I suspect that Jenny has been in two minds about the recent behaviour of her new ‘sister’. One minute she has been trying to learn more about the term ‘transgenderism’ and wondering how we might help her come to terms with her situation. The next moment she’s having second thoughts and telling me that perhaps we ought not to encourage her, and how embarrassing it would be for the whole family if the story became widely known among her friends and neighbours. I think these mixed feelings have been one of the reasons why we haven’t been in to Crawley this week and she hasn’t been in contact with her sister since last Sunday (although our meeting with those two lads from the village may also have been a contributory factor). I told her not to worry, for the time being at least. Last weekend Josie made a pretty good job of playing the part of a girl, and caused us no particular embarrassment, just mild irritation when she walked off with the first prize. So why shouldn’t that also be the case this coming weekend? As far as I’m concerned; if that’s how Josie wishes to spend her time, then good luck to her. Why should it bother me?

We caught sight of Karen and Josie walking towards the bus station soon after we got off our bus. They both looked quite smart. Josie was wearing a pink summer dress that I hadn’t seen before; presumably it was one of those given her by Denise. She looked quite comfortable wearing a pair of strappy sling back sandals, with medium heels and which showed off her painted toenails. Nobody who didn’t already know would have suspected that this rather poised and confident young lady had been a rather awkward and dejected ‘he’ just over two weeks ago.

‘Hi, you two, what have you been buying this morning?’ I asked pointing to a ‘New Look’ bag that Josie was holding

‘Just a bra and some knickers’ she replied dismissively.

‘There’s a bit more than ‘just a bra and some knickers,’ have a look at these,’ said Karen delving into the carrier bag and holding up a dark blue camisole set for us to see.

‘Oh my!’ I said in an exaggerated girly voice. ‘They are sexy looking. Is there a special occasion when you are intend to wear them?’

‘No, not really. I just liked the colour,’ answered Josie, with a mixture of embarrassment and determination not to be embarrassed.

Jen looked as if she was in a mild state of shock. I could see that she didn’t really approve of Karen and I encouraging Josie in this way, but why shouldn’t she have some fun like the rest of us?

‘There are some lovely nightdresses with a matching negligee in Debenhams in that colour; they are really good value, if you need one,’ I said, knowing that she had slept in an old t-shirt the previous weekend.

Jenny looked daggers at me.

‘I think Josie is now spent up,’ commented Karen.

‘I do still have the Debenhams shopping voucher that I won. As Denise refuses to accept it, I think the fairest thing would be for me to split it between the four of us,’ she said.

I looked at the other two. Jenny was clearly unsure how to react.

‘That is very generous of you Josie,’ said Karen, ‘but you had to go through the most discomfort and put in the most effort, so I think you should have the benefit’.

Both Jenny and I looked daggers at her.

‘No. You three designed the song and dance routine and encouraged me so you also deserve a share in the prize money. There is no way that I would be able to spend the whole  £200, especially with that money your mother gave to me. If we divide it four ways then I’ll still be able to get everything I need for the next five days..’

‘Are you sure there’s nothing that you’d like to get for Joe?’ asked Jenny.

I could see she was torn between accepting and refusing the offer from her ‘sister’.

‘Joe just hoards his cash — he can sort himself out when the time comes,’ Josie replied dismissively.

Karen looked at me and then at Jenny, as if she were trying to work out what we were thinking. I did my best to convey to her that we should ‘take the money,’ although without saying as much.

In the end Karen shrugged her shoulders.

‘Alright then, thank you very much.’

Jenny and I added our thanks.

‘In that case, shall we make our way to Debenhams?’ asked Josie.

With four teenage girls, one  £200 Debenhams shopping voucher doesn’t last for very long. By the end of the morning we’d all bought ourselves something nice to take to Southport. I pointed out the nightdress and negligee set that I’d mentioned to Josie which came with a pair of matching slippers.

‘They are nice and very reasonably priced, and I’ll need some night wear,’ she said.

‘You could buy yourself some pyjamas for a quarter of the price,’ commented Jenny.

‘I know, but I have to spend the money on something,’ she countered with a trace of petulance.

’She really is turning into a girl,’ I thought to myself.

Jenny didn’t respond.

Whilst Josie was busy looking at the negligee, Karen had a quiet word with both Jenny and myself.

‘I think we ought to get Josie something to acknowledge everything that she has done for the three us over the last two weeks and the fact that she has shared her prize with us.’

‘What do you have in mind?’ I asked.

‘We persuaded her to have her ears pierced but she doesn’t have much jewellery of her own. She has just given us fifty pounds each. I think we could each afford to contribute ten pounds of that and get her something nice for when we go away.’

‘I suppose so, as long as I get to borrow them when she turns back into a boy,’ commented Jenny.

‘Alright Karen, if you hand over your ten pounds, Jenny and I can choose something for her after you have both left us,’ I suggested.

Later, whilst we were waiting for Jenny to try on one of her chosen purchases I had a word with Josie.

‘You really do prefer living as a girl than a boy, don’t you?’

‘I suppose that must be pretty obvious by now,’ she answered.

‘We began to suspect as much ever since that time you went with Sarah to buy your own eye shadow last week,’ said Karen joining in the conversation.

‘I am happier living as Josie at the moment because I can get away with it whilst I’m staying in Crawley, but I can’t go home dressed like this, somebody would be bound to notice and put two and two together. Also I’m not sure that I could bear to go to school as Josie, with everybody laughing at me behind my back’.

‘I don’t think that everyone would laugh at you, but you won’t be able to prevent them from gossiping,’ I said.

‘Yes I know, and I would hate that.’

‘So what are you going to do about it?’ Karen asked.

‘I’ve absolutely no idea. I’ve been having such a great time over the last two weeks but am also feeling confused about who I am and what I want to be.’

I don’t think either of us doubted what she said for one minute. Jenny re-emerged from the changing rooms, wearing a new top that she had chosen, and we confirmed that it looked fine, so she went back to take it off so that we could buy it.

‘Does your mother know your feelings, Josie?’ Karen asked, returning to the previous subject.

‘I’m sure she’s guessed as much by now, particularly when I so readily agreed to stay as Josie at your house this week.’

‘Maybe she has, but I think you should try and explain to her properly how you are feeling, all the same, rather than just leave her guessing’ said Karen in her ‘Miss Kind and Considerate’ voice.

‘I will try and find the opportunity to talk to her over the coming weekend.’

Jenny re-emerged from the changing cubicle and so our conversation ended soon afterwards. Everybody had by this time made their selections and so we took our purchases to one of the tills where Josie exchanged her voucher. In then end she had bought herself the sleepwear, another bra and pant set and a couple of pairs of tights and so had to supplement her share with some of her own money.

I needed to return home to sort out some clothes and pack a case ready for our trip to Southport the following day. Fortunately there would only be five of us in the car this time and everything that Aunt Carol needed for her work was being sent up by a courier service so she was happy for us each to pack one medium sized suitcase. Having done so, I was happy to return to Rusper for the evening as Jenny and I were planning to meet up with the two lads, as we wouldn’t be seeing them again for several days. It therefore made sense for me to stay the night with Jenny once again. Aunt Carol could bring us back in the morning to collect Josie and Karen and our luggage before we left for Southport.

‘Is there anything that you will want me to bring from home tomorrow?’ Jenny asked Josie before she left..

‘No thanks, that all belongs to Joe, I have everything that I need for the weekend.’

I could see that Jenny wasn’t happy with this reply, but she didn’t say anything.