The next morning he woke to the sound of his mother opening his curtains. Once the room was flooded with daylight, she opened his underwear drawer and removed a pair of clean knickers and a vest for him, and placed them on his chair. She opened another drawer and asked, “Knee socks or tights today?” She turned to her son as she spoke. Jon pulled the duvet off of himself and swung himself into a seated position. “Oh…” Said his Mother, somewhat surprised. “You slept in your underwear?”

Jon, still yawning, looked down at himself. He was still wearing the white lace-edged vest and matching knickers. His hairless legs surprised him and he ran his hands over his thighs to feel their new smoothness. He blushed, knowing he must have looked a sight. “Er… yeah.” Was his only reply.

His mother smiled at him, “Socks or tights?” She asked, holding a pair of white knee socks in one hand and a pair of navy blue tights in the other.

“Er… tights.” He replied. “Are you sure?” She asked. “It’s going to be warm today.”

“But they cover my knickers up.” He replied.

She placed the tights with his clean underwear and put the knee socks back into his drawer. She left him alone to get dressed.

Jon changed into the clean underwear. As he did so he cursed himself for getting into such a pickle. “Still, only one more day after today.” He said to himself as he slid the tights up his legs, instantly noticing how much better they felt against his hairless skin.

Once he was dressed he went to the kitchen to have some breakfast. Mary was buttering a pile of toast as he entered. She looked down at his legs. “How do the tights feel today?” She asked.

Jon looked down at himself. He still couldn’t get used to it; seeing his navy blue legs emerging from his pleated skirt and ending in a pair of black ballet shoes. “OK.” He replied shyly but honestly. He didn’t notice the smile Mary and his Mother shared.

Once again, their Mother smiled to herself as she watched her son and daughter walk down the lane together in their matching school uniforms.

He received the usual taunts as he and Mary entered the school gates. “Leave him alone!” Mary shouted at a group of boys. “Or you’ll end up dressed as a girl too!” She threatened.

“Just ignore them, Mary,” Jon advised before they went their separate ways.

Another batch of jeers welcomed him as he entered his form room. However, Michael Jenkins remained silent. This was a small, but very significant consolation. The teacher quietened the class down prior to calling the register. As Jon’s name was called, one of the girls shouted, “Don’t you mean June Miss?”

“Lorraine Baxter!… Get out!” Shouted the form teacher. “…and go immediately to Mrs. Beadle’s office!”

“What’s she going to do?” Retorted the girl, “Make me wear a skirt?” She asked cockily, before storming out of the room.

The teacher shook her head disapprovingly as she left. None of the other kids seemed impressed with Lorraine’s outburst either. She was definitely one of the school bitches.

Jon was halfway through his first lesson when Lorraine returned to class. A wave of giggles swept the room as she shyly entered. The teacher looked her up and down knowingly. “Been to see Mrs. Beadle have we, Lorraine?” He asked rhetorically. “Take a seat.” He added.

Lorraine looked like she wanted the world to swallow her whole. Instead of her school skirt, she now wore a grey pinafore dress over her blouse. The same style as she would have worn in primary school, complete with a zip up the front and a big round zip-pull. Instead of her tights, she wore a pair of white knee socks, which only added to the image she’d been given.

This time it was Lorraine who was the talk of the staff room throughout lunch. As with Jon’s punishment, Lorraine’s uniform for the day received a mixed response, however, all seemed to agree that the punishment was having a positive influence on her usual unruly behavior.

Jon sat alone on a bench and ate his packed lunch. Michelle Greene joined him which was unusual as she would normally sit alone too. She asked him how he was and he said, “Fine thanks, Michelle. How are you?”

“I’m OK.” She smiled. Jon asked her if she’d seen Lorraine Baxter today. She hadn’t so Jon took the opportunity to tell her all about her being punished too.

“Oh my God!… I hated having to wear those even when I was eight, let alone now I’m thirteen!” She said.

In hushed tones, he went on to tell her about Michael Jenkins being threatened with a girl’s uniform the previous day. “She’s got a cupboard full of them!” Jon added.

“I wonder what his parents would do?… I mean, if he did end up wearing a skirt.” Michelle wondered.

“Well, my Mum thinks it’s the perfect punishment,” Jon replied with regret. “I have to wear this thing until I’ve finished all of my homework!” He added. “It was well after 7 o’clock when I finally got my own clothes on!”

“Oh well.” She replied. “Still, at least you look OK in it. I can’t image what Michael Jenkins would have looked like!”

Jon knew he’d just been complimented, but it was a compliment he’d rather not be in a position to receive.

He shyly looked at his knees. “What classes do you have this afternoon?” He asked.

“English, then maths, then history.” She replied. “You?”

“Physics, then English, then history.” He paused, “Mind if I sit with you in History?” He asked.

“Sure.” She replied with a smile.

The end of lunch bell rang so Jon and Michelle went their separate ways. Once again, Jon sat with Sharon in his physics class. The benches were laid out in a ‘U’ shape which meant one half was all boys, and the other all girls. This put Jon definitely on the girls side of the class, and due to his attire, he felt more comfortable there.

Sharon quietly asked if his tights were still itching. Since he’d shaved his legs they weren’t, however, Jon was reluctant to admit such a thing, so he said, “Yes.” before feigning an itch which he promptly scratched.

“Well shave them or wear socks instead.” She suggested matter of factly.

“No point…” He lied. “I’ve only got tomorrow and then I get my old uniform back.” He wondered if Sharon knew he was lying as he spoke, but he simply could not admit to her that he had in fact shaved his legs. ‘They do feel loads better though’ thought to himself.

“Oh…” She said suddenly and a little too loudly, “…and you’ve got P.E. tomorrow, have you got your gymslip ready?”

Jon knew she was teasing him. “No.” He replied bluntly.

“Maybe you could borrow one off Smelly Shelly?” She suggested with more than a hint of sarcasm.

Jon didn’t like the way the conversation was going. “Don’t call her that.” He asked.

“Why not?” Replied Sharon, “She is smelly!”

“She isn’t!” Jon insisted.

“Jon! Sharon! Get on with your work.” Said the teacher, who had noticed their conversation escalating.

With that, they both returned their attention to the project in hand. However, Jon was unimpressed with Sharon’s disdain towards Michelle. Part of him was disappointed because since Tuesday he thought he’d made two new friends; this meant a lot to him because his other two friends seemed to avoid him like the plague. However, since hearing what he’d just heard from Sharon, he figured he’d only really made one new friend.

By the time history arrived, Jon looked forward to seeing a friendly face again. Well, almost… Michelle was more of a mass of ginger curls rather than a face, but if you looked really hard, I mean ‘really’ hard, then maybe you’d make out an eye, nose or mouth in there… but never at the same time!

Jon was already seated when Michelle entered, he pulled the chair out next to him, making it obvious to the rest of the class that he wanted her to sit beside him. This attracted several taunts, but heeding Michelle’s advice, he ignored them.

Jon felt guilty because he knew full well that he was once one of Michelle’s tormentors too. But he’s had the opportunity to see her for what she is, rather than get a second-hand opinion of her. She’s not the smelly freak who’s worth avoiding… she’s smart, inoffensive, helpful and unlike seemingly the rest of the entire school… non-judgemental.

Mr. Bronson set their homework assignment and said. “I want this completed for tomorrow morning!” Which received a multitude of sighs and moans from the class.

Once the final bell rang, Jon and Michelle walked to the school gates where he’d normally meet his sister. “I can’t wait for this time tomorrow.” He said as they took the shortcut across the playing field.

“Why?” Michelle asked.

“Because it’s Friday!” He said eagerly.

“Friday to me signals the start of a very short weekend, closely followed by Monday which lands me right back in this shit hole!” She added with more than a dash of hate.

“Er…” Jon nervously replied after Michelle’s outburst. “…It’ll be my last day of having to wear this bloody skirt though!”

“Oh… er… sure…” She replied, rolling her eyes. “It doesn’t matter what you wear Jon… by the time Monday arrives, you’ll be stuck back in this zoo!” She said as she turned to face the building, flicking the v’s as she did so.

“This is true…” Replied Jon. “But at least I’ll have my pants back.” He added.

“Here hold this will you?” Said Michelle, passing Jon her school bag. “It’s too warm.” She said as she pulled her blazer off, took her bag back and hung her blazer over her bag. “Thanks.” She smiled.

“I hope it’s this warm on the weekend.” He added, looking up at the sun as it beat down on them. He considered taking his blazer off too, but chose not to as he felt more secure with it on.

Mary was waiting for him at the gate when they arrived. He introduced Michelle to her before saying, “I’ll see you in History first thing I guess.”

Michelle nodded, said nothing, hung her head low, and scurried off in the opposite direction.

“She seems a bit weird.” Said Mary as soon as they got out of earshot.

Jon took a long slow intake of breath. This was closely followed by an equally slow exhale. After Sharon’s comments against Michelle earlier today, he was pretty much at the end of his tether. “Michele’s nice!” He insisted. “Plus she’s been helping me in history class…. I think I’ve actually learned something today!”

“Hey good for you Jon,” Mary replied. “How have your tights been?”

“Much better.” He replied honestly. “But a bit warm if anything.” He added.

“Well, it is summer.” Said Mary, stating the obvious. “If they’re too warm then take them off.” She said, looking him up and down. “And how can you wear your blazer on a day like this?” She added. Holding her own blazer instead of wearing it.

“Er… I can’t take my tights off here!”

“Well no…” She replied, looking at the surroundings. “…but once we’re on the lane you can.” She suggested. “At least take your blazer off.”

“I suppose.” Said Jon as he passed Mary his bag to hold whilst he removed his blazer. He folded it neatly and hung it over his forearm, before taking his bag back.

“Better?” She asked.

Jon nodded, before looking at his blouse, then Mary’s, and back at his own. “How come you get to wear a plain white blouse and I get these girlie ones?”

“Yeah… Mum gave you my pretty ones.” She replied. “I was a bit annoyed at first.” She said. “Still, I’ll get them back tomorrow.”

Before long they were walking up the long quiet lane which would eventually lead them home. They approached a bench and Mary sat down. “What are you doing?” Asked Jon.

Mary patted the seat next to her. “Come on, sit here so you can take your tights off. You’ll feel much cooler.”

Jon looked up and down the lane before lifting his skirt up and pulling his tights off his waist and bum. He sat on the bench, pulled his tights down to his ankles, kicked off his shoes, and removed them completely. He slipped his feet back into the little black ballet pumps and placed his tights in his bag.

He looked down at his legs; bare and hairless, emerging from his short pleated skirt. The breeze was cool against his skin. “Phew!” He exclaimed as he felt the cooling sensation.

“Told you.” Said Mary, as she picked up her bag and they continued the long walk home.

As usual, Jon couldn’t help but continually glance down at his legs and feet. He noticed the new feeling as his skirt swung back and forth and side to side, brushing against his smooth legs as he walked.

Mary noticed him repeatedly glancing at his legs and feet. “You like those shoes don’t you?”

“Er…” He stammered. “At least they’re comfortable I guess.”

“Yeah but you ‘do‘ like them don’t you.” She insisted. “I mean, you didn’t have to put them back on last night when you took your tights off.”

“They’re OK.” He replied. “Much lighter than my own shoes” He added before glancing down at them once more. “They’re like slippers.”

“Mum might buy you a pair if you ask.” She suggested.

“Why would I want some of my own?” He asked. “I mean, I only have tomorrow, then I get my own uniform back.”

“Just a thought.” She replied.