.

This cannot be good!

‘’Um, Dave, why are we here?’’ asked Charlie nervously.

‘’I told you already. We are going shopping,’’ said Dave, smiling in the corner of his mouth, loving every moment.

They entered a large park filled with large warehouses that sold products in large bulks to smaller businesses. Among the large storage buildings were smaller shops that sold things like furniture, DIY products, electronic tools, and car dealers. Dave drove past all of industrial shopping estate.

‘’Are we going shopping for furniture,’’ asked Charlie sarcastically.

Dave responded only with a thin-lipped smile. He looked vaguely annoyed and began mumbling, ‘’Where are you? You should be here!’’. The whole sketchiness and suspicion of Dave’s behaviour made Charlie want to open the car door and make a run for it. Maybe he could. He could easily outrun Dave in a second but, as always, he had to remind himself that Dave knew his secret.

‘’If we’re going shopping for clothes then will people not find it strange that two young men are buying girls stuff?’’ asked Charlie, his voice cracking tensely.

Dave did not say anything for a moment as he concentrated on finding a certain place. He drove down a small alleyway that diverged from the estate and went under an elevated motorway. There was a large concrete building with barred windows, steep entrance steps with a neon sign flickering above its main entrance that read, ‘’Sweet Sensations Costume House.’’ Dave stopped the car outside the building and turned to Charlie.

‘’No, I don’t think anybody will find it strange because only one of us is going to be a girl here,’’ said Dave. ‘’And I think you know already that it is not going to be me.’’

Charlie felt as if icy cold water had been poured over him. He immediately began shaking his head as Dave reached in the backseat and pulled out a bag. He was utterly speechless and all sound and words were taken from his mouth by disbelief.

‘’I’ve ordered a list of items for you to collect inside that building there,’’ said Dave, reaching into his pocket. ‘’It’ll be very expensive but we’ve agreed that you will pay me back whenever you can.’’

Charlie continued to shake his head in shock as Dave handed him the bag. ‘’Dave, I can’t — I’m sorry I can’t g-go outside dressed in girls clothes.’’

However, Dave blocked out Charlie’s plea for another resolution. ‘’Everything you need is in the bag,’’ said Dave, refusing to look at Charlie, ‘’a dress, underwear, makeup and all that stuff.’’ He scrunched up the list of items and money in Charlie’s stiff, motionless hand. ‘’When you go inside just tell them that you’ve placed a phone order by the name of Steve Jacobs.’’

‘’ — I can’t do this!’’ Charlie said, cutting across Dave. ‘’I cannot go outside on a day like this in girls clothes. P-People will notice. They will laugh! Please, don’t make me do this!’’ Charlie plead desperately.

‘’You won’t a reason to be caught if you put the effort into fooling people. If you buy the stuff I’ve researched about, then you will look more like any other girl when you’re dressed up,’’ said Dave, still not looking at Charlie. ‘’And when you come out of that place I probably won’t even recognise you!’’

Charlie’s eyes glanced at the list but immediately turned away when he seen the items he had to purchase. A waist corset clinch, 30C silicone breasts, padded rear and hips girdle, and four-inch heels. He began to feel as if something was squeezing hard on his lungs. His heart pounded violently against his ribs as if it were trying to escape his body and he felt a hot sensation burning his skin from within. He felt a dawning panic attack. There was no way that he could possibly bring himself to go out into the open dressed up.

‘’Dave, I am s-sorry but I — I’m not ready for this yet. I’m not ready to go outside in the open,’’ said Charlie, hoping to appeal to the lesser known side of Dave.

‘’You were ready at the tennis court,’’ said Dave, finally looking at him.

‘’T-That was completely different,’’ stuttered Charlie.

‘’How?’’ Dave asked coldly.

Charlie was lost for words. Fear had taken hold of his body and it was as if it refused to let him talk. He gasped for air. ‘’I — I can’t do this,’’ Charlie said, feeling like a broken record. ‘’I really, truly am very, very sorry but this cannot go ahead today. It is too much too soon.’’

Dave looked up ahead out of the windscreen, pondering on what was the right thing to do. For a moment he looked like he was about to reconsider but he then turned and mumbled, ‘’You should get going inside.’’

Charlie could not believe it. He felt as if there were a ticking time bomb inside his chest, ready to blow up any minute if he was not thrown a bone. Suddenly, he grabbed Dave’s arm and their eyes immediately interlocked. ‘’I will literally do anything, Dave. Please!’’

Dave looked a little startled and for a moment, a twinge of conflict flashed across his eye. Again, he looked like he was troubled, not knowing what he should do. However, he leaned in uncomfortably close to Charlie’s face and said, ‘’you can go inside, get made up, then we will go shopping and you will have fun.’’ He then reached across for the passenger door, unlocked it and pushed it open, the sounds of the vast industrial complex flooding into the car. ‘’And remember, your name is Steve Jacobs.’’

Charlie, who felt a horrible mixture of anger and fear swirling within the acids of his stomach stepped out of the car slowly with the bag, list and money in his hands. He had absolutely no choice in the matter nor would he be even considered one. His mind had suddenly become so muddled with fear and anger that he could not think straight.

He hesitated before closing the door, stuck his head inside and said, ‘’You do realise that you’re an insane bastard, right? Soon you will get what is coming to you and I can’t fucking wait for that day!’’. He then slammed the door as hard as he could before Dave could even respond.

As he walked toward the shop, he could feel his eyes stinging as they moistened up with angry tears. He felt emotionally compromised by what Dave was forcing him to do. He took several deep breaths and choked back his emotions. There was no way in hell that he could possibly let himself cry over a scumbag like Dave. Ever since the blackmail began, he had cried once and that was the last time he had done so since he was a child.

Here he was beneath an overpass bridge, in the most random part of the city, walking towards a shop that specialised in costumes. He did not even think about the contents of the bag as his mind pondered on how Dave managed to find such a place. The building looked private, as if one had to knock on its door to gain entry. Hanging in the window were two signs. One read, ‘’OPEN’’ whilst the other explained, ‘’STRICTLY OVER 18’s’’. He looked over his shoulder to see that Dave’s car had gone.

‘’What the fu —, ‘’ Now Charlie felt very angry. He felt like screaming out in rage at the top of his voice. He kicked a nearby bin as hard as he could, pain shooting right up his toes and into his leg. He was fuming, his face was red hot, and his eyes became bloodshot. He sat down on the entrance steps and rubbed the back of his head, breathing heavily. He did not notice but he was shaking with nerves and frustration. He could feel something inside him, ready to pop like a balloon if he was not thrown a bone. He reviewed his situation. He had been dumped off at some random shop in a godforsaken part of town to buy items he would never be caught seen purchasing, all whilst to risking his secrecy by hands of Dave.

He took out his phone and angrily typed a text, ‘’Where are you gone?!!’’. Suddenly the door of the shop opened and Charlie immediately jumped to his feet, turning to see a voluptuous looking woman with feminine curves, heavy makeup, and long flowing blonde hair. She walked by Charlie down the steps. ‘’Hello mister,’’ she said, her voice deep yet sultry. Charlie’s eyes were wide open and fixed on the woman as she walked away down the footpath. She was dressed in a rather tight outfit with long heels that gave her the essence of a caricature.

Charlie thought that she did not look like the kind of woman who went into a costume shop. He looked at the entrance door and then back at the woman who walked away in the distance down the footpath, swaying her hips back and forth in an overtly feminine fashion.

He looked a little confused, if not suspicious. He walked to the door, feeling his mouth twitch tensely. He placed his right hand on the knob as beads of sweat dripped down his forehead. ‘’Oh, Christ!’’ he mumbled hopelessly. He did not know what to expect on the other side. It could be some sort of brothel from what he had seen from the woman who left or an empty warehouse where he was to be viscously attacked. The terrifying but absurdly possible notions swirled around Charlie’s mind until he twisted the knob and plunged into the store as if he were jumping off a fifty-footer ledge.

He stepped inside and carefully closed the door behind him. It took a moment for his eyes to adapt but he had just stepped into what looked like a small reception room. The dirty walls were draped with velvet materials to make the place seem nicer, the floor was laid with a musty old carpet with various stains and the light illuminating the small room buzzed and flickered annoyingly. His eyes did not have time to soak up the place completely as somebody coughed to get his attention.

A woman with obviously dyed jet-black hair with a pale tone and leathery sunken skin sat upon a high stool behind a counter nearby. She reminded Charlie of some sort of a roman gypsy or a witch. ‘’Did you not see the sign?’’ she asked in a droning robotic tone.

‘’It s-said you were open?’’ Charlie said nervously.

‘’No the other one,’’ said the woman, annoyed.

‘’Oh — uh — well — yes, yes I am over eighteen,’’ stammered Charlie.

‘’Prove it,’’ she hissed bitterly.

Words caught in the centre of Charlie’s throat and he had no idea what to do. If he could not even buy the things Dave asked him to get then he had no idea what he would do to him. He could feel his body breaking out in a cold sweat of anxiousness despite the room being very warm. The woman scared the hell out of him as her eyes pierced into his as if she was staring into his soul.

‘’I’ve made an order for some items,’’ said Charlie, taking the list of items from his pocket.

‘’I don’t care! Get out of here!’’ snapped the vile woman.

‘’Oh leave him alone Pricilla,’’ said a sweeter, younger voice with a slight European accent.

Charlie’s head immediately turned to see a young woman walk through a set of beaded curtains behind the counter. The scary, freaky old woman who Charlie now knew as Pricilla sneered at the young woman angrily. ‘’He’s under age!’’ she hissed sharply. ‘’He is not allowed to be in here!’’

‘’You don’t know that,’’ said the young woman, walking around the counter, her eyes looking at Charlie for a second. ‘’Pricilla, how do you expect to keep this place running if you turn everyone away. He is probably like — oh I dunno twenty-nine for all we know!’’

Charlie felt as if he were watching television because at that moment he felt like he was not even in the room. Pricilla grumbled moodily, muttering profanities that sounded something like, ‘’grimmble grumble - mumble - bitch face - wanker - mimmble - arrah - why I would do -!’’. She then got off her high stool and waddled into the back of the shop, cursing everything under her breath.

The young woman sighed, rolled her eyes, placed her hands on her hips, and finally looked at Charlie. ‘’You the guy who ordered by phone?’’ she asked.

Charlie gave a weak nod.

‘’Are you really over eighteen?’’ she asked, smiling as though she already knew the answer.

Charlie, who began to back away towards the door, felt the need to get out of there quickly. ‘’No, no I’m not but I’ll leave now,’’ he said. ‘’I wouldn’t wish to waste any more of your time. I’ll just -,’’

‘’Phfft!’’ scoffed the young woman. ‘’Relax dude, it’s only a costume shop. Sure, we might sell a bunch of sex toys and all that crap but you have not stepped into some brothel!’’

Charlie was immediately taken aback by this young woman’s manner of speech and voice, which intrigued him greatly. She was roughly the same height as him, very skinny, but lean and strong with slight feminine curves. She had short jet-black hair with a vibrant teal streak and matching lipstick. She wore a short ruffled mini skirt, black and white stripped tights with knee high boots with a simple teal coloured tank top that displayed a revealing bosom. ‘’Are you gonna talk?’’ she asked, raising an eyebrow.

‘’Wha — oh — uh — sorry,’’ said Charlie, his cheeks turning scarlet.

‘’Right friend, I presume you’re Steve?’’ said the young woman, positioning herself on the high stool behind the counter.

Charlie suddenly felt the icy chill of nerves engulf him once again. He had never confessed to anybody that he was a cross-dresser in his life and now he had to do so in order to comply with Dave. He shuffled his feet as he looked down at the ground and then up again, half hoping that the woman would not ask about his ‘requested’ items

‘’You don’t talk much, do you?’’ said the woman, now swinging back and over on the stool.

Charlie wanted to say it out just so he could get out of there and never return. He knew he would probably never see the woman again nor would she either but he just couldn’t utter the three simple syllables that somewhat defined him as a person. ‘’I’m sorry I don’t usually let people know that I’m a — that I am a -,’’

‘’ - a cross-dresser?’’ smiled the woman, her eyes gaping widely. ‘’Yes — well — I kind of gathered that from all of the stuff you ordered on our website. You really are going full on with the whole pretending-to-be-a-girl thing!’’

‘’Yes,’’ Charlie muttered, hating what the woman had just called him.

‘’The last time I served a cross-dresser has been like, oh, only five minutes ago!’’ said the woman.

Charlie felt a little bemused, ‘’You mean — t-that woman a few minutes ago — w-with the blonde hair was -,’’

‘’ — Cameron Scott or Jessica Jones as he usually likes to be called,’’ said the woman, raising her brow conversely. ‘’He is one of the few people who actually come in here anymore,’’ she added gloomily.

Charlie didn’t know what to think. That man was the first cross-dresser he had ever encountered in real life. He could not believe how convincing the guy looked as a woman. He wondered if he would look just as convincing. Anyway, he just wanted to take his order and get out of there.

‘’I’ve got your order out back in the main shop area,’’ said the woman. ‘’There is a lot of stuff in your order that is gonna cost you a fair bit of dough.’’

‘’I have money,’’ Charlie interjected.

The woman looked into Charlie’s eyes as if she was searching for something she found familiar or alluring. ‘’Okay then,’’ she said coyly, ‘’follow me.’’

Charlie followed the woman behind the counter and through the multi-coloured beaded curtains. They walked through a dank musty hallway with cardboard boxes stacked everywhere. He wished that he could cry out, ‘’I didn’t order any of this stuff! I’m being blackmailed and I’m not a cross-dresser!’’ but he couldn’t. He hated people thinking of him as something he was not and he felt sure that the young woman leading him ahead thought of him just another cross-dresser. He could never admit to himself that he could possibly be one was despite his obvious temptation to look at the woman’s rear end because he would love to try on her ruffled skirt.

‘’You know you don’t look like somebody who cross-dresses,’’ said the woman, unlocking a door.

‘’Well, what does a cross-dresser usually look like?’’ asked Charlie curiously.

‘’Usually old, manly, not usually sixteen years old,’’ said the woman teasingly.

‘’How did you know I was sixteen?’’ asked Charlie, trying to ignore the ‘manly’ comment.

The woman looked over her shoulder and smiled infectiously as she stopped at another locked door, ‘’I know now!’’.

The lock of the door clicked and she pushed the door open. As Charlie stepped through his lungs and skin were immediately welcomed by the cool rush of air conditioning and the sweet scent of perfumes and fresh clothes. The huge open room was very bright, clean and well kept in contrast to the dark hallways and reception area. Towering cases that housed halloween, fancy dress and ball costumes on their railings stood proud and tall. Others contained regular clothing and props.

‘’This doesn’t look like the other rooms!’’ said Charlie.

‘’Yeah a lot of these clothes need to keep in a well ventilated area to keep them in good condition,’’ smiled the woman, looking at Charlie. ‘’This is mainly a costume shop for adults but we provide for dressers like you too.’’

As Charlie looked up at the ceiling the woman stared at him silently. Then she looked down the floor, a stroke of inroverted nerves spreading across her face. ‘’I’m Prudence,’’ she said timidly.

‘’What?’’ said Charlie, not really paying much attention as his eyes basked over the wondrous storeroom.

‘’That’s my name, Prudence Svahnstrom,’’ smiled the woman, ‘’but you can call me Prue.’’

‘’Oh uh — well — I’m Steve. Err Steve Jacobs,’’ lied Charlie.

‘’I know,’’ laughed Prue coyly. ‘’But it’s nice to meet you Steve Jacobs.’’

Charlie nodded and repeated the name ‘’Prue’’ over in his head, feeling a little guilty for lying about his own name but he did not want this stranger to have any trace of who he was. Why would she want to introduce herself in the first place? Charlie felt certain that they would never see each other again so the introduction seemed rather pointless if not a little poignant. They both looked at each other, equally intrigued.

‘’Right, well, I’ll go get your stuff,’’ said Prue, breaking the shared stare. ‘’Do you want to come take a look?’’

‘’Ah — no thanks. I think I’ll just go with the stuff that I’ve ordered,’’ Charlie said, again, hating how he was being forced to lie.

‘’Oh, alright,’’ said Prue, sounding disappointed. ‘’You can wait here by the dressing rooms and I will be back in a minute.’’

He didn’t even get a chance to read what was on the list but some of the stuff he glanced at he had never even heard of in his life. He had no idea what to expect. Charlie looked around for somewhere to sit. He spotted a leather-bound shoe bench and sat down, his foot jumping on its heel nervously. He watched Prue walk into the aisles of the storeroom. He couldn’t help but feel a little attracted to the young woman, not in a sexual way, but in a charming acquaint. It was something about her voice. It was low yet delicate combined with the European accent. He tried to think of what country she could have been from, Sweden, Denmark, or The Netherlands. He wasn’t very good at analysing accents. His phone startled him as it began to vibrate. He quickly took it out to see a text from Dave, ‘’I am outside.’’.

Charlie scoffed and shoved the phone back into his jean pockets. He crossed his arms moodily and waited. He had to keep reminding himself how incredibly daft the state of his situation was. He could not help but think of what Rachel and Mary would think if they found him purchasing such items in the most peculiar of places. He guessed they would probably be a little disturbed and more horrifyingly, disappointed and ashamed.

He tried to block out the negative thoughts as concentrated on observing the curious shop from where he sat. His eyes trailed around the large storeroom from the bright modern lights hanging from the ceiling to the rows of clothing to the freakishly exaggerated manikins standing nearby. He spotted some strange metallic attire in the distance and a set of fake rubber penises. What kind of place is this? He wondered.

It was then that his thoughts drifted to his inner self. Prue deeming him a cross-dresser made him question how he got there in the first place. Ever since Dave caught him, he felt fearful of his secret being revealed to the world but he wondered why he took such an idiotic risk by going outside in the tennis uniform that night. He thought maybe, just maybe that his impulses were forcing him to take risks to make his desires seem more thrilling. And that was considered a cross-dressing attribute.

He was just beginning to delve deep into his conscience when Prue arrived back with a large basket in her arms. He broke out of his trance, unsure of how many minutes had passed.

‘’Well, I followed your sizes, measurements and brand type from the order and luckily we shipped in everything you requested,’’ said Prue, leaving the basket down beside Charlie.

Charlie forced his face into a warm thank-you-smile as he looked into the basket. Horror-struck, he picked up the first and most uncomfortable looking contraption he could see. He knew well what it was, but he did not like the thought of wearing it whatsoever. It was a corset clinch.

‘’This particular corset clinch will enhance your hourglass figure whilst being very comfortable at the same time,’’ said Prue, suddenly sounding like a proper salesperson. ‘’The outer panels are constructed with one hundred percent satin and reinforced with one hundred percent cotton lining for comfort and durability. This particular clinch will flatten the tummy and enhance the waist up to a four to six inch reduction.’’

‘’Uh-huh,’’ said Charlie, turning a sickly pale, dreading the thought of wearing such a constricting instrument.

‘’Are you okay?’’ asked Prue, looking at Charlie with concern.

‘’Yeah — yeah I’m fine,’’ said Charlie. ‘’Please, continue.’’

Prue did not look convinced but continued to talk him through the purchases as requested. Charlie did not even know why she was telling him all this information because he had apparently bought the stuff already however he did not stop her because she seemed to be enjoying herself. Prue took out the next item and held it up. It was a garment that looked like it encircled the lower torso and hips, a girdle.

‘’As you already know, this is no ordinary girdle,’’ said Prue. ‘’It’s a padded panty and girdle shaper in one. It instantly adds one inch to each hip and one inch to the rear to give a realistic feminizing shape. This was a great choice Steve because it is the most realistic one out there. You will be able to wear your tightest dress, skirt or pants with total confidence that there are no unattractive lumps.’’

She handed it to Charlie and he held it up eyelevel. Dave sure does want me to look like Rachel, the sicko! Charlie thought.

‘’These always freak me out,’’ said Prue, taking out a plastic box. She opened it as if it were a treasure chest, gleaming with shiny gold. Inside was a pair of false, but scarily realistic looking silicone breasts. ‘’These are 30 C sized silicone breasts you ordered. They come with the special adhesive if you wish to physically attach them to your chest. The lining around the ridges is barely noticeable. They look and freakishly feel like real skin. This particular pair is top quality and a very good buy I must say.’’

Charlie reached out and touched them with his fingers. The moment he felt the soft, realistic squishiness he immediately pulled his finger back.

‘’Freaky, right?’’ grinned Prue.

‘’Damn right!’’ stated Charlie, not taking his eyes off of the dark false nipples.

‘’Aaaaaaaand finally your last order, the high heels,’’ said Prue, reaching into the basket. She took out a pair of black, four-inch heels with tied up laces to the ankle. ‘’These are, of course, the rarer size for women. It must be frustrating for you to find the right sized heels because your just one size above the average female?’’

‘’Tell me about it,’’ said Charlie sarcastically.

There was a brief silence between them as Prue finished her presentation. Charlie had no idea what to say. He knew that he had to walk out of the shop wearing all of the stuff he was buying but he did not know how to say it to Prue. He felt ridiculous, silly, and even a little embarrassed. He did not even want to wear a corset!

‘’You don’t seem too happy?’’ said Prue. ‘’Is it not the stuff you ordered?’’

‘’No — no it’s not that,’’ said Charlie. He suddenly felt compelled to tell a complete stranger everything he felt at that moment. He did not know why but he couldn’t help but trust Prue. She seemed like the kind of woman who had seen much stranger things than a case of simple cross-dressing but to Charlie it was something much bigger, something he would never tell anyone. For some unknown reason, he felt like she would understand. He could see himself in her.

‘’Steve, are you okay?’’ asked Prue softly.

‘’Yeah — yeah I’m fine,’’ lied Charlie. ‘’Err — I’m supposed to — I mean — I want to leave here wearing my purchases, if that’s okay of course?’’

A slight smile flashed across Prue’s face, ‘’I guessed you were going to do that by the bag you had thrown over your shoulder.’’ she said. ‘’People do that here all the time but yes of course you can.’’

Charlie was astonished when he saw the number that popped up on the cash register. It was little under seven hundred for everything. He questioned himself on where Dave could have gotten that kind of money but more worryingly he wondered how he was ever going to pay back such a sum.

‘’You are gonna need a hand with that corset,’’ said Prue, as she lead Charlie back into the store.

‘’I think so,’’ said Charlie sombrely.

She led him to the dressing stalls at the other end of the storeroom. He tried to ignore the sexually orientated stock they sold on the shelves. Prue, who could sense Charlie’s obvious awkwardness, turned her head and giggled. Charlie found her laugh quite strange but very contagious. He could not help but smile.

As he stood inside the dressing room with Prue on the other side of the closed curtain, he felt a horrible case of tension dawn upon him. He had never dressed up with another person in the room, a stranger. Because he was so protective and secretive of his desires, he found it difficult to do it in front of somebody else.

‘’I’m on the other side of the curtain Steve. I can’t see you so don’t be nervous!’’ said Prue, as if she could hear his thoughts.

It was easier said than done. He took a deep breath as if he were about to plunge off a cliff into the ocean. He could feel his heart beating against the inside of his chest anxiously as he took off his red t-shirt. He threw it on the ground and looked at his reflection in the mirror. He looked at his rather slim frame, his scarce trail beneath his bellybutton and his thin arms. He looked into his face and told himself subconsciously not to be scared. He then unzipped his jeans and watched them fall to his ankles. Not taking his eyes off his reflection, he shivered as he let his boxer shorts fall down his legs too. He then kicked off his runners, and took off his socks.

He took a second deep breath as he listened to his pulse thump in his ear. His eyes hung lazily, his breath was heavy and paced as he unzipped the bag Dave had given him. Inside he found a makeup set, the beautiful brunette wig carelessly tossed in, a pair of black tights, a white bra with a lace trim and a ribbon in the centre with matching panties. He closed his eyes, trying to flush out all thought. He kept repeating ‘’I won’t be forced to do this once we move away’’ over and over in his head.

He threw the panties aside, deeming them useless now since he had the padded ones and girdle. As he grabbed the padded girdle, he kept thinking about going outside in daylight. He felt the need to prolong it as much as he could because the time was rapidly approaching. He suddenly realised that he had to hide his bulge if he was to go out in public so he spent the next few moments trying and failing to tuck his testicles up into the abdomen. Eventually he was successful so he tucked back his manhood and held it there with his hand until he stepped into the girdle and panties with difficulty. It was extremely tight which made it hard to pull up his legs. As soon as he positioned it around his rear, hips and lower torso the padded girdle felt snug and surprisingly comfortable. However, he hated the way his hidden privates felt. He looked at himself in the mirror, half shocked and disturbed by his curvy hips and false rear that stuck out girlishly now.

He shook his head and picked up the black tights, stepped inside them and pulled them up over his shins, knees, thighs, and finally resting them around his high waisted girdle. '’I won’t be forced to do this once we move away. I won’t be forced to do this once we move away. I won’t be forced to do this once we move away’’. Despite his situation, he still could not help but bask in the softness of the flimsy fabric of his favourite feminine clothing, tights.

He reluctantly picked up the silicone breasts and gently squeezed them, sending strange shivers and goose bumps all over his body. They felt so strange, so supple, yet so real. The nipple part made him feel slightly uneasy. He picked up the white bra and buckled it loosely around his chest, then placing the silicone breasts in the cups. There was no way that he was going to bond them to his chest by glue so he fastened the bra tight against his chest. He adjusted them carefully as he looked at them from different angles in the mirror. He sort of smiled as he thought about the oranges and water bags he once used. They felt strange against his chest. He did not know what it was like to have real breasts but he felt certain that this was the closest he would ever get. They jiggled, bounced, and moved with his body. The colour even matched his skin tone and blended perfectly against his chest. He gave a little hop on the spot in front of the mirror, watching them bounce but he stopped once he felt his private’s shift slightly out of place.

‘’Are you nearly done?’’ asked Prue.

‘’Just a minute,’’ said Charlie, startled, as he did not know Prue was still on the other side of the curtain.

He looked around the dressing cubicle floor for the corset clinch and spotted it under his male clothes. He took it out and placed it around his abdomen but did not go near the straps and buckles on the back. It was soft, coloured white and looked very modern. Usually the image he had of corsets in his mind were painful Victorian ones laced with constricting fasteners and straps that sucked the breath out of women’s lungs. However, he was unsure if the one he had bore the same effects.

He stood there, staring at himself in the mirror for a few minutes. He perceived himself as being some sort of a freak show. The female undergarments on a male body, his untouched head, and his expression said it all. He looked to the future, feeling a little positive. Once he gets out of Dave’s blackmail, he was not sure if he could dress up ever again because he was scared out of his mind when he did it now. He did not want to leave the cubicle to face Prue, the woman he had known for less than twenty minutes, whom he felt weird feelings of trust towards.

‘’Steve, are you okay? I cannot hear you in there?’’ said Prue, sounding worried.

‘’I — I’m fine Prue,’’ said Charlie, closing his eyes tightly.

You can do this, Charlie. You can do this. We will never see this woman again nor will we ever return to this place. You can do this, come on, be a man!

He turned to the curtain and opened it. Prue, who stood with her hands behind her head looked a little shocked which made Charlie feel humiliated. He could feel his cheeks turn scarlet as his entire body boiled over with embarrassment. Prue smiled as she walked up to Charlie, ‘’here, turn around,’’ she said tenderly.

He did as he was told and he turned his back on Prue so she could tighten the corset. At that moment it felt like a very real dream that he was actually experiencing. ‘’I look ridiculous,’’ said Charlie, half jokingly.

‘’Nah, you will look stunning once you’re all dressed up,’’ said Prue, beginning to tug at the fasteners.

Prue pulled the straps gently, with a frequent hard pull every few seconds. It was almost masterful the way she did it. Charlie was half expecting it to be one painful squeeze but he was pleasantly surprised. He could feel pressure amounting against his waist and tummy, clenching his abdomen inwards as the pressure formed an hourglass figure. He could still breathe but only in small temperate inhalations. Prue grunted as she gave the clinch one last tightening and Charlie gasped.

‘’There, all done!’’ said Prue. ‘’It wasn’t as bad as you expected now was it?’’

‘’You’re right, it wasn’t,’’ said Charlie, his voice cracking.

Prue kindly walked into Charlie’s dressing stall to gather his stuff. As he stood there, looking rather outlandish, his mortification decreased to awkwardness. He felt rather uncomfortable yet the fabrics of his soft garments embraced his skin securely. His manhood felt restricted as did his waist but as he started to take a few steps around the breezy, air-conditioned room, he realised that the corset clinch was not as bad as he had anticipated. However, he felt that it would probably soon begin to pain him over time.

Prue came out of the dressing stall with Charlie’s boy clothes packed into his bag. Draped over her left arm was the dress that Dave demanded Charlie to wear.

‘’Thanks,’’ said Charlie.

‘’No problem,’’ said Prue, looking rather enticed. ‘’Is this the dress you’re going to wear?’’

She held it up for Charlie to see. It was actually the first time he saw it but he had to act familiarized with it. It was dark navy pinafore dress with a high waisted skirt divided by a band from the square-necked tank top. The skirt was pleated and overlapped with another beneath it. Prue then held up the short sleeved, white starched blouse that was to be worn beneath it.

‘’Yeah, that’s the one,’’ said Charlie, nodding.

Prue threw the white blouse to him and he immediately began to put it on. It was the smallest blouse he had ever worn, it was soft, it was snug, and the sleeves were very short and slightly puffed. He closed it up as far as the second last top button.

‘’Here, let me help you with the dress,’’ said Prue, walking up to Charlie.

She stood in front of him and gazed into his eyes as she lifted the pinafore over his head. He wished that he did not have to dress up in front of a girl like Prue. It made him feel and look weak, feeble, and unmanly. However, Prue did not seem to mind, which made a small part of him feel at ease. She pulled the dress down over his chest and rested the straps around his shoulders. She then told him to turn and she zipped up the dress. As always, despite everything, that sharp sound of the zipper always gave Charlie the chills.

‘’Wow your body looks amazingly convincing!’’ said Prue. ‘’Although the dress doesn’t fit my style I have to say that it looks great on you!’’

Charlie looked down at his body, shocked as to how feminine his body looked. He had curves, he had hips, an attractive bosom and a fantastic rear that was perfectly shaped and sized to his girlish outfit. If he hadn’t been in such a desperate situation with Dave he would be happier with what he saw but he feared the more he looked like a Rachel, the more he would try and come on to him. Even the dress was similar to one Rachel had.

‘’I can do your makeup if you want?’’ said Prue, looking a little expectant.

Charlie could not help but wonder why Prue wanted to help him so much, after all, they had just met. She looked a little hopeful that he would say yes, yet, she had a look of perceptiveness on her face, as though she knew more about Charlie’s true self than she let on. ‘’Yeah sure,’’ he said.

A few moments later, Charlie was sitting on a bench beside a makeup station. Prue had insisted that he should not look at his entire reflection until she was finished with his makeup. The inner netting of the wig had flattened his shaggy hair, which was yet to be placed on his head.

Prue sat opposite him, with her legs crossed in a meditation-like fixture. She looked into Charlie’s eyes as she gently applied the foundation with a small sponge. Her eyes were vibrant blue, bright yet sad at the same time. From what Charlie could decipher, her eyes looked as if they had seen some horrible things but he was just being speculative. At first, he felt uncomfortable and awkward but there was something about her eyes, which made him feel as though everything was going to be okay.

He was close to her face so Charlie could see things he had not seen earlier. He tried to guess her age, which he perceived as being around twenty-three. He noticed dark sags pervading through her eye shadow which suggested she got very little sleep. He also noticed that her nose had a very slight bump on the front with a small silver, studded piercing in the corner of her nostril. She gave of a mixed scent of blue berries and smoke. Her teal coloured lipstick was flawless, as were her lashes and complexion. The strap of her vest slipped sideways to reveal a scar and the upper section of a tattoo pervading from her shoulder blade. She quickly covered it up, looking vaguely alarmed.

‘’May I be so bold to ask a personal enquiry?’’ said Prue in a witty, posh tone as she quickly brought up a subject to distract Charlie from the scar.

‘’I guess so,’’ said Charlie, closing his eyes as she rubbed the sponge near his eyes. ‘’But only if I get to ask you one question!’’

Charlie could sense Prue’s beaming smile which, surprisingly made him do the same.

‘’Why did you come here today?’’ she asked, sounding a little staid.

‘’What do you mean?’’ Charlie asked, beginning to feel perturbed.

‘’I mean, no sixteen year old boys ever come in here asking to buy corsets and girdles. So what I’m wondering is, why start off so big? You’re just sixteen and you’re going outside in broad daylight cross-dressing.’’

Charlie hated the question. He suddenly had an urge to get up, and leave without saying anything. He did not even know the woman and she was asking him a very personal question but he allowed it so he controlled himself.

‘’It’s okay,’’ said Prue, sensing his anxiousness. ‘’I apologise. You don’t have to answer.’’

They shared a few moments silence as Prue carefully applied jet-black mascara to his lashes. This took a few minutes for her to perfect because he kept fidgeting but once successful they looked very nice. Charlie could sense the embarrassment from Prue’s face. She knew she had gone too far by asking such an upfront question, which now left Charlie feeling bad for not answering it. However, he felt that could not answer it. He had no idea what to say. Prue began adding some extra touches the the eyeliner before taking out vibrant red lipstick from ‘’Charlie’s’’ makeup bag. This was the first time he had ever worn lipstick.

‘’I like dressing up because it allows me to escape from me,’’ exclaimed Charlie.

Prue’s hand immediately froze in the middle of applying the lipstick. She withdrew and looked into Charlie’s eyes, smiling, almost like a proud mother.

Charlie had no idea what he had just said. He just sat there, dumbfounded at what he had accidently blurted out. He did not know whether what he said was true or not but it felt organic to him, as though it were the truth. ‘’I also like the clothes. I dunno why. I just do,’’ he added, looking away from Prue.

They said no more to each other for the next few minutes as Prue attached false nails to the tips of his fingers. He wondered how he would get them off before going home that evening but then he remembered seeing Rachel soak her fingers in a cup of nail polish remover once. Once that was done she started to paint the sharp, pointed nails with fire vibrant red polish. To Charlie’s great surprise, the feeling of being manicured was rather relaxing.

‘’I used to cross-dress way before I was sixteen,’’ said Prue casually.

Charlie frowned at Prue’s perplexing statement as brow arched with confusion. ‘’You used to dress in boys clothes? Well that’s not usually considered as strange as a boy wearing girl clothing.’’

‘’No you don’t understand,’’ said Prue, her face becoming serious. ‘’I wasn’t always like this.’’

Charlie had an idea of what she was implying but he was afraid to say it aloud in case he was wrong. ‘’You — you don’t mean that — that you -,’’

‘’- I used to be a boy, yes,’’ said Prue, smiling as her eyes concentrated back on Charlie’s nails.

Charlie, completely gobsmacked suddenly felt weak. Never in his life had he encountered a post-op woman. Now he could not take his eyes off her revealing breasts, knowing that they were the result of an intake of hormones! He was shocked at how open Prue was to a total stranger and how astounding she looked. He could have never guessed that she used to be a boy and that both disturbed him and made him feel a little shy of her.

‘’I would have never thought — wow! I mean — wow!’’ said Charlie, his eyes gaping with disbelief.

Prue laughed and said, ‘’I don’t usually tell too many people but when I do I always get that reaction!’’

A few minutes later, Charlie was standing in front of the full-length mirror, gasping at how much he looked like a girl. He nearly fainted when he saw his body, which was unrecognisable. His wide, girly hips, which fitted inside the skirt of his dress perfectly, reeked of femininity. His bosom, which looked and felt authentic, jiggled and bounced realistically whenever he moved quickly. His long, soft brunette hair hung down over his shoulders and back shone against the light of the room. His makeup was flawless and much better than any attempt he had ever made. His high heels gave him an extra four inches of elegant height whilst making his black tighted legs look longer and slenderer.

‘’You look more convincing and girlish than most women!’’ stated Prue who stood by his shoulder.

Charlie could not help but feel incredibly strange because he felt as if he had just stepped into his sister’s body. Even the dress was similar to one she had. Then, his delight was brought back down to reality as he remembered why he looked the way he did, for the pleasure of Dave.

‘’Here,’’ said Prue, placing a round, silver pendant around Charlie’s neck which hung down beneath his breasts. ‘’It’s only a cheap thing but seeing as you have been such a good customer to us, well, you deserve it!’’

Charlie walked with Prue away from the dressing area with the purse Dave had put the bag hanging from the crook of his arm. He put his phone and money inside. He carried the bag with all of his boy clothes and such on his back. The ability to walk in heels had quickly returned to him after the day he tried on his mother’s ankle boots. The sound of them clicking against the tiles made him feel like a true woman, as did the subtle sensation of his silicone breasts and long smooth hair. The corset clinch made him stand upright and forced him to walk in the lady stroll which he had practised long ago. It also made him savour his breaths.

‘’You’re pretty good at walking in heels,’’ said Prue, as they ventured through the dark crowed hallway.

‘’I’ve practised before,’’ said Charlie, smiling.

As they walked, he could not take his eye off Prue. The girl who had intrigued him from the moment he set eyes on her had paid off and he had only known her for just under an hour! He was fascinated by her and how open and friendly she was despite her moody, gothic tone of appearance. He wondered if she treated all customers the same way but somehow he thought not. The way she looked at him, the way she stared into his eyes and the way she was so helpful in giving him confidence made Charlie feel as if he had made a new friend. He never could have guessed that she used to be a boy. The only thing her transgender-ism could have explained was her lower voice and even that was not a great giveaway.

As Charlie and Prue entered the reception area where Pricilla, the frightening old woman with the jet-black hair sat, he began to feel nervous again. He was about to step outside, in daylight, dressed as a girl. He once thought it to be a big risk but since he saw his reflection he felt he was extremely convincing. He figured that it wasn’t going outside that scared him but Dave.

The old woman sneered at Charlie as Prue brought him to the door. Charlie gave a deep breath, feeling his knees beginning to shake.

‘’Hey, are you alright?’’ asked Prue worriedly.

‘’I’m fine — I — I always get a little nervous when I go outside dressed up,’’ lied Charlie.

‘’Do you want me to walk out with you?’’ asked Prue.

Charlie nodded stiffly and Prue opened the door to the wide-open world. Light poured into the reception area as the two walked out onto the entrance steps. Fresh air filled their lungs as the warm breeze of the underpass caressed their skin.

‘’Is that your ride?’’ asked Prue, squinting.

Charlie looked down the steps to see Dave’s Ford Fiesta parked right up beside the path. He got out of the car, expecting Charlie to alone but shocked to see Prue standing next to him. He was wearing sunglasses and looked gobsmacked when he laid eyes on Charlie.

‘’Yeah, that’s my ride,’’ said Charlie, sombrely being brought back to his miserable reality.

‘’Okay, well — make sure you come back to us again,’’ said Prue, glaring at Dave with great uncertainty.

‘’I will,’’ said Charlie, genuinely meaning his word.

Prue gave a thin smile and turned back into the shop.

‘’Prudence, wait!’’ Charlie cut in. ‘’I never got to ask you my question!’’

Prue stopped, turned and her face lit up. ‘’Go ahead Steve!’’

‘’Why did you want to be a girl?’’ he asked curiously.

Prue smiled meekly and bit her lower lip as she briefly looked down at the ground. ‘’I was always a girl, Steve. I just needed to escape from who I was,’’ she said.

Her reason immediately struck a chord within Charlie as it resonated with his own purposes for cross-dressing. He did not know whether she intended this but she seemed to truly mean it with from the bottom of her heart. He smiled back at her and produced his hand for a shake, ‘’I’m Charlie by the way, Charlie Smith,’’ he said.

She took his hand and shook it, saying, ‘’I knew you weren’t called Steve. You didn’t look like one!’’

‘’Thanks again,’’ said Charlie, turning and carefully walking down the steps towards Dave’s car.

Prue watched him get into the car from the top of the steps. Dave, who was still standing outside of his car, stared at Prue maliciously. She returned the gesture, glaring intently with apprehension before watching him get inside the car, and driving off with Charlie as the forced passenger.