Perry sat himself down and continued his homework in silence. But one question was on his mind. “Mother… Jemima said I have to wear what she says… is that true?”
“Yes.” his mother replied.
Perry finished his homework and packed up his books. His mother told him that supper would be ready in ten minutes, and asked him to fetch his sister. He climbed the stairs, knocked on her door and said supper was nearly ready. Jemima opened the door and asked him if he’d finished his homework.
“Yes.”.
“Well I’d better chose you a pretty dress to wear hadn’t I.”
She marched into his room and opened his wardrobe. Removed a dress and said “This is a nice one don’t you think?”, holding up a plain navy blue frock with fake brass buttons and a white lace pan collar.
She dropped it into his hands as she passed, leaving him alone on the landing.
“Where’s Perry?” her mother asked as Jemima entered alone.
“He’s getting changed.” she said proudly, pulling out a chair and sitting at the table.
“Did you notice he’d also shave his legs yesterday?” her mother asked.
“Yes.” she replied.
“And what do you think about that?” her mother asked as she placed the plates on the table.
“At least he’s doing it properly… there’s no point wearing girl’s clothes and not shaving his legs.” Jemima replied.
A few minutes later, Perry appeared wearing the navy blue frock, along with his white knee socks and Mary Jane’s. His mother looked him up and down and said, “You should really be wearing tights rather than knee socks with a dress like that.”
“Oh er…. sorry…. I didn’t know.” he grumbled.
“Never mind.” she replied. However after supper, his mother insisted he puts some tights on, and accompanies him to his room to show him which pair. His mother closes the door shut, and asks him to sit at his dressing table. she takes her place on his pink bed and removes the knickers from his baby-doll from his laundry bin. “Did you enjoy wearing these last night?”
“No.” he replies confidently.
His shame reaches new depths as she point out the tell tale stain on them. “Well this stain says otherwise.” she said, before placing them in back in his laundry basket.
Perry hung his head in shame. “Sorry.” he sulked.
“Well until you can control yourself… you’ll be wearing these under your nightclothes.”
“Oh please Mother not those!” he said as she removed a pair of absorbent ‘night-timers’ from one of his drawers. Adding insult to injury, she’d bought him the girl’s version too.
No matter how much he pleaded, she insisted he wore them, “I’ll come in and check later… and believe me, if you’re not wearing them, you’ll be one of the girls at school tomorrow!”
His mother placed the night-timers beneath his pillow and assured him she wouldn’t mention this to his sister. “We’ll see you downstairs when you’ve put your tights on.” were her parting words.
Although he knew he looked like a dag, he did feel more ‘dressed’ with some tights on. In fact, come 8 o’clock when his mother told him it was time to get ready for bed, he new the daggy look was preferable to the pink ‘princess’ nightie his sister had chosen. At least it was closer to knee length, so little chance of her noticing the night-timers he shamefully wore beneath it. He made no qualms being told it was bedtime at a measly 9pm, and was glad to finally be hiding beneath his duvet. He hoped to God that he wouldn’t have another wet dream… and wondered if his mother would check like she did last night’s knickers.
The next morning his mother woke him to check he’d kept his night-timers on. He squirmed when she said, “Good girl.” and told him “they’re not so bad.” He wanted to retort but, seeing as she’d placed his own school clothes on the stool, made sure he didn’t annoy her. Being treated like a girl at home is one thing, being sent to school as one is another.
As he walked to school, he imagined a world where it wouldn’t make any difference if his mother did make him wear a skirt for school. He imagined what it would be like, dressing as a girl in public and nobody batting an eyelid. He wondered if he’d wear tights or socks and imagined how his hairless legs would feel in the breeze.
He had much the same thoughts as he walked home after his detention, and not surprisingly his skirt, knickers and knee socks were waiting for him when he arrived home from school. Reluctantly, he changed into them and went to the kitchen, almost certain his mother would check beneath his skirt again.
Once his homework was complete, he knocked on his sisters door so she she could chose his clothes for the rest of the day.
