Meanwhile, William is arguing against having to keep his uniform on whilst he does his homework. “You’re not in a position to argue William…” his mother tells him. Apparently, she has a daily feedback form which will be handed back to the education welfare services. Every misdemeanour or disobedient act needs to be noted and they may result in his period of suspension being extended. “It’s up to you William… you can either wear your uniform for a couple of hours after school each evening, or wear it for god knows how many extra days in two weeks time.”
William concedes and remains in his uniform until his homework is complete. When Andrew’s mother tells him that he must remain in uniform, he doesn’t put up a fight because he knows it’s in his own interests not to put up a fight. He wants to spend as little time as possible attending St Felicity’s School for Girls. But when he tells him mother that he’s going to his room, he can’t help but argue his mother’s reply. “I’ve decided to move you into your sister’s old room.”
“But why?!” Andrew whined.
“Because under the circumstances, it’s more appropriate.” she tells him.
“It’s bad enough being a girl at school, I don’t want to be one at home too!”
“You’re not a girl Andrew, you’re a petticoated boy, and whilst you are a petticoated boy, you’ll spend your time living, and learning to act more like a girl.”
“But!”
“But nothing Andrew. If you’d tried harder to be a good boy rather than becoming a juvenile delinquent, we wouldn’t have had to resort to this.” his mother tells him. “Now go to your room if you must, and make sure you hang your dress up… I don’t want to find it screwed up on the floor.”
Andrew stamped up to his sister’s room and gulps at it’s overall pinkness. It could be argued that his sister moved out because her room hadn’t been redecorated since she was about seven or eight years old.
The wallpaper intrigued him when he was about five or six years old but the more Andrew grew, the more it sickened him; all those cute bunnies, pixies and princesses… they really don’t appeal to any growing boy.
It wouldn’t be so bad if it was just the wallpaper. It’s pretty much everything else too. There’s pink butterflies on the lamp shade and curtains and pink flower shaped door and drawer knobs, even fluffy pink rug in the shape of a love heart.
He opens the wardrobe and is faced with yet more pink, although many other colours make up the resplendent display of skirts, blouses, frocks and dresses. He finds a vacant hanger and put his dress on it, before hanging it away and quickly shutting the doors.
Being a girl’s bedroom, there’s a big mirror on the back of the door and a smaller one on the dressing table. Whilst frowning at his reflection, Andrew tugs at his bunches and pulls the ribbons out, but his hair doesn’t look much better. Since it’s been tied up all day there’s a big kink in it which he tries to brush out with his sister’s pink hair brush… and it’s whilst he’s doing this that his mother checks on him. “Settling in I see.” she grinned.
Andrew blushes and stops what he’s doing. He must have looked like such a girl when she walked in. she asks him if he’d hung his dress away and he nodded. She asked if he’d started his homework yet. “I’m just about to.” he replied. “I was just trying to brush these kinks out of my hair.” he said.
“Tell you what.” his mother said. “Why don’t we put your bunches back in and we’ll wash the kinks out later in the bath?” she said. She’d pretty much tied one bunch by the time she’d finished the sentence, so there was little point protesting.
“I might do my homework downstairs.” Andrew suggested. “It’s too pink in here.”
