A Bikini Beach Summer 08-10/21

A Bikini Beach Summer
by Daphne Xu

Part 8
The Day After

Any comments about Bikini Beach, how it works, what it does, by characters other than Anya or Grandmother are potentially non-canonical and wrong. As this story is told from a particular point of view by the protagonist, this includes comments by the narrator. The protagonist, and thus the narrative, are what the protagonist believes or interprets from what he is experiencing. Thus some of the mechanics of BB are biased by the protagonist's view and experiences. Furthermore, because of the particular viewpoint of the story, those errors often won't be corrected. When the errors are corrected, the correction will often be disbelieved and rejected.

Saturday, July 5th

In clarinet lesson, while Brandon and I were playing one of the duets, I realized both of us were in swimwear -- me in a one-piece, and Brandon in a bikini. And then I realized it wasn't the good Brandon I was in love with, but the sexy evil lady Brandon from Bikini Beach. Her face gleefully warped into a hideous face, and she cackled at me in malicious delight. She was Ruth, an enraged murderous Ruth, somehow grown to monstrous size. And she was after me. I was trying to run, but my legs were almost paralyzed.

I woke up in a sweat, and burst into tears. Brandon, Ruth, you couldn't be -- you're not like that at all! Not even as the lady at Bikini Beach. No, not Brandon please! And not Ruth, oh please, please, please!

Eventually, I realized it was all a dream, and nothing more than a dream. I got up to go to the bathroom, and tried to go to sleep. Sexy lady Brandon, and enraged murderous Peter/Ruth, preoccupied my mind, kept me crying. By comparison, learning that Vanessa and Becky were really guys was minor. But I eventually cried myself back to sleep.

I finally woke up late Saturday morning. I spotted my olive miniskirt, blouse, and lingerie from yesterday scattered about the floor, reminding me of the pretty lady Brandon at Bikini Beach -- which in turn reminded me of Ruth/Peter with enraged, murderous thoughts. I collapsed on the bed, and bawled anew.

I have no idea how long I would have laid there. I did notice the doorbell ringing, but it didn't register until someone knocked at my door. I wiped my face before calling out, "Come in!" I knew it wasn't Ma, or Pa, or Ruth at the door -- it didn't sound like their knocks.

It turned out to be Daisy. As I rose up to a sitting position, Daisy came in, sat on my lap, and hugged me. "You're very sad," she said.

I couldn't see how Daisy could possibly understand what happened yesterday, and I definitely didn't want to talk about Ruth as Peter with murderous thoughts. Ruth didn't even exist before we started going to Bikini Beach. And I didn't want to talk about Brandon.

So I sat with Daisy on my lap, hugging her for some time. Finally, I said, "I'd probably better get up now, and go for breakfast." I dumped the scattered clothes into the hamper. I thought of just trashing them, but decided against it. The skirt and blouse would require special cleaning, but Ma would take care of that.

I got into my robe and went downstairs, followed by Daisy. I was way too late for breakfast with the family. Pa had left for work, even though it was Saturday. As I made my own breakfast -- and something for Daisy -- Ma said, "Pa insisted on going in to work today, despite his hurt side. And something disturbed you last night at Bikini Beach, I could tell. You may talk about it if you want -- you may talk about anything with me." I just kept silent; I didn't want to tell Ma about Brandon, and especially I didn't want to talk or even think about a murderous Ruth. "In times like these, the Mental work and the Lesson are particularly important," added Ma, as she turned on the Mental Work.

We retired to the living-room for the Lesson, and then Daisy asked me, "Could you play something on the piano, Lucy?"

I played a piece I'd memorized, one that I liked from several years back. I briefly glanced at Daisy, and she was swaying and moving her feet to the music, with a smile on her face. So I played a few more pieces.

"Say, how about my clarinet?" I asked suddenly.

"Sure!" She followed me upstairs to my room, and watched as I put my clarinet together. "I let my reed soak for a while. If you want, we can go back downstairs for another piano piece." So we did.

Afterwards, we returned to my room for the clarinet. I played a few dance pieces, waltzes and such. I liked watching her move and swing to my music. I decided to let this substitute for practice, because I wasn't at all sure I could get myself to practice after seeing Brandon as a pretty lady in a bikini yesterday at Bikini Beach.

Afterwards, Daisy asked me, "Do you know Taekwondo?"

I recognized it as a term Ruth used. "All I know is that it involves kicking and punching. I saw Ruth do it, and that's what she called it."

"Ruth taught me a few kicks. I wondered if you knew it."

"Ma would never let us do something so unladylike as Taekwondo. Last night, Ma said Ruth kicked Pa, hurting him pretty badly, after Pa spanked her."

"I can't believe Ruth would do anything like that!" said Daisy.

I definitely wasn't going to tell Daisy about what I'd learned last night about Ruth. In fact, I was wondering by then whether that had really happened last night, or I was just imagining it -- I had dreamed it all -- going up to Anya, learning about Peter and murderous thoughts, running off in a fog of grief and sickness.

I couldn't think of anything to say.

"Ruth has changed," Daisy said.

"Yeah, when we first went to Bikini Beach. You have no idea how bizarre Bikini Beach really is. I don't want to talk about what happened yesterday. I'm not even sure if I dreamed it last night. I'm getting rather drowsy." I yawned and lay down on the bed. I was glad to get away from a nasty topic.

Daisy climbed on the bed next to me. For a while, I lay half-awake, half-asleep, eventually falling asleep.

I awoke when Ma called me downstairs for a phone call. Daisy was next to me, asleep. I yawned and went down for the call. "Hey Lucy, we miss you!" that was Carol!

"We understand you didn't want to come to Bikini Beach," added Vanessa. "But perhaps you'd like to join us for lunch outside of Bikini Beach. Perhaps we'll go for a pizza?"

"I'd love to!" I just realized how much I was missing the other girls. "Let me ask Ma." I set the phone down and called, "Ma! They want to take me to lunch."

"Of course, by all means go and enjoy your friends!"

But first I had to go wake up Daisy. I didn't think I could just leave her asleep here. She was awake when I returned to my room. "My friends from Bikini Beach want to take me out. Is that okay?"

"That's okay. Hey, I kept you with me all morning. You want to be with your own friends, go! I have to go home for lunch, anyway."

"Becky says her aunt will drive us," Carol said, when I returned to the phone. "We'll see you in about half an hour."

"I'll be ready!"

I realized I was still in my bathrobe. Pa wasn't home, so I changed into a pair of blue shorts and a red tee-shirt. Ma gave me a handbag. "I put in some extras you might need. Off with you now, have fun with your friends."

I waited outside, sitting on the doorstep. The next half-hour was one of the longest in memory; it felt like forever. And they still weren't here after the half hour. Were they ever going to come?

A car I'd never seen before pulled up. The girls poured out of the car, and ran up and enveloped me. I felt a momentary sense of irony. I was embarrassingly under-dressed for Pa to see me in shorts, but now I felt embarrassingly overdressed among the girls.

"Hey, Lucy!" said Becky. "You didn't meet my aunt, did you? This is Aunt Yuko. Yuko Higuchi."

"I'm pleased to meet you, Miss Higuchi," I said, nodding my head slightly. Becky and Aunt Yuko looked very much alike, and were dressed similarly, in bikini tops -- Becky's sky-blue and Aunt Yuko's bright yellow -- and tight cut-off jeans shorts. Aunt Yuko was a couple inches taller.

We all piled into Aunt Yuko's car -- the smallest car I'd ever seen. It didn't have space for more than four people, but we somehow managed. Two of us had to sit on someone's lap. I sat on Carol's lap, and Jen on Vanessa's, with Alice squashed in between. It was really quite cozy, with Carol's arms around my waist.

As we drove off, Becky up front said, "I'm staying with Aunt Yuko for the summer. She--" Becky cleared her throat, "introduced me to Bikini Beach. She often comes as well; she was there last night." I didn't remember seeing her, but then I didn't know about her.

"Introduced, meaning changed her to a girl for the summer," sneered Alice.

Becky asked, "Hey, guys. Anyone know about the latest Naked Brothers video?"

"Oh God! Ow!" I hit the roof when I jumped.

"Ow! Careful Lucy!" exclaimed Carol under me, when I crashed back down on her.

"I hear it'll be released soon," said Jen.

"Their latest video is at Borders Tuesday night at midnight," said Alice. "I'm gonna be there, definitely. Anyone else?"

"Me," said Jen at the same time that Becky said, "I will."

I just sat there, jaw down on my chest, face aflame, turning my head back and forth at the girls.

"Uh, girls?" said Vanessa, "I think we just gave Lucy here another shock. We owe her an explanation; she's had enough as it was last night."

"Naked Brothers is a boy-band, Lucy," said Carol.

"They're the hottest thing since the Bubbleboys and the Spice Girls!" added Alice.

"Girls!" called out Aunt Yuko, as we turned into a parking lot of a pizza place. "We're here!"

As soon as the car stopped, we all clambered out. As we hurried into the restaurant, Becky said to me, "And no, Lucy, they're not actually naked. That's just their name. But three of them are brothers. Twelve-year-old twins Jake and Rake, and their older brother Lake, who's our age."

"Wait a minute!" I said. "I seem to recall you guys tormenting Carol about a twelve-year-old flute player -- and now, you're all bubbly about twelve-year-old twin boys?"

"Yeah. So?" answered Becky.

We found ourselves a booth, and the girls continued talking among themselves about the band, and I zoned out. I didn't care for modern pop and rock music, or whatever they called it these days. It was nasty stuff, almost sinful, and most contrary to Christian Science. The very name itself, "Naked Brothers Band", was a blatant shout out to sin.

"Guys, guys!" exclaimed Vanessa over the others. "We've left the guest of honor way behind here."

I blushed to find myself as the sudden center of attention. Something occurred to me. "Um, Becky, when you were -- I mean last year, did you -- um." I trailed off, at a loss for words, as a couple of the girls giggled.

"You mean when I was Bruce?" Becky replied innocently. Yesterday at Bikini Beach, Becky had told us that she was actually Bruce Miura, someone I knew at school. I'd had trouble actually believing her, until I mentioned something we both hoped everyone had forgotten. My face burned all the more now.

"Yeah. Did you listen to the band when you were Bruce?"

"No, actually not. I heard girls talking about them, but I was never interested. Sometimes I night when I fall asleep, I'm just amazed at how I've changed. I mean, I can't believe how hot boys are now, or that I've become very much the giggly Genki fangirl I..." She paused and looked down shamefully. "... very much had the hots for before."

Vanessa said, "Lucy, this was part of what hit you hard yesterday, wasn't it? I mean, you never knew about Bikini Beach, how they turned boys into girls, until last night."

"Well, sorta." I didn't even know what I was thinking, really. Definitely couldn't articulate it. My crush Brandon being a pretty lady in a bikini. Becky turning out to be my friend Bruce at school. Vanessa turning out to be a guy -- and Carol knowing about it the past few days and not giving even a hint. And me distinctly remembering the girl where Carol remembered the guy. I just couldn't wrap my head around it. "I was surprised, of course, to learn that two of you were actually boys. I mean, you don't seem like boys at all."

"My personality has changed, and Becky's has as well," said Vanessa. "Vernon's a much more cheerful, carefree, laid-back guy than me."

Jen said, "I'm really curious. I want to meet you as Vernon. I can imagine being very good friends." Jen licked her lips.

"So can I, dear. So can I," replied Vanessa, hugging Jen.

"So Bikini Beach changes more than just your body and sex then?" I asked. "Changes your personality as well?"

"In my case, I think it's just the hormones," said Becky. "Or maybe they changed me into the kind of girl I had the hots for. Or maybe changed me into the girl I would have been born as. Beats the heck out-a me. Bruce seldom cared for either boy-bands or girl-groups, but he, I found their giggling, screaming, excited, hyper fangirls quite hot, cute, and attractive. Lucy," she sounded serious for a moment, certainly a rare event. "I viewed you as a friend rather than potential girlfriend back in school because you were never like that. You were all serious.

"I still have my thinking and memories as a boy. I have hots for boys now, but I still have hots for girls. Especially five particularly lovely, gorgeous girls around me even now. Late at night when I'm home in bed, the boy in me, or perhaps the bisexual in me, truly comes out -- except that I'm just as likely to fantasize about you in jeans and blouse or tee-shirt, as in bikinis. And it's your faces more than any other part of your anatomy. You included, Lucy. This fall, when I return as Bruce, I'm sure I'll see you in a different light. And maybe even try to lure you away from Brandon." She giggled at that last bit.

I blushed again. Carol said, "You'll have to wait in line, Becky. I'm bigger than you."

"Hrmph!" snorted Becky. "We'll just see what Bruce has to say about that."

Wow, it felt certainly ... novel ... to have two (um) persons fight over me. Did Carol actually think of me like that? Remembering Bruce back at school, it was strange and a bit embarrassing to have him think of me like that -- or to possibly think of him like that.

"It's rather different for me," Vanessa rushed in. "After Anya warned me about Transformation Shock, I got two-week memberships. I'd spend a couple nights as Vernon before getting the next pass, and think and dream and wonder about being with you -- me, a guy, being accepted as a friend by five gorgeous girls."

"Vanessa, you mentioned transformation shock," said Carol. "I assume it occurs when one has had too many transformations. Do you know anything more about it?"

"Not really. Just something bad that happens after too many transformations -- something Anya warned me against. How many is too many, I'm not sure. I think she said two or three weeks approaches the danger point, if I transform three times a week.

Vanessa continued, "I think that whenever I change to Vanessa, I become the girl I would have been had I been born one."

My head hurt. I squeezed my eyes closed in confusion, and squeezed my head between my hands. I just couldn't make head nor tail of it. It flew way over my head, like a lead balloon.

Vanessa noticed. "Don't fret over it, darling. I don't understand it either. Yesterday, Dad came with us for the July 4th celebration, and turned into a woman himself." I remembered the woman she introduced as her mom's friend. "This morning, I couldn't tell if he remembered even being a woman. But he got into his car and drove off. I don't know where or why."

I squeezed my head again. "I just can't understand any of this!"

"As I said, don't fret over it. There's plenty in this world we don't understand."

Carol said, "But seeing her Brandon as a bikini-clad beauty just can't be forgotten or dismissed like that."

"`Her Brandon'?" giggled Alice, to my eternal embarrassment, and to the others' eternal amusement. My cheeks flamed.

"Now now," said Vanessa. "We're all here to help Lucy with her issues, not tease her about them."

"But teasing's so much fun!" said Alice.

"Yeah, we don't mean any harm by it," added Becky.

I just remained silent, and took a bite of my slice of pizza.

There was a moment of silence, during which we all ate our pizza slices. I, for one, didn't know what to say.

"Hey, guys, Petunia's having a sale at the mall this weekend!" That was Vanessa, changing the subject and possibly filling that gaping silence. I never went in there, not only because the lingerie there seemed so naughty, but also because it was atrociously expensive. I know that there's intricate design and work involved, but it really seemed like less material meant greater price.

"Ooo, wow!" said Becky. "What they sell is so sexy."

"Would you girls all like to visit the mall after we finish here? Or should we return to Bikini Beach?" asked Aunt Yuko.

I remained silent, while everyone else debated. Some called for the mall, others for Bikini Beach. Carol mentioned, "I'd like to browse the bookstore. But it doesn't have to be today."

"I saw a new store there a few days ago, `Spells R Us'," said Jen. "I couldn't check it out then. I wanna check it out sometime."

Aunt Yuko exclaimed, "I'm not going anywhere near that store. That place is run by an old prankster. Its products have done untold mischief, usually involving changing unsuspecting men into girls and animals, and often involving mind control as well. `If ever you see Spells R Us, run, do not walk, away.' Sorry, girls. The mall is out, as long as that store's there."

"Bikini Beach turned at least one unsuspecting boy into a girl," said Becky, obviously referring to herself. "And Bikini Beach does a certain amount of mind control, in Vanessa's case. Right?"

Words of Mrs. Eddy from the Mental Work came to my mind: the mental malpractioner "is not and cannot be Christian Scientist. He is disloyal to God and Man. He has every opportunity to mislead the human mind, and he uses it."

"I can't say how," said Aunt Yuko, "but Bikini Beach is different from SRU. At least, once the pass does its work, it doesn't change anything further. Also, in your case, I demanded no reality-shift. And as few mental changes as possible."

It was ultimately decided to return to Bikini Beach. "But I didn't bring a swimsuit," I complained. Then I looked in the handbag Ma sent with me. Sure enough, there was a swimsuit wrapped in a towel. It was my bikini, but I could live with that. "Yes I did. Ma put one in."

As we drove back to Bikini Beach, me on Carol's lap again, Alice said, "Until now, we never did anything outside of Bikini Beach. We should do this more often."

"Hey, how about a sleepover?" asked Becky. "Tonight!"

"We couldn't do it tonight," said Aunt Yuko. "You'd have to get permission from all your parents, and decide where to hold it. You have to plan these things ahead."

"We could host it. Our place would be perfect," said Becky.

"That's fine with me," said Aunt Yuko. "But we still plan it ahead. Some families might already have plans for tonight."

"I suppose you're right," said Becky. "But I'm sure that, calling from Bikini Beach, it shouldn't be too hard to get the parents' permission for tonight."

"Wait a minute. Are you insinuating--?" began Vanessa.

"Yes," interrupted Becky.

"No, no, we shouldn't manipulate people like that," said Vanessa.

"Awwww. Okay, so we plan for Tuesday or Thursday night."

"I'm fine with either," said Alice. "Mom and Dad will agree, I'm sure."

I didn't know about my parents. "I have to call home anyway and tell Ma where I am, so I'll ask her." We found a public phone, and I called home. Ma answered. "I'm at Bikini Beach now," I told her.

"I suspected you would go, and I'm glad. Something happened last night to disturb you -- and I hope you can recover."

"Um, Ma? The girls are planning a sleepover, either Tuesday or Thursday night. May I go?"

"That's a great idea! I remember pajama parties when I was growing up, and we always had a great time."

"Thanks Ma!" I wondered what Ma would have thought if she knew that two of us were GIRLs. I wasn't going to mention it; I doubted that Ma even knew that Bikini Beach transformed guys into girls. I was a still a little worried and embarrassed about them as GIRLs perhaps seeing us in a state of undress, but if nobody else brought it up, I certainly wasn't going to mention it.

Now that that was settled, it was time for some good Bikini Beach fun. I was quite happy to see Bikini Beach restored to its usual state.

At one point, we were sitting at the edge of a pool, relaxing, dipping our toes in the water. Nancy and Cindy joined us.

"I heard about last night. You okay, Lucy?" Nancy asked.

"Let's see. A pretty lady clarinetist tells me she's my male clarinet instructor." I blushed again, wincing, but then managed to recover. "I discover that Bikini Beach changes boys to girls -- and that two of my new girlfriends here were guys. One was a friend from school last year. The other -- it seems that I remember her as a girl while Carol remembers her as a guy -- when she was a guy. Let's see, anything else utterly messed up? I can't think of anything off-hand. So yeah, I'm perfectly fine."

"I think Lucy's still disturbed," said Carol. "Heck, I only discovered Bikini Beach's transformation tendencies by accident a few days ago, after I met up with Vernon and Lucy in the parking lot a few days ago. Come to think of it, Nancy, you don't seem surprised, shocked, or even disbelieving at this. Why?"

"I learned about it last spring vacation, myself. It's not something one talks about. So of course, I never told you or Mom or Dad. Nobody but Cindy; as BFFs, we don't keep secrets from each other." Nancy and Cindy smiled at each other.

"This bugs me: why would a guy ever go to a girls-only water park?" asked Alice. "A park that bills itself as for girls only?"

"Oh, several reasons, Alice," answered Vanessa. "Perhaps he missed the `girls only' part, or misread it. Maybe he thinks the 'girls only' doesn't really apply to him, or he's just thinking with a baser appendage. Sometimes a family goes as a whole, again missing the 'girls only' part, or someone already knows the Bikini Beach secret.

"In *my* case," continued Vanessa. "My first visit came when Mom discovered Bikini Beach and decided to take Helen. I told a friend, who then informed me that they accept boys at that girls-only water park I didn't believe him, and he dared me to try to get admitted. Double-dared me. He promised to reimburse my ticket if I did. His sister, who's also a friend, lent me a wig, a dress, and a swimsuit -- it was a one-piece, and it turned out to be the one and only time I wore a one-piece at Bikini Beach. She also put on a little makeup to soften the curves of my face. I wondered if this would be enough to make everyone believe I was a girl." She laughed.

We all laughed, and it took a minute or so to calm down again and let her continue her story.

"I took the bus to Bikini Beach the same day that Mom took Helen. I was a little scared that someone might recognize me as a boy dressed like a girl, and beat me up, but nothing happened -- except that one woman on the bus told me I looked nothing like a girl. In any case, I made it to Bikini Beach, got in line, and managed to avoid chickening out. The saleslady was an old woman -- Grandmother herself, as I found out later. I didn't think I fooled her, but she did sell me a `guest pass'. It was far more expensive than I thought it would be, but I did have the cash; it took most of my lunch money. I gave my name as Vanessa, the first one I could think of beginning with V, and with the n-sound in the middle.

"On my way to the changing rooms, I was surprised to see a men's changing room, and decided to use that. Of course, nobody else was there. I showered nude -- I always do at public swimming pools -- and felt myself change. When it ended, I checked myself out in the mirror. I bore no resemblance to the girl my friends tried to make me into. I was much taller, for one, and with shorter hair.

"Both Grandmother and Anya entered, while I was still nude. Grandmother was obviously trying to hold her amusement in, while maintaining a stern visage. After saying, `You see now how we can admit boys to a girls-only water park, young lady,' she told me that my change lasts until around midnight. I automatically answered `Vanessa' when asked my name. Grandmother told me that everyone but myself, herself, and Anya would know and remember me only as Vanessa until I changed back. Finally, Grandmother admitted that I'd provided her with a certain amusement, in my attempt to disguise myself as a girl to get in. I was obviously harmless and friendly towards girls.

"That's when Anya spoke for the first time. I still remember with a certain mortification what she said: `I only accompanied Grandmother because I really wanted to meet a guy who had the gall to disguise himself as a girl to get admitted to a girl's water park, and doing such a God-awful job at it.'" Vanessa both shuddered and laughed, and we laughed as well.

"Anya and I became friendly acquaintances. I also met up with another girl who was alone and seemed a bit lonely, and we stayed together the rest of the day -- and as it turned out, every visit since. She was Carol, of course." Vanessa looked over and smiled at Carol.

Carol said, "That was my lucky day. Usually, I came with Nancy and Cindy, and spent the day with them. But that day, they couldn't come. I came by myself, and was feeling rather lonely and not really enjoying the water rides and activities. Then I met Vanessa. And the rest is history."

Vanessa continued, "Late morning, we met up with Mom and Helen, and I understood how things had really changed. I heard Helen's piercing scream, `Hey, Vanessa!' Of course, you recall Helen couldn't have known that morning that I would be there, let alone the name I was going to pick out. And when we got together, Mom said, `So you decided to come after all, Vanessa.' Of course, I introduced Carol.

"Mom was rather confused the next morning about me having joined them, yet somehow fitting in, not standing out as a lone boy, her not objecting. But it was only when Mom took Helen and me for the second visit that Mom learned about the transformations. Of course, Anya was the saleslady then, and she could barely contain her mirth as she sold all three of us guest passes. I could barely contain my embarrassment when she observed that I didn't try that disguise this time.

"Oh, my friend did honor the bet, and reimbursed me the cost of the pass. So that's my story, and sorry it took so long."

"Hey, Becky, let's hear your story," said Carol.

"Yeah!" agreed the rest of us.

"It's not very interesting," said Becky. "Aunt Yuko brought me. She got me a summer membership. I think she wanted to make me a girl for the summer. Of course, she didn't tell me." She looked over at Aunt Yuko.

"That was part of the reason. But part was simply that I enjoyed evenings and weekends relaxing at Bikini Beach, and I wanted you to enjoy it as well. As for the girl part, yeah. It's because your parents sprung you on me suddenly, without warning or explanation. They just insisted I keep Bruce for the summer."

"It was just as sudden and surprising for me too. All I know is that my parents wanted me out of there. Scary and exciting, too, the prospect of living with my hot aunt." Becky giggled. "I wondered if I would finally get to have sex."

We all laughed at that, although my laughter was the laughter of embarrassment. I was amazed and embarrassed at the turn this conversation was taking.

"Flatterer!" said Aunt Yuko, blushing. "For me, the question was whether I'd be able to hold out against the irresistible temptation of my young hunk of a nephew living with me in my one-bedroom condo. I decided to play it safe -- or at least safer -- and have my niece instead. I've known about Bikini Beach transformations for a long time."

"Of course," said Becky, "I knew my opportunity to have sex as a guy vanished once Bikini Beach changed me to a girl. I still recall that first day." Becky giggled. "So excited about seeing all the bikini-clad girls, knowing I would be with them, talk with them, even play with them, and so forth. Of course, it didn't occur to me that I would actually BE one of them." Becky giggled some more. "Then when I was alone in the men's changing room, in the middle of showering I suddenly felt strange and peculiar, all over. It wasn't just the sudden lengthening of my hair, or the sudden spurt of boobs, or how my dick and balls got swallowed up to be replaced by a pussy."

"Becky, can't you be more delicate in your language? There are girls here!" That was Vanessa. I agreed; did Becky have to be so blunt?

"Oh, my humble apologies -- I meant to say `cunt'." Becky stuck out her tongue, and Vanessa rolled her eyes and threw up her hands. "Anyway, my whole body felt strange and bizarre -- perhaps like Daffy Duck when the paintbrush turned him into a crawling flower.

"I really freaked out when I looked in the mirror and saw myself as a young version of Aunt Yuko in nothing but a bikini bottom. You girls who've worn bikinis all your life don't realize how brief a bikini bottom really is." She giggled. "And as a boy, one wants to ogle cute girls in skimpy clothing. One doesn't want to BE one! One would just die from embarrassment."

"Sometimes I do," I said. "Not die of embarrassment, I mean. Notice how skimpy a bikini is, especially with Pa's distaste of girls in bikinis and skimpy clothes. Come to think of it, I sometimes do come close to dying from embarrassment, when I'm by myself and think back on myself in this bikini." I looked down at myself. "I probably would die of embarrassment and something else, if Pa ever caught me in this. I mean, my underwear covers a lot more than this bikini."

"You have a sense of how I felt," said Becky, as she continued her story. "I had no idea how or why it happened, and I burst out in tears, for the first time in perhaps five years.

"An old woman -- the woman we now know as Grandmother, the founder of Bikini Beach -- came in and tossed me the matching bikini top. `Snap out of it, young lady, and put your top on. We don't allow topless bathing.' I snapped out of it, and quickly put the top on -- not that it made me feel any more covered. Facing a stern Grandmother-type practically naked is a position one doesn't want to be in, boy or girl." She snorted, and I shuddered in sympathy.

"Grandmother toned down the sternness somewhat, and told me a few things. Bikini Beach was a girls-only water park, designed as a place for girls and women to enjoy themselves without the discomfort of guys ogling us -- the standard line, you know." She giggled some more. "She didn't say anything about girls ogling us. I would remain a girl the entire summer, until the pass expired. She also warned me that I should pick out a name fairly soon. If I didn't, someone else might do it, or even Bikini Beach itself might choose. She said a few other things that I don't remember, and then told me to go out and find my aunt, who knew quite a bit about Bikini Beach, for further explanation, and enjoy Bikini Beach. She promptly left.

"I did manage to work up the nerve to go outside in that bikini. This was almost like those nightmares I used to have, where I find myself naked outside and in horrible trouble. Here I was, practically naked, walking around outside. The major consolation was that practically everyone else was in the same boat. But I was still dreading meeting Aunt Yuko, while wearing that bikini.

"I did find Aunt Yuko. I was almost as shocked as I would have been as a boy, seeing her in her own bikini. For once, I was glad of my new gender. Otherwise, my bikini bottom would have bulged out so bad -- maybe followed by something even worse. `Welcome to your new sex for the summer,' she greeted me. For some reason this struck me as utterly hilarious. I was beginning to learn how my personality had changed as well as my body. I'm all too inclined to giggle or burst out laughing, as well as to burst out in tears. I'm less likely to nurse a grudge -- I quickly put my encounter with Grandmother behind me. Bruce the boy might have been unable to enjoy Bikini Beach the rest of the day, or even the rest of the summer."

"And, of course, you couldn't continue to call yourself Bruce," Carol put in.

Becky laughed. "Actually, I probably could have. Imagine a giggly, silly, air-headed, hyper girl named Bruce. But yeah, Grandmother warned me, and Aunt Yuko told me several times, that I had to choose a name. It took me a while. I was disturbed and upset at times about my tendency to giggle and go all silly, but Aunt Yuko persuaded me to stop worrying and enjoy it. I eventually chose a silly, girly name to match the silly, girly me -- Becky, of course."

I never thought of Becky as a silly, girly name. Why would she think that?

Becky continued. "Things changed at home -- Aunt Yuko's, that is. For example, my old eighth-grade student ID now shows `Becky Miura' and my clothes also changed. Many other possessions changed: that poster of Richard Feynman I had on the wall changed to a hunk of an older boy, muscular arms, six-pack torso, wearing a loincloth -- a short, very loose one -- with a hot bikini-clad girl clinging to each arm."

"I would have preferred to keep the Feynman poster," said Carol.

"Euh, I would have liked both. But I like that poster, with three hot babes. Anyway, sometimes at the mall or other places, I meet guys and girls I knew at school. None of them recognize me, of course, and I never tell them who I am. Apparently, that's different from Vanessa's experience."

"Yeah, everyone except Mom and Helen who knew me as Vernon now knows me as Vanessa, and thinks I was always Vanessa. With Dad at least, that's probably a good thing. I can only imagine what Dad would do to me as Vernon, if he knew I turned into a girl routinely."

Aunt Yuko added, "Vanessa's version is the norm for Bikini Beach -- they call it a reality shift, and apparently they change the past so that Vanessa always existed. But I didn't want that, and demanded no reality shift. I just find it creepy and scary, and we had no one who needed to recognize Bruce as Becky, or Becky as Bruce, or whatever."

"The few times I almost encountered Mom or Dad anywhere, I ducked out of the way, and they never saw me. The very idea of Mom and Dad seeing me as Becky is mortifying, even if they didn't know I was their son Bruce. I have no idea what they would think if they saw me. I suspect that Mom might think I was Aunt Yuko suddenly de-aged -- or Mom's younger self, coming out of the past.

"I don't wanna find out. And the *last* thing I wanna see is Dad with a boner." Becky shuddered again. "I wish I hadn't thought of that! I'll never be able to unsee it!"

"Oh, I'm sure you'll get over it," said Alice. "I have a really hard time thinking of you as embarrassed wearing a bikini. I mean, you do it so naturally, and you're so outwardly assertively perverted."

"Yeah," agreed Becky. "I've become ever more aggressively exhibitionist and -- let's admit it -- perverted. I so delight in being silly. I haven't yet worked up the nerve to wear bikinis while outside doing my regular stuff, shopping at the mall or the grocery store, going to Burger King and pizza places and ice cream joints."

"You came close today, with your bikini top and short cut-offs," said Alice.

I broke in. "Pa sometimes rants about how girls these days exhibited themselves in clothes common street-walkers would have been ashamed to wear in the good old days. I remember it took me a while to figure out that `street-walker' meant something beyond walking the streets." I blushed.

"Lucy, you are heartwarmingly innocent," said Vanessa.

"Yeah," added Becky. "You probably don't even wear tampons during your period." I blushed at that, and nodded. "My first period -- now that was a story. But let's get back to clean wholesome fun -- that very first day, I met Vanessa and Carol having that kind of fun. Which reminds me, what are we doing just all sitting here?" Becky stood up and dove into the pool.

Right at the same time, a mob of eight-, nine-, and ten-year-old girls, followed by a couple of hapless moms, hit the pool. Becky was right. Relax time was over for us, as they all dove into the pool and began playing.

Someone jumped on my back just as I began getting up -- "Ooof -- Ruth!"

"Guess what, Lucy!"

"What?"

I almost expected her to say, "That's what!" but she didn't. "I got my pass here upgraded to life-time!" She giggled.

One mustn't be jealous of one's baby sister, and I did my best to push it aside. It was childish to exclaim, "It's not fair!" After all, the eight-year pass she already had was already a virtual lifetime. But I still had only my measly two-week pass -- and only because Mrs. King got me mine the same time she got Vanessa's -- Vernon's?

Anyway, I said, "Congratulations," unable to think of anything else to say.

We enjoyed the rest of Bikini Beach afternoon and evening. I played with Ruth as much as with the girls.

When we went home, we didn't all have to squeeze in Aunt Yuko's car, because Vanessa's mom was here and willing to take some of us home. After a last embrace with Alice, Carol, and Becky, Jen and I joined Vanessa, Helen, and Ruth in the car, and we went home.

Eventually, we got home. I thanked Mrs. King, and got out. I was nervous about encountering Pa in my shorts, considering his dislike of girls in skimpy clothing. Pa was in fact home, and sitting in the living room, but Ruth managed to distract him enough while I slipped upstairs to my room.

I was pretty sleepy from the activities, so I changed into my nightgown. I did want to thank Ruth, though, so I got into a robe and went downstairs where Ruth was talking with Pa.

I tapped Ruth on the shoulder. "Thank you, Ruth," I said when she turned toward me.

She looked puzzled, and it took a couple glances at Pa, before she got the context. "Oh. You're welcome," she answered with a smile.

I returned upstairs and went to bed, falling asleep instantaneously.

Sunday, July 6th

I woke up a bit late Sunday morning, but with plenty of time to get dressed up for Church. I was thinking all sorts of things -- bikini-clad lady Brandon, Bikini Beach changing people, Becky as last year's school friend Bruce, Vanessa as a guy, my apparently false memory of Vanessa as herself?

I put a bathrobe over my nightgown, and went downstairs for breakfast and the Mental Work on tape. (We didn't have to listen to the Lesson, because it would be read aloud in Church that morning.) I was feeling rather body shy that morning, and definitely didn't want Pa to see any sign of what I knew my body displayed: various shades of tan, corresponding to the various types of swimsuits I'd worn to Bikini Beach. Not that I ever wanted him to see me naked anyway.

I had another insight when the recording got to the Rule for Motives and Acts: "Neither animosity nor mere personal attachment shall impel the motives and acts of members of this Church." I realized that my issue with Brandon involved "mere personal attachment," which was very different from the Divine Love of God, that Christian Scientists aspired to reflect and in reality did reflect. I hoped that I could hold fast to that understanding, but I was too often swayed in my thoughts.

Afterwards, I went back upstairs to shower and change into Sunday clothes. I always dressed up for Sunday School more like a child than a teenager. Teens dressing up resembles more the teen-girl fashion magazines that I found all too irresistible -- they were quite sexy. On the other hand, I recalled the admonishments of both Jesus and Mrs. Eddy to become childlike -- distinct from childish of course. I blushed remembering how sexy I'd dressed up on Friday to attract and impress Brandon.

I decided on a plain sky-blue short-sleeved dress with a collar, extending down to just above the knees. A pair of navy-blue socks and hard black flat shoes completed the outfit. Maintaining my young and innocent look, I brushed my hair down and back, and added a pair of clips to keep the side fringes out of my eyes.

Ruth knocked on the door, and entered at my answer. She was dressed very much like me, except that her dress was yellow. That wasn't a surprise, as Ma got us both similar dresses. "Please brush my hair, Lucy?" she requested. I brushed her hair, in the same style as my own. In the mirror, I saw that we looked very much like younger and older versions of the same person.

Ma drove us to Sunday School. As we entered the building, we met her teacher, Mrs. Vancourt.

"Oh my, the two of you look gorgeous in your coordinated older-younger-sister outfits! It just goes to illustrate that there is One Mind."

I wanted to say something like, "No, it just goes to show that Ma gets the same kind of church and dinner dresses for Ruth and me." But I didn't think it until way too late.

Sunday School began shortly. My class had only three students -- me, a girl a year younger, and a boy two years older who was sorta cute, but didn't really interest me -- he wasn't Brandon. My class was routine; we discussed a few things from the Lesson and how modern material theories were mere counterfeits of God's Laws."

In church, I tried to pay proper attention to the church service, but Error kept whispering in my ear that things were boring, that I'd already heard this, and other distracting thoughts. Brandon as a pretty bikini-clad lady -- I'd really freaked out there. I'd learned that Bikini Beach transformed boys to girls -- and that two of the girls were transformed boys -- GIRLs. Did I really learn that, or was that all just a dream? No, we'd gone over it both Friday and Saturday.

Bruce, my classmate, the science geek with a subtle and sophisticated sense of humor, that I sometimes had lunch with at school -- the same as Becky? The boy who sometimes talked with me -- once even joined me when my family went to a movie and he was there? I definitely couldn't see Becky the same way as before, and I was sure that I wouldn't be able to see Bruce the same when summer ended.

Vanessa said that she was Vernon, and when Bikini Beach changed her to Vanessa, they changed everything else to reflect that, including everyone's memories -- except her own and her mother's? Including my memories? Did I ever see her as Vernon, and then get my memories shifted? I couldn't remember...

Of course I couldn't remember! That was the whole point of it, wasn't it? Mental malpractice indeed! Oh yes, it was Tuesday. Mrs. King had gotten both of us two-week memberships. Carol was with us, and she remembered Vernon while I remembered Vanessa. The change ended when the pass expired, and so she must have been Vernon at the time. Grrrrrr!

The First Reader interrupted my thoughts by announcing the "Moment of silent prayer, followed by the audible recitation of the Lord's Prayer with its spiritual interpretation as given in the Christian Science textbook." Error had distracted me again. During the silent prayer, I held fast to the thought that "God is Truth," leaving no room for any belief in a lie, no room for memories to be changed. That was interrupted when the Second Reader began the Lord's Prayer, joined by the congregation, including, of course, myself.

Every month, one of the passages of the Mental Work was read in church, during the notices: "A Rule for Motives and Acts." I wondered if God was sending me a message through the Rule. I continued wondering, as the soloist sang an unrecognizable operatic song. "Animosity"? "Mere personal affection"? I couldn't think of anything other than the issue with Brandon... Brandon... Brandon sitting next to me, advising me with my clarinet playing... Brandon as a pretty bikini-clad lady clarinetist...

I shot my eyes open as the Second Reader began with the first Bible passage of the Lesson, realizing that my mind had wandered again. That was Error. I had to retain focus on the Truth, on the Lesson. Apparently, I had fogged out during the Responsive Reading. This was serious Error. I vowed to focus on the Lesson and block out all extraneous influences.

The Lesson was totally familiar; I'd helped record it Monday, and and we listened to it every day since. I yawned, remembering a relaxing floating tire trip around a river with the girls, just lying there in the tire, soaking up sun, occasionally splashed, a happy time before July 4th. I wished that we could all go back, that the unpleasantness of July 4th could be undone. How could Brandon have been a pretty lady, anyway? Vanessa as a carefree boy? Becky being my friend Bruce from school, sometimes leching over us? Bikini Beach changing reality, and changing everyone's memories. False memories and mind control, grrrrrrr! I shifted in agitation.

Darn, I'd drifted again. Again I vowed, I would not concern myself with such things. Focus, Lucy, focus! The Readers were already in the fifth section of the Lesson. I hoped with all the events and distraction, I practiced enough for piano lesson tomorrow. I didn't want to disappoint Mrs. Prudence. Ballet was okay; we weren't supposed to actually practice at home.

Church service eventually ended, leaving me feeling guilty that I hadn't paid attention more. While Ma spent the time socializing after church service, Ruth talked with the others in her class, including the new summer visitor, Beth. I chatted some with the other girl in my class, and the older boy stuck his nose in a few times, trying to flirt with both of us and being ridiculous.

Eventually, we returned home for our Sunday dinner. Afterwards, Daisy came over to play with Ruth, and I went to the library for the afternoon. Of course, I couldn't resist my addiction to those naughty teen magazines.

I returned home when the library closed, arriving just before the Sunday night snack. Daisy was still there, apparently going to stay for supper.

Afterwards, at Daisy's insistence, I joined Daisy and Ruth in a game of Life. At one point, while Ruth had to go to the bathroom, Daisy said, "Ruth changed. She was different before."

"How different?" I asked.

She looked down, and paused before answering. "I... I... I don't know. I just can't say. Something's different." She appeared embarrassed now.

I tried to think if there was anything different. "It seems to me that she's just the same as she's always been."

Ruth returned, so we couldn't talk any further. We returned to the game, which Daisy handily won.

Daisy and Ruth went to bed, and I practiced a half hour on the piano. The next day, I would have piano lessons, followed by ballet class."

******************************

A Bikini Beach Summer
by Daphne Xu

Part 9

Monday, July 7th

As usual, we listened to the Mental Work over breakfast. Then Ma and Pa recorded this week's lesson sermon, the Subject being "Sacrament." I had piano lessons and ballet with Ruth today. I made sure I practiced a full hour on piano, in addition to half an hour on clarinet. I wanted to be fully prepared for Mrs. Prudence's lesson. She was a nice old lady, and I didn't want to disappoint her.

The piano lesson, it turned out, went well. Afterwards, I walked over to the mall where ballet classes were held, and was promptly accosted by--

"Carol!" I exclaimed.

"Lucy!" She grabbed me in a fierce hug, holding my head to her breasts. "Happy to see you!"

"I'm glad to see you, too. So what are you up to?"

"I was hoping to see a friend. I always miss my friends on off-days."

Well, that was flattering! "I have ballet in about fifteen minutes." We began walking in that direction. "I'm gonna meet Ruth and Ma."

"Did you talk with your parents about the sleepover?" asked Carol.

"Not since Saturday, when we first broached the idea. But Ma was enthusiastic, you remember. I'm sure there won't be a problem.

"Our latest plans are Bikini Beach Thursday, sleepover Thursday night, spend Friday all day together, sleepover Friday night, and all day at Bikini Beach Saturday. We'll be together three whole days! The sleepover's at Becky's Aunt Yuko's place. So far, Vanessa's, Jen's, and my parents have agreed."

"I have clarinet and ballet Friday, you know."

"That's no problem. We'll make sure you get there on time."

We arrived at the ballet studio just as Ma arrived with Ruth. Ruth stepped out of the car, already dressed for ballet except for sneakers, and Ma drove off in a bit of a hurry.

"Hey, Carol," said Ruth. "We're here for ballet."

"Yeah, I know. I guess I'll go visit the bookstore in the meanwhile."

Ruth began warm-up exercises while I changed into my own leotard and tights. The class went as usual, and I worked up a good sweat by the time it was over. Rather than change back completely, I slipped my jeans over my tights and leotard, and changed my shoes. Ruth simply remained in her ballet clothes, but changed back to sneakers.

Carol was outside waiting, to my surprise. Ma wasn't here to pick us up. I guess we finally persuaded Ma we were capable of walking home on our own.

"Is it okay if I join you?" asked Carol.

"Oh, of course," I answered happily. I took Ruth's hand, and Carol took mine, to my surprise. The three of us walked the mile or so home, hand in hand.

"Have you noticed anything about Vanessa and Jen?" asked Carol.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Jen always seems to stay close to Vanessa."

"Helen says that Vanessa and Jen like each other," said Ruth with a giggle.

"I guess Vanessa does seem protective of Jen," I hazarded. "She helped Jen the most, when we first met her." I paused, and then said, "I wonder what Jen would think if she ever met Vernon."

"My memories are confused about Vernon, except of course that he's a nice, cheerful, rather cute guy. I'm sure he and Jen would hit it off. What confuses me is this: I only met him as Vernon last Tuesday -- but at that time I remembered always being with him, the guy, not Vanessa the girl. It's hard to explain."

"Bikini Beach transformations are designed to confuse the daylights out of anyone who tries to understand them," I said sarcastically. And freak the daylights out of them. I kept that to myself. I remembered only Vanessa last Tuesday; never the boy Vernon.

"Oh my God -- thanks, Carol!" said Ruth. "I was confused; I was sure I remembered a boy then, and you reminded me his name. But then it was always Helen's big sister, Vanessa. So Vanessa was really a boy, and Bikini Beach changed him to a girl?"

"Apparently," I said while that Carol answered, "Yes."

"Gee, I wonder what Ma would say if she knew that Bikini Beach changed boys to girls," said Ruth.

"That's the least of the problem, Ruth," I said. "Bikini Beach may have made me falsely remember Vernon as Vanessa that day. And Friday and Saturday, Vanessa talked about Bikini Beach making people remember her as always Vanessa -- even her dad. Mental malpractice."

"You know what this means," said Carol. "Bikini Beach could have changed either of you from a guy, and made the other one not remember -- think you were always the person. You would remember the other person as if she always was that person."

I shuddered. "If it's possible to make someone else forget you and falsely remember you, it's also possible to make you forget and falsely remember yourself."

"Um, Ruth?" Carol said hesitatingly. "Your Ma got you an eight-year membership?"

"Yes," answered Ruth. "Then last Saturday, it was upgraded to lifetime." She sounded happy. "I was surprised when they did it."

Carol whistled. I still couldn't help bristling at the unfairness of it. Ma kept getting me these one-day passes, and only Mrs. King got me the two-week pass I had now.

"Do you know why your Ma decided to upgrade your membership?" asked Carol.

"Ma didn't do it. I slept over at a friend of Ma's, and she took me to Bikini Beach that morning and got it upgraded."

"I really doubt that your Ma's friend would have done it without Ma's permission. Did you often sleep over at her friend's house?" said Carol.

"No, this was the first time, and I don't know why she did it. She was almost a stranger to me. I think I only saw her when Ma had those Tuesday night meetings at our house," said Ruth. "I only learned her name that night -- Mrs. Winstead."

"The Firmlove meetings," I said.

"Firmlove?" said Carol. "I've heard of them. I remember some people at school calling them the Nazi parents. Now why would Ruth be sent to spend the night with a fellow Firmlove family? I recall Friday evening, your Ma took Ruth home early. Why? What happened Friday at Bikini Beach?"

"I can't think of anything," I said. "I remember that Ruth and I were both bored with that career thing, and we decided to go off together. I also felt that we'd done very little together at Bikini Beach, and that we should spend more time and do more things together there. I didn't mean anything against you or the girls," I hastened to clarify. "But why didn't I tell one of you, at least? So that Ma wouldn't worry about Ruth in particular. I don't know what I was thinking then."

Carol said, "Maybe at supper, hearing that girl tell about having a lifetime membership made you want one as well, Ruth."

"No-no-no, it didn't," answered Ruth, a little huffily. "I don't even remember a girl saying that, let alone getting so desirous of a lifetime membership that I would do something to get me taken home early and sent elsewhere for the night. In fact, I don't remember doing anything that made Ma mad at me."

"I do know you said something," said Carol. "I don't remember what, though." I couldn't remember, either.

We spent the next several minutes in silence, me pondering over the strangeness. Then Carol returned to the subject of the sleepover. "If you want, I'll speak to your Ma about the sleepover."

"I'll try to ask Ma," I said. "If I wimp out, you can try. I'm sure it will be okay. Of course, we won't tell her that Vanessa and Becky are really -- what was that term again -- GIRLs." It had a certain naughtiness, the very idea of a sleepover with boys involved -- a certain naughtiness and a certain excitement. Ma and Pa would never allow me to sleep over with guys.

"I think I should talk with your Ma," said Carol. "Even if she doesn't know anything about GIRLs and Bikini Beach transformations, she might still detect something in your tone or looks -- the sense that you're hiding something possibly forbidden. Mothers' intuition is usually children's transparency."

Eventually, we got home. Ruth's friend Daisy was sitting on the front steps waiting. "Ruth!" she jumped up and ran up to Ruth and grabbed her hands, pulling her into an embrace.

"That's Ruth's best friend, Daisy," I told Carol.

"Apparently, it's been a while since they last saw each other," commented Carol.

"No, they were together yesterday afternoon," I said. "I guess that we took longer than usual to get home, and Daisy had to wait. There's also the problem that Bikini Beach has been taking Ruth away from Daisy. Ruth's made many new friends at Bikini Beach."

"Well, Daisy could come to Bikini Beach," said Carol. "She'd have fun there with Ruth and the other girls."

"Her parents refuse to have anything to do with Bikini Beach, and won't allow her to go."

"But why?"

"She hasn't said. I don't think she knows. However, when I think about it, I would want to avoid anything that changes my thinking or my memories. I'm afraid that Bikini Beach is making us unconcerned about that."

Ruth and Daisy went inside. "Let's go in." I took Carol's hand and followed them in. "I wanna get out of this leotard and tights. It's too hot under these jeans."

"... didn't have to wait too long," Ma was telling Ruth. "Oh, Carol. Hello and welcome."

Ruth was heading upstairs. "I need to change as well," I said as I followed her.

Setting my knapsack down, I removed my jeans, setting them aside. I tossed my leotard and tights into the hamper. Realizing how I needed a shower, I put on my bathrobe.

Ruth got the shower first, so I went back downstairs to talk with Carol and the others.

"Carol told me about your planned sleepover," Ma said. "I will have to phone Becky's aunt, of course, but I think it's an excellent idea. Brings back memories of pajama parties when I was in junior high."

Carol handed Ma a sheet. "These are all our numbers. Becky's Aunt Yuko is probably at work now. She may be home this evening, although I hear she likes to go to Bikini Beach in the evenings.

"Lucy!" called Ruth from upstairs. "The bathroom's free!" So I went up for a short shower -- ah, felt great to clean off.

Back in my room, I couldn't decide whether to put the jeans back on, or to wear shorts. I compromised on a pair of capris, pants ending a few inches below the knees.

I enjoyed playing with Ruth and Daisy, so the four of us (including Carol) played outside the rest of the afternoon. Daisy and Carol then stayed for dinner. It was a bit strange -- Ruth and I had to dress up for dinner, while Daisy and Carol as guests didn't have to change.

After dinner, I practiced a little on the piano, and Ma called Becky's aunt about the planned sleepover. My piano practice was interrupted when Ma said, "Great news, Lucy! The sleepover is on!" Ma was as excited as if she were participating.

I noticed Pa and Carol were talking together on the sofa. We spent the next hour or so watching a flick -- Disney's "Aladdin" It had to be suitable for the younger girls. It was one of the rare times that Pa allowed us into his office, where the television was. Then Ruth and I went with Ma to take Carol home, dropping off Daisy on the way. Ruth wanted Daisy to spend the night, but Daisy had some kind of appointment for the next morning.

Carol quickly hugged me as she got out, when we reached her home. "Tomorrow at Bikini Beach, right?"

"Right!" I answered, putting aside my concerns about Bikini Beach.

Ma drove us home, in silence. We had nothing to say.

Tuesday, July 8th

The next morning, after breakfast, the Mental Work, and the Lesson, and Pa's departure for work, Ruth and I were in our swimsuits and ready when the Kings came to pick us up.

The girls and I had our usual wonderful Bikini-Beach day. Today, I made sure that I spent a few hours with Ruth -- just the two of us together. It seemed as though I got to know her better that way. The girls didn't begrudge me the time away from them -- in fact, I found out afterwards that Vanessa tried to do the same with Helen, but Helen wasn't interested.

This led to discussion about each of us playing with and enjoying life with our siblings. Carol had her own issue with her older sister Nancy: "Nancy is always with Cindy, and when I'm with them, I always feel a little bit left out."

Becky had her own comment about her big brother: "Right now, I feel like I simply couldn't let Tracy see me as a girl. I'd be just too embarrassed. But maybe I'd get over it. Perhaps I could pose as an unknown cousin, and have Aunt Yuko set me up for a date with Tracy. Or maybe we could lure him to Bikini Beach."

Of course, we eventually had to go home. Ma was at her weekly Firmlove meeting when we got home, so only Pa was there. I was nervous about Pa seeing me in my swimsuit, even though it was one-piece -- Pa didn't like girls dressed skimpily. He was grudgingly okay with one-piece suits for swimming though, but I was still uncomfortable. In general, I was uncomfortable with Pa seeing me dressed skimpily or sexily. So I quickly made my way to my room to change into sleepwear and robe.

I returned downstairs to have a snack and practice the piano. Ma came home from her Firmlove meeting, all fired up and angry. She came into the living room and promptly began telling Pa an angry story. I stopped my piano playing, to avoid interfering with Ma and Pa's discussion.

Ma was furious, and I listened with interest. I noticed Ruth at the top of the stairs, also listening -- curious no doubt as to what infuriated Ma so.

"When the meeting broke up, Mrs. Winstead took me aside. She asked me how Ruth was doing now, and I told her that like always, Ruth is a good little girl."

I saw Ruth cringe at that description of her, and I winced too. I could just imagine what she thought: "Good little girl, hrmph!"

Ma continued. "Mrs. Winstead looked at me strangely, and then asked if Ruth was no longer persistently protesting her innocence of Jill Denison's murder. I was so fuming at this outrage -- one of the few times I was seriously tempted to curse." Ma turned to me. "I assure you, Lucy, I resisted the temptation." She went on with her story. "I was fuming so much, that I almost missed what she said next, about Ruth dropping clues all around that she was really a seventeen-year-old Peter, changed by Bikini Beach to nine-year-old Ruth -- Ruth accusing Bikini Beach and me of mental malpractice. I was just sputtering at the sheer craziness of it all, and I couldn't say a thing. I just up and departed, right then and there.

"In the car, I realized I had to calm down to drive home safely. I recited to myself the Lord's Prayer, the Daily Prayer, and finally the Rule for Motives and Acts. It was good to remind myself that `Neither animosity nor mere personal affection shall impel the motives or acts of members of the Mother Church.' I was sufficiently calmed down to drive home. The funny thing is that Mrs. Winstead seemed shocked at my reaction. She didn't even recognize how crazy she sounded."

Hmmm.... This was quite interesting. I would definitely have found it crazy, had I not learned last Friday about Bikini Beach Transformations and also Bikini Beach's tendency to make people forget or even implant false memories. I disagreed with Ma, and thought that Mrs. Winstead knew how crazy she would sound to those who didn't know anything about it; she'd waited until she was alone with Ma before broaching the subject.

If Mrs. Winstead was right, then Bikini Beach had wiped and replaced all our memories through July 4th -- the day before Ruth got the lifetime membership. I'd wondered about several things, and decided simply to ask Ma. I had the idea that her response would indicate whether she'd forgotten everything or Mrs. Winstead was crazy.

"Ma?"

"Yes, Lucy?"

"I've been wondering several things. July 4th, why did you take Ruth home early and then have her sleep at Mrs. Winstead's house? Why did you upgrade Ruth's Bikini Beach membership to lifetime?"

"Young lady," said Ma. "You know by now -- what are you not supposed to do? Tell us."

"Yes, Ma. One does not question one's elders. They know better, and they know what's best for us. I'm very sorry." I lowered my face, and hopefully had a sufficiently contrite expression, totally fake, covering my own fuming. I was pretty sure now, Ma had forgotten why she did those things, and was just covering up.

"Very good, Lucy."

"I think I'll head off to bed now," I said, actually hoping to talk to Ruth. I thought I'd heard enough, although Ruth probably would want to stay and hear more.

By the time I reached the stairs, Ruth had slipped back upstairs and to the door to my room. She pulled my head down and whispered in my ear, "Ma's forgotten. Just like us. Please, Lucy, before going to bed, write down what Mrs. Winstead told Ma. I want to hear more of what Ma has to say to Pa." She slipped into her own room, and emerged with a clipboard and pencil and paper, and slipped back to where she could eavesdrop without being seen.

I went to my room, and sat at my desk, trying to recall what Ma had said. The murder of Alice's cousin Jill! Ruth proclaiming herself innocent! Ruth trying to tell us that she was an older boy named Peter? How old? Oh, yes. Seventeen. A year older than Jill was when she was murdered. We first came to Bikini Beach only two and a half weeks earlier. If Mrs. Winstead was right, Ruth would have been Peter at the time of Jill's murder. I tried writing down not only what Mrs. Winstead said, but also my own ideas. Darn-it, I was just too darn sleepy.

I finally decided to go to bed.

Wednesday, July 9th

I woke up from barely-remembered dreams of memories being almost wiped, repeatedly. They never actually got wiped, but the process was always, repeatedly, begun. I slipped into Ruth's room, where she was lying in bed awake.

"Ma didn't say anything new last night," said Ruth. "She just repeated herself a few times, working herself into a fury until Pa suggested applying Christian Science. She breathed and finally calmed down."

I sat on her bed, we both waited a few minutes in silence. Then I said, "So Bikini Beach changed you? From a seventeen-year-old boy named Peter to you? And made us all forget everything?"

"This is so strange," said Ruth. "Seventeen years is so long. I mean, it'll take forever before I'm as old as you, Lucy."

I couldn't bring myself to mention the murder aspect. Especially with it being Alice's cousin. I didn't believe Ruth or whoever she was would murder anyone. But I did notice something. "Your eight-year membership? That would have ended when you were seventeen."

"Oh... oh... oh..." Ruth seemed unable to say anything else.

I spent Wednesday morning part of the time playing with Ruth and Daisy, part of the time helping Ma with chores. The only activity we had today was ballet.

I changed into my ballet leotard and tights at home. This time, I didn't put on the wrap-around skirt or jeans over my tights. If Ruth and I walked home, I'd be walking in my ballet kit just as Ruth always did. Hey, if Ruth could do it, so could I.

When ballet was over, Carol accosted us again. She hugged both of us this time, commenting, "Wow, you've definitely worked up a sweat, both of you. You look cute, almost sexy, in your leotard and tights!"

"I'm happy to see you too, Carol," I answered. "Let's go." Carol took my hand, and this time Ruth took Carol's other hand as we walked home.

Carol spent the afternoon here. As was becoming the practice, Daisy and Carol both stayed for dinner. Ruth and I, as usual, had to dress up for dinner. I was surprised when Daisy went home to change into a dress, before returning for dinner.

At my raised eyebrows, Daisy said, "Didn't Ruth tell you? I'm going to church with you tonight, and then I'm spending the night. Mom and Dad have to go somewhere."

Over dinner, Ma asked Carol, "Would you like to attend the Wednesday evening meeting as well? You're very welcome to come."

"I appreciate the invitation," answered Carol. "But I must decline. I have to get home fairly soon after dinner."

"That's fine," said Pa. "We'll drop you off home on the way to church."

"Thanks. That would be very nice," said Carol.

We left for church a little earlier than usual, to give time to drop Carol off. All six of us piled into the car. Carol sat in the front passenger seat, so that she could direct Pa home. I thought that Ruth would sit on my lap, but Daisy insisted instead. Ruth sat between me and Ma.

Carol directed Pa to her house. They also chatted on the way. After Carol got out and Ma got into the front seat, Daisy for some reason stayed on my lap, even though there was plenty of room between me and Ruth. As we arrived at church, I wondered, was it right to take Daisy with us to church? I mean, it wasn't her religion.

It occurred to me, while an old lady was giving her testimony, that my own fear of giving testimonials, and my inability to think of situations where God had healed or otherwise improved my life, were Error -- Old Error whispering in my ear. I thereupon vowed to give a testimonial next Wednesday night.

During the following silent period, I even thought of one to give. It would be a rather embarrassing one, but I realized that the sense of embarrassment was also Error, and I had to assume a proper sense of humility. The testimonial would be about how my first few visits to Bikini Beach, I always succumbed to temptation to wear a bikini -- despite the sensuality that entailed, despite Pa's denunciation of bikinis as immoral self-exposure. I even left notes reminding me, to no avail -- until last Thursday, when I finally resisted temptation and began wearing one-piece swimsuits at Bikini Beach. I wouldn't mention Saturday afternoon's exception, of course, because that wasn't my fault. Ma had packed the bikini for me.

It would be a scary testimonial to give in front of everyone in church, but fear itself was Error and had to be conquered. I vowed to do it.

Meanwhile, there was the sleepover beginning tomorrow with the girls. It took forever to fall asleep that night, with my mind all aglow at the prospect.

******************************

A Bikini Beach Summer
by Daphne Xu

Part 10
The Sleepover

Thursday, July 10

I woke up simply unable to wait to see the girls again. We would sleep over at Becky's aunt's condominium, and then spend all day together tomorrow.

After breakfast, and the Mental Work and Lesson-Sermon, Ma packed a whole suitcase of stuff for the sleepover. After I changed to my swimsuit, I noticed that Ruth was still dressed, and didn't have her swimwear with her.

She said, "I'm spending the day with Daisy, so I won't be going to Bikini Beach today."

"You sure Daisy won't want to go?" asked Ma.

"Her parents forbid it," said Ruth. "They don't want her to have anything to do with Bikini Beach."

I checked to see what Ma had packed for me. Good, anything I might need was there: spare clothes, clarinet and clarinet material, ballet material, pajamas, numerous other things. A billfold with a surprisingly large amount of cash was included, apparently for shopping tomorrow.

As usual, Mrs. King came by with Vanessa and Helen to pick us up. When I got into the SUV, Helen asked plaintively, "Ruth's not coming?"

I repeated what Ruth said. "No, she's spending the day with Daisy."

We arrived at Bikini Beach in good time, and met three of the other four girls in the changing room. "I assume Alice will arrive shortly," said Vanessa.

As I showered, I realized that concerns and fears about Bikini Beach that were lurking in the back of my mind were unfounded. Surely, Bikini Beach wouldn't change my mind in a bad way, not without me knowing it. Would it?

As usual, we had a most wonderful time together. During one of our relaxation times, I considered telling them about Ruth and what we'd overheard about Mrs. Winstead. But then I remembered that the girl Peter had supposedly murdered was Jill, Alice's cousin. I didn't want to violate Ruth's privacy, either. So I said nothing.

At closing time, Becky said, "Let's shower and clean up, but don't change out of our swimwear. This is going to be a swimwear sleepover. Get your stuff and wait at the standing area. Aunt Yuko will pick us up."

Again, the seven of us piled into her tiny car designed for four. And again, I found myself sitting on Carol's lap, her arms loosely around my waist. The drive to Aunt Yuko's condominium was long and rather bumpy.

Along the way, Becky asked, "Did anyone have any trouble with parents concerned that two of you are GIRLs? Aunt Yuko doesn't have a problem, of course."

Alice said, "Eh? You think I'd actually tell my parents that two of my girlfriends I'm sleeping over with are former guys, magically changed by Bikini Beach? Heck, I wouldn't have to worry about my parents jumping on me for sleeping with guys; they'd put me in a mental institution for believing such a thing."

Carol added, "That's the case for most of us, I'd bet -- at least to a certain degree. I think the problem would be keeping the GIRLs out of our own mind, so that parents don't detect that we might be doing something naughty. You can be sure I didn't say anything to my parents about Bikini Beach changing people."

"I don't know what my parents would think, now," said Jen softly. "First, they tolerated Tim when he cleaned up my injury, and even tolerated my occasional visit. Then when they caught both of us n-n-n-n-naked, and they kept me under the strictest control. Then, I went into shock about Tim--" Her eyes crunched up "-- and lay in bed, refused to eat, refused to speak. After I was brought to Bikini Beach and mostly recovered, Mom and Dad allowed me to do pretty much anything I wanted -- even take me to visit Tim in jail -- even get me a bikini for Bikini Beach, something they'd never have done before. They're probably now just grateful to all of you for helping me heal."

Alice said, "They probably realized that they prefer a live daughter who does her own thing and might even have sex, than a dead daughter who's completely under their control -- if, for obvious reasons, isn't exactly obedient"

Vanessa added her own perspective, as one of the GIRLs. "My parents don't have trouble with me sleeping over, either with boys or girls, although Dad would probably have trouble with me being a girl."

I was very sleepy from all our activities at Bikini Beach when we finally arrived, and saw that the living room all prepared for us with blankets and pillows. I grabbed a blanket and a pillow, went to a corner of the room and lay down to sleep, hoping to keep the noise out.

The last thing I heard as I fell asleep was Aunt Yuko saying, "Girls, I have to work tomorrow, so I need my sleep. Please keep things down to a dull roar."
. . . .

"... I am eternally grateful for Mrs. Eddy and her discovery." An elderly lady finished her testimony and sat down. I had my own testimony all ready -- how I finally remembered to wear one-piece swimsuits instead of bikinis to Bikini Beach -- and I was terrified to give it.

"Coward. You're just too scared." Error was whispering in my ear, "You just can't do it. You'll never give your testimony." Error had a rasping whisper that set me all abuzz, and was pulling me away from God. "Ma! Pa!" I tried to shout, but the words caught in my throat. Their attention was fully on the First Reader up front, and they couldn't see or hear me being pulled away. The big bad Error kept pulling me away, mocking me in its rasping tone that nobody else could hear.

And I woke up. Did I scream? My heart beat like crazy, and I was breathing hyperfast. Oh God, the nightmare! I eventually calmed down, remembering where I was: lying on my side at the sleepover. Someone lay right behind me, her arm draped over me: Carol.

I really had to go to the bathroom, so I carefully removed Carol's arm and quietly made my way across the sprawling sleepers to the bathroom. I tried to find where to grab to lower my PJ panties, only realizing after a minute that I was wearing my swimsuit. I had to peel off the entire swimsuit from my torso before I could sit on the toilet with relief.

I made it back to my sleep area. Carol was still asleep, and I quietly slid back into my former position. Still asleep I think, Carol turned and lay her arm across me again, and pressed up against me.

It took a little while to get back to sleep. I lay awake pondering, did I really want to give that testimony in church next Wednesday? About finally remembering to wear a one-piece swimsuit after repeatedly forgetting and wearing bikinis? The thought reminded me of Brandon -- I would be facing him at clarinet lesson, after being shocked to the core at seeing him as a bikini-clad lady at Bikini Beach.

"I'm so very sorry," he said. "I didn't know..." He looked so shamefaced. He was wearing his usual clothes, and was definitely back to his male self.

"It's okay," I almost cried, I felt so sorry for him. I was in my swimsuit, because we were in the middle of the swimsuit sleepover and it was clarinet lesson time. I reached up to his shoulders and pulled him down and myself up on tip-toes. His arms came around my waist, and we were kissing. It felt so fantastic, I was on the floor and he was on top of me, we were kissing for all we were worth and rocking up and down. My swimsuit crotch felt so wet, and a wonderful feeling swept and buzzed over me.

I woke up, found myself kissing Carol on top of me, still feeling electrified and buzzed all over, humming and gasping through the kisses, my crotch clenching and releasing, thrusting back and forth.

I eventually calmed down, although my crotch still occasionally jumped, sending ever weakening jolts through me. Carol had her eyes closed; I couldn't tell whether she was asleep or awake.

I twisted my head back and forth to stop the kissing, whispering, "Carol! Carol!"

"Wha-- what are we doing?" Carol whispered. "Why are we kissing? I was dreaming." In the faint light of the room, I more felt than saw her blush fiercely. "I need to go to the bathroom now."

"I need to clean off my swimsuit." I got up and followed her to the bathroom. She sat on the toilet while I removed my swimsuit and rinsed it off. I also had to clean my own crotch off. After finishing the toilet, she also rinsed her bikini bottom off. She also rinsed her top off, although I couldn't see why. We hung our swimsuits over the shower curtain.

"So what were you dreaming?" she asked.

I felt quite embarrassed. "It was clarinet lesson. Brandon felt so sorry about freaking me out, that I couldn't help kissing him. It got quite passionate."

"I noticed. Anyway, I was dreaming that I was kissing a boy. It was a boy, yet somehow it was you as well. Maybe you as a boy. My dream was horribly mixed up." She shook her head.

We wrapped towels around ourselves, and returned to the living room. I was planning on finding my suitcase and getting my pajamas out, but it was too dark and I didn't want to wake anyone up, so I decided to sleep nude. She lay down next to me, and I shortly fell asleep.

Friday Morning

I awoke, apparently the first to awaken. I was still lying next to Carol, both of us nude. She was still asleep. I wrapped the towel around me, and found my suitcase, and went to Aunt Yuko's bedroom to get dressed. She had already left for work, and it was already 10:00 in the morning.

I was shocked to see green symbols painted on my toenails: star, heart, diamond, spade, club, among other symbols. Had someone pranked me last night while I was asleep? I'd never painted my fingernails or my toenails before; such behavior was, frankly, slutty. I decided to worry about it later.

I decided to put my ballet gear on now. I usually changed at the studio, but I had a hunch that, with the girls, I wouldn't have time today. I put jeans on over my ballet gear.

Everyone else was beginning to wake up when I returned to the living room. Becky was already awake. "How do I get to the mall for my lessons?"

"We take the bus. We'll all go together. Go find something to eat in the kitchen, while I rouse the rest of them." I found some orange juice, and some bread which I put in the toaster.

"Everyone up and get dressed!" shouted Becky. "We need to get Lucy to her clarinet lesson with Brandon." Now that wasn't funny! To tell the truth, I was getting more and more scared of seeing Brandon again.

I'd planned on wearing shorts today, because I knew Pa wouldn't see me, but thinking of Brandon made me too embarrassed to even let him see me in shorts. I decided on jeans and tee-shirt. Carol also wore jeans and a sleeveless top -- looking indescribably attractive -- while everyone else wore shorts with various tops.

We all took the bus to the mall. I had no idea how the bus system worked. At home, we either walked, or Ma or Pa drove us. But Carol explained it to me. "They used to accept cash. But they don't any more. Instead, they use a bus-card One can use it for guests as well as herself. The system deducts the number of fares the first time we get on, and then detects that we've already paid when we transfer to another bus. I'll pay for you."

"No," said Becky. "You're my guest, Lucy. I'll pay for you. I have my own bus-card"

"No, no, I'll pay," repeated Carol.

The debate between Becky and Carol went on until the bus rolled up. Carol got it first, and so paid my fare.

We got to the mall in good time. As I got off, I spotted a machine, one I'd seen many times before and ignored, although I knew it was for buses "You can get new bus-cards there," said Carol. "Or have one refilled. You can also get monthly passes good for any number of rides in a month, but they're rather expensive unless you ride each way at least four times a week." I decided I wanted to get a bus-card, just in case. I inserted a five-dollar bill into the device, and a card came out, along with a screen message telling me I had four rides on the card.

I stowed it carefully next to my Bikini Beach pass.

Carol also added more money to her bus-card She inserted a twenty-dollar bill, adding seventeen rides to her card. "There's a bonus ride, when you pay twenty dollars or more," she explained.

We had time for a salad snack at the deli beforehand. My stomach was sinking lower and lower as the time approached.

We were all walking toward Shandy's when Jen exclaimed, "That's the store! Spells R Us. Let's take a look!"

I looked where she pointed, but couldn't seem to find it. Jen started off in that direction, but both Vanessa and Becky grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back. "Please, can't we just take a look?" begged Jen.

"Trust us, Jen. You don't want anything to do with SRU," said Becky. "You know what they say. If you ever see SRU, do not walk, run away."

"And we need to get to Shandy's for Lucy's clarinet lesson," added Vanessa. She picked Jen up and carried her the rest of the way, only letting her down after we entered Shandy's.

"Thanks, guys. I was being irresistibly attracted to that store," said Jen.

"I didn't even see it," I said.

"Neither did I," said Alice.

"Neither did I," said Becky. "But I knew it was there, once Jen got that attraction and mentioned it."

"I saw it," said Vanessa. "And I felt the unnatural attraction. Even knowing its danger, I think I would have been unable to resist it, except for the need to protect Jen." She looked down at Jen with obvious affection, and Jen leaned hard against her.

I assembled my clarinet, and we all listened to the last few minutes of the saxophone lesson that preceded mine.

"Nervous?" asked Alice.

"Terribly," I answered.

"I find that it helps to take a loooooong, sloooooooow, deeeeeeeeeeep breaaaaaath before a test that I'm worried about," said Vanessa.

Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I inhaled. Haaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I exhaled. I felt a little better, a little less anxious.

Eventually, the girl with the saxophone emerged, followed by (gulp) Brandon, in his usual masculine form. "Lucy, I'm so glad, and a bit surprised, that you came this week. I'm so very sorry for the shock I gave you last week at Bikini Beach. Hello, girls. You must be Lucy's friends -- including that wonderful singer." He directed that toward Vanessa. Back to me, he asked, "Shall we go?"

I glanced at my friends. They all gave me encouraging smiles, and Carol and Becky both gave me thumbs up. I followed Brandon into the private lesson room.

"Again, I'm very sorry," he said.

"It's okay. It's just that I had absolutely no idea about Bikini Beach changing people like that. I've since learned quite a bit about Bikini Beach.

"Still, your reaction was predictable. I knew about your crush on me. I could have pretended to be my sister or cousin or something."

Oh my God, he knew! I blushed in embarrassment. "I tried to keep it hidden." I was near tears.

"Oh, I've been aware of it for some time. It was pretty transparent. Quite flattering, I must say, although also embarrassing for me as well. I didn't know what to do. It would have been unethical --- not to mention jailbait -- to take advantage, even though I've never had a girlfriend. So I did my best to ignore it, hoping it would work itself out."

"I think my ... crush ... ended this past week because of all the events. I'm not sure yet." I hugged him, and we stood there a moment. It was nothing like my wet dream-nightmare last night. I think I was giving my crush a final goodbye.

I pulled away and said, "Now let's get down to business."

We spent the next half-hour on the clarinet, saying nothing further about the subject.

My friends were all waiting outside for me, when we finished. I don't know what they did in the meantime. "Say, Lucy. You look a lot better now," said Vanessa. "Lesson went okay?"

"Very well, thank you. Now off to ballet."

We walked together, arriving at the studio just as Ma let Ruth out, having driven her from piano lesson with Mrs. Prudence. I asked Ma, "I don't have to walk Ruth home, do I?"

"No, of course not. You stay with your friends. I'll pick her up."

We spent the next hour in ballet class. Afterwards, I showered and changed into shorts and tee-shirt. Ruth took my ballet gear home with her, for cleaning. I joined my friends in going through various stores in the mall.

They persuaded me to try on various various items. I refused to try on underwear or swimwear -- the very idea was gross. But I did try on a couple miniskirts and a plain green short-puffy-sleeve dress that almost reached my knees. Also a few pants, capris, and shorts.

They also persuaded me to try on a navy-blue formal dress suit, consisting of a skirt extending below my knees, a matching jacket, a vest underneath. A pair of blouses, petticoats, and pantyhose purchased separately would complete the outfit. "This would be perfect for church and other formal occasions," said Vanessa.

Looking at myself in the mirror, I agreed fully. It made me look more grown-up than the dresses I currently wore to Sunday School and Church. It certainly wasn't anything like the miniskirt combination so popular with teens and young adults these days.

"It's adjustable as well, so there's considerable room to grow in it," said Vanessa. "This should be good for at least a year, maybe two. Maybe forever."

I was hesitant about getting such an expensive suit; it took almost the entire amount of money Ma gave me for the shopping trip. But in the end, I went for it. I knew I'd be wearing it at least some of the times to Church, which was twice a week for me.

In addition, the girls persuaded me to try a gag dress that was almost a leotard or one-piece swimsuit. My front and sides were covered fully, but the back went down almost to the crack in my bottom, and the top was just like an athletic bra. A lopsided skirt of sorts was attached to the bottom: on the right, it looked like a miniskirt extending about a third of the way down my thigh. But in front and in back, the skirt shortened upward, to become on the left side a few inches sticking almost straight out and covering nothing. It looked like an ice-skater's dance outfit from the left. The leotard-type bottom was plainly visible on the left; my left leg was almost completely bare, covered just a notch at the crotch in front and back.

"Oh my, you look hot in that outfit," said Becky. "You really must get it."

"I agree; you look simply... simply... I really can't describe it," added Alice. "You'll attract every boy within miles, in it."

"It needs a baseball bat to complete the outfit," said Carol. I wondered what she meant, and she continued, "It's to keep the boys at bay."

I was wavering between being mortified and being excited, standing there in this outfit. "I can't see myself ever wearing this. I just couldn't wear it any time I might be seen by Ma or Pa. Not only that, I don't have much money left after going for the suit."

"We'll all pitch in, right everyone?" asked Becky. "As long as you walk out of the store in it, and wear it the rest of the day."

The up-shot was that they all bought it for me, and I wore it the rest of the day. All six of us got attention from numerous boys at the mall the rest of the day. Both Alice and Becky even accepted offers of dates the following week. I was too shy to accept any offers, and Jen and Vanessa didn't either.

We checked out the bookstore, to placate Carol. I was actually interested in some books as well, and was curious about what Carol read. I followed her to the adult science fiction and fantasy section.

Both of us were browsing, ignoring the couple of boys browsing as well, when I jumped at a male voice from immediately above me. "Hey, babe!"

I turned around and looked way up -- the boy had to be at least six feet tall. "Um, hello?" I didn't like how he leered at me.

"Say, why don't we go off and find a little dinner, then have a little fun. What-cha say, babe?"

I froze, not knowing how to respond. Carol came and rescued me. "Lucy here appreciates the offer. But we're with friends, and they'll be expecting us at any moment."

"Another time, maybe?" asked the boy.

"Maybe," I replied.

Both of us left to find the rest of the girls. When the boy was out of sight, Carol said, "If you weren't with me, I'd actually advise you to consider his offer, even though it was rather obnoxiously presented. Boys in bookstores, especially science-fiction nerds, tend to be nicer to girls than average."

Later, we had another encounter with the SRU store -- in a different part of the mall. This time, I saw it. It looked innocent enough, even attractive, but I knew that was what made it so dangerous. "Everyone hold hands. We walk past it as far away as possible," said Carol. We did so, pushing against the stores on the opposite side of the walkway, until we were well away from the Dangerous Store.

I let my breath out in relief, realizing that I'd held my breath in near panic.

Around five, we had dinner at a pizza joint, and then took the bus back to Becky's place for the second sleepover night.

"Everyone, back into your bikinis," ordered Becky. "Or swimwear," with a nod at Alice and me. "This is a swimwear sleepover."

Carol and I had left our suits last night in the bathroom drying, so we went there to change. While we were nude, I couldn't help looking Carol up and down just for an instant, noting that she had the practically perfect body. "Carol, you look wonderful," I said.

"You look great, too," she said. "You have a wonderful body. You might want to shave off the bit of a stubble down there. But then, there's mine." She looked and felt down between her own legs. But she was right. I was itching down there, and I realized I should probably shave again at some point.

As we looked each other up and down, I said, "Bikini Beach is to give girls a relaxing sanctuary against boys ogling them in their swimwear. Of course, it does nothing about girls ogling them."

"Or GIRLs like Becky," agreed Carol.

I still had the green Lucky Charms on my toenails. I never did figure out who did that, and I didn't really try.

She gave me a quick hug to her breasts, before pulling back and putting her bikini on. Partly because of the surprise, it took me longer to slip on my swimsuit.

When we returned to the living room, everyone else had already changed, and they were debating what video to watch. "For Heaven's sake," Vanessa said, "not `Heathers'! Think of Alice!"

"Oh. Right," said Becky.

We wound up watching "Clueless," featuring three rich empty-headed high-school girls. At one point during a break to get more snacks, Carol commented, "This sounds strange, but it's actually based on the book `Emma' by Jane Austen." I couldn't believe it. How could this movie be anything like a novel from the beginning of the 19th Century?!

Becky's Aunt Yuko got home during the movie, and changed from her work clothes to a little black dress. "Have a wonderful night, girls! I'll be back late -- or tomorrow." I felt embarrassed for Becky; her aunt's dress was skimpier than anything I'd ever worn other than swimwear -- well, there was today's outfit, which perhaps matched hers.

Becky must have guessed what I was thinking. "Aunt Yuko works hard all week. She deserves to live it up on weekends."

We continued watching the movie to the end.

"What now?" asked Jen.

"How about a card game? Poker?" said Becky.

"I don't bet," I said. Betting was a bad thing.

"No real betting. Just the loser taking off a piece of clothing."

Yikes! How naughty could you get?!

"There's nothing interesting about that," said Alice. "All of us have seen the others while changing at Bikini Beach. Heavens, most of you are in bikinis now. If we were going to do that, we should have done it before changing out of our clothes!"

Jen added, "Some of us are as private about it as possible." She was probably speaking for herself, but I was one of those as well, the few times I actually changed at Bikini Beach. "And at least two of you are GIRLs, too!"

"That's what makes it interesting," said Becky, sticking out her tongue. "And we have the memories, once we turn back! Come to think of it, maybe Vanessa and I won't remember it after I turn back." Becky sounded a little disappointed there. Then she perked up. "So what. We can have fun now anyway. In fact, you're right, Alice. Most of us are all practically naked already. There's no need to play strip poker; let's all just do it now!" With that, she promptly pulled loose the knots of her bikini top and bottom, and let them drop off. "Anyone joining me?"

Alice slipped out of her one-piece with surprising speed, and Vanessa removed her bikini. Jen looked at Vanessa and began hesitatingly removing hers. Carol and I glanced at each other. Carol removed her bikini, and I slowly, apprehensively removed my one-piece.

That was that. We were all naked now. I tried not to stare or pay particular attention to anyone, but I couldn't help glancing.

"Alice, I've never seen a girl with bright red pussy hair like yours," said Becky. And indeed, Alice's hair down there was as bright red as her head, and thick but carefully shaped to a particular triangle, creeping down between her legs. The bare skin surrounding was as freckled as the rest of her body.

"That's not in the least surprising. You've been a girl for like, a month, eh BRUCE?" replied Alice. "Perhaps you've been discreetly observing naked girls and women in the Bikini Beach changing room?"

"May-BE," answered Becky with a lecherous grin.

I wasn't sure exactly who started it, or how it started, but for some reason everyone was suddenly swatting each other with pillows. I pulled out away as far as possible to the side of the room, not wishing to get involved.

Someone tapped my shoulder. As I turned, Carol took my hand and led me to Aunt Yuko's bedroom, away from the raging pillow fight She locked the door, and the door will remain metaphorically locked on what happened in there. That's just for me and Carol to know.

When we left the bedroom, we found the other four girls all waiting just outside the door. "Sounded like a couple persons were having fun in there," said Vanessa. "But you both look fresh and clean."

I was suddenly embarrassed at having the girls see me now completely hairless down there, although Carol's similar presence made it not so bad.

"I see you both took a few war wounds," added Becky. "They heal quickly. Happens to me all the time when I shave -- my face I mean, when I was a boy, that is."

"Um, Vanessa?" Jen said shyly, reaching up and pulling her down. She whispered into Vanessa's ear.

"Why certainly," Vanessa said with a gleam in her eye. Vanessa took Jen's hand and they entered the bedroom, closing the door behind them.

"Seems like Vanessa and Jen are going to follow up on your activities, shaving and so forth," said Becky.

"Come along, guys," said Carol. "We don't have to eavesdrop on their activities. We have our own activities." She returned to the living room, and we followed. "So who won the pillow fight?"

"We ended in a truce," said Alice.

"So what now?" I asked.

"How about Spin the Bottle?" suggested Becky.

"What's that?" I asked.

"You've never heard of Spin the Bottle?" asked Alice incredulously.

"That's where someone spins a bottle, and then kisses the person the bottle stops at," said Carol. "It's rather a juvenile game."

"We don't have to limit it to face-to-face kissing," said Becky, as she got up and went to the kitchen. She returned with an empty ginger beer bottle.

"Okay, okay, who spins first?" asked Carol.

"Whoever it points to in this spin," replied Becky, as she spun the bottle. It pointed toward Alice. Alice took the bottle, and spun it fast. It stopped pointing toward herself.

"So what do I do? Kiss myself or something?"

Becky replied, "There are various ways one could kiss oneself, if one is flexible enough -- or so I heard."

"Nah, just spin it again," answered Carol. This time, it stopped pointing toward me.

"Does that mean Alice kisses me?" I asked.

"Indeed," answered Alice, as she crawled toward me and took my shoulders in her arms. I let my arms wrap around her waist, and kissed.

"Not bad for a first time," said Becky. "Now your turn to spin the bottle." I spun it, and it stopped toward Becky. We crawled to each other, and kissed about a minute. Mmmmmmm, such a wonderful experience.

"Lucy," said Becky breathlessly. "As Bruce, I never thought of you that way. But when I return as Bruce this fall, I shall definitely have to reconsider." I'd forgotten that this was Bruce I was kissing!

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" retorted Carol.

The two girls glared at each other until Alice broke in and said, "Please, please! We're all friends here."

"Okay, okay. I probably won't remember anyway." Becky sighed as she spun the bottle. It pointed to Carol. I glanced at Carol and back at Becky. They both hesitated a moment, and then reached for each other and embraced and kissed rather hard for some time.

"I take it you two have made up?" I asked, as Becky and Carol separated breathlessly.

The bottle next pointed toward me, and I had the gut feeling that Carol somehow arranged it, although I had no idea how. My lips simply melted when we kissed, and I felt hers melting too. She pulled me down so I lay on top of her, her arms tight around me. We were almost chewing each other's mouths, and I was gasping in excitement.

Both Carol and I were very annoyed at being interrupted by Alice and Becky. "Hey guys, we have a game to play!" said Becky, as Alice tapped both of us on the head.

"Both of you need to rinse off first, though." said Alice. "Up, up, into the shower!" She pulled on us. It was true, we were both sweaty from the exertions. One thing about a bare crotch is that the wetness is all there on the surface.

I turned on the shower, and we had to wait for the water to warm up. We showered for just a moment, then got out and patted each other dry.

As we left the bathroom, our hair wrapped in towels, we met Jen and Vanessa, both sweaty and grimy, hair all messed up. Jen now looked more like ten or eleven, rather than thirteen. They were apparently waiting for us to come out, and passed us and went in.

"If nobody else wants to use the bedroom," I glanced at Alice and Becky, who glanced at each other, scrunched up their noses, rolled their eyes, and shook their heads, "I think I shall go and fix it up."

"I'll help you," said Carol.

Fortunately, nothing got on the bottom sheet or the mattress. We tossed the used towels into the hamper, except for two with traces of blood, and tossed the used razors into the wastebasket. We remade the bed, and cleaned up or disposed of everything else.

"The bloody towels need to soak in cold water," said Carol. "Hot water will bake it in permanently." As Jen and Vanessa were in the bathroom, we decided to use the kitchen sink.

We eventually returned to the game. Alice spun the bottle, and it pointed toward me. We kissed longer than the first time, although not as long as I'd kissed Becky or (definitely!) Carol. Alice was breathless when we stopped.

"I have to admit, Lucy, you are bringing out the bisexual in me. But," Alice added quickly, "I won't get in Carol's way."

Vanessa and Jen joined us as Alice was kissing Becky. I used that opportunity to transfer the towels from the kitchen sink to the bathroom sink. We continued playing for another hour or so, and I got to kissing every girl pretty heavily. It was quite different from the usual casual hugs we gave each other all the time.

Eventually, we got tired of the game, and someone turned off the lights. It had been dark outside for some time, so a couple of us, including myself, shrieked in fright.

"Hey, let's go out streaking," said Becky. "Just around the block."

I got up, preparing to don a pair of shorts and tee-shirt. "Streaking. Is that running so fast that nobody can see you as anything more than a blur? Or streak?"

Why was everyone laughing all of a sudden? Even Carol? Even Jen?

"Lucy, you are really so innocent, it's almost heartbreaking to disillusion and corrupt you," said Vanessa.

"But I don't mind disillusioning her," said Alice. She turned to me. "No, streaking means going outside and running around naked. We're already dressed for it."

I sat down hard. My whole body was red, and not just about the subject. I was majorly embarrassed, having just made a fool of myself.

"But no," said Vanessa. "We don't want to do anything to get us arrested, and have our parents called in on us. Most of us would get in serious trouble."

"Spoil-sport," said Becky. "I'm seriously considering going out streaking the day my Bikini Beach pass expires. Afterwards, Becky disappears, Bruce reappears, and there's no more trouble for me."

"Don't be so sure," said Vanessa. "Perhaps when you revert, the resulting reality shift might have Bruce going out streaking -- and being arrested for it."

"There's not supposed to be any reality shift in my transformation," countered Becky.

"How lucky do you think you are?" asked Vanessa. After a pause during which Becky didn't answer, she continued, "Anya warned me of another issue, when I got my first two-week membership. If I ever get pregnant as Vanessa, I'm stuck as Vanessa for life. Since you're going on a date next week, I thought I'd mention it. I hope that Grandmother warned you."

Becky answered, "Now that you mention it, it was one of the things Grandmother told me, that I mostly missed, being caught up in the aftermath of the transformation. However, my transformation came with a month's disc of the Pill, with a half a dozen refills available at the CVS. Aunt Yuko and I take our pills every morning together, when she's home. I've never forgotten."

"The Pill only becomes effective about a month after you start taking it," said Vanessa. "While so far, it hasn't mattered for either of us, I really hope that Bikini Beach gives one the body already on the Pill in addition to the Pill itself. Even if it never matters to me, it's the principle of the thing."

"Innocence and ignorance for young girls like us is dangerous," said Alice. "Sometimes it just hits us hard when we learn. Other times, it means people take unfair advantage of us. Still other times, we can really be harmed. Mom put me on the Pill when I was twelve, ostensibly to regularize my period. I saw through that pretext even then. I haven't had sex yet, but just in case..."

"Definitely, the most innocent among us are Jen and Lucy," said Becky. Thanks a lot, Becky. I looked down, couldn't look anyone in the face.

"Becky, that was not a nice thing to say," said Carol.

Vanessa broke in and said, "Let's tell stories," in a haunting tone.

"A couple weeks ago," said Becky, "we were revealing whether we were virgins. One thing I noticed was that we got sidetracked before Vanessa answered the question."

"Yeah, you're right, Becky," said Vanessa.

"But before you tell us, I should mention that in my case, I answered the question before admitting to being a GIRL. So I will be clear, and say that I am or was a virgin as a guy as well."

"You pretty much admitted that last week, with Aunt Yuko," said Vanessa. "Okay, you all deserve to hear my answer. Like Becky, I'm a GIRL. Everyone but Mom and me, and maybe Helen, and now Carol, remembers me as the girl Vanessa King. Only we remember my history as Vernon -- and even there, Mom and I at least remember the primarily the Vanessa version. At least I have to think about it to remember Vernon.

"Vernon -- I -- was or am not a virgin. I began younger than Jen." She wrapped her arm around Jen. "Where we live, sex is common. I was seduced at eleven by my fourteen-year-old cousin. My gosh, I'm that same age now. I became quite active with various friends, until coming to Bikini Beach."

In the dim remaining indirect light, I noticed Jen pulling away from Vanessa, with an expression that she was about to cry.

Becky said, "Please, Jen. Remember that Vanessa worked hard and resisted her own irresistible attraction to SRU, to keep you away."

Vanessa said, "I'm so sorry, Jen." Jen burst into tears, and Vanessa pulled her into an embrace. "I promise, I haven't had any kind of sex with anyone else since coming to Bikini Beach. No girlfriends or boyfriends or lovers. I promise. Please, Jen!" Vanessa looked more distressed than I'd ever seen her. Jen's face was in Vanessa's chest.

We were silent for a moment, then Jen pulled away and whispered, "It's okay. I had Tim back then."

After a moment, Vanessa continued, "Vanessa's false history -- I don't even know who really remembers what about Vanessa. I only have my own false memories. Several guys tried to seduce me starting when I was eleven. I let one do it, but it was just a mildly dirty blah. The other guys, I refused, but a couple of them refused to accept no as an answer.

"One might think I was raped. But the surprising thing is that one of them made it very good for me. In fact, his fingers, hands, and tongue persuaded me to change my mind about his dick and want it badly -- and he made that part good too. So he didn't really rape me. I had sex with him quite a bit afterwards.

"As for the other guy who refused to accept no, it was rape -- no question. But it was just another mildly dirty blah. Not nearly as bad as being spanked. I had sex with a couple other nice friends as well. So that's my history as it never happened.

"By the way," continued Vanessa, "This is not what I meant when I suggested that we tell stories. I meant ghost stories, or urban legends. Things to scare us to sleep that are told at sleepovers.

"For example, my friend's cousin went to visit family in southern Mississippi. A couple days after returning, a small bump appeared on her cheek. The bump grew, turning purple. She was urged to go to the emergency room to check it out, but kept delaying because of the expense, even as the bump expanded.

"Eventually, just as she was about to go to the emergency room, the bump exploded -- along with a hundred spiders, landing everywhere and on everyone."

"Aah!" shrieked someone. "Eww!" "That was so gross!" I wasn't saying anything. My stomach was heaving, and I was up and running, tripping over things, to the bathroom, hoping to make it in time. I crashed into another girl I saw dimly -- Alice, also trying for the bathroom. She got the toilet, I got the sink.

Fortunately, nothing actually came up. I managed to control my heaves. I drank some water, took deep breaths, and managed to control my nausea. "You okay, Alice?" I asked. I couldn't smell anything from her side, so I figured she managed to control it too.

"Yeah. Didn't actually throw up. Some water would be nice."

We both returned to the living room where Carol, Jen, and Becky were all berating Vanessa for that story. In a rare instant of silence, Alice interjected loudly, "Vanessa, would you care to hear about the Night-Riding White Ghosts?"

"Yeah-yeah, the Ku Klux Klan," answered Vanessa. "I'll take a pass on that, thank you, Alice. And the rest of you, instead of complaining about my story, come up with one of your own."

"When I was little, I went to an eight-week summer camp," said Becky. "Mowglis -- ends with a silent s. Just once, mind you. I was unfortunately a rather gullible little kid, and the counselors and other campers enjoyed terrifying us about `Snatchers and Grabbers' and 'the Mad Axeman.' I actually believed them. The full set of monsters in the `Snatchers and Grabbers' story consisted of `Snatchers, Grabbers, Grinders, and Mutilators' -- or was that `Murderers'?

"Snatchers dangled their tentacles down from treetops, waiting to snatch any unsuspecting person from the ground. The snatcher hands his catch over to the grabber, who hands it to the mutilator, who finally hands it to the grinder. That's the end of the hapless victim.

"As for the Mad Axeman, well just hope he didn't enter your tent at night. That's really all I remember."

By now, I was back to sitting next to Carol. In the dark, both phrases stuck in my mind, even while Alice told a story -- no, not about the White Night-Riding Ghosts. "There was an old man, whose left arm was made of gold. He died, and was buried. A man who attended the funeral and the burial decided dig up the grave, and take the golden arm for himself.

"He took it and hid it under his bed. He was planning on melting it down, but kept postponing the decision.

"The very first night, just as he was falling asleep, he just barely heard a ghostly wail, `Who has stolen my golden arm?' Just the wind, he thought, turning over and resettling down to sleep.

"The voice was louder, more definite, the next night. `Who has stolen my golden arm?' And the third night, it sounded as though it came from just outside his door. `Who has stolen my golden arm?' And his door slowly creaked open, revealing the desecrated corpse of an old man.

"`You stole it!'" Alice shouted that last bit.

The response was silence. Carol yawned. I realized that we were supposed to jump out of our skin at that punch line, but the story overall didn't work. "Snatchers and Grabbers and Mad Axeman" were partly to blame, for echoing through my mind that needed to get to sleep.

"Sorry, but I'm sleepy," I told the others. "If you guys don't mind, I'm going to sleep." I had to do a few things such as brush my teeth and use the toilet, but then I settled down in the corner of the room. I was still thinking "Snatchers and Grabbers" as I fell asleep. I couldn't help it.

Saturday, July 12

I was walking through the mall. Oh panic! The Dangerous Store! The one we had earlier so carefully avoided. I had to get by that Store without being snatched away by the Snatchers and Grabbers. I turned down a side hallway away from the Store, and followed it as it made an abrupt sharp turn back toward the Store.

I found a woman's room, and quickly entered to avoid the horror. In one of the stalls, I turned and faced the stall door and removed my swimsuit and was about to sit on the toilet when I realized I was standing naked in front of the Store -- the door of the stall had become the door of the Store. The Snatchers and Grabbers were all ready and waiting for me, and I couldn't just run away all naked in front of the crowd of shoppers. I couldn't pee either, even though I really had to go.

Inside the store awaited Error, and walking naked through the crowd of shoppers was also Error. I was hopelessly trapped! I tried screaming for help, but my voice caught in my mouth. The crowd only saw me naked; they didn't see the danger I was in.

I awoke. Did I scream out? Carol was lying next to me, fingers intertwined with mine, twitching them. My heart fluttered at the twitching. "Nightmare?" she whispered.

"Yeah," I whispered back, in the middle of taking slow deep breaths. It was still dark -- I didn't know what time it was. "I also have to go to the bathroom."

I stood up, and in the faint light from the outside street lights, I made my way to the bathroom. I noticed Jen and Vanessa together, apparently spooning under their blanket. Becky and Alice were off sleeping by themselves, well apart.

I relieved myself and returned to my sleeping spot next to Carol. I lay down again, and took her hand, intertwining our fingers. I felt better that way. I think she was asleep. I was still dead tired, and fell asleep almost immediately.
. . . .

I awoke to the smell of pancakes. Carol was sitting up and looking down at me with an affectionate expression. "Becky's cooking us a wonderful breakfast," she said.

I sat up and looked around. Alice was still asleep. Jen and Vanessa were in the kitchen with Becky. Carol and I got up, and entered the kitchen, where Becky was cooking stacks of mini-pancakes "Mmmm, these smell wonderful," I said.

"They are indeed wonderful," replied Vanessa, as she forked a stack into her mouth.

"May we?" I asked nervously.

"Help yourself. Plenty more are coming," answered Becky.

"Oh, my. Now I regret the nice breakfast I already had this morning," came a voice from someone not of our group. Aunt Yuko had returned, still wearing the dress she wore last night, all wrinkled now. I suddenly realized our nakedness, having been caught by Aunt Yuko.

"I see you all decided to get nude," Aunt Yuko remarked.

"And you didn't, Aunt Yuko?" sassed Becky.

"Now don't you get smart, young lady." Aunt Yuko left the kitchen, apparently for her bedroom, just as Alice entered the kitchen.

"Oh my." Alice sniffed and inhaled through her nose. "This has got to be the biggest attack ever on dieting."

"Nah, just my contribution to the war on anorexia," replied Becky. "Dig in. There's plenty for all. Aunt Yuko and I will have leftovers later. We'll burn it away at Bikini Beach, anyway."

We finished eating just as Aunt Yuko emerged, dressed in a bikini and an overlong tee-shirt. We helped Becky clean up, and then Aunt Yuko ordered us, "Everyone get dressed. Into your swimsuits, that is. It's Bikini Beach day."

We all got back in our swimsuits, and a couple of the girls put on tee-shirts over them. I made sure all my stuff was properly packed in my suitcase, and we all went out and stuffed ourselves again like sardines in Aunt Yuko's little car. Again, Carol had me sit on her lap in the back seat.

We spent Bikini Beach together as usual, enjoying the rides and relaxing, alternatively. Some time mid-morning, while I was relaxing half-asleep, someone pulled on me hard until I sat up. "Lucy, Lucy!" It was Ruth, and Ma was with her.

"Hello, Mrs. Cuttington," the girls greeted Ma.

"Hello, girls. How was your pajama party?"

I was scared that one of them would let the naughtiness out of the bag, as everyone told a little about the sleepover. At least Becky had enough sense not to correct Ma and say it was a nude party. The closest anyone got to the naughtiness was with the scary stories told. I was beginning to feel really guilty about what I'd done at the sleepover last night. I was thinking about my nightmares of the monster Error getting me. I didn't mention those, or any of my nightmares.

"Hey, let's go do something, Lucy!" Ruth pulled, and I stood up.

"Now now, Ruth," said Ma. "Lucy is with her friends her own age. They don't want a little girl tagging along."

"No, Ma," I said. "It's good for Ruth and me to have fun together. My friends won't mind if I go off with Ruth for a couple hours. Right, guys?"

"By all means, have some good sister-sister time together," said Carol, and everyone else agreed.

"That's fine then," said Ma. "Bring Ruth back to me around noon at the Tiki Hut."

"We'll be there, too," added Vanessa.

As we walked together, Ruth holding my hand, I was thinking about my nightmares. I knew perfectly well that Error meant erroneous thought, not a monster or bad guy out to get you. But as a young child, I got to thinking of Error as exactly that. And I couldn't completely rid myself of that mistake. What if my nightmares were telling me that I was seriously going into new levels of Error through my sleepover activities?

One thing I knew. I wasn't going to tell my parents.

Ruth and I had lots of fun in the South Seas Adventures, before we had to meet the others at the Tiki Hut. A couple times, the notion of Ruth having been an older brother Peter came to mind, but I put it out.

After lunch, the girls and I spent an hour relaxing and dozing off, then spent the rest of the afternoon having fun. All too soon, it was time to leave.

I showered and changed into jeans and tee-shirt before going home, as Pa would be home. In fact he was. "It's been too long since I last saw you Lucy. But by all means, keep having fun with your friends."

I practiced the piano for a little while, then, as usual after a Bikini Beach day, went to bed early. I slept better back in my own bed, even though I enjoyed sleeping next to Carol. I didn't have any nightmares this time.

Kudos

Comments

always wanted a sleepover

sighs ...

ma is a contradiction, she

ma is a contradiction, she claims to believe in the teachings to not be false about one self but seems to have no problem changing the kids at bikini beach. It seeems to me as though Peter was actually innocent but due to the interference of Mrs Winstead ma was convinced that he was guilty and dna evidence wasn't real evidence, when he was taken to bikini beach to be changed to a girl I suspect the murderous thoughts that Anya sensed was from him being mad at being forced to change and the fact that his own mother didn't believe in his innocence.
I think his brother new this that's why before his change to Lucy he was so interested in people being forced to give false confessions to the police even thought he couldn't remember his brother, unfortunately now that Ruth has a lifetime membership due to the manipulative Mrs Winstead if there was an error by Anya they can't change him back

A Bikini Beach Summer 08-10/21

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always wanted a sleepover

ma is a contradiction, she

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