During lunch break high school freshman Tom was sitting on a bench outside, reading a sports magazine (but with the edge of a Penthouse sticking up), alone as usual. Well, as usual as it could be the fifth day of term. Tom was not a popular boy. Small, ”dainty” and with golden locks that was rather longish. There really was nothing wrong with Tom except that he was terribly shy and new in town. He had lost his parents and the only relative was a cousin of his mother's. Matthew and Martha were considerably older than Tom’s parents but they considered taking care of Tom as their duty. Tom had all the material support he could wish for. However, they didn’t really care for him and since they never had had any children of their own they didn’t understand him at all. So the less he bothered them the happier they were.

Anyway Tom was sitting there ostentatiously reading a sports magazine featuring baseball. Tom was quite a good baseball player and had great hopes to get onto one of the junior teams. However, if you looked closer you could see the edge of a Penthouse sticking up behind the magazine. Not that Tom was interested in the pictures. Actually he found the sports magazine much more interesting and if he wanted to look at naked girls internet had an abundant supply and Matthew and Martha had no clue how to restrict his access. No, Tom had arranged the Penthouse very carefully to throw off any suspicions about what he had hidden behind the Penthouse. His real secret was much worse, something that absolutely NO ONE must know. Tom was totally absorbed by the latest “Thumping ❤❤, Broken ❤❤, ❤❤United” book, according to some the soppiest, most braindead romantic drivel ever written. Tom just couldn’t get enough of it.

The thing about trying to hide what you are reading behind something else is that it works best when you have a wall behind you. It’s not really a good idea to sit where the school bully can sneak up behind you. Tom learnt that a bit too late. Larry and Tom had a long “discussion” later in the day. Tom really, really didn’t want to do what Larry suggested but a combination of the threat of having his reading habits revealed and some “argumentum ad baculum” persuaded Tom to go along.

Tom spent the week-end doing some shopping. Matthew and Martha just gave Tom their credit card to use and then he was on his own. They would have been quite surprised if they had looked closer at what Tom bought. The didn’t. Tom did some extensive shopping, not without some embarrassment sometimes. The young shop assistants smiled or laughed a bit but usually were quite helpful. However, Tom couldn’t completely avoid being seen by some of his fellow high school students.

Thus there were already rumors flying around the school early Monday morning when Tom came to school. His clothing could have been characterized as androgynous but in reality it was distinctly on the feminine side. Larry had decided that it would be much more fun to step up Tom’s humiliation gradually. As Larry had hoped Tom was taunted all day.

The next day Tom’s clothing, while not including a skirt or a dress, was definitely feminine. The taunting continued and Larry was happy. Especially since he was looking forward to the next day. Tuesday evening Tom had booked an appointment in the beauty salon. The girls there had already heard about the girly boy so they weren’t surprised. They were very professional and supportive and when Tom left the salon he was quite a stunningly beautiful “boy”. Matthew and Martha noticed but since they had read about “different lifestyles” they decided not to ask. Ask not, tell not!

Wednesday. The day many students had been looking forward to: Tryouts!

Nobody could deny that Tom was one of the prettiest applicants to the cheerleading squad. Most had already noticed the stunning legs when he arrived to school in his very short skirt. During tryouts they also noticed that this rather small and “dainty” boy was surprisingly attractive in his purple high cut leotard. And when it turned out that he was quite talented as well … Well, there was no objections to including the girly boy in the squad.

What surprised everyone, not least Larry who had forgot to prevent this, was that Tom also earned a place on the junior baseball team. This was a problem. However, Coach was very sympathetic to transgender kids (his niece used to be his nephew) and despite strong opposition from some managed to arrange training for the baseball team and cheerleading in a way to avoid clashes for Tom. An added advantage was that it also made it possible for the school to count the double training as fulfilling his PE requirement. Since he absolutely refused to declare himself transgendered they had had no idea how do deal with that.

Tom soon became very popular. When thrust into squad and team his shyness disappeared and people started to appreciate how nice and funny he was. Tom excelled both at cheerleading and baseball. The cheer Tom brought to the squad in more ways than one was also appreciated by the football team. Tom soon became a kind of mascot for them. Not even dropping his latest “Thumping ❤❤, Broken ❤❤, ❤❤United” book form his bag when changing was the disaster he had expected. Well, fortunately it WAS when changing with the cheerleaders (everyone had decided that this was the best all things considered). As it turned out most of the girls in the squad also were addicts.

Up to the time Tom inadvertently revealed his terrible, horrible secret Larry had kept on blackmailing him with an occasional beating to reinforce his arguments. As a result Tom had become very feminine. However, once his terrible, unmentionable secret had been revealed and it turned out not to be so terrible and unmentionable at all Tom stood up to Larry. Larry responded in the only way he knew. Larry was not very bright and he had not realized how popular Tom had become. So when Tom revealed an impressive set of bruises when changing for cheerleading practice the other cheerleaders noticed. The footballers were brought in and Tom told the whole sorry story.

That was Larry’s last day in school.

Everyone now knew that Tom had been blackmailed into being girlish and a cheerleader. He could have stopped immediately and gone back to being a boy. A small, “dainty” boy but a boy. A boy that was a good baseball player at that. However, the cheerleader squad liked him and asked him to remain. Actually, asked is not the right word. Begged and implored might better describe it. With a dozen sad puppy-eyes how could he refuse, especially since the football team was remarkably good at sad puppy-eyes too.

So life continued as before for Tom. He came to school in his cute skirts, he excelled in classes, the junior baseball team was moderately successful, the cheerleading squad was the envy of the city. One thing changed though. After a while Tom started dating one of the footballers, a senior. They were both well liked and they were so obviously in love that the whole school was happy for them. And it was a bit funny to see the short Tom walking hand-in-hand with the rather tall and large Hubert (poor guy, sometimes parents can be so thoughtless).

When it was time for the Prom Tom and Hubert were obvious candidates for king and queen. Of course they were going together. The only thing that people speculated about was kind of dress Tom was going to wear. Tom had been VERY secretive about his dress.

When the couple arrived at the Prom they caused quite a sensation. The dress was truly magnificent! And the way it was worn! The closest it can be described as is regal. The high heels did wonders to the initial height difference. Due to a technicality (he wasn’t a senior) Tom was excluded from the Prom King/Queen election but he couldn’t have been any prouder when he, in his very respectable black tuxedo, led up his date to be crowned Queen of the Prom. Only a few very observant students noticed the corner of a “Thumping ❤❤, Broken ❤❤, ❤❤United” book sticking up from Hubert’s clutch.