Meanwhile in the parlor,
Peter is describing the contents of his wardrobe to Sally.
“By the sounds of it, you’re going to be the girliest girl on the street!” Sally said.
“Which is quite funny since you’re really a boy.”
“It’s not funny, it’s horrible.” I sulked.
“You say that…
but if it was one of the other boys on the street instead of you…
I bet you’d see the funny side then.” Sally said as I hung my head.
“Anyway, I’m glad it’s you and not one of your brothers…
George is too handsome to be a girl and Andrew’s too ugly…
whereas you’re just right.”
“What do you mean?” I moaned.
“I’m a boy just like them.”
“Not anymore you’re not.” Sally grinned.
“Are you girl’s getting on OK?” my mother asked as she entered the parlor.
“Yes,” Sally replied.
“I was just telling Peter how pleased I am that it’s him that it’s he who’s become Sophie and not one of his brothers.”
“Oh that’s very nice of you.” my mother smiled.
“George is too old and far too handsome,” she added.
“…and Andrew’s far too ugly.” she smiled.
“That’s exactly what I said!” Sally replied with a broad grin.
Mum and Sally briefly discussed how much better suited to the role of ‘Sophie’ I am than either of my brothers.
I’ve got the curls and the little button nose I inherited from my mother,
whereas my brothers inherited their father’s features.
Mum told Sally that we should leave soon,
but insisted that Sally should come round to visit.
Sally said she would, adding “I’d love to see all your new dresses.”
She cast me a disdainful grimace concealed behind an overly sweet smile and turned to my mother.
“She’s been telling me all about them.”
I said goodbye to Sally’s mother before mum and I left.
I couldn’t wait to get out of there but wasn’t looking forward to being out on the street where all and sundry could see me.
“Try not to scrape your heels, Sophie,” Mum said as we walked down their garden path.
“Those shoes are brand new.” she reminded me.
“What on earth has she done to him?” Sally’s mother gasped as they watched Peter and his mother head off down the street.
“You’d think she’d dress him as a normal girl and not like that.”
“I think he looks nice.” Sally giggled.
It was clear she felt he looked quite the opposite.
“Too nice.” her mother retorted.
“She doesn’t have to indulge him in all those ribbons and frills…
he’s more like a doll than a daughter,” she said as Peter and his mother disappeared from view.
When we got to Lauren and Paul’s house, Lauren welcomed ‘Sophie’ with open arms whilst Paul kept his distance.
She told me how nice my hair looks, how pretty my blouse is, that my skirt is a lovely color and finally complimented my shoes.
I shyly said thank you as her brother, my friend Paul, snorted and scoffed.
“I can’t wait ’til tomorrow!” Lauren gushed. “You are going to school as a girl aren’t you?” she asked.
“Er.” I croaked, looking at my mother.
My mother explained that I wouldn’t be going back to junior school.
Paul blurted “Good!” and mother berated him for it.
Mum went on to tell them that I’d be starting at Malham Hall High School in September instead of the local comprehensive.
“Where’s that?” Lauren asked.
“It’s in Crickley.” our parents replied in unison.
“That’s a bit far isn’t it?” Lauren asked.
“Well not really.” my mother replied.
“It’s on this side of Crickley so it’s only a couple of miles…
Vanessa who lives opposite us goes there.” she added.
“Oh,” Lauren replied. “I don’t really know her.”
“Me neither,” I said.
“Well you soon will because we’re off to visit Vanessa next,” Mum said, smiling at each of us in turn.
Lauren’s mother asked if we wanted a drink or a snack, but Mum declined her offer.
“Now don’t be a stranger Lauren, I’m sure Sophie would love it if you came to visit.” Mum insisted.
She noticed Paul lurking in the hallway and extended the offer to him, but I very much doubt he’d be visiting me anymore.
Mum said that we should get going as we still have to visit the Mullens.
“Then we’ve got Sunday lunch to prepare and plenty of housework to be getting on with.”
“It must be nice having a girl around to help with all the chores.” Lauren & Paul’s mother said, looking down on me and smiling.
“And to brighten the place up.” Mum smiled. “It feels much more homely now we’ve got Sophie.”
Lauren & Paul’s mother wholeheartedly agreed. It’s as if all of a sudden deciding that a boy is a girl is the most normal thing in the world.
Paul may not want to be friends with me anymore,
but at least he’s not pretending that this is a normal situation when it’s clearly not.
The last port of call is Vanessa’s house which is more or less opposite our house.
Although Vanessa lives so close, she’s the one girl on the street whom I know the least.
None of the kids on the street seem to know her either.
She comes across as being a bit ‘sniff’ and seems to spend her weekend’s horse riding
or doing ballet
or something instead of hanging out in the park or in town with ‘the gang’.
Vanessa answered the door and exclaimed
“I didn’t believe it was true, you look lovely… really girlie… well done!”
She wouldn’t congratulate a real girl for looking girlie, would she? I thought.
“Thanks.” I gulped.
Her mother appeared behind her and invited us in.
“Why don’t you take Sophie up to your room?” her mother suggested.
“Would you like a cup of tea?” she asked my mother as I followed Vanessa upstairs.
The adults settled themselves in the kitchen.
“He looks beautiful!” Vanessa’s mother said.
“Is he settling in OK?”
“He seems to be, although his brothers aren’t being as nice as I’d like.” Peter’s mother replied.
“Well boys are seldom as nice as we’d like.” Vanessa’s mother said.
“Which is why more of them should be petticoated.”
“Well I’ve threatened to do just that on more than one occasion this weekend.” Peter’s mother grinned.
“But I can’t see George nor Andrew looking quite as sweet in girl’s clothes as Peter does.”
“He certainly looks the part.” Vanessa’s mother said as she poured the tea.
“Did he put up much of a fight?”
“Not really.” Peter’s mother replied.
“He understands why I need a daughter.
He let me tie a ribbon in his hair and helped me take all his boy things to the charity shop.” she recalled.
“It was far easier than I’d anticipated… although he was very reluctant to wear his knickers,” she confessed
. “I had to threaten him with nappies.”
Vanessa’s mother, who’s familiar with petticoat discipline, replied,
“Well nappies are recommended for the first few weeks of petticoating… especially for bed.”
“Well yes but… it seems a bit mean if he doesn’t need them.” Peter’s mother said
. “It’s not as if he wets the bed.”
“It’s not uncommon though…
Petticoated boys often start wetting the bed whilst they’re getting used to the change.” Vanessa’s mother replied.
“They don’t have to big terry nappies, teen nappies are very discreet,” she added.
“I know.” Peter’s mother mused.
“It’s juist something I’d rather not do unless I have to,” she said.
“I’d at least put a mattress protector on
.” Vanessa’s mother advised. “Just in case.”
“Yes I suppose you’re right.” Peter’s mother replied.
“Is he looking forward to starting at Malham Hall?
Have you told him?”
Vanessa’s mother asked as she placed the two cups of tea in the table
. “Vanessa’s quite excited.”
“Yes I’ve told him.” Peter’s mother replied
. “Although I wouldn’t say he’s excited at the prospect…
quite the opposite in fact.”
“Well starting big school is always a journey into the unknown…
one minute they’re the tallest and oldest kids in school,
The next minute they’re the smallest and youngest.”
“True.” Peter’s mother agreed.
Meanwhile up in Vanessa’s room “So you’re coming to Malham Hall next term.” she said.
“You’ll love it… blah blah blah.”
She talked constantly, enthusiastically and used her hands a lot.
Peter was mesmerized as she paced around the floor,
grabbing things and dropping things,
talking about teachers and pupils and this and that.
She opened her wardrobe and pulled out a garment.
“This is the summer uniform,” she said as she showed me a purple gingham summer dress,
then a thicker plaid dress.
“And this is the winter uniform,” she said.
“It’s a bit daggy but it’s warm so…” she said as she put it back.
“Two uniforms.” I gulped.
“Yep.” she smiled as she removed a couple of hats from the top of her wardrobe.
“And these are our hats,” she said
Vanessa said as she screwed her nose up.
In one hand she held a grey felt hat with a purple ribbon,
in the other a straw boater also with a purple ribbon.
“It’d be OK if we didn’t have to wear hats too…” she said as she put them back on the top of her wardrobe
. “And that’s the blazer,” she added,
pointing out a grey blazer with purple trim hung from the back of her door.
Knowingly, I asked if the boys wore exactly the same uniform as the girls.
“Yes of course,” she replied.
“Didn’t you know that already?” she asked as she straightened her duvet and sat on her bed.
“Yeah, I was just checking. It just seems weird.”
“That’s what everyone says…” she said, patting the space next to her.
“…but it’s really quite normal.”
“Really?” I asked.
“What’s normal about dressing like a girl?”
“When you get used to it you’ll know.” she smiled.
“I think it’s weird that most boys don’t wear skirts or dresses.”
“Because they’re for girls.”
“But girls can wear jeans and t-shirts.
Nobody thinks girls are weird when we wear boy’s clothes.” she said.
“So it shouldn’t be weird for boys to wear girl’s clothes.”
“Yeah, I guess…
it still feels weird though.” I said, looking down at my tights and the ruffled hem of my skirt.
“Only because you’re new to it.” she said, patting my lap.
“At Malham Hall all the new boys feel exactly as you do, thinking its the end of the world just because they have to wear a dress.”
“It feels like the end of the world.” I moaned.
“No… the end of the world is volcanoes and earthquakes,
massive tidal waves, and people dropping dead,” she said in her over-animated manner.
“I know but…” I gulped.
“…it wouldn’t be so bad if I could wear ‘normal’ girl’s clothes,” I said looking at what Vanessa wore;
a plain t-shirt with a pair of shorts over a pair of leggings.
“I think my mum’s making me dress really girlie just because I’m not really a girl.”
“Even real girls have to wear really girlie clothes sometimes,” Vanessa replied.
“And even real girls don’t like them much either,” she added.
“We all prefer ‘normal’ clothes like shorts and jeans most of the time.”
“I haven’t got any shorts or jeans anymore.” I muttered.
“Girls!” A voice called from downstairs. “Vanessa! It’s ten-to-one!”
Sorry. Got a riding lesson.” Vanessa said as she jumped up off her bed.
“I’d forgotten about the time.”
I stood up and straightened my skirt
. “That’s OK,” I replied as Vanessa began scurrying around her room.
“I could come over if you’d like,” she said as she found a riding helmet,
then a crop,
“Or give me a knock sometime,” she said, finding a pair of riding boots under the rubble.
“OK.” I gulped
“Vanessa!” her mother hollered.
“Coming!” Vanessa shouted back as she pushed her feet into the boots.
“Has she been chewing your ear off love?” Vanessa’s mother asked when they finally appeared.
“You can’t get a word in edgeways once she starts.”
“No…” I replied. “…not really,” I said, casting Vanessa a smile.
“Sorry to cut you short, but Vanessa has a riding lesson soon.” her mother said.
“But come over any time you like.”
“Thanks.” I smiled.
“Yes, thanks for everything,” Mum said. “We’d better run along too,
we have to get Sunday dinner ready for your brothers… a
nd there’s a mountain of laundry.”
“I hope it’s not all work and no play.” Vanessa’s mother said, more to my mother than to me.
“Girls just wanna have fun too.” she smiled, more to me than my mother.
“Yes of course.” my mother smiled, resting a hand on my shoulder.
“But work before play eh?” she added.
“Yes, Well… it’s been lovely to meet you, Sophie.”
Vanessa’s mother said, giving me a hug and a kiss on the cheek,
“Don’t be a stranger.”
After a final round of goodbyes and a couple more, ‘you look lovely’ comments, we finally left.
It was only a short walk across the street back home, but it seemed to take longer than usual.
I noticed Albert,
the boy next door peering through the window at me.
I forced a smile but he just stared at me.
“Well that was nice wasn’t it?”
Mum said once we were indoors.
“Kind of.” I mournfully replied.
“I don’t think I like being a girl…
everyone acts weird with me.”
“No, they don’t,” Mum said insisted as we finally entered the house.
“Are you boys in?” she hollered after closing the front door.
“Yeah.” my brother George shouted from the top of the stairs.
“When’s dinner ready?”
“It’ll be a couple of hours yet.” mum hollered back.
“Can I go out for a bit?” he asked as he bounded down the stairs.
“Of course, you can… but back by no later than three,” she told him.
George glanced at me but blanked me at the same time.
“And if you see Andrew tell him no later than three too,” Mum added.
“OK,” he said as he headed out the door.
Mum looked down on me and smiled. I looked up at her and smiled back.
Normally I’d be eager to go out too
but under the circumstances,
I just hovered uncomfortably.
“Would you like to help Mummy make Sunday dinner?” she suggested.
“I guess,” I replied.
“Good girl,” she said. “Why don’t you change out of your nice clothes first?”
“OK,” I said, before climbing the stairs.
Mum followed and unfastened the buttons on the back of my blouse.
She suggested I wear one of my charity shop dresses instead of one of my ‘new’ ones and selected two of them.
One is green with darker green stripes, the other is pale blue with colorful butterflies printed on it.
Neither were as prissy as the outfit I wore,
but both were still too pretty for a boy.
I reluctantly chose the green stripy one.
Even if it did have frilly white trim…
it’s seemed marginally better than being covered in colorful butterflies.