Synopsis:

Bobby is reunited with two people he thought he'd never see again, but Cori, Terri and Aunt Joan seem to have disappeared. Could they have been part of the dream he's woken from? If so, then why is he still wearing a frilly pink dress?

Story:

Bobby's Rainy Day Adventure
Copyright 2006 by Heather Rose Brown

CHAPTER VII

The first thing I noticed was how warm and comfy I felt. It was a nice change from leaning my head against a cold, hard window. I wondered who had carried me in when I'd fallen asleep in the mini-van. Slowly, I opened one eye and saw ... my bedroom. It wasn't the room I'd just moved into with all the half-opened boxes scattered across the floor; this was my old bedroom.

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I sat up in bed and looked around. Everything had been put back exactly where it belonged. It was almost as if the move hadn't happened at all. Could the whole weekend moving, the time I'd spent at school, going home with Cori, and Mom's accident have been a dream? I looked down at the pink, frilly dress I was wearing. If it had been a dream, then I hadn't woken up yet.

The dress felt a bit shorter; it barely reached halfway down my thighs. I was almost certain it had gone to just above my knees before. The waist was higher too, making me wonder if the dress had shrunk somehow. That didn't make a lot of sense after I thought about it, since the dress didn't feel any tighter. Maybe it had scrunched up on me while I was sleeping?

Deciding it would be easier to adjust the dress while standing, I slid off the bed. Taking a little bit longer than usual to reach the floor, I had just enough time to remember my sprained ankle. Gritting my teeth as I landed hard on both feet, I felt ... nothing. I lifted my right foot to see past my fluffy skirt. The bandage that had been wrapped around my ankle was gone. I wiggled my foot a little; there was no pain at all.

While I was trying to figure out how I had healed so quickly, my bedroom door creaked open and someone I thought I'd never see again stepped into the room. "Bobby, would you like some help putting on your dress?"

I looked up ... and up ... and saw Aunt Marie. I could hardly believe it. She looked exactly like I'd always remembered. "What are you doing here?"

"I came upstairs to see if you needed any help." She knelt in front of me, bringing with her the familiar perfume that had always reminded me of freshly-baked gingerbread cookies. "Seems as if I got here just in time."

"In time for what?"

"It looks like you were just about to go downstairs with your dress on backwards."

"It's backwards?"

"Yup. See these buttons down your front?"

I looked down to where she was tapping my chest and saw a row of white, heart-shaped buttons. It took a few seconds to figure out why they looked crooked. "Oops, missed a button-hole."

"It's okay, honey." Aunt Marie quickly undid the buttons. "See, no harm done. Okay now, arms up." I tried to complain when she started lifting my skirt, but everything I said was muffled by layers of lace and cotton as she pulled the dress over my head.

When I was finally able to speak again, the first words out of my mouth were, "Aunt Joan...?"

Aunt Marie stopped untangling the dress and gave me a confused look. "Aunt Who?"

I felt a little confused myself. I knew that name from somewhere, but I couldn't remember how. "Errrm, I mean, Aunt Marie?"

She went back to turning the dress right side out. "Something wrong, Bobby?"

"Well, yeah." I wrapped my arms around myself, wishing I could disappear right then and there. "I'm naked."

"You're not naked; you've still got your panties on."

I looked down and saw a pair of pink panties with white lace around the legs and a tiny white ribbon tied in a bow right below my belly button. Something seemed to be wrong with them. Something, that is, beside them being girls' underwear. "Weren't they a different color before?"

"You're thinking of the boy underpants you were wearing before, honey. The panties you have on now were designed to match your dress."

As Aunt Marie pulled the dress back over my head and began doing the buttons up the back, I started wondering what was going on. I knew my underpants had been white, but hadn't I also been wearing white panties with some sort of design on the waistband as well? Had that been part of my dream? If it was, then why was I still wearing the same dress?

I took a closer look at the dress while my aunt tightened the sash around my chest and began tying it into a bow behind my back. Somehow, the dress had gotten frillier; and no matter how much I pulled at the hem, it refused to stretch back to its original length.

"Does the dress fit okay, Bobby?"

"I dunno. I was kinda expecting it to be longer."

"Sorry, honey, that's as long as it gets. But don't worry about it being short. That's what the rhumba panties are for. Now lets get your socks and shoesies on."

"Shoesies?" The baby-talk annoyed me a bit. It had been a long time since I'd seen Aunt Marie, but couldn't she tell I wasn't a little kid any more?

"Yes, shoesies." Aunt Marie smiled as she slipped her hands under my arms and lifted me up onto the bed. "Don't you remember? They were in the little box that came with your dress." After searching around my room, she picked up a small box from between a pair of the stuffed animals lined up across the top of my dresser. "Here we go. Okay, lets get them toesies covered up."

I frowned at the baby-talk, but she didn't seem to notice as she began pulling a thin white sock over my now unsprained ankle. It was very soft and silky and tickled as it slid over my heel. After adjusting the cuffs of the socks so the pink lace was just above my ankles, Aunt Marie strapped a pair of shiny black shoes with bright silver buckles onto my feet.

"Bobby, you are just too CUTE for words." Aunt Marie picked me up and began swinging me around the room.

There was a long screech of surprise, which I eventually realized, was coming from me. I must have been pretty loud, because I soon heard feet thumping up the stairs.

"Bobby? Marie? Is everything okay?" Mom rushed into the room, looking frazzled.

By the time Aunt Marie stopped spinning me around, my screech had turned into giggles. I was still catching my breath as she sat me on her hip. "Honestly Irene, you're such a worrywart."

Mom frowned at my aunt, but it didn't last long and was soon replaced by an odd grin. "You're right, I do worry a lot."

"You've got it, Sis; a party is the last place you want to bring down with a bunch of worry."

"What party?" Even as I asked the question, I had a feeling I should know the answer.

Mom took me from Aunt Marie, stood me on the ground in front of her, and then crouched down until we were eye-to-eye. "You're such a teaser, Bobby. After weeks of bugging your daddy and me, did you really forget what today is?"

"Is something special happening today?"

"Ha, now I KNOW you're teasing me."

I fell into a giggling heap when Mom started tickling me and I was soon rolling around and laughing. "Sto ... stop. Please, s-stop."

Mom stopped tickling, but her hands rested on my ribs. "Have you remembered what today is?"

I was still panting when I answered. "Is it ... my first day back at school?"

Aunt Marie, grinning from ear to ear, sat on the floor next to my mom. "I think Bobby needs some more help remembering what today is. Do you think it would work if we both helped?"

Mom returned the grin. "We can always try."

"Gahhhh!" I was rolling again, laughing even harder. "Stop. P-please, I'm gonna pee myself."

Eventually they showed mercy and let me go. I lay between them, still giggling and trying to catch my breath. Aunt Marie leaned over me, holding a threatening hand just above my stomach and grinning dangerously. "So, are you ready to tell us what today is, or do you need some more help?"

"No no no ... no more help." While part of me knew what today was supposed to be, another growing part of me was realizing what today was. "Is it ... my birthday?"

"Ding ding ding!" Aunt Marie picked me up and swung me around the room. "Good girl. I knew you'd get it if you tried."

"Marie. . . ." Even while swinging around, I could hear the concern in my mom's voice.

Aunt Marie stopped spinning and sat me on her hip again. "I'm sorry, Sis. Did we knock something over?"

"No, but you did call Bobby a girl."

"Oh, sorry about that. He looks so much like Cassie, especially in that dress, I kinda slipped."

"It's okay, Marie. With them so close in age and size, it's an easy mistake. Even when they weren't dressed alike, I've mistaken one for the other. Some days I wonder what I'd do if Cassie's hair wasn't longer."

"Speaking of Cassie, she's been waiting very patiently downstairs to see Bobby in his new dress. I imagine the rest of his guests are looking forward to seeing him too."

"Are you sure it'll be okay?"

"Irene, we've already talked to all the kids and their parents. Everyone who's here is totally okay with this. So will you stop fussing and just have fun for once in your life?"

Mom pulled us both into a huge hug. "You're right again, Marie. I've done enough worrying. Let's get this party started!"

The hug seemed to take forever, especially since I realized my long-lost cousin was waiting for me. When I finally managed to wriggle my way to the ground, I ran to the staircase and found Cassie, waving and hopping on the bottom step. "Bobby, You look tho pretty!"

Something seemed strange about the way she was talking, but I didn't really care. I ran down the steps and hugged my cousin tight. "Cassie, I can't believe you're really here. I thought I'd never see you again."

"I wath wonderin' if I'd thee you too, Bobby. You wath up there foreeeever."

Mom had reached the bottom the steps just then, closely followed by Aunt Marie. "Beep beep." Mom pretended to honk a car horn. "No blocking traffic on the stairs. This is a major thoroughfare here." She then picked me up, sat me on her shoulders and started making engine rumbling noises. Aunt Marie did the same with Cassie, and soon we were zooming and vrooming through the living room.

There was a noisy cheer from a large crowd of kids when we entered the dining room. Some of the parents who weren't busy doing last minute setting up cheered as well. After taking a couple of laps around the room, which brought more cheers and laughter, Mom announced the car had run out of gas and sat me down at the head of the table.

As Mom helped me adjust my skirt, one of the boys near me sniggered. Cassie, who had just been seated next to him, punched the boy in the arm.

Aunt Marie yanked her daughter into a standing position on the chair and turned her around until they were facing each other. "Cassandra Louise Wilton, what did I tell you about hitting people?"

"But he wath laughin' at Bobby."

The boy frowned and rubbed his arm. "Was not."

Cassie glared down at him. "Wath too."

"Was not, even if he do look funny."

"You take that back."

Fortunately for the boy, Aunt Marie was holding Cassie's arms just then. "I want both of you to listen to me carefully. Laughing at people is not nice, but neither is hitting people. Now are you two going to be able to behave, or will you need some time alone in another room to think about it?"

"Yeth, Mommy."

"Yes, Missus Wilton."

"'Yes' what?"

Both Cassie and the boy answered at almost the same time. "I'll behave."

Aunt Marie ruffled the boy's hair, then turned her daughter around, sat her back down and gave her a kiss on the top of her head. "You both made a very good choice, since you would have missed out on the main event. Could someone hit the lights?" The darkness was filled with the sounds of kids fidgeting, stifled giggles, and soft whispers. I almost jumped out of my chair when everyone began singing "Happy Birthday".

As the song neared its end, I noticed the scent of burning wax a moment before the cake was brought around my head and set on the table in front of me. By the light of the flickering candles, I could just make out the words, "Happy Birthday Bobbi!"

When the singing died, Mom bent down next to me. "You ready to make a wish and blow out the candles, Pumpkin?"

"Could I ask a question first?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"Ain't my name spelled different?"

Mom gave the cake a quick glance. "Oops, sorry about that. Mommy was rushing and got a little sloppy at the end." She took a plastic fork and carefully rolled what had looked like an exclamation mark closer to what I had thought was a crooked "i" until together they looked more like a "y".

I felt a bit embarrassed putting my mom through all the trouble of fixing the letters. Hoping to make her laugh, I said, "Maybe it'd be easier if I spelled my name with an 'i'?"

Instead of laughing, Mom just smiled. "Maybe, but we can talk about that later. Right now you have a wish to make and candles to blow out before they melt all over the cake."

I turned back to the cake and was surprised by how short the candles had gotten. There also seemed to be less candles than there should be, but it didn't feel right to complain about something else. So I closed my eyes, reached deep down inside for my one true wish, then blew with all my might. I opened my eyes as everyone started clapping and saw all five candles were out.

"Tho whatcha weth for, Bobby?" Cassie was kneeling on her chair and leaning across the table towards me, shouting to be heard over the growing chatter.

Before I could answer, an older girl on the opposite side of the table interrupted. "You can't ask her that, or it won't come true."

The boy Cassie had punched joined the conversation. "You mean you can't ask him."

"No." The older girl pointed at me. "I meant her."

"I ain't stupid. I know who you was talkin' about. But Bobby can't be a her 'cause he's a boy."

I was feeling pretty annoyed at being talked about as if I weren't even there. "Maybe I really am a girl."

The boy started giggling. "Nuh uh. I know you're a boy."

"It's my birthday. I can be a girl if I wanna." I nudged my mom's elbow. "Can't I?"

"Careful, Bobby. You nearly made me drop this slice of cake." Mom adjusted the cake on the paper plate so it was a bit less lopsided before passing it down the table. "Now what did you want?"

"Can't I be a girl for my birthday if I wanna?"

Mom's mouth fell open and the cake-knife nearly slipped from her hand. "I ... I don't know, Bobby. It's really not that easy to. . . ."

Aunt Marie took the knife from my mom's loose grip. "Irene, it really doesn't have to be all that complicated. Children around Bobby's age try out different roles all the time."

"But what if Robert. . . ."

"If he can't grant his only child a simple birthday wish, then he's not half the man you married."

Mom was nibbling her lower lip when she turned to me. "Bobby, is that what you wished for ... to be a girl?"

"Well, no." I twisted my fingers in my lap, wondering if it counted as telling if you said what you didn't wish for. "But can't I be a girl anyways?"

It had gotten pretty quiet, and nearly everyone was looking in my mom's direction. "Well, okay, but only for your birthday." This was followed by clapping and cheers from everyone, even the parents who had been helping set things up.

The rest of my birthday was amazing. I wasn't sure if it was the way I was dressed or being officially declared a girl for my birthday, but everyone seemed be treating me a bit different. The boys didn't play as roughly with me, the girls were more friendly towards me, and the parents seemed to smile more at me.

By the end of the afternoon, all the parents and most of the kids were gone. Mom and Aunt Marie had started a game of "Musical Chairs" to pass the time while we waited for the rest of the kids to be picked up. It had gotten down to just Cassie and I nervously circling the last chair, when the front door swung open. "Hey there, party people." The keys in my father's hand jingled as he waved. "Hope I didn't miss too much. Is there any cake left?"

The music had stopped and Cassie jumped into the chair. I didn't care; my wish had come true. "Daddy, you're here!"

I ran up to my father and hugged him around the waist. "I thought you wasn't gonna make it for my party. I'm so glad you're here, Daddy. Didja bring my present? Is it out in the car?"

My father chuckled as he pulled me away. "Hold on there, sweetie. I think you've got me mixed up with another daddy, and I'm afraid I only brought a present for Bobby."

I looked up at my father, feeling rejected and confused. "But ... I'm Bobby."

"No. . . ." He tried another half-hearted chuckle, which quickly died. "Bobby, is that really you?"

I nodded and smiled, hoping I'd get my present now that he recognized me.

"What are you doing in that dress?"

I twirled around, enjoying the way the skirt lifted as I spun. "Ain't it pretty, Daddy?"

My father stopped me spinning by grabbing my shoulders. He looked down at me with an odd mix of disgust and fear in his expression. "For crissakes, you want people thinking you're a little freak? Take that goddam thing off right now."

"But Daddy, it's my birthday present."

"Who the hell would give you something like that?"

I heard Aunt Marie's voice directly above and behind me. "It was all my idea, Robert."

My father glared over my head. "I should have guessed. Well, this is the last time you'll ever poke your nose into my family's business." I backed into Aunt Marie's legs when his glare came back down to me. "What are you waiting for? Get that thing off now."

As frightened as I felt, I also didn't want to be seen naked in front of everyone at the party. "But Daddy. . . ."

I felt a sharp sting across my left cheek. My father stared at his hand, looking almost as surprised as I felt. As he lowered his hand and looked at me, the shocked look hardened into something scarier than I'd ever seen on his face. "Don't you ever back-talk to me again. Now do what you're told and take that thing off -- now."

"Robert!" Moms voice was close behind me. "What do you think you're doing?"

My father's voice turned into a growl when he glanced up at my mom. "What I should have done a long time ago." His voice grew deeper and seemed to vibrate right through me when he looked back down. "Are you still defying me?"

A salty tear cooled my burning cheek. "B-but. . . ."

My father raised his hand again. "What'd I just say about back-talk?"

I tried to answer, but nothing would come out. As I stood there, wishing my knees would stop shaking, I felt something warm trickling down my thigh.

Mom grabbed his arm. "Have you lost your mind?"

My father twisted his arm from her grip and ignored her question.

"Goddammit, am I gonna have to take it off for you?" Without waiting for me to answer, he slid his fingers into my collar and began pulling. I tried begging him to stop, but the collar was pressed tight against my throat; all I could do was cough and gag.

"Let go; you're gonna kill him!" Aunt Marie had grabbed me around the waist and tried to pull me away, which only made things worse.

Just as I was starting to see bright spots floating in front of my eyes, I heard something tear and I gasped for breath. "Daddy, please stop. You're tearing my dress."

"Shut up. This is for your own good." Behind the anger, there almost seemed to be sadness in his voice.

By the time my sight cleared, I could see Mom had both arms around my fathers neck and was trying to pull him away from me. This probably would have worked better if she were either taller or heavier. Instead, it just seemed to make him angrier.

Before Aunt Marie could pull me out of his reach, my father grabbed my arm and yanked at my collar again. There was another tearing sound and one side of the dress now hung off my shoulder. My whole body was starting to feel numb, but a far off part of me noticed a dull ache in the bare shoulder. "Daddy, you're hurting me." There were more tearing sounds. Choking on my own tears, I screamed at my father. "Daddy, stop!" I tried shoving him away from me, but there was not strength left in my free arm. "Stop it! STOOOOP!"

My scream was still ringing in my ears when my eyes slid open. I was someplace dark and unfamiliar. My throat burned and my forehead felt cool and damp. I jump and screeched when something touched my shoulder.

"Shhhhh. It's okay, Bobby."

I tilted my head towards the sound of the voice. By the warm light coming through an open door, I could just make out the familiar face. "Aunt Joan?"

"Yes, sweetheart. It's Aunt Joan."

"Where am I?"

"You're in Cori's room."

"I am? How'd I get up here?"

"You were fast asleep when we got home, sweetie. You didn't wake up once when I carried you up here and put you in your jammies."

My stomach tightened when I thought of her changing me. But when I looked up at Aunt Joan's gentle smile, the tightness faded. I felt safe and protected. I knew nobody would try tearing my clothes off; nobody was going to hurt me.

Aunt Joan brushed some stray hairs from my cheek. "What are you thinking about, Bobby?"

"My nightmare." It had been a long time since I'd last dreamed about my fifth birthday party.

"Would you like to talk about it?"

My face became wet with tears as I nodded. Aunt Joan sat on the bed beside me and pulled me into her arms. All the fear, pain and anger poured out of me as she held me close and rocked me. "It's okay, sweetie. Let it all out. Aunt Joan is here for you."

Notes:

Readers, Please Remember to Leave a Comment

Want to comment but don't want to open an account?
Anyone can log in as Guest Reader -- password topshelf to leave a comment.