The seventeen year old boy stared at his reflection in the mirror and let out a long, tired sigh. It was a day he'd been planning for for weeks, and now that it was finally here, he felt nervous.

He was also excited, of course- it was Halloween, and he was heading to his first proper Halloween party with his older brother, his first proper 'adult' party. His costume, however, was very different to the one his brother was wearing. Greg had opted for a 'Dexter' inspired costume of plain clothing spattered with theatrical blood. Matthew's costume was much more elaborate... And not something Greg would EVER be seen wearing regardless of the date.

From birth, Matthew had always been different from his older brother. Greg was a typical 'lad'. He loved football, beer and loose women, worked in a pub and spent most of his time telling inappropriate jokes and/or farting a lot. Matthew also liked football and inappropriate jokes and had developed a taste for beer despite his youth, and whilst his sex life (and his flatulence) wasn't as prolific as his brother, he was just as attracted to women... He just also harboured a secret desire to be a woman.

From an early age, Matthew had been obsessed with girls. With their clothes, their make-up, their jewellery- especially their sparkling, beautiful jewellery- Matthew had dreamed about what it would be like to wake up one day as a girl, to be able to get up, pull on a skirt or a dress and go about his- or rather, her- day without a care in the world. However, Matthew was also smart enough to realise that it would never be as simple as that. If he lived in a more upper class part of the world, he might have been able to get away with such an 'eccentricity', but he didn't. He lived in Openshaw, one of the roughest parts of Manchester, and if he suddenly presented himself to the world as a girl, his neighbourhood would likely have a conniption. His mother and his two younger sisters likely would as well. But that would be nothing compared to his brother's rage.

Greg and Matthew's father had left the household in 2001, when the former was fourteen and the latter was just eight years old, and as much as Matthew had come to see Greg as his only role model, the reverse had also been true. As much as Greg enjoyed teasing his younger brother, he loved spending time with him, teaching him all the things he felt the younger boy should know- all about football, beer and loose women. Matthew paid attention throughout these 'lessons', but secretly, he was planning his own 'learning'. After discovering the internet at the age of twelve, Matthew began secretly researching everything to do with femininity. He read online magazines and blogs, watched videos on fashion and make-up tutorials and even began to practise feminine mannerisms, such as adjusting his walk, his body language and even his speech. From a purely practical standpoint, Matthew felt perfectly equipped to become a woman. He just lacked one thing- the support of his family. But all that was about to change, and Matthew was about to find out whether it would be for the better or the worse.

"Matt!" Greg bellowed from the living room. "Get a fucking move on, all the beer'll be gone!"

"Alright, keep your hair on!" Matthew replied as he applied the finishing touches to his costume. "Alright... Here goes." Matthew took several deep breaths before opening his bedroom door and slowly descending the stairs, his legs wobbling on the footwear he was unaccustomed to wearing.

"Took you long enough," Greg snorted as Matthew opened the living room door. "Come on, we'll- WHAT THE FUCK!?"

"What?" Matthew shrugged as he posed in his costume, one hand on his hip and the other clutching a multi-coloured feather duster. "You did say it was a costume party, right?" Matthew smiled nervously as he let Greg and the rest of his family take in the sight of the costume, even as internally, he felt his legs start to tremble.

The trembling wasn't helped by the 3 inch stiletto heels that Matthew was barely balancing on, nor the ripped fishnet tights that offered very little protection from the cold October air. Matthew had no doubt, though, that his brother's biggest problem was the tiny black dress covering his torso and his thighs, or the lace trim on the dress, or the fact that he'd used padding to fill the front of the dress, or the fact that he was wearing as much 'regular' make-up as he was stage make-up...

"You want to swap costumes with him or something?" Ellen- Matthew and Greg's younger sister- asked with a giggle, which made Matthew grin, though he couldn't be sure whether the giggling was at Greg's expense or his.

"Get changed," Greg said, taking several breaths to calm himself.

"Why?" Matthew asked. "This costume cost me a lot of money."

"You do know we're going to a pub, right?" Greg asked. "A pub with a lot of guys around my age?"

"Yes...?" Matthew replied, triggering a long groan of frustration from his brother.

"And you're going as a fucking French maid!" Greg snapped.

"Greg! Watch your language around your sisters!" Mrs. Briggs chastised her older son, who growled in frustration.

"ZOMBIE French maid," Matthew said. "Check out the make-up here, here and here." Matthew smirked as he pointed to the deathly pale colour he'd smeared his face with, as well as the bruises and lesions he'd painted onto his body.

"So are you trying to get the shit beaten out of you?" Greg snarled. "Either get changed or you're not coming."

"Huh, guess I'm not coming then," Matthew shrugged, flopping down on the sofa next to his sister.

"Ugh, Matt- you've been on about going to this party for weeks," Greg sighed. "You wouldn't shut up about it, and now that it's finally here, you decide you're going to ruin it for yourself."

"How am I ruining it by dressing like this?" Matthew asked.

"Look," Greg said. "I'm not opposed to the occasional bit of cross-dressing in the name of fun. I went out in drag for my friend's hen night last year, remember?"

"I remember," Ellen snorted. "That image is burned onto my retinas, you looked like a gorilla in a dress!"

"And that's my point," Greg said. "Matt, you- you actually look like you could be a girl."

"Thanks," Matthew replied with a smug smile.

"That's not something to be proud of," Greg spat. "Especially not when I've told my friends I'm bringing along my brother, they're going to expect, well, a man!"

"Last time I checked, I still have a cock," Matthew replied.

"Matthew!" The boys' mother snapped, before sighing. "Matthew... Why HAVE you dressed like that tonight? There are a million things you could've gone as."

"I wanted to be a zombie French maid," Matthew shrugged. "I can't explain why, I just know that this is what I wanted to go as."

"Where did you even get the costume?" Ellen asked.

"At a fancy dress store, where d'you think?" Matthew replied. "Thing about only being 5' 7" is you have a lot of choice come Halloween."

"And out of all the things in there, that's what you chose?" Greg asked.

"It looked the most fun," Matthew shrugged, as internally, he sighed. Of all the questions that was being asked, the one he most wanted to answer was being deliberately avoided- whether or not he enjoyed wearing female clothing.

Matthew had tried numerous times to come out to his family in different ways. From asking his mother if she'd have preferred to have three daughters and one son instead of two of each, to what she would've named him had he been born a girl, but on each occasion, the topic was quickly dismissed, as though the very concept was offensive to his mother. No one had ever delved into why Matthew had asked such questions, and now that he had forced the issue in the most upfront way possible... Nothing had changed.

After Greg left, Matthew let out a long, tired sigh, before slinking back to his bedroom to remove his make-up and his costume, groaning as he stared at his plain, boyish features in his mirror. He was disappointed that he wouldn't be attending the party, but he was much more disappointed that his time in his costume had come to an end.

Matthew had read up about transgender issues on the internet and was familiar with virtually every aspect of it, and while he had no intention of ever taking any hormone pills or undergoing any surgeries, he'd always hoped that one day, he'd be able to leave the house dressed as a girl with his head held high, and with the full support of his family. On the cold Halloween night, however, that dream seemed further away than ever...

"Knock knock?" Matthew heard his youngest sister call from outside his bedroom, snapping him out of his daydream. "Still got your costume on?"

"Umm, no, not anymore," Matthew replied. "You can come in, Sash."

"Thanks," the thirteen year old girl said as she entered the room and sat on the edge of her brother's bed. "Greg was REALLY pissed off with you."

"Yeah, I got that, thanks," Matthew replied, before letting out a long sigh. "Sorry, Sash. Didn't mean it like that."

"S'okay," Sasha shrugged. "Matt- why DID you wear that costume? I mean, you must've had loads to pick from, you go as something you know would really piss him off?"

"I-" Matthew replied, before letting another, longer sigh and flopping back onto his bed. "I just thought it'd be fun. Just a laugh, you know?" Internally, Matthew kicked himself for his cowardice. The very question he'd wanted to be asked, by the person he knew would be most receptive to the answer, and he couldn't bring himself to admit the truth.

"If you say so," Sasha said.

"And that's supposed to mean?" Matthew snorted.

"I've seen guys dress up as girls for 'a laugh'," Sasha said. "Hell, even Greg has, like he said just now. Like Ell said, he looked like a right knob. And like Greg said, you- you didn't. You really looked like you could, you know, be 'real'. I mean, like 'real' as a girl, that sort-of, umm, thing..."

"Umm- okay," Matthew replied, wondering whether or not he should thank his sister for what was obviously intended as a compliment.

"Matt? Sash? You in here?" Ellen asked as she climbed the stairs and poked her head around her brother's bedroom door. "Is it 'Matt' as in 'Matthew' or, I dunno, 'Nat' like 'Natalie' or 'Natasha'?"

"It's Matthew, mouth," the seventeen year old boy scoffed as Ellen plopped down next to their sister on his bed.

"Pity," Ellen said. "Would've been nice to outnumber boys in this household for once."

"What d'you call mum, then?" Matthew asked.

"Referee, most days," Sasha quipped, making her sister giggle. "Do- d'you reckon Greg'll, you know, get over it?"

"He'll be too pissed tonight not to," Ellen snorted. "He'll be fine, he'll just write it off as another one of Matt's practical jokes."

"Which is what it was, right?" Sasha asked hesitantly.

"Umm, sure, yeah!" Matthew shrugged. "Didn't really want to go to that party anyway, Greg's mates are all knobs."

"Well- yes, true," Ellen said. "Even the fit ones. If that's the best you boys have to offer it almost makes me wish I were a lesbian."

"Lovely," Matthew snorted. "Look, honestly, I'm fine, okay? It were a practical joke that bombed, don't worry about me, okay?"

"Well- okay," Sasha said, though her voice and her demeanour made it clear that she was far from convinced. "If- if you want to, you know, talk..."

"Let me get back to you on that," Matthew sighed. "MUCH later."

"Okay, okay!" Ellen scoffed. "Come on, Sash, let's leave 'Natalie' to her sulk..." Matthew rolled his eyes as his sisters left the room, before laying back onto his bed and letting out a long, pained moan.

The following morning, Matthew headed to college wearing his trademark black jeans and well-worn Manchester City F.C. hoodie like nothing had happened the night before. Matthew hadn't had the opportunity to talk to his brother after his return from his party, but knew what his response would be- the same as his mother's and his sisters' response, which was no response at all. Not a word was said over breakfast about his choice of costume, and when Matthew arrived at college, no one there even knew about the costume.

Matthew was desperate to tell someone, anyone about it, even if just to gauge their reaction, but he knew that of the few friends he had, none of them would understand. Matthew could talk to his friends about football, about television, even about girls, but he could never talk about the one girl he fantasised about the most- himself.

A month passed, and the memory of Matthew's Halloween costume seemed to fade from the Briggs household as they looked forward to their next major celebration. November 30th was Matthew's birthday, and that year, it wasn't just any birthday, but his eighteenth.

On the morning of his eighteenth birthday, Matthew was woken up by his mother, his brother and his sisters crowding into his bedroom, singing 'Happy Birthday to You' and showering him with cards and presents. Presents that included a new football shirt, DVDs, video games and clothes- a new pair of jeans, two new sweatshirts and three t-shirts, all of which were very obviously from the menswear section of the shops they were bought from. Matthew was genuinely grateful for all of his gifts, but as he headed to college, he wished that one of the presents, just one of them, could've been a new dress, or a skirt, or a make-up set, or anything feminine. Any sign that could reassure him that he didn't have to hide anymore.

"Hey Briggsy!" Dave, Matthew's closest college friend, cheered as Matthew sat down for lunch at his usual table. "Happy birthday, mate!"

"When you gonna get our beers in, then?" Josh- another of Matthew's friends- teased.

"Not wasting time then, are you?" Matthew snorted, making his friends laugh.

"Not our fault you're the first to turn eighteen," Josh retorted. "That's the rule- if you're eighteen first, you get the beers in."

"Who made up this 'rule'?" Matthew complained, earning sniggers from his friends.

"Seriously mate," Dave said. "What you got planned for the weekend?"

"Nothing much," Matthew shrugged. "Greg'll probably try to drag me out with his mates again."

"Oh yeah, you never said what happened at Halloween," Josh said. "You were looking forward to it, then nothing happened?"

"I just didn't want to go out with HIS mates," I said. "...Much rather have gone with you two."

"Ah, you soft bastard!" Dave laughed, giving the birthday boy a rough, but still playful shove and reminding him why he'd never be able to truly open up to his friends- at least, not about what he most wanted to tell them.

When Matthew arrived home, he played the part of the birthday boy to perfection, wolfing down the special dinner of sausages, chips and gravy that his mother always made him on his birthday, followed by a large helping of apple tart and custard and- as it was a special birthday- a glass of sparkling wine. Matthew forced a smile on his face when his father dropped round to give him his presents and spend over an hour talking about football with him and Greg (though that didn't come too hard to Matthew), and eventually headed to bed just after 10pm feeling tired and frustrated.

As he headed up the stairs, Matthew wondered if he'd have felt better if he'd never dressed up in the first place, if he'd buried his desires deep down in a hole where he would never have had to think about them ever again. It wasn't like Matthew hated being a boy- not having to worry about his appearance, eating whatever he wanted and talking about cars and football all appealed to him. But so did putting on make-up, wearing short skirts and dangly earrings and talking about clothes and celebrities. Matthew dreamed of playing for Manchester City and scoring the winning goal at Wembley Stadium, but he also dreamed of being a ballerina and dancing on a stage- but most of all, Matthew dreamed of having someone to share his desires with.

When Matthew entered his bedroom, though, he recoiled in surprise as he discovered a large, unopened pile of presents on his bed, wrapped in pink wrapping paper- and his two pyjama-clad sisters sat on the bed next to them.

"...Am I going to have to throw you out of my room again?" Matthew snorted, earning eye rolls from both girls.

"If you do, we're taking these with us!" Ellen replied with a smug grin.

"Even if they wouldn't fit us," Sasha said with a giggle.

"What- what do you mean?" Matthew asked. "What's going on?"

"Matt, stop being soft in the head," Ellen snorted. "We know what's going on. We've known since your tantrum at Halloween what's going on!"

"Well- we think we do, anyway," Sasha said cautiously.

"Again, what. Is. Going. On?" Matthew growled.

"Okay, cut to the chase, we got you more presents," Ellen said with a sigh. "We thought- we thought that you might like these more than some of what else you got."

"If we're wrong, just tell us, and we won't speak of this again," Sasha said, handing Matthew a present that obviously contained an item of clothing.

"Okay..." Matthew said, his jaw dropping as he read the label.

'To Natalie,' the label read. 'From your sisters on your eighteenth birthday.'

"Open it," Sasha whispered emotionally. Natalie carefully tore the wrapping paper open, and started to tremble with anxiety as he discovered it contained a short denim skirt that was obviously in his size.

"Wh- what?" Matthew asked.

"I told you he wouldn't," Sasha whispered to her sister with a sigh.

"Matt," Ellen said softly. "Or Nat. Whatever. We told you at Halloween that your costume wasn't just- well, wasn't just you being a dumb boy, but that- that it looked like you have, you know, 'more' to you."

"Like I said, if we're wrong, we'll take it all back," Sasha said. "Unless, of course, you- you don't want us to?" Matthew bit his lip as he stared at the item of clothing in his hand. Unlike his rough jeans, the denim of the skirt was lighter and softer, and the mere feel of it against his fingers sent tingles of excitement through his body. What it would feel like against his legs, he could only dream- except he didn't have to dream, not any more. All he had to do was accept the gift, and he would have his very first skirt that was 100% his.

Matthew paused as he stared at his sisters, waiting for some sign that they were playing a practical joke on him, but all he saw in their eyes was sincerity. A tear trickled down Matthew's cheek as he finally concluded that his birthday wish might be coming true after all.

"...You two are the best sisters ever," Matthew whispered, giggling as Ellen and Sasha jumped off the bed and gave him a tight group hug.

"You never know," Ellen chuckled. "You might end up being the best sister ever too!"

"Hey!" Sasha protested, earning a stuck-out tongue from Ellen and a girlish giggle from Matthew.

"We'll keep the clothes in our rooms, but you can come and get them any time you want," Ellen said, ignoring her younger sister's rolled eyes. "Obviously we won't tell mum about this, or Greg, and definitely not dad. Well- unless you want us to, anyway."

"Ah- umm..." Matthew mumbled. If he wanted to tell his brother and his mother about 'Natalie', it had suddenly become a lot easier to do so. Three against two was a much less daunting prospect than one against four, but if it went badly, the price would still be far too high. If forced to choose between 'male and with the full love and support of family', or 'can choose gender but homeless and unloved', Matthew would choose the former. He was forced to admit to himself, however, that his sisters had proved that 'Natalie' would always have at least some love and support whenever and wherever 'she' needed it.

"We can keep it to ourselves for now," Sasha said with a supportive smile. "Is this- is this, you know, the birthday you always dreamed of?"

"Heh, you have NO idea," Matthew giggled as he was handed another present, which he opened to reveal a lace-trimmed girl's t-shirt.

By the time Matthew had unwrapped all of his presents, his head was almost spinning from the euphoria he felt. The clothes were all obviously second-hand- both of his sisters relying on pocket money for their income- but that didn't matter to him at all. He was the proud owner of 2 skirts, 2 girlish tops, 1 casual dress and even a pair of scruffy ballet flats. Neither Ellen nor Sasha would be caught dead wearing such cheap clothing, but Matthew couldn't wait to change into it- even though she suspected she'd never be able to wear it beyond her bedroom door.

"If you ever want any underwear, let us know and we'll get it for you," Sasha offered.

"By which she means 'give us the money and we'll buy it'," Ellen clarified. "You are NOT borrowing any of ours!"

"Ew, like I'd ever!" Matthew teased, giggling as Ellen snorted and roll her eyes at him. "But thanks. I appreciate it. Does- does that offer apply to, umm, jewellery and make-up too?"

"'Course," Ellen shrugged. "Why, seen anything you like the look of?"

"Just- um, just those," Matthew said with a nervous chuckle as he playfully brushed the long, dangly earrings hanging from his sister's earlobes. "Kinda always wondered what they'd feel like, heh."

"Well if you can wait 25 days for Christmas, maybe you'll find out," Ellen said with a soft smile, before giving her brother another tight hug. "But I am glad you, you know, liked the gifts."

"And we won't tell anyone until you're ready, we promise," Sasha said, hugging Matthew after Ellen. "Happy birthday, 'sis'!"

"Thanks," Matthew whispered, smiling and revelling in the feeling of 'her' new clothing as Ellen and Sasha closed the door behind them.

The following day was a Wednesday, which meant that Matthew attended college just as he did the day before. However, the melancholy he'd felt the previous day had vanished, replaced by a new sense of optimism.

During the first few weeks of December, Matthew took his sisters up on their offer and amassed a small collection of a few pairs of panties, a couple of pairs of black tights and one bra that he wore for at least a small period of time every night in the run-up to Christmas.

On Christmas Day, Matthew woke up early and headed downstairs to find a large pile of presents in his usual spot on the sofa, alongside piles for his sisters that the two girls were swiftly tearing into. The smiles on their faces were enough to assure Matthew that he could expect an extra pile of presents from them later in the day, though he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something they weren't telling him.

"Ah, merry Christmas!" the teenagers' mother said with a grin as she exchanged a hug with the eighteen year old boy.

"Merry Christmas mum!" Matthew chuckled. "Greg here yet?"

"He's texted, he'll be here in a few minutes," Mrs. Briggs replied. "I hope you're better at waiting to open your presents than your sisters are!" Depends on what they are, Matthew thought to himself.

"As long as he's not TOO long," Matthew chuckled, feeling one of his presents and imagining that the clothing within was a new skirt rather than the jeans or sweatshirt it would inevitably turn out to be.

Matthew's brother arrived a short while later, and the five people in the house wasted no time in opening their presents. Matthew opted to open the presents he knew to be clothing first, to get the inevitable disappointment out of the way, but when he opened the first present, he received the shock of his young life.

"Wh- what?" Matthew stammered as he pulled the patterned, knee-length black skirt out of its wrapper. "Am- have I- umm, who- who is this meant to be for?" Time seemed to stop as Matthew's family looked at him, before his mother spoke up.

"It's for you, Matt," Mrs. Briggs said softly with a kind, supportive look in her eyes.

"Wh- what?" Matthew asked, his face tingling and his hands quickly turning to ice.

"You'd really trust her to keep a secret?" Sasha chuckled, laughing harder as her sister- the 'her' she was speaking about- elbowed her in the ribs.

"...Yeah, I told mum," Ellen said, recoiling as Matthew shot an angry glare at her. "What? I didn't just go straight downstairs and blab everything to her, ask Sash if you don't believe me."

"...We told her a few days after your birthday," Sasha confessed. "We saw how happy- well, how happy THAT made you, and we explained it to mum calmly, and she came up with this idea."

"To nearly make me wet myself and give me a heart attack?" Matthew asked, grimacing as his mother's facial expression suddenly hardened.

"You could say 'thank you'," Mrs. Briggs chastised.

"...Thank you," Matthew mumbled. "I- I don't know what to say other than that, heh."

"Well THAT makes a nice change, for starters!" Mrs. Briggs chuckled. "But Sasha's right. What's important is that you do what makes you happy. Yes, it came as a shock. But I'd rather have a happy son who wears a dress than a miserable son who wears trousers."

"...Greg?" Matthew asked his brother, who had remained silent throughout the gift giving.

"Well let's face it, the signs were kinda obvious," Greg sighed. "Halloween was kind of a giveaway, looking back at it. But mum's right. It's about what you want."

"Just as long as I'm not seen out in public with you, right?" Matthew snorted, before withering again under another stern stare from his mother.

"Your brother is making an effort," Mrs. Briggs said sternly.

"Yep, so did I on Halloween," Matthew said. "I was bricking it coming downstairs in that costume. And then my worst fears came true." Matthew bit his lip as his brother stared at the floor with a guilty look on his face.

"Yeah, I was a bit of a knob about it," Greg sighed. "But you would probably have had the shit kicked out of you in that costume. But, yes, that says more about my friends than it does about you. If you want to go outside as, well, THAT... I'll stand by you."

"So will we," Sasha said.

"Especially when you go for this," Ellen said, handing Matthew a small envelope.

"What's this?" Matthew asked, his voice and hands still trembling from the shock.

"Do you want to maybe try opening it?" Ellen snorted. Gingerly, the eighteen year old boy opened the envelope to find a card detailing an appointment at a local piercing parlour... And a pair of long, ostentatious dangly earrings.

"...Perfect," Matthew said, a wide smile spreading across his face as he realised that not only did he no longer have to hide who he truly was- or rather, who she truly was- but that she'd always have the love and support of her family no matter what.

Seventeen months later, Natalie followed her brother out of the Etihad stadium in Manchester with a wide grin on her face. Her beloved Manchester City FC had just beaten their local rivals 1-0 and taken a step closer to their first league title in 44 years, but what made her the most happy was that she was able to enjoy the game dressed in a knee-length denim skirt and a girlish t-shirt, with her face fully made up and, of course, dangly earrings hanging from her lobes. And all throughout the day, Greg had said nothing critical, but had only been supportive of his newest sister.

"So what d'you reckon then?" Greg asked Natalie as they headed toward the bus stop. "Premier League this year, Champions League next year?"

"Gotta be," Natalie replied confidently. "That'd be part 2 of 3."

"What are parts one and two?" Greg asked, confused by his sister's unexpected statement.

"Part 1 is obvious, right?" Natalie snorted.

"...Yeah, in hindsight- yeah," Greg chuckled. "What's part 3?"

"Find someone who'll love me for who I am," Natalie whispered. "Not holding out too much hope for THAT one, heh."

"Don't be so unsure," Greg shrugged. "Though mum'd probably say you should get a job before trying to find yourself a girlfriend."

"Like she hasn't a million times already," Natalie scoffed. "Dunno many jobs that'll allow me to dress like this in the workplace, though."

"I dunno," Greg shrugged. "You're good at languages, right? Maybe be a translator, like, a phone translator, can wear what you want then. Or if you really like uniforms, a stewardess maybe?"

"I dunno," Natalie sighed.

"Well, whatever happens, I'll stand by you," Greg said with a smirk. "'Cause nobody knows the way it's gonna be, right?"

"Right," The nineteen year old girl replied, smiling as she thought toward the future, and the possibilities it'd bring…