The Challenge -2-

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This is the story of two college guys who are challenged by their girlfriends to slowly add female aspects their lives. This challenge takes them much further than they every expected.

THE CHALLENGE by Nina Adams
Part two:

HOME FOR THANKSGIVING BREAK:

I was sitting on the train wondering what I was going to tell my mother about some of my noticeable changes. Jana was snuggled up against me on the bench looking out the window. It was Friday, so I was dressed for the challenge, but I made myself look as manly as possible. I had on the blue jeans and had a sweatshirt covering my lingerie so it would not be visible. I had my long hair in a ponytail, but unlike during the week, I had all my hair pulled to the back. I wore a rubber band to hold the hair rather than a scrunchy.

Despite all my efforts, some of my changes could not go unnoticed. My nails were very long and had clear polish on them. My ears were now pierced. My hair had grown at least 3 inches and had been pretty long to begin with. I was down to about 130 to 135 pounds on my 5’8” frame. I had no hair on my body accept for on the top of my head. Though I made my best efforts to walk and talk in a manly way, my mannerisms had subtly been changed. Underneath all the visible changes, were my new lingerie and gaffe. At night, on the weekends, Jana still expected me to wear my nightgown. It would be almost impossible to conceal all of this while I was home.

I decided that honesty would probably be my best policy. My mother and I were very close and did not keep meaningful secrets from each other. I would tell her about the challenge and maybe just leave out a few details. I would make it sound more playful and not mention that I had taken a birth control pill. She might even get a laugh out of the whole thing. I figured it would be easier to confront the whole thing then to try and hide it. When we were about a half an hour from Chicago, I told Jana how I was going to handle everything. I told her that I was going to tell my mother about the challenge rather than try and conceal it.

“Are you sure that’s what you want to do? What do you think your mom will say or do? Will she be okay with it?”

“Mom has always been understanding and never overly critical of my activities. She may have some questions or give me her opinion of the whole thing, but I doubt she’ll get real angry.”

“Do you think she’ll get mad at me?

“ Jana you know she has always liked you, and I am sure she will not be mad at you. If she is upset at all, it will be at me for getting myself in the situation.”

Jana looked me in the eyes and said “she would do anything for me and only wants the best for me.” She then laid her head on my shoulder and tried to get a few minutes of sleep.

My mother and Jana’s mother were waiting for us at the Amtrak station. It had been about three months since we last saw them and we ran up and gave them a hug. My mother was so excited to see me that for a moment I do not think she noticed the new me. Our mothers had driven to the station in separate cars, since my mother had spent the afternoon in the city with my aunt. After only a couple of minutes of small talk we made our way to the cars. When we got in the car, mom finally did a once over on me.

She asked me how things were going and how the train ride was. She asked a few more basic questions before asking me what was going on. She had noticed virtually everything, including the fact that I was wearing lingerie under my sweatshirt. She said she felt it when she hugged me. If I thought, I was going to put off explaining the situation, I was wrong. We were not even out of the city limits, before I was giving her the details of the challenge. She seemed a little concerned, but I wouldn’t call it angry. She wanted to know what things we had done and how I felt about it.

I told her about all of the challenges with the exception of the most recent. I didn’t embellish on how the girls were treating us and on some of the special lessons they seemed to insist on teaching us. She really wanted to know how I felt about having all these things done to me. It was very difficult for me to talk to her about this, but I told her some of it felt a little strange and some of it wasn’t that bad. She seemed to accept this and told me that she was proud of me for not backing down. I told her that Nick was going through the same thing as me and that is why he really didn’t want to come home until Monday. She was sad to hear that he was staying there because he felt embarrassed.

She told me Sasha was really excited that I was coming home. She said she would have a talk with her about the challenge so that she would not give me any trouble. She even said, “That since we are now about the same size, that maybe I could borrow a couple of her things.”

I was not thrilled by my mother’s last statement, but she was probably right. Sasha was about 1 inch shorter than me and now only a few pounds lighter. Mom was certainly not going to put her foot down and stop the challenge. Her last comment, made that clear. By the time we got home I was no longer worried about the challenge and my family. I would be able to relax and enjoy the time off.

When I got home Sasha was not there. Mom told me that she would be home later in the evening. She was with her boyfriend Alex. Sasha met Alex when they were freshmen together at Northwestern. They had dated all through school and they would be graduating in the spring.

After unpacking, I went downstairs to help mom with dinner. She had me cut up some vegetables and wash a few dishes. Before she would let me help, she had me put on an apron. I always enjoyed helping her in the kitchen, but this was the first time she insisted I wear an apron.

We were almost done making dinner when Sasha walked in. I did not hear her come into the house so when she walked into the kitchen she surprised me. I almost jumped out of my dainty socks. I spun around to her standing 5 feet from me. She was just staring at me. I must have looked even more feminine to her with the apron wrapped around me.

Her first words were “Michael you… you look different!”

“Hi sis, good to see you too.”

“Michael is that you or are you Michaela?”

“Very funny, it’s not what you think.”

“How do you know what I am thinking?”

“Let me explain.”

When I was done filling her in, she seemed almost excited by my plight. Mom told her not to give me trouble or a hard time. She promised not to tease me and even said she would be helpful. Whatever that meant.

When we were in private later she told me I looked nice and that she liked my new look. She even mentioned that while growing up she often wished I were her little sister. So even if, only for a few days, the results of the challenge would be kind of fun for her. I thought her attitude was acceptable, all things considered, and told her I was okay with it. Though it was probably a mistake I told her Jana called me Michelle not Michaela.

She giggled, “Got it Michelle.”

When we were all hanging out in the family room later she started calling me Michelle in front of mother. Mom told her not to tease me, but I cut in and told mom that is what Jana called me on the weekends. Seeing as it was Friday night she also started calling me Michelle. I probably should’ve kept my mouth shut, but everyone was having a good time.

At bedtime my mother came into my room. She said she wanted to see me in my nightgown. After kissing me goodnight, she asked me again if I was okay with what I was doing and the whole experience. I told her that it was difficult at first, but some things like the nightgown I had gotten used to and in some ways was enjoying.

Before leaving my room she held me and said she needed to give it all some thought and sleep on it. She also suggested I sleep in since she had a lot to do and had a very full morning tomorrow. With everything I had been going through of late, sleeping in would be a real pleasure.

I slept until nearly 11 Saturday morning and woke to an empty house. I went down to the kitchen to find a note from my mother saying she would be home after lunch. I made some coffee and had some cereal.

At around two o’clock she returned. She brought in a few packages, which she swiftly brought up to her room. After freshening herself up she joined me in the family room where I was channel surfing on the TV. She brought in a couple of fresh cups of coffee and sat down.

She asked me to turn the TV off for a few minutes so we could talk. She wanted to do some catching up and discuss the plans for the week. I flipped off the set and grabbed my saucer. She wanted to know how I was doing at school and how I was coping with my challenges at school.

I told her at first it was not that difficult, but now with longer hair, nails and some of the new clothes it was very difficult around the dorm. I found my self sneaking in and out and wearing hats much more. I also ate out more to avoid the cafeteria. She chuckled a little saying it did not look like I had been eating much at all.

She probed me more on my feelings. I was not sure where she was going with this. I asked her what she meant.

“I want to know if you felt comfortable with your little changes. Are you enjoying this? Do you want to stop now? Really, I just want you to be happy.”

“Mom, you are the best. I am not completely sure how I feel. At times it has been a little scary and somewhat uncomfortable, but at other times I have even enjoyed how it made me feel. Not trying to be macho can be liberating. Does that help?”

“School still has four full weeks after break are you prepared for where this challenge may lead you?”

“What do you mean?”

“ I think you know. You already looks so sweet, in four weeks you will probably look as pretty as your sister!”

“Mom!”

“I’m serious, there is not much that can be done to you now that will not make you look even more girlish. You have great facial features and are so thin, with little help you would look beautiful.”

“Are you telling me I should quit and end the challenge?”

“No, I am just saying that from this point forward, if you continue, you must be prepared to go all the way in.”

“I am not a quitter, but I never really thought about it that far. I knew this might get kind of awkward or a little bizarre, but I never envisioned myself taking it to that extreme.”

“Honey, if you plan to finish this, you are going to have to be completely open-minded and basically think of yourself as a girl.”

“But mom… Some of the things that Jana will ask us to do might not be for a few weeks.”

“Honey, at this point any challenges will push you cross the gender line and you will want to avoid confusion. You will feel more comfortable if the remaining challenges are coordinated and more closely grouped together.”

“I think I understand what you mean what I am not sure about this, and besides Jana is controlling the changes.”

“That won’t be a problem, I have a ready spoken with Jana and she was appreciative of my ideas and help.”

“What kind of help?”

“While you are home we can pick up a few new things for you and maybe I can show you a thing or two.”

“Do you think I should continue?”

“It doesn’t matter what I think, But I have noticed a little sparkle in your eyes since you were home. You seem comfortable being Michelle.”

“Mom, this is not just about me. The challenge was for Nick and I. If I plan to go the distance, Nick is supposed to do so also. He didn’t even come home from school yet!”

“I spoke with Mrs. Jones this morning. She knows everything now. She has already called Nick and he will be home on the afternoon train. She said he was so relieved that she now knew and was not upset with him. She told him it would be fun to have a daughter instead of a son for a while.”

“You really have been busy this morning.”

“Yes I have. I have made a few other calls and even some appointments for both Nick and you.”

“What kind of appointments?”

“Fun stuff. Some things to make you feel more comfortable with the changes and to have some fun girl time.”

“Like what?”

“A little shopping and spa time to start.”

“I don’t really need much, Jana has been taken care of that.”

“You need a few things to look and feel more appropriate. I want you to have everything you need so your learning goes without a hitch.”

“I guess that is all okay if you think so…”

“For the rest of the holiday break I am going to treat you like a daughter and call you Michelle. If the rest of school is going to be manageable, you are going to have to learn a lot the next few days. No complaints. Do you understand?”

“Sure.”

“I mean it! No questioning things… Understand?”

“Yes, I will do what ever you tell me to.”

“Good! Let’s go up to your room and see what you have.”

She was surprised how little I had. “It’s only for weekends, mom.”

“Well honey, moving forward is going to be much more difficult to keep switching back and forth so you are going to need a lot more things. For the moment you can borrow some of your sisters clothes.”

She picked out one of my sisters cashmere sweaters and had me put it on. “Now Michelle, I want you to come into my room.”

She rummaged through her desk and gave me a gold charm bracelet and told me to put it on. She then switched out my earrings for hoops style. I thought she was done for the moment when she told me to come into her bathroom and sit on the closed toilet. Her bathroom had mirrors on all of the walls.

She worked on my hair for a few minutes then put a large purple barrette on one side of my face to hold up my hair. She then told me to watch closely as she reached for her makeup kit.

I started to flinch, she then looked me straight in the eyes “no complaints! Besides, I am only giving you a little daytime highlights.”

She took a pencil and framed my eyes. Then she used some powder around my eyes and on my cheek line. She then added a touch of mascara and some light peach lipstick to her work. When I saw myself in the mirror my heart dropped.

I looked so much like my sister that it was freaky. That was no boy in the reflection, rather a cute young college coed. I didn’t know what to say.

“You were going to need to learn how to do this yourself young lady. I will not be around all the time to help you with it.”

I was a little stunned. I kept looking at myself in the mirror with an odd sense of fascination. More than a small part of me was turned on by the pretty reflection in front of me. I knew I should have been repulsed, but I was kind of proud how attractive I turned out.

“I think you look all right, but you need some special care and a haircut. I made us all appointments at Lulu’s salon for Monday afternoon. Nick and his mother are also going. You are getting the works. Normally Lulu’s is closed on Monday, but because we are all going she is opening the shop that afternoon just for us. Lulu is doing me a very big favor.”

“Tomorrow we can go and get you a few things to tide you over. After you look more appropriate we can get you some nicer clothes for school.”

“I have nervous butterflies about all of this. I guess I am in your hands.”

“We need to spend some time this weekend teaching you how to act more like a girl. I also want you to start thinking like a girl. I plan to critique your movements and even how you speak. You also need to learn how to put on makeup. Sasha volunteered to give you lessons this evening.”

I had a light lunch with mom and she even gave me pointers how to eat more ladylike. She adjusted my sitting posture, slowed me down and had me taking much smaller bites. When we finish cleaning up I stopped in the bathroom and for whatever reason it all started hitting me. I stared at my feminized self and even began to cry.

Mom came in to see what was wrong. I told her I had a wave of a motion about my changes and got kind of overwhelmed. I never intended to be taking things this far and while I liked how I looked I was a little scared. She held me and told me everything would be fine. “These are all new feelings for you and soon you will feel even more comfortable with it.”

I spent the rest of the day around the house trying to adjust to my new circumstances. The point of the whole challenge was for Nick and I to understand women and feminism better, well we certainly were learning more than we ever bargained for.

Sasha spent nearly 2 hours with me Saturday evening teaching me about makeup and she even showed me some basic application techniques. The lesson included skin care, daytime makeup, evening makeup, and trashy makeup. At one point she used the example that this makeup was good for just hanging out or going to the library, but when I am out on dates I will want to change my overall look. I gave her a dirty look when she mentioned "dates", but she said she was just trying to make a point.

Sunday was pretty much the same as Saturday, but Jana stopped by. She was so happy to see me and commented how great I looked. I could sense she was pleased that I was still moving forward with her challenge. We hung out for a couple of hours and I filled her in on my new knowledge. She said Monday was going to be so much fun.

Monday morning mom got me out of bed earlier than I expected. She said we had an appointment on the Southside of Chicago before our spa day. Mom dressed me in some stretch styled pants that almost look like tights and an oversized sweater. I almost looked like I was wearing a dress.

We took the short drive to the city and pulled into the parking lot of a place called Sally Ann's corset shop. Before we made our way through the door I could tell it was a women's lingerie and specialty clothing store.

Mom asked for Sally Anne and said she had an appointment. Sally came out from the back and greeted us. Mom said that I was here for a fitting and needed to have a more presentable figure. They chatted in private for a couple of minutes, before Sally asked me to go into the changing area and take off my clothes.

When she entered the room she took some measurements around my whole body she returned quickly with a skin tone colored bra. I had managed to avoid a bra to this point. I have enjoyed the feeling of the camisole, but had not yet been asked or forced to wear a bra as yet. Sally wrapped it around my chest and snapped it in the back. I felt pretty silly with it on since I didn't have any real breasts. A moment later she returned and slipped two heavy jelly filled mounds into the cops.

She smiled and said "much better, don't you think?"

I gave her a wide-eyed look back, but said nothing.

I could hear Sally Saying to mom that a "C" cup would give me the right look. Mom agreed and told her I would need bras for different style clothes. Sally said it would be best if she attached them before finishing the fittings.

Sally sprayed some type of adhesive to the mounds and proceeded to glue them to my chest. These were very realistic looking breast forms and the seams were not very visible. I could feel the weight on my chest and was happy to try on the brassieres as they gave me some support and made them more comfortable.

I also tried on a couple of waste cinchers and a stiffed boned corset. The corset was uncomfortable, but with the new set of breasts the corset gave me an amazing figure. Mom bought everything. I left there with new curves that would be impossible to hide. We bought some additional glue and solvent to remove and to reattach the new breasts. Mom said that today I did not have to wear the corset or cincher because we were going to the salon.

The oversized sweater definitely looked more like a dress now that I had so many curves. We stopped for a light lunch before heading straight to the salon.

We arrived at the salon at almost the exact time that Nick and his mother arrived. I was surprised to see Jana there when we walked in. Lulu and two of her assistants were there to greet us. She had us strip down to our underwear and put on a robe. I was very embarrassed to do this with my newfound prominences. Nick’s eyes bulged when he saw my bra.

"Wow those look so real. You grew breasts."

"Stop kidding with me. My mother took me for these this morning. I am not used to them yet." I was not sure if Nick was shocked by my new features or possibly jealous, either way he kept glancing at them.

We were told that they wanted to get the tough stuff over first. Before we had a chance to inquire they were preparing us with wax on our legs and body. This was a most unpleasant experience. Jana was quick to say not all parts of feeling like a girl are fun or easy. Girls have to work at it. We were raw all over when they finished the waxing job. They rubbed some lotion in, which made us feel a little better.
Next up was a haircut. In the past when I got a haircut it took no more than 10 or 15 minutes. This process however, took over an hour and a half. First they washed our hair and then put some sort of smelly solution into our hair. They then began snipping with very small scissors. After they finished cutting they worked with some sort of strange ironing device on my hair. I was not allowed to see myself during the process. Mom and Jana wanted me to see the full effect all at once.
When Lulu had finished cutting my hair one of her assistants came by to work on my eyebrows. She began plucking them, which was very uncomfortable. She said they needed a little shaping and would look much nicer with my new hairdo. It seem like she had pulled 1000 hairs out before she was done. I still had not seen the effects of their work.

Another one of the assistance came by to work on my makeup. I was surprised that they were doing makeup on me. She told me that it was a special treatment that would last longer than typical makeup. It was strictly for around the eyes. It was called semi-permanent make up. It would give my eyes a little better definition, but still very subtle. If I wanted to really dress up my eyes, she said I would need quite a bit of additional makeup. It was really helpful, for when I did not have the time to fix up my eyes. They would just look a little nicer when I had no makeup on. It was called semi-permanent makeup, because it was meant to last for at least a few weeks. I told her that I did not need it to last a few weeks, because I was only dressing this way for a short while longer. She giggled a little then, said “why would I want to go back to being a boy when I was such a cute girl.”

So that I would see the total effect she added some regular makeup to my face when she was done with the special makeup.

The last thing we were all going to get was manicures and pedicures. Before those began, I was allowed to see myself for the first time. They walked me over to a full-length mirror and I nearly swooned. It did not look like me at all. I looked totally like a college coed from head to toe. There was no giveaway as to my true gender. I didn’t merely look like a girl; I look like an attractive girl. I spun around a couple of times to get the full effect. I like that I looked very good, but was scared that I look to real.

I focused in on my head and was amazed by how they had transformed it. My hair was cut into what I was told was a long bob. I had bangs across my face that was curled under and pretty much straight across. The rest of my hair had a very even length to it. It was slightly shorter in the back than in the front. They had given it a lot more body and added a few highlights to it. It all seemed to flow from the center of my head. With my pencil thin eyebrows there was not a thing that was masculine about my face. I would have no trouble passing as a woman, but I had no idea how I could possibly pass as a man. I guess when the challenge was over I could have my hair cut again, but it would take a long time to get my brows to grow in.

It was then, when I saw my buddy for the first time. My jaw almost fell off . He looked pretty enough to be a cheerleader. His hair had been dyed a more traditional blonde. He too had gotten the eyebrow and makeup transformation. His hair had a beautiful body wave through it. It was parted slightly to the right side of his face with a cascading wave of hair that crossed over his forehead onto the other side. The waves of hair flowed all across his head and ended almost perfectly on his shoulders. I never realized how nice his hair looked, but now it looked unbelievably good. No one would believe that Nick and I were boys, and the makeover had done the trick.

They started working on our feet and hands. Jana and Rita had done manicures on us before, and topped them off with clear polish. This was much more complete. It was the first time during the salon visit that I felt kind of like I was getting pampered. I was soaking my feet and hands and this felt really nice. My fingernails were then only slightly trimmed but given a more oval shape to them. They were then given two coats of deep red polish and some sort of clear polish over them. My toes were done to match.

We had been at the salon all afternoon and I was kind of getting hungry. My mother paid Lulu for all of the afternoon services. I had walked into the salon as a plain Jane and was leaving as a sexy Michelle. It was all a bit overwhelming. My mother made a phone call to Sasha and told her to meet us at Mia Francesca’s for a celebratory dinner. I really did not want to go out looking the way I did. I asked my mother what the celebration was for and she said it was for the birth of her daughter Michelle and her friend Nicole.

I was so nervous in the restaurant for a lot of reasons. Looking and feeling the way I did was something I still was not used to. I was also concerned that the restaurant was too popular with a lot of my friends and their families. What would I say if I ran into somebody I knew there? Mom said, "The way I looked none of my friends would recognize me, and that if anybody did notice us and they would be amazed how nice we looked." That was not very reassuring.

When Sasha greeted me at the restaurant I could see the excitement in her face. She looked me over and told me I looked fabulous. She said that if her boyfriend was there she would have to keep an eye on him around me. She said my new look was a big improvement. I knew she was just complimenting me, but it was as if she felt this was going to be the new me. She also complemented Nicole on her stunning makeover. She continued to joke with us and asked us if we knew which sorority we planned to join. Neither of us commented, but it did get me thinking about life back at school. Living in the dorm, even for only four more weeks was going to be very difficult. I didn't want to think about it much then, but it got me thinking.

I felt fortunate that dinner went smoothly and we did not have to engage in conversation with anyone at the restaurant. I did see an acquaintance from school, but he did not know my family and apparently did not recognize either Nick or myself. I was a little nervous throughout the meal, praying he would not come over to our table.

When we arrived home I was psychologically drained. I was resigned to the fact that at least for the next few days my life would be all girl. With my new look this would be pretty easy. All I would need to do is become more comfortable in the role and work on my mannerisms.

Before bed my mother reminded me that we were going shopping for some new school clothes to complement my new look. I slept until I was told to get up just past the 10 o’clock. I took a long shower and couldn’t help but enjoy the feeling of my totally hairless body. The waxing a eliminated all the stubble and made me smooth all over. The oddest feeling was the water running off my attached breast forms. I found myself getting aroused in the shower.

On my bed and my mother had laid out some clothes for me to wear; a basic pair of dress slacks and a purple satin long-sleeved T-shirt. She also had me put on a pair of black low square heeled pumps with about a 2-inch heel. They had a strap that went around the ankle. I recognized the shoes from Sasha’s collection.

When I was dressed my mother joined me to work on my hair and makeup. She did it in a very instructional way. She wanted me to be able to do it as well as she did. When we were done she put my wallet, makeup, and a brush into one of Sasha’s black leather purses. After a quick bite we were out the door.

On the way to old Orchard shopping mall she made a detour to her doctor’s office on Skokie Blvd. I asked why we were stopping and she said her doctor was kind enough to squeeze in a visit. I did not think much of it until we were inside.

My mother checked in and then we waited for nearly 20 minutes. My mother filled in a medical chart while we waited. Finally, the nurse came out and called for Michelle Johnson. I immediately looked at my Mother, “What’s this all about?”

“With everything you are going through I want you to stay healthy and not harm your body.”

I sort of understood her logic, especially when I considered the birth control pills I had been taking for the past few days. Together, the two of us went into one of Dr. Marigold’s patient rooms. I think this was one of the most embarrassing aspect of the challenge so far.

When we got into the room we had a couple of minutes before the doctor came in. My mother said she made the appointment after Jana confessed to her that she had me on THE PILL.’ My heart sunk, I wondered what my mom must have thought about that. She said that I should not be taking someone else’s prescription drugs and that Jana agreed anything like that should be under medical supervision. I had no idea what I was going to say to the doctor.

Dr. Marigold came in with a medical chart my mother had filled in. She took a very long look at me, “You must be Michelle. Your mother told me all about you over the phone. She explained to me about the transition that you have been going through at school this year. I can see that you have really put your heart into the becoming a woman. You certainly look like a lovely girl. I can imagine it has been very difficult for you to fit in at school.

At that moment, I was more thinking about how I was going to fit in the rest of the semester.

“Your mother tells me that you are very serious about going through this to the end. I am sure that you have given this a lot of thought; otherwise I doubt you would have been taking someone else’s medication. I think it was a very good idea that you came in today.”

I was never very comfortable with the idea of taking those pills. Jana had said the effects on me would be very mild, but I still did not like taking someone else’s prescription medicine, especially medicine meant for a woman. I did not know how to defend my decision to take the pills, so all I said to Dr. Marigold was that I did not think they would have much effect on me.

“She said taking this type of medication should be under doctor supervision and that birth control pills were not healthy for a genetic male. If I wanted to achieve the intended affect, she could provide me with the proper medication.”

I was not sure what she meant by the intended affect, since Jana had merely said it would be good for my skin and slow my hair growth. I had agreed to take them since school would be over in about six weeks.

Mother looked me in the eyes, "If you want to go through with this, it would have to be Dr. Marigold’s way, not with Jana’s pills."

I had no rebuttal to that. I shouldn't be taking anything to begin with. At that point all I wanted to do was get out of the office and get through these last few weeks.

"I understand mom, I am sorry for taking those pills. I only have been taking them for the past five or six days."

The doctor cut in and said she wanted to examine me. She had me sit on a very unusual chair that also served as an examination table. It had stirrups for my feet. I had to take my slacks off and she felt all over my private areas. I wanted to crawl under a rock.

When she was done she said I looked pretty healthy. She asked one more time if I was sure about what I was doing.

"I guess."

"Honey, we are in the doctor's office. If you are not going to go through with this, this is the time to speak up. It's not a time to be uncertain. It is a simple yes or no question."

"Okay then, it is a yes."

Dr. Marigold said that she would prepare the appropriate medication and be right back.

When she left the room my mother gave me a big hug and said "Honey, there is a whole new world out there for you."

A few seconds later, Dr. Marigold returned to the room. She said she had prepared a combination of medications that would work much better than the birth control pills. She asked me to rollover. Once I did I felt a very uncomfortable prick to my rear end. Slowly I felt a warm sensation there. When she was done she told me I could get dressed.

She handed me a bag of sample pills from the cabinet. She told me to take one pill a day after I had some food in my stomach. She had me take the first pill while I was in her office.

She wrote out a prescription so I could refill the pills when I ran out of samples. I ask what they were.

"Michelle, the shot was a very large dose of slow releasing female hormones. The pills are also a different type of hormone that will help you develop properly. You may feel a little nausea in the morning for a few days. When you come home from school at Christmas break I want to see you to check how the meds are working."

I could not believe it. I now have female hormones flowing through my body. What have I done?

"How will I know if they are doing anything?"

"Oh you will know. You should become much more sensitive in certain areas and soon see some redistribution of some of your fatty areas. I am sure that will be just what you are looking for and really enhance your figure."

"Is this stuff permanent?"

"As long as you continue, but I will probably need to give you another booster shot in about 60 days. We can begin to work on any other changes you want after that."

I was going to be living with this beyond the end of the semester. I was stunned that my mother had agreed to let the doctor do this to me. This had gone well beyond the challenge’s game plan, now my mother was making me as girlish as possible.

We headed out to the parking lot and into our car. I asked mother if she understood that the medications would be having such a large impact on me. I was surprised that she let or should I say influenced the doctor to give me those pills and injections.
“Of course Honey, it seemed very clear that this is what you wanted. Since you have been home, you have been throwing yourself into becoming a girl. This just seemed like an important aspect of your transition. Nothing that has been done, cannot be reversed, if this is not what you really want. Even without the meds you seem to be very comfortable in this new role. Let's just see where it leads."

With those comments, we were off to the mall. Our first stop was at Nordstrom's. She had me trying on clothes from virtually every section of the store. Before we left the store, I had four new pairs of slacks, three casual skirts, seven new tops, a brand-new winter coat, one very formal dress, had four new pairs of shoes. We could barely carry everything out of the store into our car. We had spent more money on clothes for Michelle and then I had spent on clothes for Michael in the past two years.

We put those clothes in the car and headed back to the mall. She bought me more lingerie at Victoria secrets and a few more items at Gap and the Limited. At Bloomingdale's she bought me enough makeup to last a lifetime. Our last stop for the day was at a store called 21 forever. We bought a few accessories there and a couple of very short skirts. I now had a very complete wardrobe for a girl my age.

It was nearly 5 o'clock when we got home from our shopping spree. My feet were sore and my head was still spinning. While we were making dinner, Jana called and asked me if I wanted to go to a movie. My mother overheard the conversation and suggested I go with her.

I really wasn't anxious for anyone to see me this way. At the movie theater I was more than likely to run into people that I knew. It just didn't seem like a real smart thing to do. My mom said I had to get out socially to get more comfortable in my new situation. With some reluctance I agreed to go with her. Jana said she would pick me up at 7:30.

We had some dinner with Sasha and filled her in on the day’s events. Even she was a little surprised by the extent of changes that had transpired. She was very happy for me and we seem closer than we had ever been before. After dinner she helped me pick out something to wear for the evening. She had me put on a cute blue blouse, a short skirt and some mod tights. She said it was very attractive, but appropriate for a movie and weeknight evening in town.

When Jana picked me up, I was surprised to see Rita and Nicole in the backseat of her mother’s Audi. It was good to see my friends, but I was still nervous having anyone see me so completely decked out. I could immediately see that Nick was dressed much like me. He looked like some guy’s dream date.

We both complemented each other on our appearance. Neither of us wanted to fill in the other on the extent of our transformation. I never kept secrets from Nick, but I was not ready to spill the juicy details of my doctor visit and shopping spree. I could see from Nick’s new outfit that he was also further along in this unusual path than I had expected.

At the theater we went and sought Avatar for the second time In 3-D. It was strange, but this time I found myself identifying with Neytiri the female Na’vi protagonist. She was a beautiful and brave member of her clan and eventually falls in love with Jake who was an outsider and potential threat. When I saw the movie the first time I liked her character and was attracted to her. Now, I found myself identifying with her.

When the movie ended it was pretty late, but Jana and Rita insisted that we go to Starbucks for a short while. They convinced us by saying it would probably be closing soon anyway. It was only about one third full and we found a couch to lounge in. I was sipping my late’ and noticed some guys across the café looking at us. I did not recognize any of them.

I tried not to look in their direction but I could feel them looking right at us. After a few minutes the three of them came over to our area. The tallest one of the three sat down across from me and introduced himself to me. He said his friends and him saw us at the movie and wanted to know if we liked it. I almost froze up as he clearly was coming on to me.

Aaron introduced his friends, but had targeted me for his attention. He was polite and not to forward, so we all conversed for about 10 minutes. The café’ saved us from more when they announced that they would be closing for the evening. Aaron caught me by surprise by asking me if I might be free Friday night. I smiled at him and told him I was only home for Thanksgiving break and would be going back to U. of I over the weekend. He did not back down and said he we could just have a casual dinner. I said I would have to think about it. Then he asked for my number. I did not want to give it to him so I gave him my number with the last two digits backwards. I thought I was safe when Jana corrected me on the number. I gave her a wide-eyed stare and told him again that I was home with family for only a short time.

In the car I turned to Jana with an angry look on my face and asked her why she gave him my real number. I certainly did not want to go out on a date with a guy and besides; Jana and I was a couple.

Jana got somewhat defensive. She told me to look in the mirror. “ Michelle, right now you are a lovely girl and I want you to enjoy this time and start thinking of yourself that way. Spending some time with a guy will help you truly know what it feels like to be a girl. Remember that is what the challenge is all about. Think of it as a learning experience. Going out on a date and having somebody treat you very nicely could be very enjoyable.”

“But I can’t go out in a date with a guy. What if he figured out that I was not really a girl?”

“Michelle, unless you go to bed with him on the first date, I don’t see anything that would give you away.”

“But Jana… You and I are dating! Even if I were willing to go out on a date that would not be right.”

“You are going through an experience right now that very few people ever get to enjoy. I am sure that inside you have a lot of confusion, but for the near future, you are going to have to adjust to life as a girl. That means learning to be around men and responding as a woman.”

“So you want me to go on dates with men?”

“You know I love you and always will. More than anything, I want what is best for you. I am not a jealous sort and I want you to be happy no matter the circumstances. I started you down this path or at least gave you the first shove. Where it leads will be totally up to you. It would be wrong, if I encouraged you to be an attractive woman, but would not let you experience any of the pleasures that go with that. I am not telling you to date men, but I am also not telling you that you shouldn’t.”

“This is all so crazy. It was like you and my mother are trying to squeeze all the manhood out of me.”

When I got home, I dashed up to my room and jumped on my bed. I was so upset and even began to tear up a little. Maybe it was the hormones, but my world seemed to be crashing down upon me. Running up the stairs in my heels must have woke up my mother. She came into my room to see me laying on my bed crying into my pillow.

I told her what had happened at Starbucks and what Jana said to me in the car. She held me and told me not to worry. She told me that Jana was probably right. Under the circumstances, I needed to act and behave more like a girl. So long as I was Michelle, Jana would have to be more my friend then my girlfriend. She said she always liked Jana and felt that she was very understanding. Like Jana my mother did not see the problem with me dating men. I was hoping she would put her foot down, but in light of everything that my mother had done with me, her reluctance should not have come as a surprise. I kissed her goodnight and got ready for bed. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and we invited Nick and his mother to join us for the holiday.

When I woke in the morning I thought I was going to throw up. The doctor said I might be nauseous in the morning, but that was an understatement. My nipples were sore and it felt like I was having hot flashes. I spent a few minutes hanging over the toilet before lying back down. There was no way I was going to have breakfast. Anything that would’ve gone down my throat would not have stayed down long.

An hour or so later I felt better. I came in and helped Sasha and my mother prepare the house for Thanksgiving and stuffed the turkey. When the house was ready and the turkey was in the oven I went upstairs to prepare myself for our guests. After showering I fixed up my hair and makeup. It was the first time I had completely done it on my own and I think I did a reasonably good job. I picked out a red pair of corduroy slacks and a silver-gray peasant blouse to wear over it. I wore a pair of Mary Jane slip on shoes to complete the look. I was dressed very neatly and not too dressy.

My cell phone rang before I had a chance to go downstairs. I did not recognize the number and answered it. It was Aaron. There was not much I could do since I had already answered the phone. He asked how I was doing and how my Thanksgiving was going. He made a lot of Smalltalk before getting to the point. I could tell he was really interested in me. After talking to him for a while I became more comfortable chatting with him. He seemed like a nice guy and if I had met him while I was dressed as Mike, maybe we could have become friends. Before our conversation was over he asked me if I would have dinner with him. I thought about what Jana and my mother had said, so I agreed. He suggested a little Italian place called Hole in the Wall. I loved Italian food so it was set. I would see him Friday evening.

A few weeks back I was your average College guy and now I was dressed head to toe is a girl going out on a date with another guy. It seemed I was more popular as a girl then I was ever as a boy.

I told Sasha of the call when I got downstairs. She practically jumped up and down three times. She was so excited about my first date. She wanted to know more about Aaron and if he was cute.

"How do I know what cute is?"

"Come on you know what I mean. What is he like?"

"He is okay. I would say he's about 6 foot tall with very dark hair. He looks like a guy."

"This is going to be so much fun for you. Your first date! Remember, you are a girl now, so don't be too aggressive."

"You don't have to worry about that. I am just having dinner and then coming home."

"If he's buying you a nice dinner, you are probably going to at least give him a goodnight kiss."

"Get real! No Way! We are just going to talk and that's it."

"Did you tell mom yet?"

"No, do I have to."

"Of course you do, she is also going to be very excited."

A few minutes before our guests arrived I told my mother about my Friday evening plans. She seemed all right with it and said she hoped I would enjoy it. "It's only a first date, so don't be too nervous."

Nick and his mother came over about four o'clock. It was hard to think of Nick as anything but a Nikki or Nicole anymore. And there was very little left of my old friend Nick. Nikki looked lovely. She had on a sleeveless burgundy dress that was very form fitting. Nikki said they had picked it up at Anne Taylors. Nikki was also wearing patent leather shoes with a high narrow heal. She had on dangling gold earrings with a matching bracelet. I think she had some sort of breast forms like mine. When she took a step I could see a natural bounce in her breasts. She was probably a little over dressed, but she looked beautiful and convincing. Obviously we had been going through similar experiences since we’ve been home from school.

I wonder if anything would have been different had either Nick or myself had a male figure in the house to discourage the changes. My mom was divorced and Nick’s father had died long ago. I had a sister, but she had done nothing but encourage me along this path.

Nikki and I spent a lot of time that evening talking about just about everything. We were even able to laugh about what had happened to us. It certainly made it easier knowing that my best friend could relate to what was happening to me. I am sure he felt the same way.

After dinner, Nikki asked if Aaron had ever called. I told him he had and that I was would be having dinner with him on Friday. I expected him to be appalled, but instead Nikki asked if Aaron’s friend had asked about him. Strangely Nikki was a little jealous that I was going out on a date. I told Nikki I would ask Aaron if he said anything.

On a more serious subject we discussed what we were going to do when we got back to school. There would be no way for us to hang out in the dorms looking like we did. Nikki said our moms had chatted about that, and were working on a plan. His mom told Nikki not to worry.

When they were leaving I gave Nikki a hug and a gentle kiss on the cheek. I would never have done that with my old friend Nick. He told me to have fun Friday evening and he wanted to hear all the juicy details.

We took it easy most of the day on Friday. Sasha insisted that I go to the mall with her to do a little holiday shopping. The Friday after Thanksgiving is always the traditional kickoff for Christmas shopping. She thought it would be fun for two sisters to shop together for the first time. Most of the time we spent in women’s clothing stores. She started a game where we would both try on the same dress and see which one of us it looked better on. Sasha was a very beautiful girl, but we both had to agree a few of them looked better on me. I think I spent more time smiling that afternoon then I had since I had been home from school. We were only out for a couple of hours but it was a great time.

Sasha insisted on helping me get ready for my date that evening. She picked out my clothes, which included a very feminine skirt that seemed to bubble out at the bottom. She matched it up with a low-cut ultra soft sweater that accentuated my cleavage. I wore one of her necklaces and a pair of her earrings that looked really nice with the outfit. She did my makeup and made it a little dressier than I was used to. It was more makeup than I had ever worn and I had to admit I looked pretty hot. I still was not sure about going out on a date, but if I was going to go out, I wanted to look my best.

Aaron picked me up at 7:15 to take me to dinner. I could tell when he saw me that inside he was drooling. I wanted to look attractive, but at that moment I felt like I was a lamb going out for slaughter. He said I looked amazing and that he was so happy I would go out with him that night.

We had a very nice dinner and spent more time talking about him than me, which was probably a pretty good thing. He graduated a year ago from Iowa and was working in his father’s packaging business. He apparently had a pretty good business mind and was being groomed to take over the business. I enjoyed talking with him though we had very little in common. He was a gentleman throughout the evening and made me feel very comfortable and relaxed. We have a very long and slow dinner, which included dessert and an after dinner drink.

I reminded him that we were only going for dinner and that I needed to get home. He made an effort to see if I would go to a music club with him for one more nightcap. I told him again that we had agreed that it would be just dinner. He said “okay” and began to drive me home via a very indirect route. When we got home he rushed around the car to open my door and walked me to the front door. I thanked him for a nice evening and before I had a chance to turn and go into the house, he leaned over and gave me a gentle kiss on the lips. I had not expected that and did not know how to respond. It was not a long kiss, but it probably lasted two or 3 seconds. All I could say, was I had to go. I quickly scurried into the house.

My sister was grinning from ear to ear as I entered the house. She wanted me to speak first, but couldn't contain herself.

"Well how was your date? Did he sweep you off your feet? Is he a good kisser?"

"STOP! Quit teasing me. Dinner was good and that was it."

"It must've been very good. I saw you on the steps."

"Were you spying on me? He surprised me and I didn't have time to react."

"Sorry Michelle, It just looked like you were really enjoying it."

"It was all so surreal. Dinner was nice and I was not too uncomfortable, but Aaron was so into himself."

"Guys are like that a lot."

"He was an okay sort, but we really didn't have much in common to talk about. At the end of the evening he caught me by surprise with the kiss."

So he's not Mr. Right, but it was your first date and kiss. Did you enjoy it?"

"I just told you the evening was okay."

"No I mean the kiss."

After a long pause, "It was not like kissing Jana, I really enjoy kissing Jana. I really didn't feel much."

"Well at least you didn't feel yucky... That's a start."

"A start?"

Saturday we spent most of the day together as a family. I had this same conversation with my mother in the morning. It was a relaxing day and I was becoming more comfortable in my new persona.

We would be going back to school on Sunday and I was scared to show up as Michelle. I was much relieved when mom called me into the family room to discuss some changes for school.

"I have spoken to the school and told them that you were going through some personal issues that were difficult to adjust to. For the spring semester you will be moving into an apartment that is a couple of blocks from where you live now. You will not have to stay in the dorm. There was not much they could do for the rest of fall session however, so I got you a special rate and you are going to stay in the Holiday Inn suites until the semester ends. It may not be as convenient, but I think you and Nikki will be more comfortable there."

I was so grateful that I would not have to stay in the dorm anymore. All I would have to do was pick up my stuff in my old room and get out of there. Mom said she would drive us back to school Sunday morning so we could have the car to move our stuff.

It was nice not having to go back to the dorm for the spring semester, as some of the physical changes might carry over for a while. It would just be easier to live with a little more privacy.

I called Nicole only to find that she was out with the Rita doing some clothes shopping. Things were looking up a bit.

BACK TO SCHOOL:
When we arrived back at school on Sunday we had quite a lot of luggage to bring to our new room. It was a one-bedroom suite with twin beds and a little kitchenette. We unpacked our new clothes and hung it in the closet. We headed over to our old dorm room to get the rest of our stuff. We wanted to get in and out of there early before most of the kids returned to school. Our mothers helped us pack up most of our clothes and the rest of our things to get them out of the room. I didn't notice at the time, but our moms put most of our boy clothes into plastic bags to bring back to Highland Park. Only a few of our gender-neutral T-shirts made their way over into our new room. Our wardrobes were now entirely female.

We had a late lunch with our mothers before they headed back up north. We were now going to have to adjust to school as Michele and Nicole. The next five weeks would be like none other in our lives.

We actually enjoyed living in our new suite. We got daily cleaning service and the room was nicer than the dorm. The adjustment to school was not as difficult as I had imagined. Almost all of our classes were lecture style classes with very little one-on-one with teachers or their assistance. We were pretty free to be ourselves or should I say our new selves.

The only real downside was that we saw a little bit less of Jana and Rita. They still lived in the dorm and it was more difficult for us to get private time with them. They spent a few nights over in our new room, but with all of us there it was more like friendship then anything sexual. Our relationships seemed to be shifting more towards really good friends than that of lovers.

There were many times when we were studying or just out with the girls that we attracted the attention of some guys. Nicole and I we're starting to get used to it. I saw Nikki flirting a couple of times, but never said anything. Our girl friends had encouraged us at every step of the way and even seemed to want us to interact with more guys and said it would be okay if we wanted to date. When we were guys they never would have let us date other girls, but now they were encouraging us to develop new relationships. We were very confused by the new attitude of the girls. They seem more concerned that we were adjusting to living as girls than to any sexual relationship. We both miss that aspect of our friendship, but under the circumstances did not know how to act more aggressive

The last four weeks of any semester are always the most difficult. With term papers and final exams the focus always has to be on academics. Nikki and I used this opportunity to concentrate on school and not so much on our current lifestyle. We also did not have as much time for social activities as in prior weeks.

It did not take long for me to notice the effects my new girl pills was having on me. My body hair, which was light to begin with, was now becoming very soft and growing very slowly. It was almost translucent. More disconcerting to me was some obvious swelling in my chest and around my hips. I was still wearing my attached breast forms, but with the swelling I was getting even larger up top. I realize that there might be some swelling from the drugs, but it was more and faster than I anticipated. I was getting used to having cleavage but I was concerned that the swelling might last well beyond the end of the challenge. I could see that Nikki's body was also showing signs of change.

I think the drugs were also having an impact on me psychologically and internally. I was becoming more emotional and less concerned with holding onto any macho edge. I also found that when I was around girls on campus my interest in their fashion and style was blinding me to any interest in them sexually. I was getting a little nervous that the drugs and lifestyles were really messing with me mentally. I had been pushed into this situation gradually, and now it was becoming too natural.

The last of our final exams were now completed and winter break was finally arriving. We were exhausted by the marathon studying sessions that had just ended and were looking forward to some R. and R.

When Nikki and I finished our last finals on Tuesday afternoon we went out to celebrate. We called Rita in Jana and we all met up at Kamm’s for beer. We were all in good spirits and running on adrenaline from the busy last weeks.

We toasted to school being over and nearly 3 weeks of break that was ahead. We had survived another semester, one that included the most unusual personal challenges of our lives.

Jana raised a toast "congratulation on winning the challenge. You both took this further and deeper than even we expected."

"Thank you, it feels good to know we made it and I'm glad it's finally over."

"Are you really? You seem so comfortable as Michelle. It's hard for me to see Michael."

"I am Michael! I guess I have enjoyed some of this, but the challenge is over. This should all be a memory pretty soon."

"Well if it's only a memory that would be a shame. You seem like such a natural Michelle. You too Nikki.”

"I have really enjoyed getting all this attention and will miss being Nikki."

"I am sure Nikki will be visiting a lot in the future" said Rita.

"I think you're right Rita. When this started I was very uncomfortable, but now it feels so liberating and natural."

"Nikki, I have to admit being a girl has been fun, but remember we are not really girls."

"Just because you have that thing between your legs do not make you a man. Look at you, you've changed so much both physically and mentally that you are as much Michelle as Michael."

"Jana, enough, tomorrow we are all heading home and my mother knows this marks the end of the challenge. Let's change the subject..."

CHRISTMAS BREAK:
Taking the train home was no fun since we basically had to take our whole wardrobe home. We were able to put the rest of our school stuff into storage before heading home. It was strange but getting our luggage onto the train was not as difficult as I expected, because some guys were quick to help us. A pleasant smile was all that was needed to give them as a tip.

We all got a warm reception when we were picked up at Union Station. My mom kissed me and told me I looked lovely. She seemed really pleased at my development. She probably noticed subtle changes that even I did not see.

When we got home I took a shower and dressed casually in some of my girl jeans and a red sweater. It would take some work to remove all of my female vestiges, so I thought it better to keep the charade going for at least a while longer.

Mom was very curious to see how I had adapted and was very observant of my mannerisms. I continued to take the Michelle role, because it felt more comfortable with the way I was dressed. She let me know I had a follow-up appointment with the doctor the next morning. She also told me my sister would be coming home that evening.

The next morning at my mother's insistence I wore a skirt and white wraparound blouse. The outfit showed off my new curves and was very feminine. I like looking my best, but I thought this appointment was going to mark the beginning of the end for Michelle. This was a strange way to dress under the circumstances.

This time we did not have to wait long to see the doctor. Dr. Marigold seem very pleased when she saw me. She had me strip down and get into the strange chair again. She used some solvent and removed the attached breast forms from my chest. It felt so good to have those removed. My skin was a little red from where the glue had been stuck. She measured me in various places and even held my penis while she looked it over. It had been hidden between my legs so long that it appeared to be smaller and somewhat shriveled.

"Well Michelle you have made so much progress. You have developed so nicely. You managed very well since I saw you, but now I think you can get away without the glued on breast forms now."

"That's good, I was looking forward to not needing them anymore. "

"I am going to give you two more shots. Once these have a chance to circulate through your system for a couple of weeks, I do not think that you will need any special equipment to look totally natural."

The doctor proceeded to inject me with the drugs and also gave me some cream that she said would help if my chest felt warm over the coming days.

"You now have very well developed breast that appear to be approximately a size B cup. You are very lucky to have your mother's bone structure. I think ultimately you should be a full size C like your mother and sister."

"What? Won't those shots help?"

"Of course, the first one was a booster shot like the one I gave you before and the second one should help block the rest of the testosterone your body is kicking out. I am sure that is not much, but this should help you feel completely like a girl."

I nearly passed out. I thought I was coming here to unwind my changes, but instead I was being pushed further into the abyss.

"This can't be happening. What about being Michael again? "

"Well if you have to much trouble adjusting we can start some counter course of action in 2 to 3 months, I'm not sure if all of the effects would be totally reversed. I am sure you will adjust fine. You have come so far in such a short time. Any lingering doubt will probably subside as you become more chemically Michelle in the coming weeks."

I was a loss for words. My mother knew what was happening and had encouraged it at almost every step. I felt stunned by the turn of events and stared at myself quietly in the mirror of the patient room. Looking at me was a very pretty girl. Should I be furious, angry or bitter, all I could see was a young lady that was staring back at me. I sat there quietly as my mother and doctor had some private discussions.

Dr. Marigold gave us the name of a psychologist that she wanted me to see. She also wanted to see me in another eight weeks.

"I know that going through this whole thing is difficult and you probably wish it could be over quickly, but this takes time. You will become more adjusted and we can move along at the right pace for you. When the time is right we can discuss any surgical steps that may be needed. Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves for now."

I left the office feeling somewhat defeated. I think my mother could see that in my posture and face.

"Honey, whenever I feel down, you know what I do? "

"What Mom?"

"I go shopping. Let's stop at Northbrook court and get you some nice new things."

I didn't say anything, but I sheepishly nodded okay. We went straight to Neiman Marcus.

Only a short while ago I was totally depressed by my predicament. Now, here I was trying on some beautiful and expensive new clothes. I really like some of their designer styles and quickly found myself reacting so girlishly. We ended up buying me a few new bras that fit my now rapidly developing bosom. Two of them were padded styles and another two were push-up styles to show off what I had on top. By the time we left the store I was feeling much better and was no longer depressed.

When I met Sasha that evening I wore one of the new outfits. It had a Vera Wang short flouncy skirt and an Escada, three-quarter-length sleeve top with a low revealing scoop neckline. Mother insisted that I wear one of the new push-up bras. Sasha looked happier than I had ever seen her, but her jaw dropped when she saw me. She gave me a big hug and all she could say was, “Wow!”

Moments later her smile grew even wider and she looked like she was going to explode, then she flipped the back of her left hand up and into my face. Even as a guy I could see what this meant. She was engaged.

"I am so happy. I love him so much. He surprised me after finals. It took me all of 2 seconds to scream “YES!”

"Does mom know?"

"Yes, I told her last night, but I made her promise I could tell you today. She has not seen my ring though."

"It is huge. That's a very large stone."

"It's a sapphire cut diamond."

"You two graduate in the spring, any idea when you might tie the knot?”

"We haven't picked the date, but we want to do it this summer before Alex starts law school."

"That's pretty quick."

"We plan to get married in New York at his parent's country club. It is supposed to be dreamy. We just need to find a weekend when we can get the place."

"Wow, I am so happy for you. You deserve the best."

"Michelle, I want to ask you a big favor."

"Sure anything, what can I do?"

"I want you to be my Maid of Honor."

"I, I, don't know. Are you serious? What about Nina? She's a very close friend. If not her, don't you have another friend who you are real close. “I am going to ask Nina to be a bridesmaid, but I want you to be my Maid of Honor."

"What will his family say? What will Alex say? How does he feel about it?"

“I already discussed it with him. He has known about you since Thanksgiving and his family and best man said it would be fine with them. They are pretty cool people and just want Alex and me to be happy."

"Well if you really want me... How can I say no. So much has happened to me lately, why should this surprise me."

"Michelle, let's go tell mom."

Mother was so excited for both of us. She too was a little surprised that Sasha had selected me to be her Maid of Honor, but didn't object to the choice. She loved Sasha’s engagement ring and we opened a bottle of champagne to celebrate.

Mother proceeded to fill me in on many of the responsibilities of being Maid of Honor. It certainly would be more than just showing up at the wedding in a beautiful dress. I would have to attend at least one wedding shower and help with much of the planning. It would mean that I would have to come home many weekends during the spring semester to assist the family in getting ready.

I called Nikki with the big news. He could not believe that she had selected me to be her Maid of Honor.

"I guess this means you're going to be living as a girl full time. Nothing in between for you Michelle. You are going to have to become the best girl you can."

"Nikki, I do not know if you know this, but my mother took me to a doctor and has started me on some very strong female hormones. It's called hormone replacement therapy. I am not only looking more and more like a girl, but chemically it is making me more like a real girl. It's a lot like the pills the girls gave us, but much more effective in the results."

"I assumed you knew. My mother took me to a doctor as well. A Dr. Marigold and she started me on a regiment of female hormones. I really enjoy being a girl, but when they put me on the drugs I was a little scared. I have noticed a lot of changes in my body. If you saw me completely naked right now you would probably think I was a girl, except for the little thing between my legs."

"I guess we are on the same type of drugs. I have no idea how it got this far, but it looks like we're going to be girlfriends for a long time."

I felt a little less strange knowing that my best buddy was also experiencing the same physical changes as me. Our mothers apparently had been working together to help us through this transition. Growing up, I would never expected my mom to want me to do this, however her lack of reluctance to put an end to this challenge makes me think that she too wanted this. Someday I will have to have a conversation with her.

A short while after my conversation with Nikki, I was informed that we would be going to New York for the holidays. We were going to meet Alex's family and spend New Year's Eve at the country club. It would be an opportunity for our two families to get to know each other better.

I told my mother I was very nervous about going to New York as Michelle. She said they would be expecting Michelle, because we told them you were becoming Michelle full-time. This was true, but I had never really heard her say that until just then.

She told me that we would have to go to the Secretary of State's office the next day to get me a new identification. My driver’s license said Michael and my picture hardly looked like the new me. I asked her how we would be able to do that, and she informed me that the doctor had given us a form signed by her explaining the changes that I was going through. Based upon Doctor consent, I can get a new drivers license reflecting my female gender. This would allow me to fly, when we traveled to New York.

There was not going to be a lot of time before we left for New York and she said I needed to get some special clothes for the trip. I told her that we had bought me so much recently but I really didn't need anything more. She said we would be going out to some fancy dinners and I would need some sort of formal dress for New Year's Eve. I would not need a lot of things, but the things that we would get had to be very nice. She had a special sales representative at Saks in Highland Park and made an appointment for the next day for both Sasha and me.

I thought it was crazy how much we spent at Saks that afternoon. I only bought four complete outfits and the totals were outlandish. Mom told us that her girls only get married once. It did make me feel special knowing how much my mother enjoyed buying me beautiful clothes. She had never taken anywhere near that much interest in buying me clothes before.

We traveled to New York the day after Christmas. We had spent an enjoyable Christmas Day at home together. All of the presents I received reflected my newfound gender. Not a single one of the gifts would have been appropriate for a boy. I didn't seem to care. I think my favorite gift was some new jewelry that Sasha had picked out for me.

The day we arrived in New York we had dinner planned with Alex's family and his best man Mark. It was planned for a fancy steakhouse just off the park. We stayed at the Essex House, which was only a couple of blocks away. Alex had only one sister who was a couple of years older than him and not yet married.

I was dressed for the tens for dinner that evening. My mother wanted to make a good impression to Alex’s family. She wanted them to think of me totally as a girl when they saw me for the first time. She did not want any ambiguity so she had me dressed ultra femininely. She had made a short appointment for me at the hotel salon to freshen up my hair and makeup. Before heading out to dinner I looked at myself in the mirror and even I was impressed. I was wearing a blue faux colored Dior chiffon dress that ended mid thigh. My developing cleavage was clearly visible. I was wearing black pumps, which was a style of shoes that I was just getting comfortable walking around in. There was absolutely nothing boy in the image.

When we met their family they were very cordial, but clearly gave me a very slow look over. Obviously they were very curious to see what I looked like. I was not offended in the least, because if I were in their shoes I probably would have done the same. Based upon the way they treated me, I think I passed their inspection. Shortly after we arrived, Alex's close friend and best man, Mark walked in. Alex and Mark had been friends most of their lives.

Mark was also a pre-law student at Northwestern with Alex. We were introduced to each other and he too looked me over with a roving eye. When it was time to sit down we were seated next to each other at the long table. He was quite the gentleman and treated me very royally. At first I was not sure if he was on orders from Alex, but his kindness seem very genuine. We spent much of the night chatting.

I certainly had very little experience spending time as a woman with a man, but being with Mark was enjoyable. We had a lot in common including our shared interest in soccer. Mark claimed to be a very good soccer player, which would not have surprised me since he seemed to be in excellent physical shape. He was definitely aware of my unusual gender identity, but did not seem in the least disturbed by it. Every so often I could see my mother or Sasha look over at me and smile. I think they were happy that I was enjoying myself, especially in the company of Mark.

When the evening came to an end I was almost disappointed to be going back to our hotel. It was one of the very few social nights out I had in a long time, and it felt so nice. Alex's family seemed very nice and I have to admit I enjoyed the company of his friend Mark.

About 45 minutes after we got back to the hotel and into our rooms, Sasha knocked on my door. I invited her in and we opened one of those little bottles of wine in the mini refrigerator. It was a nice moment with my sister and I told her how nice I thought Alex's family was. She would be marrying into a very nice family.

She proceeded to tell me that Mark told Alex that he really thought I was very special. Mark felt a little confused by his feelings and related that to Alex. He told Alex that if he had not known about my birth gender he would definitely be interested in me. He found me both interesting and very attractive, according to Alex. Alex told him he would not have a problem with whatever Mark wanted to do.

I remember thinking about what my sister said when I laid in bed that evening. I could not help thinking about Mark and how I would feel if he actually called. I had been out once before on a date as Michelle, at that time I pretty much had to be pushed into it. This time I was actually hoping he might call. I was having those little butterflies floating around inside of me. It was a new of emotion that I was not sure how to handle.

The next day shortly before lunch I received a phone call... It was Mark. I answered the call thinking it was probably my mother or Sasha and was a little jolted by the realization that it was Mark. I took a couple of deep breaths before I continued the conversation with him. He asked if I had enjoyed the dinner the previous evening and I was quick to say yes. I may have been a bit too obvious, but I told him it was a lot of fun and meeting him was nice.

Mark asked if we were enjoying our visit to New York and if we had many plans. I told him that we planned to spend time with Alex's family, but were keeping the schedule flexible.

"I might seem a little forward, since you are only in town for a few days, I was wondering if you would like to join me for dinner and a show. That is, if you have the time. I know my way around the city and thought it might be fun to share some time with you."

There was a long pause between us. I could tell he was somewhat nervous, but there was a sweetness in his voice that was very appealing. Part of me knew that I was still a boy, but the rest of me knew that I needed to be more like the girl that I resembled.

"You are so kind. I would enjoy spending some time away from the family in the city. I am not sure what everyone else is doing, but I'm sure I could make myself available tomorrow. What did you have in mind?"

"How about I swing by the hotel and get you around six. We can take in an early dinner and a Broadway show. Any particular show you would really like to see?"

"Wow, that sounds great. I have seen so few shows recently, any show would be wonderful."

"Well then it's a date. I will see you tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of the day."

I was floating over my bed when I hung up the phone. I was actually going out on a formal date with a guy that I thought was nice. What was I thinking? How should I act? My mind was in a tizzy.

I called Sasha to let her know Mark called. She hung up the phone as soon as I told her. I thought at first you might have been upset, but 3 seconds later she was knocking on my door. She entered the room with an infectious giggle gyrating through her body. She was so thrilled by the news and seemingly more excited than me.

"He is such a great guy, you're going to have such a great time. Alex said he could not get over meeting you and decided he just had to get to know you better. If I wasn't so in love with Alex I would be jealous. I know it is only a date, but he is such a great catch."

"Are you forgetting I am also a guy?"

"Come on Michelle. You have to stop thinking like that. Look at you, you are a girl and you have to start thinking like one."

"How will I know how to act on the date?"

"Don't ask, just be you. Remember you are a girl and should respond like any girl would. You did pretty well kissing that guy you didn't even care about."

"I am so nervous. What if I make an idiot of myself? I don't want to ruin anything for your wedding."

"Don't worry, I’m not. Just enjoy yourself. Being nervous is a good feeling. It means you are anxious and excited."

"I think you are right. What should I wear and can you help me get ready tomorrow?"

"Of course. I think you should wear the new Versace dress with the Ferragamo heels that we just bought at Saks. You look so stunning in that dress, it will drive him crazy."

“I am not sure I am ready to drive a man crazy yet."

"It's just a figure of speech. You won't have any trouble keeping his interest for the evening. It will help you get over any nervous faux pas you might experience."

"Okay then, but what will mom say?"

"Are you kidding, she will be thrilled. She told me at dinner last night you two would make a great couple."

I hardly remember anything that happened up until my date the following evening. I could not think of anything but the rapidly approaching date. I was trying to make myself think like a girl, but the more I consciously thought about it that way, the more I was not sure if I should go through with it. I really liked Mark, but what if we hit it off. Then what? My stomach kept churning the more I thought about it.

By the time I was ready to go I was on pins and needles. Sasha had done my makeup and I looked my seductive best.

Mark picked me up promptly at six o'clock. He looked absolutely handsome. He wore a black jacket and turtleneck sweater. I could see the sparkle in his green eyes when he walked through the door and saw me. If he had any regrets they were probably erased in that moment. He took my hand and escorted me out of the room.

It was a chilly December evening as Mark and I grabbed a cab to Le Bernardin on 7th Ave. I could feel shivers up and down my nylon encased legs as we stepped into the evening air. Inside the cab Mark opened a conversation with a complement. "You look stunning... I am at a loss for words on how absolutely ravishing you look this evening."

"Thank you, am I blushing?"

"If the glow in your face is blushing, then yes."

"Stop it. You look very handsome yourself."
The cab ride was very short. But by the time we arrived I think we both had gotten over our jitters and were much more comfortable. We made our way to a very romantic corner table at the restaurant. It was a French style bistro and the atmosphere was very European. Everything seemed just so perfect despite the fact that I knew deep inside that I was not the girl next door. As recently as a few days ago I could not imagine staring into the eyes of some man... But across from me was a gentleman that I was having feelings for. Could I have changed so much? Maybe, it was always there. In any event, here I was, being charmed by someone I really wanted to get to know better.

So many of these inner feelings were new to me. Mark was drawing out emotions that I did not know were inside of me. He never made me feel like a fraud or anything less than a beautiful lady. I was honest with him, but it never occurred to me to suggest being a woman was anything but my deepest desire.

Somewhere following our main course just prior to us sharing a desert, I found Mark holding my hand across the table. I do not remember him taking my hand, but it was a nice feeling as he slowly rubbed and squeezed my hand. Our conversation was mostly about the present and future. We talked about family and interests. As a woman, I had not really thought about where my future might lead. We avoided talking much about the past. I think that was Mark's way of not making me feel uncomfortable discussing my changes. I suspect my past sexuality must have been on his mind, but his attitude and behavior did not suggest that.

When we braved the cold again after dinner he put his arm around me. This was a natural reaction due to the cold, but it felt so comfortable with our bodies so closely together. We walked the short distance to the theater to see Wicked. It was a little difficult for me to keep balance in my heels on the slick pavement, but we made it.

When we made our way into the theater vestibule we were both chilled. Mark started rubbing my arms to get my circulation going and warm me up. We were facing each other shaking out the cold when I found myself looking up into his eyes. My gaze brought his warming motion to a stop. We looked at each other for a frozen moment and then he tilted his head slightly and kissed me very gently on my lips. I felt transfixed on the moment. I could feel my lips warm then I pressed forward so he could sense my approval. He kissed me a second time with more authority and intensity. It was an electric moment like nothing I could ever imagine.

In that moment I was 100% woman. I was so impassioned with Mark and my new feelings, that I could hardly contain myself. In that theater vestibule I no longer questioned my desires, I knew what I wanted and he was standing there across from me.

We enjoyed the production of Wicked. It was a beautiful musical and a perfect addition to our magical evening. I spent much of the show with Mark's arm around me. The show was only a distraction to the emotions that were flowing through my body. I did not want the show to end. I was so content for the first time in a very long time.

It was only our first date, but the chemistry between us was very magical. I had dated Jana for such a long time maybe I had forgotten about that sparkle that occurred in new relationships. I was now on the other side of the fence and I enjoyed being the pursued rather than the pursuer. I certainly did not play hard to get, and get me he did.

It was already very late and it was our first date, so he escorted me back to the hotel. I did not want the day to end, but I did not want to ruin one of the most enjoyable evenings of my life. I was on female hormones, but I was obviously not a full functioning woman. I was looking forward to continuing the relationship with Mark, but there would be some obvious limitations.

He walked me to my room and gave me a very memorable goodnight kiss. I felt like a piece of chocolate melting in his hands. He said he would call me the next day and hoped we could find time to get together again very soon. I made him promise to call me before noon. I drifted into my room and sat on my bed in a strange state of euphoria. I did not cry but I did feel very emotional. I had reluctantly gone down this path to womanhood, but here I was in such a short time totally enamored with a man I just met.

I was not allowed to sleep in the next morning with Sasha and my mother joining me in my room before 9 AM. They could see by my expression how my date had gone. Based upon my detailed description of my evening they knew my feminine destiny was now a certainty. It seemed like such a perfect relationship to them, forgetting I had only been living as a girl for a few weeks. In their mind, Mark and I were an item and deep down I felt that way too.

Later after Sasha went to change my mother and I had a heart to heart talk. She told me how happy she was that I had all allowed myself to discover my true self. She said she always thought I had qualities to be a lovely lady and wife some day, maybe even a mother. She did not want to push me that way, but was not surprised that I turned out this way.

I was stunned to hear her say that, as I had never thought of myself in feminine terms. Maybe my personality was less than macho, but I never doubted my manhood. I could not deny I was feeling wonderful living these past days as Michelle. I could not see myself as Michael anymore.

After sharing her feelings she turned the discussion to more practical things. "Honey you are becoming a beautiful woman, but the transition will take some time. You are going to have to be patient with your social life as some of the changes may take some time."

I was pretty sure I understood what she meant and could feel myself get a little flush as the reality of her comments sent in. We were talking about completely erasing all aspects of Michael. These past few days convinced me that she was probably right, but the thought of it was still kind of unnerving.

"You are going to need to be on the hormone replacement therapy for a while and see a psychologist, before they let you take the next step. You will be Michelle, but it could be a long while until you are a completely functioning young lady."

"Mark or any other suitor will have to wait for our girl to go through her puberty. Do you understand? When we get home we can make some appointments for you and maybe establish a longer-term plan."

I was now ‘all in’ and my days as Michael were effectively over. The future would be full of new experiences and probably some difficult periods. For now I would have to re-think a lot of things. Of immediate importance was my new relationship with Mark.

Mark did call me the next morning and I managed to spend a great majority of the remainder of the trip with him seeing the sights of New York. It was a glorious time and we fell for each other in the biggest way. Being his girlfriend seemed to have a great impact on my personality. It made me feel so completely feminine and comfortable in my new skin.

On New Year's Eve we all went to Alex parent’s country club. I was dressed in a Donna Karan formal down looking my absolute best. Mark was dressed in his tux and we spent much of the evening dancing. I felt like the luckiest woman on the planet. I will probably always remember the feeling I had at midnight when we embraced and kissed each other in full view of everyone there. While others had also had midnight kisses, ours was full of such striking a motion and on display for the whole family.

It was clear we were more than just friends... We were in love. It was a very special moment and marketing more obvious commitment between us. Unfortunately, we all would be going back to home and back to school the next afternoon. Mark and I agreed that we would figure out how to make the relationship work and spend as much time together as possible.

Back at the hotel I spent an hour in Sasha's room crying. I did not want to leave Mark and New York. She assured me that if I truly loved him it would all work out. After all he was going to school in Evanston at Northwestern and plan to start law school there as well. She cheered me up somewhat, but I was still having trouble adjusting to my crazy new set of emotions. The hormones were clearly flowing through my body.

TRANSITIONING AT SCHOOL:

The spring semester was a busy time for me. In addition to the rigors of school I was traveling home almost every weekend to help Sasha with her wedding plans and to spend as much time as possible with Mark. The few weekends that I did not go north he came down to spend time with me.

My transition was in full swing and the HRT had done a phenomenal job providing me with luscious curves. My hips had widened and my breasts were a healthy ‘C’ cup. My penis was basically useless and I was ready to take the next step. The doctors would not allow that until I had been living full-time for at least a year. We sort of fudged my starting date so I would be able to have surgery before school would begin the following fall. It was a scary thought, but being in love made that decision easy.

Nicole was developing into a lovely woman as well. She too had put her life as Nick behind her. She had begun dating a few weeks after we got back to school. It was not as easy for her as our unusual status had its limitations. She had a couple of bad experiences, but did find one guy near the end of the semester that she started dating regularly. She had told him early on about her past, and he still was very interested in her. I really was hoping things would work out for them.

Jana and Rita remained very good friends. We still spend a lot of time with them, but now it was as friends not lovers. They were happy that they were able to help us find our true selves. They seem to know before us what we wanted and for that we would always be grateful.

Mark never showed any regrets in our relationship and our bond continued to grow stronger. We had only been together for about seven months at the time of Sasha's wedding, but I dreamed it was me getting married that day. Mark and I talked about the future so my dream may not be pure fantasy. He would be starting law school in the fall and I had two more years of undergraduate work. I was thinking of becoming an elementary school teacher. I could do one more year at the University of Illinois and then transfer to Lewis University in Evanston to get my teaching certificate. That was just down the road from where Mark would be in law school.

Mark and I discussed that I could not have children, but we could always adopt when we were ready. It brought me so much joy to think of spending my future with Mark.

As I look at myself dressed as the Maid of Honor for Sasha's wedding, I can only think my day may be coming sometime soon... I know my bridesmaids will be Sasha Jana, Rita and Nicole, but who will be my Maid of Honor?

THE END

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Comments

I Can't Believe Mother Just Fell Right Into The Plan

jengrl's picture

I can't believe that Michael and Nick's mothers just fell right into the plan and allowed Jana and Rita to brainwash them like that. Jana and Rita then threw away the relationship they had after they forced the transition. Jana and Rita should have had to answer for what they did. I expected the mothers to express some anger over what was done to their kids by these two, but there was nothing. It was like they said "You were feminizing my sons and giving them hormones , but that is perfectly fine and we still love you" Most parents would have been livid over that. A lot of mothers I know are still highly protective of their kids even into adulthood. They bulldozed this transition into hyper speed and NEVER showed one ounce of remorse for doing it. I thought at least they would do the right thing and stay with them as lovers, but they even threw that away and bullied Mike and Nick into dating guys. Gender Identity and sexual orientation are two different issues. It seemed like a switch was thrown and Michelle and Nicki were suddenly completely heterosexual toward guys. They suddenly lost their attraction to Jana and Rita? It was just too hard to believe. I thought maybe this was going to be a story where they might have learned respect for women but were still able have Jana and Rita as their wives/lovers but I guess that didn't work that way. I would have thought that Jana and Rita would have stepped back and thought about things for a bit and not want to lose Mike and Nick, but it was almost like they wanted to do this to them and throw the relationship away after the fact. They did not seem to care one bit that this was happening. I know a lot of women that would be pretty upset that this was happening, but they didn't even seem to shed a tear of regret at all. That just didn't seem normal to me. I guess they never loved them that way after all.

PICT0013_1_0.jpg

It seems clear from the premise...

Puddintane's picture

that the significant people in both boys lives thought the boys had a natural calling, and that the boys are almost completely oblivious to what everyone knows. I dare say the story would look very different if seen through the eyes of the girlfriends. Here are two boys without "normal" sexual drives, who enjoy snuggling rather more than hot sex, babes in the woods, really, and both of them androgynous from the start.

It's clearly a fantasy, so it's no more improbable, really, than genies, little men in bathrobes, or unexplained change waves that affect everyone on the planet.

It's also clear that the boys don't really mind at all, despite their pro forma objections, and indeed go much farther than required by the terms of the tests on their own. This would have been obvious to the people who loved them.

I agree that giving them non-prescribed hormones isn't the safest thing in the world, but young people just their age are taking far more dangerous drugs just for the "high," so in perspective, it's not that much out of the ordinary.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_co...

Even having drugs prescribed by a doctor is no guarantee of safety, as far more people are killed by legal drugs each year than are by illegal drugs, whether through lax prescribing by physicians just shy of criminality, through trading prescriptions, or simply theft from drugs shipments (often almost completely unsecured in storage or during transit) or providers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/us/14florida.html

The doctors involved in this case (without any serious attempt at a medical or psychological workup) promptly pump huge doses of the same general class of drugs into the boys as injections, where their effects can't be counteracted, all out of the same genial best wishes and acceptance of what the boys "really are" as their parents and friends, and without the expense and angst involved in entering the actual system of industrial gender assessment.

It's fantasy. The mothers, sisters, even the loving and romantic partners of the boys, encourage them at every step, set them up with perfect boyfriends, and all join hands to sing "We're Off to See the Wizard" as they skip merrily down the path to divine femininity.

Please give the story a break, and the author as well.

Anyone who wants to write a story in which all the boring proprieties are observed, the girlfriends have screaming fights with their suddenly-disclosed "sissy" boyfriends, and the parents throw them out of the house as "perverts," something like real life, please feel free.

Cheers,

Puddin'

-

Cheers,

Puddin'

A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style

Yeah!

Ya rly!

I might be reading a subtext

I might be reading a subtext that wasn't there, but, I think that the mothers put the girls up to transitioning Mike and Nick. It was certainly unethical behavior for people who wish to become a doctor and a psychiatrist.

Minor quibbles with the story

Overall, I liked the story, but I do have some comments that I'd liked to add.

First, I noticed some minor errors in both parts. They would have gotten through a spell-check, but if you would have read the story before releasing it, you might have caught them.

Second, I really wish that you would have done a bit more research about where you set the story. I happen to live in the Champaign-Urbana area, which the location of the U of I's main campus (which I assumed is where you set the story). So some items that most would have not seen as errors stand out to me. The local Holiday Inn is an Express, and the name of the bar is Kam's. My other minor point is that the local mall (Market Place) does not have any movie theaters.

I just want to know what Mom was thinking before that second doctor's appointment. I know that she meant well for Michael/Michelle, but I think that she might have something wrong. It just does not sit well with me. It turned out well in the end, but sometimes the ends do not justify the means. Just my 2 cents there.

Thanks for corrections

ninatg1's picture

I was in Urbana a few years back and my memories are a little sketchy. I probably should have made up a fictional campus, but mentioning a real place tends to draw people in. I will try to get my facts better next time. This was a first effort and while I have had some good comments about the storyline, it is clear I need to do more proofing and editing.
Mom's motives were open to interpretation, but I felt she and Jana, quickly realized that Michael really would be happier with his new lifestyle. As a mother, especially one so close, she was able to read Michael better than anyone. (I probably should have put in more about motivation and maybe slowed it down a bit.)
All of the comments have been helpful...
By the way, does Kam's still have that awful smell?
Nina (Ninatg1 on myspace)

Mistakes...

Puddintane's picture

If the people who named Champaign County -- after which the other Champaign was named -- had had access to a spelling checker, it would have been called Champagne and made life easier for everyone. Lucky thing the denizens of New York managed not to name it Nwe Yrok.

Cheers,

Puddin'

-

Cheers,

Puddin'

A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style

This is fiction and good fition at that!

Great story loved the help and support. Please write more such stories of transition with deal bets dares or a little more help than was planned. Great fiction.

hormones & sexuality

I'm not at all surprized on sexual preferences changing. I've had several friends that swore they were not interested in males, including my own self, yet being imersed into femeinity went the whole way into a hetro relationship. HEY, a gurl has a right to change her mind. In their cases tho, it was more like hormones help those changes. I know I wavered alot in my own personal case. I think I ended up sorta BI, but my pref. stayed liking women more. In truth I've ended up more asexual, as the long term relationship I had, sorta fell thru, We're still good friends and such, she's def. more lesbian,than bi, but, I'm not sure what happened. Oh well, such is life. & I'm OK presently, till I find that other person, I'm good ta go.

Hormones do not have to go Shrink 1st, then DR/ENDO. Mine were not. But, the shrink def. should be in the act also. the older one is I guess is how that goes.

Storyline, I wonder if either would have made the transition if a shrink had been in on the get go. I'm certain that might have put both girls on a track to rethink what occurred. or least delayed the ineviatable. It appears both moms came to conclcusion their sons, would have been better off as girls, but, both waited to seeif either would come forward 1st. I'm wondering if they may have been in collusion with the girlfriends in causing both boys into situations, just to see which way either would jump. It seems by time they got home for thanksgiving, the MOM's def. had some insight on what occurred than they let on & the Doctor's trip sure seems adaquately timed in such case.

What totally surprized me is how easily both girls gave up on their boyfriends so easily. I'm not so sure how deep a friendship those were to have done such to them.

It is funny how people see things differently...

...even when it is in black and white. One person suggests that the women in the guys lives noticed they didn't have a normal males sexual drives? How do you get that? The story even says when mikes transition from liking girls to critiquing them happened! Another person suggests the mothers put the girls up to it though this person admits there is nothing explicit in the text. And even the author says the girls remained their friends... Well dear author, I see things just a bit differently.