Mother took a breath before replying. “Well, In my opinion you weren’t supposed to enjoy this punishment…. however, after Cheryl and I talked this morning about the severity of your punishment, Cheryl suggested you might be happier with some of your own clothes rather than wearing her cast off’s all the time…” I nodded intermittently as she spoke, “so as long as you’re happy then I’m happy. You are still my son and I still love you.”
I looked her in the eye as she said the last bit. She’d not said that for ages. My heart felt warm. I smiled a thank you.
“You go and meet Cheryl.” Smiled Mother as she clasped my hand. “And don’t let her do anything you don’t want to, OK?”
I nodded.
Reluctantly I headed for my room. I sat my self at my dressing table, where I noticed an array of make up waiting for me. I looked at each item as I waited for Cheryl to appear.
Cheryl was wearing a short dressing gown when she entered. She closed the door behind her, pulled a chair next to me and told me not to worry. She picked up a tube of something, squeezed a blob of goo onto her thumb and forefinger and rubbed it into each ear lobe and then onto each eye brow. She told me it was to numb my ears so the needle wouldn’t hurt.
Next she proceeded to do her own make up, and explained what she was doing as she went. She spent a good ten minutes just explaining how to do eye liner, eye shadow and mascara! I had no idea so much work went in to it all. Cheryl rubbed a bit more of the numbing stuff in to my ear lobes and again my eye brows. “They should be numb in few more minutes.” She said, before applying her lipstick.
“Why did you put it on my eye brows?” I asked.
“I thought I’d shape them a bit, if you don’t mind?”
I nodded. ‘In for a penny’ I thought.
The ear piercing didn’t hurt a bit. The gel Cheryl put on my lobes numbed them up a treat. Before long I had a gold stud in each ear. Cheryl reminded me how to care for them whilst the holes set before plucking my eye brows. Once my eye brows had been shaped Cheryl gave me an eye liner pencil and told me how to apply it. It took me a few goes before I got it right. Then she gave me an eye shadow and gave me instruction on how to apply that also, followed by the mascara. “You’ve done quite a good job.” She said, “Considering you’ve never done it before.”
I looked at my reflection. Seeing my eyes bordered with black eye liner and eye shadow, along with my finely arched eye brows took me aback somewhat. “That so doesn’t look like me!” I exclaimed.
“I Know!” Cheryl replied. “You look quite sweet.”
“I’m not sure about looking sweet.”
“Why not? The whole point of this is so you don’t look like a boy dressed as a girl any more.” She reminded.
“I guess you’re right” I replied quietly.
“Of course I’m right!”
“There’s no getting out of this is there?” I replied sulking.
“Well you’ve made your bed Peter!” She replied in a matter of fact tone. “So you may as well enjoy laying in it!”
I nodded in agreement. I’d got myself in to this hole. At least it was all in the comfort of my own home I guess.
“Which lippy do you want?” Cheryl asked, turning her attention back to my dressing table.
I pondered for a moment. “I dunno, Pink I guess will match my top.” I replied, trying my best to be constructive.
“Well I was going to suggest a different outfit.” Replied Cheryl as she headed for the wardrobe and removed a dress. “This is nice.” Cheryl held a short black dress with a red floral pattern on it. “With these sandals I think.” She added, removing to a pair of black heeled sandals from the wardrobe, “They should fit.”
I looked at the red flowers which covered the little black dress. “Red?” I suggested.
“Huh?” Said Cheryl as she hung the dress on the wardrobe door.
“Lipstick.” I reminded, “To match the flowers?”
“You’re learning girl!” She smiled.
“I’m not a girl!”
“I’m sorry Pete.” She said. “I just don’t really see my little brother any more.”
“What do you see? A freak?” I snapped.
“No-o,. Not at all.”
“Sorry I didn’t mean to snap.” I said, smoothing my skirt. “This is just all so wrong.”