His mother cast him an empathetic smile. “I know it’s not ideal but it’s certainly not illegal.” she grinned. “Oh thanks love.” she said when Paula returned with a pair of white socks and placed them in her beckoning hand.
“I’m not wearing knee socks!” Peter blurted when he realised what his sister had fetched for him. But in spite of his plea, he sat, removed his shoes and socks, and pulled the pair of white socks over his feet and up to his knees. He gestured a puke after being told they look ‘nice’. “They’re horrid.” he insisted as he put his feet out in front of him. He slips his feet into his shoes, ties the laces, stands up and looks down at himself, before complaining that his shoes look too clumpy.
“Yeah they do a bit.” his mother agreed, before suggesting he try a pair of his sister’s shoes.
“Her shoes won’t fit me!” Peter insisted.
“Course they will.” Paula replied. “Yours fit me.” she added.
“When have you ever worn my shoes?” Peter asked.
“I borrowed your running shoes last week.” she revealed. “And those green baseball boots last month. And they both fit me perfectly.” she added. “So it stands to reason that my shoes will fit you.” she told him before leaving again.
Peter looks down at himself and complains that they’re turning him into a girl. “No we’re not love.” his mother assured. “We’re just making sure you’ll look OK next term without breaking the bank.” she smiled, before pointing out that his legs could do with a shave too. Peter insists that under no circumstances will he shave his legs, but his mother claims that most of the other boys will be shaving theirs, “…especially in winter.” she adds as Paula returns with a couple of pairs of shoes.
“Surely winter’s the time to leave them hairy?” Peter states.
“I expect you’ll be wearing tights in winter.” Paula stated. Peter baulked at the thought of wearing girl’s tights. “Count your blessings Pete… us girls had to endure winter in knee socks.” she reminded him. Before these new uniform rules came in to force, the girls at Ashford Academy weren’t allowed to wear tights as only ankle or knee socks were permitted. But now the boy’s have to wear short culottes (or a skirt), tights are finally allowed.
“Paula’s right Peter…” their mother said. “…you’ll be a lot warmer in tights and they’ll be a lot more comfortable if you shave.” she explained.
Paula added that he should really shave if he’s just wearing socks too. “You’ll look silly with hairy legs.”
“It not my legs that look silly, it’s this skirt.” Peter frowned.
“It honestly doesn’t love.” his mother assured, before she and Paula had a brief discussion about the boy’s culottes, both agreeing that they aren’t very nice. “Which shoes di you bring?” her mother asked, spying the two pairs of shoes dangling from each hand.
“I wasn’t sure which style you’d want so…” Paula said. One pair is the ubiquitous flat black ballet pump, the other is the less common low heeled Mary Jane style.
“Neither.” Peter gulped as he observed the options.
“Well you’re the one complaining that your own shoes are too clumpy.” Paula retorted. “I’m only trying to help.”
Reluctantly, Peter shut up and sat down. He removed his own shoes and reluctantly slipped his feet in to the flat ballet pumps, but being a tad too big they didn’t stay on long. Next he slipped on the Mary Jane’s and fiddled with the buckles before standing up so his mother and sister could have a ‘proper’ look. They both insisted they looked nice, and insisted that they were a good fit. Peter wasn’t so sure about how they look, but reluctantly admitted that they did fit and were relatively comfortable. “They wouldn’t look so bad with black socks.” he gulped.
“Black tights would look better.” his sister suggested.
“I’m not wearing tights!” Peter insisted.
“Well don’t be shy if you change your mind come November love.” his mother advised.
Peter asks if he can go and change. His mother tells him he can, but advises him to try the rest of the skirt’s Paula has given him, just to make sure they all fit. Peter feels half naked as he walks the short distance to his tiny box room, and imagines he’ll feel just as naked when he walks the short distance to school in a few weeks time. “Maybe tights would be better?” he thinks as he looks at his shoes and socks, gulping at the thought. He dismisses the idea on the grounds that wearing tights as well would be far too weird, yet also accepts that come mid winter, he’ll probably change his mind.
As instructed, he tries the rest of the skirts for size before putting his own clothes back on. It’s whilst he’s doing this that he hears a knock on his bedroom door. “You decent?” his sister’s voice calls. Peter opens the door and Paula handed him another small bundle. “PE kit.” she says.