Homecoming Princess (Revised)   Part 5 By Arecee   Edited by Holly Hart & Sephrena Miller

The bus rumbled closer and was slowing down to our stop. I felt a twinge of fear as I realized my test of passing as a girl in front of the people I had to go to school with every day was upon me.

The doors opened and I just gulped as I took my first step up onto it. Mrs. Uttman, our driver, looked speechless as she looked me up and down as if I was some oddity. I felt a little queasy and just grabbed the first seat pole and finished pulling myself up into the aisle.

“Well Good Morning to you Lynn! My My! You look wonderful today! It’s about time you decided to be who you really are.”

I blushed furiously as I knew a lot of the other kids on the bus heard her and even now they were all looking at me in bewilderment. I couldn’t believe what I had just heard her say. SHE thought I had been a girl all along! Omigod! Did Lynn the boy ever really exist?

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I hardly slept any restful sleep. I was tossing, turning and kept dreaming all kinds of bad dreams! The worst one though was the one where I was outside. It was dark with stormy looking skies: dark clouds, the smell of rain in the air, and the wind. The wind just kept blowing my skirt up showing off between my legs. For some inanely strange reason - I wasn’t wearing my panties! Don’t ask me why, because I really don’t know! I was stark naked down below underneath my skirt!

I looked down and managed to glimpse that I was still a male in this clothing. This was really different from my dreaming of the past few days. In those I had both felt and was a girl! This was a nightmare and it was very scary! The landscape was barren and the trees were leaning away from the blustering wind. Leaves flew about and around me. This was going to be really bad.

I felt a presence behind me. I tried to turn around and found I couldn’t! I was frozen!

A deep voice said, “We don’t like you!”

Strong hands gripped me on my shoulders and held me in place! It wasn’t like I was able to move anywhere anyways! And Fudge it all! I was desperately trying to get away! But to no avail. I was rooted in this spot!

A crowd of people suddenly surrounded me. The younger boys all closed in around and began pulling at my clothing. I was getting jostled around and a few started to hit me. I was screaming! “Heeeeeelp me! Heeeellllpppp me Pleeaaase! Pleeeeeeasse!” The faceless men, women, and other children were raising their arms and shouting “Go on! Go on! Go on!”

I felt a tug, and to my horror, saw the wind blowing my skirt away in front of me into the crowd. This wind was freaking icy cold! The boys all began laughing and pointing at me.

“Boy! Boy!” they shouted.

“I’m a girrrrlll! This is a mistake!” I emphatically shouted back. “Pleeeeaaaase! Soooomeonnnnne Helllpp Meeee!”

Tears stung my eyes and I felt the roughness of them as they began to punch at me and pull my hair hard! My head hurt and my vision blurred.

“Do it! Do it!” the crowd chanted on.

“LEAVE-ME-ALONE! GET AWAY FROM ME!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

I was thrashing about trying to escape their beating, but one of their hands always got a grip on me and more followed. Punch! Punch! Kick! Kick! Slap! The pain! Omigod! Omigod!

“MOOOOOOOMMMMMMMY! SAAAVE ME! SAVE ME!” *sobbing* “Mommy! Please!”

I was on the ground and kicks to my head got more savage and one stomped me in the gut. The sharpness of that pain was so severe I couldn’t breathe!

“You are a boy!” the crowd chanted on.

I’m a girl! No matter what they say! Owww! Oh… My stomach… something’s wrong! Severe pain was still wracking my body long after I realized the beating had stopped and the crowd vanished. The side of my face was numb and I could feel warm liquid oozing out over my cheeks. The grip that had held my body was gone, but I could barely move a limb! Wave after wave of pain flooded my body and I was too weak to try and move anymore. I collapsed.

The scene changed. My vision was blurred and I was sitting upright in my own bed.

Oh my God! That was sooo real! I grabbed at my stomach and held it as the pain pulsed there. A queasiness gripped me. I needed to throw up!

I quickly dashed to the bathroom where I promptly deposited everything I had eaten that day in the appropriate receptacle.

I felt a presence at the doorway as I was washing my mouth out.

“Lynn? What’s wrong hon?” my mother asked with that look of concern on her face. I couldn’t come to grips with my mind to tell her about my dream, at least the details of it. She wouldn’t understand. But I can’t lie to her. Fudge it all!

“I had a bad dream Mom. My stomach was upset so I had to throw up.”

“Well, I don’t think it was our dinner. At least if it was, I would be feeling it too. Did you eat the school lunch yesterday?”

I promptly admitted, “Yes.”

Mom thought a moment. “I don’t know if it was that then. Has something been worrying you lately?”

Umm... bingo Mom! That’s the ticket! Yeah something's worrying me. It’s depressing me and eating away at my soul! The situation I am in had escalated beyond what I thought it would and I’m really your daughter. I just wish that I could just be free and be me. Isn’t that what everyone wants? It’s too bad you are going to hate me come Monday and I’m going to have to leave. I’m sure going to miss you Mother… *sigh*

“Yes. I’m helping Miss Benson with setting up the Homecoming Gala for this weekend and helping her with a few functions for the winners with publicity appearances starting Wednesday. There is a lot of work preparing for these appearances and I’m running errands for her. Between this event and my homework, I really feel worn out.”

Well that was the truth, from one perspective of it. Just I had to leave out the gritty details out like the fact that I am one of the winners.

“She must think a lot about you for you to volunteer for that.”

Yeah. Mindy volunteered me for this alright. And I had to go along with it too. I finished rinsing the sink out and faced my Mother.

I weakly smiled, “She does Mother. I have a 3.9 gpa and have so far kept my grades up while participating. “

My Mom just hugged me for a moment and pulled my hair back from over my face.

“You just promise me that you’ll stop the volunteer work if it gets too much for you? Ok?”

That, I’m afraid, was a little impossible at this point, Mom. I have to keep up this deception or I’ll be going down in flames even faster.

“I will Mom.” I answered as I hugged her back and then headed back to my bedroom.
 

*          *          *
 
The alarm was beeping beside me and I stirred. I reached over and switched it off. Ughh! Why did I have to wake up and move? I was so warm and comfortable here! I snuggled back into a fetal position and started to go back to sleep.

What seemed like a minute later I heard, “Lynn? You had the alarm set for an hour earlier than usual. It’s 6 am. Did you have something that you needed to do?”

Mom was in my doorway. I blinked my eyes and stared at the alarm clock. 6 am. Hmmm... What was I supposed to be doing? … Oh Snap! I have to get to Mindy’s for changing clothes!

I sat up wiping the sleep from my eyes. Oooo! My stomach did not feel so good and my throat was sore.

“Y-yy *cough! cough!* Dry Throat! -es Mom. I have to help *cough!* with reception committee for the event. *cough!*”

Mom gave me a worried look as I crawled out of that cozy, comfortable spot and trudged onwards to the bathroom for my shower.
 

*          *          *
 
The crisp morning air as the sun was slowly rising up into the sky made this day feel like it was really different. Birds chirped up in the trees bordering along the sidewalks of other people’s yards as I made my way along my usual path to Mindy’s. Yeppers, today is sure gonna be different! I hope I survive it. Images of my bad dream last night kept creeping back into my thoughts.

I had just walked across Mindy’s lawn over to the driveway and reached the side door to her parent’s garage. True to her word, as I turned the handle slowly, it was unlocked. I opened up the cabinet door she had mentioned as I had to look twice. Mindy had hung up a brown camo that had yellow and orange flowers with a black highlights and a dark blue skirt. My black low heels, short white socks and under things were present also. Then my breast forms. I had asked for less boyish, but this!, this was like to an extreme opposite! *sigh*

Oh, well.

I quickly stripped out of my usual clothes and donned my girl clothing as fast as possible. The glue wasn’t here, but there was no way I was going to even try to glue the forms on even if it had been here! I was just going to have to wear them loose inside my bra. This was going to feel just great all day like that! Mindy had also left me a cute multicolored butterfly pendant necklace to wear and a small silver looking ring. I slipped them on.

The fear of Mr. Swanson walking out here on me as I was changing clothes was all the impetus I needed to rapidly change. I then folded my boy clothes neatly back into my gym bag and hid it back inside the cabinet behind the empty box Mindy had left out.

I then picked up my pack and quietly locked the garage door behind me.
 

*          *          *
 
I was not waiting at the bus stop that was only a few houses down from Mindy’s house for very long when I found her walking towards me. I was brushing my hair, having taken it out of my ponytail strap. I had taken the time while I had waited for her to use my small 2-inch handheld fliptop mirror and applied just a touch of lipstick and a hint of light powder blue eye shadow around my eyelids. Forget the Mascara! I just had neither the time nor inclination for that today!

Mindy just slowed down as she got closer, obviously checking me out.

“Lynn? My god! You are beautiful!”

I stopped brushing my long blonde hair hanging down over my shoulders by a good few inches that was full bodied to boot. Mom’s conditioner sure did what it claimed! I was still not used to all the praise Mindy and everyone else keeps throwing at me. But all the same, I still felt embarrassed and just blushed.

“Am I?” I scratchily asked.

Mindy just grinned. “Yes, you are! Compared to you I’m just a plain girl.”

I was slightly annoyed. “Min, you are just as beautiful too.”

Mindy’s look changed. “Lynn is there something wrong? Your voice sounds somewhat scratchy.”

Yep. Last night — throwing up works wonders on the human voice.

“I threw up last night. My stomach wasn’t feeling so good.”

“Poor thing!” Mindy cooed as she embraced me. This contact thing between me and Mindy developed more as I had been dressing to the hilt as Lynn the girl. Girls sure seemed to be a lot more emotional and into different ways of communicating by speech, tone inflection and touch. I never paid any attention to any of that before this prank. But it sure felt really nice.

“Remember Lynn, We have to stay after school today for a little bit. We have to report to Miss Benson after school so she can go over what we are doing for the Cancer luncheon tomorrow. You will be missing out on 4^th period and a touch of 5^th. Are you ready for that?”

I sort of frowned. “Isn’t it enough I am missing out on a lot of homework already? I miss too much more and I won’t be passing some of my classes.”

“I am going to be helping you there girl. We are studying tonight together right? My Mom is going to pick us up from school too, so don’t worry about the bus.”

I sighed.

“Yes, I think I’m ready. I just hope your Mother doesn’t put 2 and 2 together and recognize me.”

Mindy snorted. “Honestly Lynn. You were standing right in front of her in broad daylight and she didn’t even give you a second look. Relax girlfriend.”

“If you say so.” I wasn’t really convinced, but then, what choice did I really have?

The bus rumbled closer and was slowing down to our stop. I felt a twinge of fear as I realized my test of passing as a girl in front of the people I had to go to school with every day was upon me.

The doors opened and I just gulped as I took my first step up onto it. Mrs. Uttman, our driver, looked speechless as she looked me up and down as if I was some oddity. I felt a little queasy and just grabbed the first seat pole and finished pulling myself up into the aisle.

“Well Good Morning to you Lynn! My My! You look wonderful today! It’s about time you decided to be who you really are.”

I blushed furiously as I knew a lot of the other kids on the bus heard her and even now they were all looking at me in bewilderment. I couldn’t believe what I had just heard her say. SHE thought I had been a girl all along! Omigod! Did Lynn the boy ever really exist?

I expected weird looks and people to say ‘Why on earth are you dressing up like a girl?’, but not the positive support I was getting and the fact that a lot of people, it seems, had already believed I had always been a girl. This was beginning to scare me!

Not knowing what else to say, I replied, “Thank you Mrs. Uttman. I have turned over a new leaf.”

Yep! I really have, haven't I?

I began walking down between the seats and past the stares of many of the boys and girls I rode with every day. The looks from the boys were one of awe, and from the looks of the girls, I could sense envy and some stares of jealousy.

I sat down in our usual seat, set my pack on the floor next to the window and held my skirt to me as I scooted in towards the window. Mindy sat down beside as the bus began its forward motion again.

I put my hands back on my lap, all nervous and such, as some of the kids kept turning around looking at me, not quite believing what they saw. I tried to ignore it.

Some of these kids actually voted for me as their Homecoming Princess. A lot of them did believe I was a girl. I knew some of them didn’t know me. But still, all of this attention was making me feel very vulnerable and scared. This was the first time that I ever had attention like this. Boys actually had an attraction towards me too! I felt it as I passed them through the bus aisle. Wow! Some of them keep looking back at me too. I don’t really know what I am feeling right now!

I turned my head to look out the window to keep from looking directly at the stares of others.

Mindy tapped my arm. “Lynn, you see all of them keep looking at you?”

I scratchily droned, “Yes Mindy. I do see it. I’m trying to ignore it.”

“Why would you girl? They all appreciate how you look.”

I turned my head and stared directly at her. I couldn’t believe that she didn’t know how I was feeling right now!

“Mindy,” I hushedly whispered, “I feel like I’m on display! That I’m..I’m..just a thing!”

“Welcome to womanhood Lynn! That’s exactly what we are to everyone. We are always on display. That’s why we always have to look our best too!” she quipped back in a similar hushed tone of voice.

I looked back out the window. “It’s frightening.”
 

*          *          *
 
We reached school and Mindy and me got off of the bus and proceeded into the school. Some of the kids were just beginning to scope me out as we walked down the hallway to our lockers. Boys were checking me out as possible girlfriend material. No one had to tell me that. I knew it! I had seen these looks on them before when I had been what I thought was a boy as I watched them scoping other girls out. Now I was the one being scoped out! Snap!

As I put up some of the books I wouldn’t need until the latter half of the day and pulling out the ones I needed for 1^st and 2^nd period I just realized that not once did anyone sneer at me or say that I was gay or a freak! None of the violence, like what I had experienced in the dream, was even remotely visible. Is this real? Or is this a dream also?

Mindy and me walked from our lockers to Mr. Copeland’s homeroom. I heard two wolf whistles coming from some boys we had just passed. Oh My God! I paused, turned around, and saw that they were doing it to me! One of them waved a greeting towards me, almost as if he wanted me to come over there and strike up a conversation. I did what any red blooded boy could do in this situation!

I turned back around, blushing, and held my books up to my face, trying to hide, as I continued walking on towards homeroom.

“Lynn, stop that! You have no reason to hide!”

Ashamedly I cringed, “Mindy I’m scared! Going to the mall was one thing. THIS! This… is soo different!” Then in a more quiet hiss, “Everyone here knows me! I just know I’m going to be beaten up and in the hospital before the day is over with!”

Mindy, with this ridiculous chuckle, was quick to point out, “Where is the Lynn that was making out with Rex all over the movie theater this past weekend?”

Oh my God! I can’t believe she was going to use that against me right now! That was low!

I felt a little angry and snapped back at her, “That Lynn! She is hiding inside of me with the door locked! This is real life Mindy! Out here, I can be really hurt badly if someone finds out! I mean, they all know me!”

Mindy turned around both sides of us as we halted for a moment. She was waving her hands making her point. “So, has anyone here been doing that to you? Huh? All they see is the girl you are portraying Lynn.”

I looked around for myself. Yeah, she seemed to be right. I saw a few of the kids still staring at me, Lynn, the object of desire in their eyes. Oh Fudge! I still wanted to hide!
 

*          *          *
 
We finally reached the open door of Mr. Copeland’s class. I could heard the usual morning drone of everyone talking inside there. I took a deep breath, resolved to keep from running away entirely, and stepped inside.

The talking immediately died down as everyone turned their heads to look right at me.

I so wanted to die!

Between the Wow’s! , the Omigods!, I can’t believe how gorgeous she is! remarks, my feet somehow started moving as I headed towards the back of the room to my seat — eyes still following my every move. I heard a slap and boy going “OW!” as I knew that was Harry getting slapped by his girlfriend Dana sitting beside him for looking at me. Wow!

Then, to make matters worse, before I reached my seat, I heard the unenviable voice say,

“Miss Collins! My word! You actually dressed appropriately for once! Please, take your seat and I’ll call the roll.” Mr. Copeland had just walked in right behind me and saw me before reaching his desk.

Oh God! Please, just strike me with a lightning bolt right here, right now! I sat down and Mindy sat beside me in her seat.

And this was just the beginning of my day!
 

*          *          *
 
In every class, I had similar reactions from the students and teachers. Not once was I insulted or did people get all bent out of shape seeing me dressed like this. Apparently, and quite to my astonishment, everyone had believed I was a girl all along! Unbelievable!

My blood pressure went up when three of my teachers noted that my sex on their roll logs listed me as a male. I stated calmly that there was an error on my records and that Miss Benson was aware of it and was in the process of correcting it. I then added, “Do I look like a boy to you?”

They shook their heads and left it at that.
 

*          *          *
 
At lunchtime, I had several boys try to sit beside me at mine and Mindy’s usual table and hit on me for dating. I wanted to flee so badly! Mindy helped fend them off of me and added that I was still too shy about dating and said to give me some space and time to be myself. I had just come out of the grunge look and was trying to open up. Well, it was all true. I still couldn’t help but look at some of those gorgeous boys! I began to daydream about them. I licked my lips slightly in the anticipation of being with them. Kissing, and being held. Mmmmmmmm! My insides seemed to warm up at thinking about those thoughts.

I felt another smack on my arm. Mindy had just smacked me!

Startled, I rather angrily asked, “What the heck did you do that for?”

Mindy gave me that duh! look. “Quit encouraging these boys to want to hit on you!”

“I was doing no such thing!”

“Oh my god Lynn! You were! You have to watch how you look at people, the expressions you use, and how you talk! That is something I am going to have to teach you from now until Homecoming. You are still new at this and relating with others as a girl is no piece of cake! We come under a different set of rules than boys have. There is still a lot you need to learn. I am not going to keep sitting here helping push all these boys away from you if you are going to keep giving them the ‘I’m available’ look!
 

*          *          *
 
In my Biology science class at 5^th period, when all of the stares and buzz about my new look had died down, one of the boys in my water polo class, Mark, who sitting at the kiosk table behind me while we were attempting to dissect frogs, boldly came out to ask me what I was praying would never be asked!

“Why were you on the boy’s water polo team, Lynn? And naked?” he asked quietly, while pointing to his chest.

What was I going to say? That I’m really a boy, but here I am sitting dressed as a girl? What the fudge am I going to say?

I turned, angrily and huffed. I gave him as angry a stare as I could with tears in my eyes. Yeah, my eyes tended to leak why I get upset. And this, this was the key to my being upset! I really wanted to be on that team. I loved the sport, and I loved swimming, and yet I can’t now because of my disguise. If he says this any louder or spreads the rumor, which I now fully expected to happen, I was dead!

He met my gaze, and for the life of me, seemed to drop it. I don’t know why he did or what he was feeling inside, but having seen me as I am now and my anger, it somehow deflated him. Or so it seemed to me.

“Look,” he whispered back to me again, “If it means anything to you, I knew you were trying to prove something, and I had no problem with you there trying. I did always admire you. You look very pretty, you know? I never understood though, why you were trying to be pretend to be a boy.”

Well, here he was apologizing and hitting on me at the same time. Wow, girls really do have it hard in the social life at school! It’s a constant war trying to keep boys at bay, and be yourself, until you find the one that interested you! I quickly thought just how I wanted to respond to what he had said.

I leaned over, with tear-blurred vision, and stated, “I wanted to compete with boys in the same sport. I wanted to be someone and to be treated just like boys would be. You saw me in the pools. I’m not well built up here.” I motioned pointing to my chest. “I’m using little helpers to give me some shape until I do bloom. I didn’t think anything would be wrong as I did not have breasts yet like other girl’s. I’m ashamed I don’t, but I thought it would be the opportunity of a lifetime to try and compete while I was able to do so. I did not realize just how much trouble I was causing.”

Mark nodded and returned, “Well coach sent a memorandum to all of us on the team this morning explaining that someone from another school had showed up using your name and looked very similar to you, but as a boy. It was an inter-school prank and had been stopped. He had kicked them off of the team and appropriate action was taken.”

Mark passed me the notice. I read it.

Wow! It’s all untrue, but what else could be done to cover up the fact I had been there? Now, the two wins I had led our team in were stricken from the records and the meet judges were going to adjust the scores for the year’s end. *groan* Would others keep quiet about it or believe it? At least Coach Wilson was helping me rather than hurting me. I did not quite believe he disliked me that much because of how much energy and effort I had put into the team while I was there. In his own way, he was protecting me as well as himself.

“Most of the others on the team,” Mark continued quietly, interrupting my thoughts, “do believe it was someone else, but, I know you. I have seen you throughout the school. If you want to pretend and act like a boy, it’s cool in my book. Your jokes were always funny to me.”

He grinned.

Wow! Maybe I never really was a boy at all? Everyone thinks I had been a girl. My ego was thoroughly shattered! Hmm. Maybe there are some benefits to being a girl after all? I was just learning about how to wield emotions and play things so that they could go my way. I knew I had a long ways to go and a lot to learn still!

I quickly handed his notice back to him and we both turned around and got back to our dissection work as Mr. Keatman peered over looking at each pair’s work on the dissections. This dissection stuff was really gross!
 

*          *          *
 
After Home Economics at 6^th period, and garnering a pile of assignments and pre-test material to study, I made my way to the School Office. I was amazed, simply amazed! Everyone seemed to think I had just changed clothing for looks and had not changed my sex from boy to girl. I mean really! Was I that poor of a boy that my trying to be one and dress like one was that pitiful? Did I really look like a girl so much that those who saw me believed what they wanted? And what they thought they saw was just a girl? I’m still debating on that one.

The office secretaries, whom had seen me in there quite often this past week, both did a double-take as they saw me come in. I stood there with a bit more confidence in myself than I had before I came to school this morning.

“Miss Benson had asked me to see me?” I demurely asked.

Mindy chose that precise moment to enter the office. She had been requested here as well and I had started to wonder where she was.

Nancy, the secretary I saw the most replied, “I’ll tell her that you are here Lynn. You look absolutely stunning dear.”

I blushed. I seemed to be doing that a lot recently too!

Nancy opened the door and then came back out saying, “She’ll see you both now.”

Mindy and I made our way through the counter swing door and walked into Miss Benson’s office. To say Miss Benson was surprised would be an understatement. Her jaw dropped open and she almost looked like a fish trying to breathe in the water.

Both Mindy and I took a seat in the chairs in front of her desk and looked at her. Mindy looked at me and then back to Miss Benson, who was suddenly lacking for words.

“Lynn, child, are you sure you are really a boy?”

“Yes, Ma’m. At least I think I was. After the reactions of everyone today, I’m not so sure anymore.”

Miss Benson continued to stare, critically taking in every detail about me. I was really on display!

“Then I assume from what I see and heard that you will have no problem at all pulling off these events and attending Homecoming?”

Mindy beamed, “Absolutely Miss Benson. Lynn seems to be a natural at this and all of the boys are hitting on him.”

Miss Benson raised an eyebrow. “Are you properly teaching Lynn how to politely say no to boy’s advances? The last thing we would need is for one to discover who Lynn really is.”

I cut in, “Yes Miss Benson. I am. Mindy is a very good teacher when it comes to girl’s ways of doing things. I’m not sure of actually wanting to date boys either.”

Miss Benson’s mouth twitched at hearing that. It took her brain a moment to process what I had just said. Mindy just smiled back at me.

“Well Lynn, tomorrow is the big day, your first in public as a representative of this school. Do you think you can pull it off?” Miss Benson continued.

I was a failure at representing the school on the water polo team, but there was no way I was going to fail it in the Homecoming Gala and the associated meetings!

“Yes Miss Benson, I’m ready.”

“I hope so. Tomorrow I want you to bring all of the specified clothes I had asked for, especially the dress. Lynn, you come to my office after 3^rd period and you can change in here. I’ll escort you to and from the luncheon. All you’ll have to do is eat a little lunch, present the check and say a few words about how proud you are to be a princess and what the Cancer society means to you - including how proud you are of their work towards helping others. Be sure to be tactful and emit warm feelings towards them. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes Miss Benson,” both Mindy and me chimed together.

“Good! Make it through this and Homecoming and the other functions will be easy,” Miss Benson finished. “I just cannot get over just how much a girl you are Lynn. You truly look and act the part! You have my compliments. I expect you will be able to make it through the rest of the year?”

I nodded, with a little sadness showing in my posture.

“Oh, and Lynn, do remind your mother of our meeting on Monday morning? I need to bring her up to date on your situation and alter the records accordingly.”

She just had to remind me of that! Mindy appeared a little frightened too.

“I will Miss Benson.”
 

*          *          *
 
Mindy and I were gabbing some, standing out under the school overhang along the sidewalk where the buses parked each morning and afternoon picking up and dropping off students. It wasn’t too long before Mrs. Swanson drove up and picked the both of us up.

Mindy’s Mother did not recognize me as Lynn and treated me as the girl I appeared to be. How come Mindy was always so right and I was so wrong? ’Snot fair!

After doing our homework, Mindy went downstairs into the garage and unlocked the side door. After she came back in, unnoticed by her mother, I gathered my school things and made my farewell. I went outside the front door, bee-lined around to the garage and entered it. I quickly changed clothing and slipped my hair back into a low ponytail. I wiped off my lipstick and eye shadow with a paper towel and jammed it into my pocket.

I need to get rid of it more thoroughly when I get home! I thought to myself as I locked the door and exited.
 

*          *          *
 
I made it home before Mom did and removed the leftover makeup. I wetted down my hair some to slick it down and return some of the grunge look back to me. Then, as I promised I would, I began vacuuming the living room and picking things up.

Mom came home and she was also shocked. Today, I seemed to have been a hit as Lynn the girl, and to my Mother as well, as Lynn the boy. I was very careful and thorough with my cleaning and my Mom took in every little detail of the job I had done. Girl’s really do notice the little details of things. Yep, I’m learning that on the fly!

Mom and me had another wonderful evening together during dinner and afterwards. I was truly saddened at all of the years I had missed of enjoying her company like this with her. I really enjoyed sharing time with her like this. I wish I could reverse time and go back then to make up for it all and be the boy that she wanted. But I wasn’t a boy — was I? But starting Monday, I’m going to have to start checking the classifieds for a new home… *gulp!*

I hardly dreamed this night. It was as if the intensity and purpose of them had left me. I was adrift in a peaceful slumber for one night at least!
 

*          *          *
 
I awoke early the next morning, just like I had yesterday, and found that Mom had already left for work. Today was going to be my big day for me so I went to shower. I soaped myself up and felt stubble on my legs and not to mention the uncomfortable scratching under my arms. I saw that Mom had left her razor in the shower, so I finally did what any red-blooded girl would do. I borrowed it!

It felt good to be smooth again.
 

*          *          *
 
I changed at Mindy’s just like I had the previous day and Mindy was carrying my blue formal dress in a zippered travel carry bag. She dropped it by Miss Benson’s office before school started and was told in no uncertain terms to be here after 3^rd period to help me get ready.

I was as nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. I had to keep turning down advances by boys and I took in all the complements that I was getting for dressing more appropriately. It seemed as though each class lasted only ten minutes and when the bell ending third period rang, I almost jumped through the ceiling! My only thought was whether or not I could do this thing!

Miss Benson and Mindy were waiting for me as I entered her office.

“You’ll have to hurry Lynn. Take your under things and put them on in my bathroom. Don’t worry about gluing your forms on that you are wearing because it will be easier for you to change out of when you get home from school. Now get a move on,” Miss Benson ordered.

I closed the door behind me as I entered the bathroom. I pulled off the girl clothing I had worn to school this morning and looked at myself in the mirror. I still saw a very pretty girl, even without the makeup on. I felt my stomach turn. How is it that everyone thinks I am a girl or always had been? I mean, I know inside now that I am a girl, but geez! Do I get any credit for having been a boy ever? Does the thing that makes me a male between my legs even count?

I slipped on the pantyhose and then a fresh pair of panties. I was standing there completely in my under things. Mindy slid in and began to perform her magic with makeup quickly on me. Soon, Mindy was helping me into the blue formal dress that sort of hugged me around my topside with a semi-low cut where neither my bra nor forms would be visible. On went Mindy’s pendant again, the ring I had been wearing, and now the heels.

“Lynn you are simply gorgeous!” Mindy complimented me as she passed me the cardigan sweater to put on over top of the dress. Again I looked into the mirror. There was no doubt that I would be the Princess the women were expecting.
 

*          *          *
 
“Heavens Be!” Miss Benson exclaimed. “I’d never believe it if I wasn’t seeing this with my own eyes.”

“Thank you, Miss Benson,” I giggled nervously.

“You look every bit a Princess my dear! I have never had a Princess as beautiful as you Lynn! This is going to be the best year ever!” Miss Benson was absolutely enthralled with my look. It was as if I had cast a spell upon her.

“I want to check to be sure that nothing is amiss! Walk around my office for me and let me see your pose. It wouldn’t do for you to be walking like a boy.”

I walked as instructed. My lower heels were so much easier to walk in! My walk, posture, and every movement was picture perfect and Miss Benson was beyond impressed.

“My goodness Lynn! Where did you learn to walk like that? Was it Mindy?”

Mindy shook her head no.

“I just seem to have taken to it naturally after I tried on my first pair of girl’s shoes Miss Benson. Mindy was just as astounded as you are now.”

“I can see that! You walk with more grace than half the real girls in this school!”

My face reddened with that compliment. I really did not think I was better than a real girl at walking like one.

“Are you sure that you are Ok with this Lynn?” Miss Benson looked at me with some concern.

“I’m a little nervous. I’ll be okay.”

“Don’t be nervous Lynn. You’re a beautiful girl! Hold your head up high. Be proud of being a Princess, because from what I’ve seen so far, you are more than just a Princess.”

I felt my eyes begin to water with happiness. I was proud! I loved being this Princess so much! I just wish circumstances could have been more favorable and this didn’t have to be the end result of a prank gone wrong! I truly loved this!

“Don’t you dare cry Lynn! We don’t have time to fix your makeup again,” Mindy laughed.
 

*          *          *
 
We went to the luncheon and everything went even better that we had hoped for. I presented the check - you know one of those really big ones made for photo opportunities? The local paper was there and they took pictures of Miss Benson and me with the officers of the group. I spent a lot of time talking to the ladies and they fawned over me as if I was their daughter. If this was what being Princess was all about - Heck! I’m going to run again next year!
 
*          *          *
 
We returned to school and I was soon back inside of Miss Benson’s office.

“Okay Lynn, you have no idea of how proud I am of you! You pulled this thing off without a hitch. The ladies loved you and I’m sure most of them would have loved to have brought you home with them. You are just so much a natural girl, it’s as Mindy had said - really eerie.”

Miss Benson’s eyes brimmed with pleasure.

“Now, you have nothing more to do until Saturday. Saturday morning you have to be at the spa by 9 am. You and the rest of the girls are going to be getting a makeover. It will give you a chance to meet the rest of your court. I know that you’ve never been to a spa, but don’t worry, you’ll have fun. Just go along with whatever they want to do to you.” Miss Benson then handed me a schedule sheet showing the complete Spa treatment and the times of things.

“The worst thing that could happen is that you’ll be even prettier than you were today.”

Embarrassment flooded me and I couldn’t help but feel it. I knew that I was beautiful looking but I didn’t need all this praise! I blushed again. But then I thought about the Spa Makeover. What would happen if one of the ladies there discovered me?

“Miss Benson, suppose they find me out? Discover me? What should I do?” I nervously asked.

“All they are going to be doing is your hair, nails, and makeup. So don’t worry about being discovered.”

I nodded, but I still wasn’t so certain about that!

Miss Benson then more softly asked, “Did you enjoy today Lynn?”

“Yes Miss Benson. I did have a lovely time today.”

“You seemed to. For some reason you seem to shine when you’re a girl. You did not seem to have much confidence when you were a boy. It’s too bad you aren’t really a girl.”

Hmm! Little did she know!

“I do feel more confident, but I don’t know why?”

Miss Benson paused and thought for a moment.

“Maybe this is who you’re meant to be? I cannot say for certain, but only you would know the answer. But in any case, I am truly sorry that this prank got out of control. I am not looking forward to explaining this to your Mother, but I will not cross the line in changing any student’s records without their parent’s permission. I can also understand your feelings as well in not wanting to admit to this prank in front of the entire school either. I do wish you the best in fulfilling your role, and if you have any problems, do come and see me. I’ll try to help you with whatever your problems are. I’m not heartless. Try and have fun Saturday. I’ll see you at the parade,” Miss Benson said.

Feeling that we were dismissed, Mindy and I left her office.
 

*          *          *
 
Mindy remembered, “Lynn, you’ll have to be at my house at 7 am Saturday. We need to have time for your forms to set and get you dressed.”

“What about your parents?”

“It’s Saturday! They won’t be up until eleven. Just be there and I’ll wait by the door, so don’t knock. That way they won’t be up.”

Mindy just always seems to know everything and has a plan. She sure has the brains of our friendship!
 

*          *          *
 
I went home and later that evening told my mother what the schedule was going to be like on Saturday. Naturally, I couldn’t tell her that I was one of the girls in the parade and would also be at the dance as one! I had just realized that this was going to be one of the most special times in my entire life. A part of me ached deeply to want to just tell my Mother and have it done with so she could be there and enjoy the event with me. I really wanted her to be there! But… She was going to hate me like that! She wants a son, not me, as her daughter! Fudge!!! Life can be so cruel.

“Mom,” I then mentioned to her, as we were both sitting on the couch watching television together, “Mindy and I are on the decoration committee for the dance Saturday. I have to be at Mindy’s by seven in the morning.”

“Are you going to be able to get up that early?” Mom gave me the eye.

“Of course I will. I have had to be up early every day this week, I will manage that. I’ll be going straight to the dance after the setup, so I won’t be coming home until it’s over. You won’t have to wait up for me,” I stated.

Oh God! I hated to say that! I really wanted to say “Mom, I’d really love for you to come and be there with me! I want you to see your daughter in all her glory.” But I can’t!!!!! It was impossible!

I clenched my hands in anger and then, let them go and relax.

Changing me back to Lynn the boy wouldn’t be a problem either since I was changing at Mindy’s. It would just be better if Mom were asleep when I got home. Just in case I walked in kinda funny. I wondered just what my feet would feel like after all that dancing in heels? It sounded pretty painful to me!

Mom replied, “Normally I would wait up for you Lynn, but I have a wedding shower to attend for one of my co-workers and I won’t be home until after midnight. What time is the dance over?”

“I think eleven,” I answered.

“Okay. I want you to call me when you get home so I won’t be worried about you.”

“Yes Mother.”
 

*          *          *
 
Thursday and Friday were pretty boring and routine other than the excitement in school about the homecoming dance. The shock of my new way of dressing seemed to have worn off and I was accepted among everyone in school as a girl. There never seemed to be any doubts in anyone’s mind I had ever been a boy. That still upsets me!

I then went from ecstatic to fright as I thought about what was going to be taking place. Would my secret be discovered before the dance? The most calming thing on my mind was that wonderful day I spent at the luncheon. There was no question in any of those women’s minds about my gender. I was treated as a girl and accepted as one as well. They treated me very special there. I just loved it!

The only really creepy thing that happened to me was at lunch on Friday. I was approached by four senior girls who had a question for me.

“You’re Lynn aren’t you?” a blonde girl asked.

“Umm, yes?” I politely answered.

“I voted for you for Princess,” she said.

“Umm, Thank you. Thank you very much,” I responded with a smile and blushed furiously.

“Can I ask you a question?” she asked.

I got my blush to stop and could now move my mouth again.

“I guess so.”

“You’re so pretty, why did you dress the way that you used to?”

Well, here we go, back to same question Carla had asked me. Good thing I remember what I said, huh? I don’t want to lie and by some perversion of reality, it did seem close to the actual truth so I went with it.

“I was tired of being treated like I was object that could break, long ago when I was little. I had an urge to break out of that image and be one of the boys. I wanted to be treated as an equal and do things with them instead of being told “You can’t do this with us. You’re a girl.”

“I more or less kept doing it like I had a point to prove. But when I won the Homecoming Princess Contest… well… I had to really ask myself if I should still be fighting to be like that anymore. I found that I no longer really had the desire to. This Contest and event, it just changed my way of thinking of how I should be.”

Oh boy, did it ever!

“I knew it,” responded the brunette. “I have three brothers and the only time that they let me play with them was when I dressed down to their level and behaved something like you did. I’m actually glad you did drop the grunge look. You’re far too pretty for it.”

Here comes the blush again. Oooo!

“I’m sort of glad I did too,” I meekly added. I did like being pretty. Being a girl has advantages!

The girls left and Mindy started laughing.

She then whispered into my ear, “If only they knew!” She began to giggle again. I had to wait until she stopped her fit for her to continue on.

“Where did you come up with that line girlfriend?”

I pursed my lips then turned facing her. “I happened to have to use that line all week to explain my change of attire.” I pointed at my camo.

Mindy just giggled. “Can you imagine their expressions if they knew that they had just talked to a boy?”

“Stuff it Mindy. It was all I could think of saying.” I looked down at my lunch rather moody. Sometimes Mindy can be such a pill!

“Well Miss Princess, I can see their point. It was a shame to cover your natural beauty all that time.”

I frowned and looked over at Mindy again. “Mindy, you know I can’t dress like I want — as a boy again! I’m in so much hot water I can’t see straight! All of this is going to end come Monday after Mom finds out. And you won’t have to worry about a friend to tease sitting here at the lunch table with you. It’s because I’ll be gone!”

Mindy’s face turned to disbelief. “What do you mean you’ll be gone? Your Mom isn’t going to get rid of you!”

I retorted, “Oh? Shows how much you know! My Mother, all week, has been going on how much she loves and adores me — as her son! She just is not the type of Mother that wanted to have a daughter. She is going to kick me out and I’m going to have to live with some different parents — what do they call them when someone is in my situation?”

“Foster parents?” Mindy gushed, still not believing what I was saying.

“Yes! Foster parents! I’ll have to switch schools too along with a new home. So you won’t have good old Lynn around to tease.”

I rested my head down on top of my arms folded on the table. I was upset!

“And besides… I like being a boy,” I muffled out weakly through my arms. I don’t know if I really believed that or not. I enjoyed everything I was finding out about being a girl. But I couldn’t let Mindy know right now. And right now she was annoying me!

I felt Mindy’s arms go around me and pulled me to her. I didn’t resist. “Lynn calm down! I am sorry Okay? I did not mean to hurt you. I am so sorry.”

Great! There go my eyes again - crying.

“Lynn, your Mother is not going to get rid of you. She may have a difficult time understanding all of this mess that we are in. I mean we — you and me!”

“Look, if you really have to stay dressed as a girl until Christmas, I will help you, you know that! I don’t want you to have to move either! We will figure something out Ok? After this Homecoming event, no more pressure on you being a girl okay? Stay dressed as a boy after school all you want and we will still go places.”

A girl had walked over from the table beside us and asked, “Mindy? Is Lynn alright?”

I was trying to shut the entire world out while I clenched my eyes closed and leaning there against Mindy.

“She’s fine Laura. She is just upset at some things at home.” She said.

Maybe I won’t be fine? Maybe I’ve already become the girl I so innocently tried to pose as. God, this is so messed up! I just can’t tell my Mother anything about this. But she was going to know come Monday. I have just got to stop worrying about this! Enjoy these last few days, because, honestly, I don’t know what’s going to happen to me. So live up each day, like it’s my last!

“I just wanted to be sure she was okay Min. I do consider her a friend and I want to help if I can.”

A friend? I sniffled and pulled my head up off of Mindy’s shoulder and wiped my eyes.

Outside of Mindy, I had no real friends. Since I started to have to dress as a girl here in school, the kids here actually believed I had been a girl all along and they liked me and talked to me. As Lynn the boy, this would have been impossible! A friend? I am shocked!

“I-I-I’ll be f-fine.” I tried to reassure Laura. “D-did you really mean w-what you said?”

Laura smiled a smile that radiated genuine warmth. “Yes Lynn, I did. I want to be your friend.”

I sniffled and then quietly said, "Thank you. *sniffle* I would like that... a lot."

I weakly held out my hand to her. She took it.

“Friends,” we both stated as we shook hands.

Maybe Miracles do happen?
 

*          *          *
 
Tonight, being a Friday night — and the night before Homecoming — I had stayed up some with Mom watching a movie she liked. It was more of a drama type film and I found that I was really immersing myself into it. It wasn’t the action type film I normally watched, but I was actually trying to sense what the man and the woman main characters were feeling. I was anticipating their voices and feeling what they felt. Mom rather enjoyed my company watching it with her.

I slept fitfully this night. I had many dreams, but the one I wound up remembering, even to this day, was the one about Rex.

In this dream, I was a real Princess. I was wearing a strapless gown with many petticoats. I had grown large breasts that held the dress up. I was being escorted to a carriage by my handmaiden and was helped into it by a footman. It was right out of Cinderella! A team of ten large horses was pulling this carriage - all of them were pure white.

I arrived at my destination and Rex, the regal and handsome Prince that he was, was there to help me from my carriage.

“My Princess,” he swooned. “You did come! I had been hoping and dreaming that you would. I want… I want to ask you… for your hand… in marriage.”

I had stepped onto the ground and looked at his darling handsome face. It was so full of questioning hope! My stomach was doing flip-flops! We were so in love and a marriage proposal was the only thing a girl wanted from her handsome prince!

It was too bad I had to reveal the truth and shatter this Prince’s dreams!

“My Darling Rex, if only I could marry you. It’s just not possible! I’m only fourteen years old, and - I’m a boy,” I replied.

“But I love you and I will wait until you are old enough to marry,” Rex countered. I felt the same twitch in my mouth I had seen Miss Benson do in school. Rex must not have heard me?

“But, I’m a boy,” I repeated, pointing at the obvious swelling of my chest.

“You’re not a boy, my Princess. Only girls can be Princesses, and that is so obvious as to what you are, Princess Lynn.”

Wow! Rex had such cool logic! He must be right!

“What you say has to be true then. I’m a Princess, therefore, I must be a girl! Oh, kiss me my dearest, of course I’ll marry you!” I gleefully shouted and jumped into his arms.

As he held me up in his arms, which I might add felt so darn wonderful!! Mmmmm!, Rex kissed me. Our lips met and this kiss was the kiss of all dreams! None could be more perfect!

“I love you Rex!” I cooed.

“I love you my Princess.”

Our perfect love was interrupted by my annoying alarm.

---

 
To Be Continued...