Arriving at the salon mom talked to the receptionist and soon I was being directed to one of the chairs where a hair stylist was already waiting for me. She was a very pretty girl on her early twenties I guess with a short but very feminine hairstyle.

“Hi, you must be Sam.” She said

“Y…yes.”

“My name is Amy. Do you have any preference for a hairstyle?”

“Not really, Amy. My two friends together with my mom brought me here today. It’s my first time at a hair salon.”

“So you want to get rid of the tomboy look?”

“Yes, Pretty much.”

“Let’s see what we can do then.” Said and started to mess with my hair a bit. “Your hair isn’t very long, it’s pretty short actually, but I think I know just the style for you, if you decide to trust me.”

“Okay.”

Next I had a very relaxing time while my hair was shampooed and my scalp massaged. A few smelly chemicals were also used on my hair, something that I think it was a hair dye because it had the same smell as the stuff my mom uses sometimes at home. I had my nails done and after a while I had my hair washed again. Amy then started to cut my hair and talk a lot at the same time. It was kind of relaxing actually because while we talked I didn’t pay much attention to what was happening to my hair. After she started to pluck my eyebrows and damn it hurt. She plucked a lot of my eyebrows out and I hope there are some left. She also used some makeup on my face, saying it was a very light daytime look.

When she finished styling my hair she turned the chair so I could look at what she did. When I looked at the mirror I saw something that I didn’t think it was possible. Looking back at me was this pretty blonde girl with a very short but still very feminine hair style. (I need to show you guys a picture later.) Her light makeup was also very nicely done.

“Wow.” Was all I could say and Amy beamed at that.

“Do you like it?” She asked me.

“Like it? I love it.” I told her.

“Let’s go show your new look for your friends and your mother.”

“Okay.” I said and followed her.

Arriving at the reception area, Mandy, Karen and Liz had already arrived and they were all in deep conversation. ’Wow, it has been over two hours?’ I thought and looked at my cell phone watch and indeed it was over noon already.

They all looked at me and for a moment it seems they didn’t recognize me and suddenly I heard Jess and Steph squeal at the same time. “Sam!!!”

“Ouch, my ears. You two will still make me deaf screaming like that.” I told them.

“Wow you look amazing.” Steph said.

“I am at loss of words, you look so… so… beautiful.” Jess said and hugged me tightly.

“Thank you, Jess.”

I looked at the others and their mouths were hang open and mom had a tear in her eyes.

“Mom? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong, sweetie. You look so beautiful.” She said.

  
Mom paid and I think left a very generous tip for Amy by the look on her face. Soon we were all having lunch in a very nice dinner.

“I can’t believe how beautiful you look.” Liz said.

“Thanks, Liz.” I said blushing.

“I can’t see how anyone could ever think you were a boy.” Karen added. “I can’t believe I used to think you were one.”

“I don’t blame you, Karen. I didn’t know for sure myself until I almost died last week.” I told her.

“WHAT?” Both Karen and Mandy screamed.

“You two didn’t know? That’s why I been out of school most of the week.”

“No we didn’t. What happened?” Mandy asked.

I looked at Liz and Steph who both gave me a little nod like saying I could tell them what happened.

“I had a severe allergic reaction to a shot that was given me Tuesday to kick start my puberty. I was still trying to be a boy my dad could be proud of, but what happened was that my body is extremely allergic to testosterone and I almost died. Actually from what I been told I did have a cardiac arrest during the night.”

“You mean your heart stopped?” Karen asked.

“Yes it did, but as you can see they clearly were able to resuscitate me. The thing is that because of that I could never be able to have a male puberty, and the only option for me to have a normal healthy life was to have a female one.”

“Oh god, it must have been a hard decision to make.” Mandy said.

“Actually, not so much.” I told her. “I guess my brain was always wired like a girls. I was shocked at first but now I think I am the person I should always have been. I hope you girls don’t think I ever tried to fool you. The person you see in front of you is the real me and not that boring, quiet and depressed geeky boy.”

“All I can say is, wow. I would have never guessed. You look so natural.” Mandy told me.

“It is natural. This is the real me.”

“Then I would be proud to still be your friend.” She told me.

“Me too.” Karen agreed.

“Thank you.” I told them with misty eyes.

“I hope to see the real you at school tomorrow.” Liz said.

“School?”

“Yes, silly. School.”

“Mom, what am I going to do? All my records show me as a boy and that’s who they are expecting tomorrow. If I show up like this I don’t know what will happen. The teachers expect me to be a boy and I don’t know if I can be him anymore.”

“Don’t worry sweetie. I’ll call the hospital tomorrow morning and try to sort things out. You can stay home tomorrow.”

“Thanks mom.”

“I got an idea.” Liz said.

“What?” We all said together.

“Something that will probably make things easier for you when you go back to school.” She said cryptically.

“What is that?” I asked her.

“You know how the rumor mill works at school, right?”

“Yes I do, so?”

“So we can start a rumor Monday. One that says you are really a girl and was at the hospital because you almost died before they found out. I think that’s close enough to the truth for it to work. Not that a complete lie wouldn’t but keeping as close to the truth as possible will help us to keep our stories straight.”

“I think it can work.” Jess said.

“I think so too.” Steph agreed and the other girls nodded.

“So are we all in agreement on how to help out Sam at school?” Jess asked.

“Yes!!!” they all chorused.