Susan, being a girl was given lots of clothes along with jewellery, a jewellery box, a bead jewellery making kit, more make up, CDs and DVDs, more clothes, hair accessories, shoes and even more clothes.
Mum was getting on with making Christmas dinner. Susan and I did our own thing. We had the TV on with the sound down and listened to my new Slipknot CD, a gift my sister had given me. I glanced around at my myriad of gifts, my white stockinged knees peeping out from my full skirt, the tree; resplendent in festive décor, my sister reading an annual, the satin handbag my aunt had also given me. I picked it up an unfastened the clasp. I looked at myself in the small vanity mirror for a few moments before having a route through the other contents. “Do you know what to do with this stuff?” I asked as I removed the lipsticks and the perfume.
Susan looked over at me. “Kind of… but I’m not very good.” she replied. “Are you going to wear some?”
I gulped and glanced at myself in the small mirror again. “I dunno… Do we have a choice?” I asked.
“Why don’t you ask mum?”
I thought for a second. “Nah… she’ll only say yes.” I replied as I depressed to top of the perfume and recoiled as a sweet smelling mist filled the air and my nostrils.
Susan giggled at me. “What’s it smell like?”
“Girlie.” I replied before spraying it in her direction.
“That’s quite nice.” she said after inhaling the scent.
“For a girl maybe.” I sighed and put the perfume back in my handbag and fastened the clasp with a satisfying click. I ran my fingers over its satin fabric and noticed the light dance off its surface.
Just then, Mum entered and asked us if we were OK. I looked up at her, nodded and smiled. “It’s a nice bag isn’t it.” she smiled.
“Er… I guess.” I replied sheepishly. “It feels nice.” I added, slowly running my thumb across it.
“Peter’s worried that he has to wear make-up too.” my sister said with a hint of concern in her voice.
“Well I was going to suggest doing something with your hair before Aunt May arrives.” Mum replied, “So it doesn’t look quite so boyish.”
“What do you mean?” I asked nervously.
“Well there’s a selection of clips and slides in your handbag we can try.” she suggested. “And a touch of make-up wouldn’t do any harm.”
“It’ll make me look like a girl.”
“You are wearing a dress.” my sister stated. “A couple of hair clips and some lipstick won’t make much difference.”
Twenty minutes later, I held my small vanity mirror in one hand, and a pale pink lipstick in the other. I looked at my reflection; my hair looked shorter yet fuller with loose curls and these were topped off with a sizeable white ribbon tied in a bow on top of my head. Mum had applied my eye shadow and mascara and under her expert instruction, I applied my lipstick. “Perfect.” Mum smiled, before telling to be careful not to touch my face else I’d spoil it.
“You look really pretty Peter.” my sister smiled. “and not just pretty ‘for a boy‘, really pretty! Will you do my hair and make-up too?”
“Of course.” Mum replied.
I sat back and watched my mother curl my sister’s hair just as she’d done mine. My sister never really went in for any ‘girlie’ stuff either, so it was probably just as novel for me watching this as it was for her.
No sooner had my mother finished doing my Susan’s make up, my aunt’s car pulled up outside. “Perfect timing.” Mum said as she went to the door.
My sister and I prepared ourselves for our Aunt’s entrance. Before today I was just an average boy and my sister was an average tom-boy, but thanks to Aunt May’s gifts and our mother’s hair and make-up skills, we are for all intents and purposes, a couple of pretty prissy girls… and don’t we know it!
Aunt May was obviously chuffed to bits we were wearing our dresses and swallowing our pride, thanked her. “Well I can’t believe how nice you both look… it’s a good job I’d bought you different colours, otherwise I’d never know which was Peter… you do look pretty, both of you!”
“Thank you Auntie.” I convincingly replied.
Mum offered Aunt May a snack and a glass of sherry. She accepted the sherry but declined the snack. Mum told her that I was very surprised when I unwrapped my dress. “He thought he’d unwrapped his sisters by mistake.” she added.
“It’s an easy mistake to make Mum.” I stated, feeling myself blush. “Why did you buy me a dress Auntie?” I sheepishly asked.
A broad grin swept her face. “Well I wanted to buy your sister a nice dress because girls should wear dresses.” she gave my sister a slightly disapproving glance, before tuning back to me, “And I bought one for you because there’s no good reason why boy’s shouldn’t wear dresses.”
