My friend Karen came over this morning, as promised, and we spent an hour or so looking at the photographs that she and the others had taken during the convention, and she also played the video footage of the Angelica performance and the 1890s fashion show, taken by her mother.

‘The ‘Wannabe’ routine was really good; your sister and Jenny sang well. I only wish I could have taken part, even if it was as a fifth member.’

‘I don’t think your doctors or your mother would have been too pleased to hear that you’d been dancing, when you have only just had some stitches removed,’ said Karen.

‘I suppose not, but it would've been nice to have gone along as a spectator, Jenny’s brother looks unbelievable in my dress. I would've loved to have seen it.

‘Well, if you had been there, ‘Josie’ (as we now call her) wouldn’t have been wearing your dress. In fact she would have been a he sitting at home playing with his computer’

‘Yes, I know, but you have to admit that he or she did look pretty good in the performance on Friday and then looked absolutely stunning wearing my dress on Saturday night. That hairstyle from your Mum really made all the difference.’

‘Yes, I know; it was quite sickening to think that we dressed up a lad as a girl, and then she ended up as the belle of the ball, putting the rest of us to shame. In fact she even looked pretty good wearing a pair of my sister’s ski pants and a sweater this morning,’ commented Karen.

‘Why do you still say she? Hasn’t Josie changed back in to Joe yet?’ I asked in some surprise.

‘No, she's retained her boobs and hair extensions and is staying at our house for the rest of this week. She’s going to do some computer work for my Mum.’

‘But that doesn’t explain why she hasn’t changed back into Joe?’

‘Aunt Carol is planning to take the four of us on a trip to Southport in Merseyside for a few days next weekend. As we’ll be sharing hotel rooms again Joe has agreed to spend the time as Josie once again. She thought it would be too much trouble to change back into a boy just for a few days, and her mother has agreed to let her remain as a girl’.

‘Wow! Jenny’s brother certainly likes to keep in touch with his feminine side. What do you think about that?’ I asked.

‘I think that he's rather enjoying being a she, but it doesn’t bother me. In fact we shared a hotel room at the convention, and got on fine together,’ said Karen. ‘Josie's much better company than Joe ever was.’

‘In that case why didn’t you bring her with you this morning?’

‘She had to do some laundry as she’s running short of girly clothes to wear.’

As she was speaking, Karen received a call on her mobile phone which turned out to be from her sister. She spoke for a little while and then turned to me.

‘Denise, would it be alright if Jenny and my sister cycled over here this afternoon, they think that the four of us should have a meeting to discuss Josie, without her being present?’

‘Yes of course, tell them to come straight after lunch.’

Mum decided to use the opportunity afforded by my having some friends round to go out for a couple of hours this afternoon. As soon as Jenny and Sue arrived at about 2.30 pm she left us, which was quite helpful of her as it enabled us to have a private discussion without fear of interruption.

‘Alright Jenny, you wanted us to have this meeting, perhaps you’ll tell us all what’s on your mind,’ said Sue.

‘I know that we started all this business with my brother, and I’ve encouraged him to dress and act like a girly girl over the last week, along with everyone else, but don’t you think it is a bit weird the way things have turned out?’

‘It's certainly unusual, but Josie seems so much more comfortable and at ease in herself than your brother used to be,’ replied Karen.

‘That’s exactly my point. What was ‘Josie’ wearing this morning when you left?’

‘Actually she was wearing Sue’s ski pants as everything else that we’d loaned her was in the wash. Mum offered her one of her skirts to wear, but it was a bit too big for her.’

‘Was she wearing any makeup?’ asked Jenny.

‘Yes, a little lipstick, eye shadow and mascara, but quite nicely applied, and if I remember correctly, Jenny, it was you who tricked her into buying them in the first place,’ replied Karen.

Jenny blushed.

‘Yes I know, but it is very strange behaviour for a lad, and now ‘she’s’ intending to stay as Josie for a second weekend.’

‘You didn’t say anything, when your mother suggested the trip to Southport next weekend,’ said Sue to Jenny.

Jenny sighed.

‘I know, it was because Mum was saying that we could all go, whereas if he went as Joe the trip would only have been for me and him, and so would have been a real drag. Also, I hadn’t then realised that he would be continuing to dress as Josie in the meanwhile.’

‘So it would appear that the alternatives for Southport were that you would go together with your brother and both have a miserable time, or else we all went with ‘Josie’ and had a good time together,’ suggested Karen.

‘I suppose if you put it like that …,’ said Jenny but she never completed her sentence as another thought came into her head.

‘… and what about after next weekend?’

Karen shrugged her shoulders.

I’d been listening to their conversation and decided to make a contribution.

‘It sounds as if your brother is transgendered; I have a cousin who decided five years ago that he should have been born a woman, and has been living as one ever since.’

‘Would that worry you, if it were true?’ Karen asked Jenny.

‘I’ll say so, it would get very embarrassing next year at school, if he started turning up in a skirt.’

‘But isn’t it more important that Joe or Josie is happy?’ asked Sue.

Jenny shrugged.

‘I suppose it's up to Joe or Josie what he or she does with his or her life, but that wouldn’t make it any less embarrassing for me.’

‘What does your mother think about it Jenny?’ I asked.

‘I’m not sure, I haven’t had any chance to talk to her about it. It's almost as if she is encouraging Josie.’

‘I wondered the same with my mother as well,’ added Sue. ‘That whole business with her shop accounts seemed almost as if it was designed to let Josie continue living as a girl.’

‘Jenny, why don’t you try and speak to your Mum about it tonight, and I’ll try and find out what my Mum thinks as well, so we all know where we’re coming from and how they think we should deal with Josie over the coming weekend,’ suggested Karen.

‘Alright then.’

‘I’ll make myself scarce for an hour or so this evening, to give you the opportunity of having a private word with your Mum,’ said Sue to Jenny.

Jenny and Sue stayed for another hour before they left and we again went through the pictures and looked at the video recording. They also gave me their account of the events of the weekend, including the four lads that they had met. We ended up agreeing that Josie had looked great and probably deserved to win the prize on Saturday evening, but that the rest of the group had also done very well on Friday.

Karen stayed for a while after the others had left as my Mum had promised to give her a lift home as soon as she returned. I therefore used the opportunity for a little more discussion with her.

‘How do you find Josie?’ I asked.

‘Actually, she’s quite good fun to be with and chat to, and I’ve enjoyed teaching her how to act more like a girl. I’d be happy for her to remain as Josie for another weekend if that's what she wants, although life could get complicated if we were to meet up with some lads when we go to Southport.’

‘I wish I could meet her once more and make up my own mind, but unfortunately, we'll all be leaving for Wales on Thursday, and I have a hospital appointment tomorrow. It looks as if I’m going to miss what is likely to prove to be an interesting time for you all.’

Then, as an afterthought, I added: ‘I don’t suppose that it would be possible for you to bring her round sometime on Wednesday so that I can meet her again before we leave?’

‘I could ask her if she would be willing to come over with me during the afternoon, if you like? She did say that she wants to return the clothes she borrowed from you sometime. I’ll explain that this would be her only opportunity to thank you in person, and that she really ought to do so.’

‘Wednesday afternoon would be ideal for me,’ I replied. ‘Mum and Dad were planning to be out for the afternoon and evening but are anxious about leaving me on my own. They would both be pleased to know if I have two friends coming over. We’ll also have the house to ourselves for most of the time and I’m sure that Dad will be happy to give you both a lift home once he gets back from his meeting.’

‘Alright, I’ll see if I can persuade her to come’.

‘You can also tell her that she may keep the ‘Angelica’ baby doll dress as she has bought some underclothes to go with it, but I would like my Edwardian dress and the accessories back to wear myself some time.’

‘Alright, the outfit will be washed and ironed by then.’

‘In fact, I might be able to offer her some of my clothes to wear, now that I know that we are both the same size and that she likes wearing girls’ clothes,’ I continued. ‘Mum is always nagging me to give some of my clothes away to make some space in my wardrobe. In fact she has embargoed all future clothes shopping until I do so.’

Karen rang me shortly after she’d returned to confirm that she and Josie would definitely be coming over on Wednesday afternoon. I therefore decided to go through my wardrobe to see if there was anything that I no longer needed to wear which I might offer to Josie. After an hour or so I was surprised at just how much room I was able to create. Maybe I can talk Mum into taking me shopping in Chester again during our holiday.