Here I Am

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Here I Am
by:
Enemyoffun


Two weeks ago, Jay's secret was discovered at the mall. Instead of running and hiding from it like usual, he decided to embrace it. Now he's about to reveal her true self and is terrified that people won't accept her for who she truly is.

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Author's Note:So 2 years ago, I wrote a story called There You Are. It was a happy Christmas story that everyone wanted me to continue. I debated and mulled over another one for a long time. Sorry its so late. Especially with it being several days after Christmas lol. I did intend to post this one a lot sooner but I kept getting side tracked. Before you read this one, I highly recommend you read the first story or you might be a little lost.
 


 
 
I tried to be stealthy as I slipped down the back stairs into the kitchen. It was football night and if I was lucky I might be able to get out the door before Dad noticed. It's not like I ever made a habit of going out after the sun was down. I almost made it to the back door before Dad walked into the kitchen. The universe was a Cruel Mistress. We stood and stared at one another for a long time, neither sure what to say. Me, standing there in my usual hoodie with my backpack slung on one shoulder. Him in his weekend clothes with an empty beer can in hand.

He broke the silence.

“Where are you going?”

I took a deep breath.

I had a plan for this. I practiced it several times in my bedroom before coming down the stairs. Just in case. It was a good thing too because I was a terrible liar. Dad could always detect lies from a mile away too. So I took my time and managed to craft what I thought was a masterful one.

“I’m going to my friend’s for a bit, is that ok?”

Ok, so it wasn’t as masterful as I thought.

The look on Dad’s face though.

“You have...I mean who’s your friend?”

He recovered quickly.

I almost snickered.

I didn’t have that many friends. At least none that I ever really hung out with outside of school. It wasn’t easy being me and hiding who I was all the time. I just felt like a fraud lying to people. It was bad enough I’d been lying to my Dad and brothers all these years. No one really understood me. No one except Mom that is. It was a lot easier when she was here, helping me with the lie too.

“Kel...vin”

I almost said, Kelly. I wanted to avoid that conversation. I was hoping just telling him I had a friend was enough. Dad had been trying to nudge me out of the door for months now. He kept hinting that it was unhealthy for a boy my age to sit up in his room all day reading comic books and playing games on my computer. He just didn’t understand. I liked doing those things. I liked being alone. I liked being invisible. I was pretty good at it too. That is until Kelly. She was a relentless whirlwind. When she set her mind to something, there was no stopping her.

She knew my secret too.

She caught me in the mall last weekend.

I had been pretty discreet about the whole thing or so I thought. Kelly was on to me though. For months apparently. Last Saturday she decided to strike. She caught me off guard. She broke me down, got me into a dress and the rest, as they say, is history. Ever since Mom died, I’d been hiding the girl inside. I was hoping no one would ever see her. Kelly saw her though. She was bound and determined to free her from her cage too. She succeeded. The two of us have been pretty discreet about it ever since. She tracked me down at school on Monday, got my cell number off me and has been texting me on and off all week.

We were secret friends.

We didn’t move in the same social circles after all. Kelly wanted to be my friend at school but I told her I couldn’t do that to her. Besides, how would we explain it? I was the quiet loner geek and she was the most popular girl in my grade. It was an impossible friendship. So I was happy just texting back and forth, regardless of her protests to the contrary. Plus it's not like it was all bad. I had a friend who I didn’t have to hide from.

Thinking about it, I was so lost in thought, I completely missed what Dad was saying to me.

“I’m sorry Dad, what was that?”

He sighed. “I was saying, if you need a ride home, call me but make sure its before ten o’clock, I have to be at the lot early tomorrow...”

“I’m not sure how late I’ll be honest” I lied, hoping that he noticed that I was fidgeting while doing it.

He nodded. “Well, your brothers are going to be out somewhere tonight. Curfew is still midnight. You have your key right?”

I patted my jacket pocket. He smiled and continued into the kitchen to get another beer.

Dad was pretty lax when it came to us doing things. Like going out. As long as we got back home at a reasonable time he allowed us some leeway. It helped that we were on vacation now. School let out yesterday for Winter Break. I now had three whole weeks to do whatever I wanted. Kelly seemed to have that all planned out for us in advance. Especially tonight. Stephanie’s party. She’d been bugging me all week and I’ve been telling her no all week. Yet somehow…

“Thanks, Dad,” I said with a smile as I made my way toward the back door.

As soon as I stepped out onto the porch, my cell beeped.

It was Kelly.

HEY GIRL, YOU READY?

I grunted.

NO, I typed nervously.

TOUGH. GET YOUR CUTE BUTT OVER HERE.

And it begins.

----- OOO-----

“Stop fidgeting” she hissed.

I couldn’t help it. I didn’t remember this dress being this short. I kept tugging at the hem, hoping to pull it closer to my knees. I only ever wore it that one time at the mall. Even though Kelly suggest I try it on a few more times. I was always too scared, even with my door locked. My brothers had a way of pestering me to the point of cracking. Not to mention my Dad. He didn’t like locked doors in his house. Partially because last year he caught one of the twins smoking in their room. Ever since he’s been a huge stickler on open doors. So I really had no place to secretly wear my new dress.

“Why is it so short?”

Kelly stopped doing her makeup and walked over to stand behind me in her mirror.

She scrutinized me for a few seconds.

Then smiled.

“It's the boobs!”

She gave my padded chest a quick squeeze with a giggle. I didn’t feel a thing. That didn’t stop me from smacking her hand away. A dress like this didn’t need boobs but Kelly wanted to create an illusion nonetheless. She had these little boobs that stuck to your chest. I’m not sure where she got them but I wasn’t complaining. Secretly I’d always wished to have them. I was still fairly new to puberty. Thankfully it hadn’t hit me full force yet. My brothers always used to give me crap for being so short and dainty. I put on a ruse and complained about it but secretly I loved it. I never was a big kid. I always had fair features and a quiet, soft voice. Dad kept telling me that it would change in time but of course, I never wanted that.

“Where did you get these again?” I asked, cupping my chest.

“Trade secret,” she said with a wink.

A moment later, I was back to tugging on the hem.

This time she smacked my hand away.

Then she took said hand and led me over to her vanity. She sat me down and spun the chair.

“No peeking,” she said with a giggle.

Then she went to work.

We only had another hour before Stephanie’s party started. Kelly was bound and determined to put as much distance between Jay and Jessica as she could. She started earlier with my hair. I always kept it on the long side but generally hidden in a lopsided ponytail or under a hood. The school was pretty lax about their dress code. The first thing she did was free it from its rubber hand. Then she made me go into her bathroom to shower, making sure I used her shampoo and conditioner. That was three hours ago when I arrived. After she blow dried it, she styled. It was an amazing transformation. I’m not sure how she put a wave in it but I wasn’t complaining. She turned my dull muddy brown locks into something vibrant and eye-popping.

Now she was working on my face.

“Did you get the contacts?”

I nodded.

Before I could say anything, she took my glasses off my face. The room was a hazy blur.

Not that I didn’t know what it looked like.

I was convinced her room was bigger than all of the rooms in my house combined. Kelly lived in a giant house. One of those McMansions. It helped that her parents were loaded. Her Mom was a defense attorney, her Dad worked for the state department. He was never home though, he split his time between here and DC. She told me she saw him every other weekend. He was also planning on taking some time off before Christmas, taking them on vacation. I was a little envious. I couldn’t remember the last time we went on a family vacation. I was certain it was way before Mom got sick. I vaguely remember a long car trip and my brothers being very annoying the whole way.

No one in my family had much time for anything.

The car business was better than ever according to Dad.

The twins lived and breathed sports.

Even Frank was busy with college prep stuff.

Kelly gently shook my shoulder, shaking me from my thoughts again.

“You’re drifting again,” she said with a giggle.

“Guess I’m not used to being pampered,” I said truthfully.

I couldn’t remember the last time someone actually paid attention to me.

Save last week when she found me in the mall.

I found myself lost in thought again. Not about one thing though. I just let my mind drift as she did her work. I know I should have been paying attention to all the makeup she was putting on my face but there was such a flurry of things going on, it was too hard. I recognized most of it. When not being watched, I spent a good portion of my time watching makeup tutorials videos on YouTube. I frequented quite a few but mostly this British girl---Nova something---she seemed to have the skill of a true artist. She made her tutorials simple and easy to follow. I wonder if Kelly watched them too? I couldn’t help but notice she was using a lot of the products that Nova recommended.

I thought about asking but she suddenly stopped.

It took a lot faster than I thought.

“You’re done?”

She nodded. “We want a minimal look. You have such great skin and your complexion is amazing. I didn’t want to do too much to draw away from your natural beauty. So I just did your lips and your eyes. Did anyone tell you they were your best feature?”

I smiled and nodded softly.

Mom used to tell me how much she loved my eyes.

They were green but with flecks of gold in them.

Like hers.

Thanks in no small part to my mother’s Irish heritage. We were also the only ones in the family who had green eyes. Dad and my brothers had yucky brown.

“Here, put these in so you can see,” she said, handing me the little case with my contacts.

Contacts weren’t a totally new thing for me. I had a pair a while ago but I let the prescription expire last year. They were just something I never bothered with. I didn’t care if I wore glasses or not. My Dad didn’t care either way. He did offer to get me that laser eye surgery if I wanted it though. I turned him down though. Personally, the glasses helped me stay invisible. Once upon a time, they might have drawn more attention but nowadays a lot of people wore glasses. The idea of the Four Eyed Nerd was a thing of the past. Most people didn’t look my way. So I was safely able to get away with them without too much trouble.

Kelly wanted me to lose them though.

Not out of malicious intent though.

She seemed to think that a girl like Jessica didn’t need them.

Kelly had an image of Jessica in her head apparently. An image she was trying to create today. An image I was allowing her to mold. I was like a blank canvas waiting for all that vibrant color. Kelly was my eager artist.

Delicately putting in the contacts, I finally got to look at her masterpiece.

I was stunned.

“That’s me?”

I was staring at the stunningly beautiful girl in the mirror. Her usually limp dark brown hair was wavy and full of life, her dull face was brought to life by the eye makeup and shiny lips. Those eyes often hidden behind dweeby glasses were now front and center, full of vibrant curiosity. It was hard to believe that this girl was actually me. I mean sure I knew she was always there. I saw her last weekend. Seeing her then and seeing her now though were two completely different things. Maybe it was the hair styling or the makeup, maybe it was even the fake boobs. Whatever it was though, Jessica seemed more lively and full of life.

I was smiling.

I couldn’t remember the last time I smiled like that.

“I take it you approve then?” she asked, putting her hands on my shoulders.

I nodded like a dumb idiot, too mesmerized to speak.

“I do great work it seems.”

We both laughed.

I stared at myself in the minute for a few more seconds before nudged me.

“Ok so I have shoes that should work,” she said as she held up a pair. “I also have a little clutch that matches.”

She left the shoes on my lap as she wandered off to her closet.

I lost her there.

Instead, I focused on what she wanted me to put on my feet.

I’d worn heels before.

Several times.

It was part of the Mother/Daughter time, Mom and I used to have. Back then though they were little girl heels, not even an inch. The type of heel that a girl might wear if she was playing dress up. I used to glide around the house in them, always when Dad and the idiots were gone of course. I’d gotten pretty good at walking around in them too. These shoes though were a different ball game. I hadn’t worn heels in years. Looking at them, I could see they were at least two inches. I fingered the smooth leather, excited at the thought of gliding again.

“They’re nice right?” asked Kelly, turning away from the closet for a moment.

I nodded, before slipping one on my foot.

It was only slightly tight. I had small feet. Another curse of my small stature. At least that’s what my brothers liked to say. They ridiculed me a lot of the size of them. I secretly loved it. I loved it, even more, knowing that Kelly was pretty much the same size as me. There was something satisfying knowing that my feet were the same size as a girl’s.

I smiled as I slipped my foot into the other one.

Then I stood.

I was a little wobbly at first. It had been a few years after all. I took a few cautious steps forward before gently walking around the room. It was like riding a bike. I almost twirled. Instead, I found myself walking back over to the vanity to sit.

Kelly smiled. “Those aren’t your first pair of heels, are they?”

I blushed the color of my dress.

Kelly smiled then brought me a clutch. “This matches your dress, it should be perfect.”

Before handing it to me though, she starting to put a few items inside like a compact, some of the makeup she used, a pack of travel tissues. I flushed several shades of embarrassed when she tossed in a few tampons. For the illusion, she explained. She also made me hand over my wallet. She transferred all its content to a feminine equivalent before tossing that in as well. I was surprised really because there wasn’t much in there. I wasn’t old enough yet to even get my Learner’s permit. I did have a library card and a couple of store cards. What little cash I had was gone, haven’t been spent on this little endeavor. All the makeup, for instance, she told me what to buy.

She handed me the clutch then the two of us left her room.

I was a little nervous going downstairs.

“Oh girls you look amazing,” said Kelly’s mother when we walked into the living room.

I was a little surprised and apprehensive when she opened the door earlier. Especially because I was dressed in my boy clothes. My fears though were unfounded. Ever since Kelly told me that most people at school already thought I was a girl, I’d been paying more attention. It was the little things I started to notice. Walking into the house early, Mrs. Donalds immediately started treating me like I was a member of the fairer sex. Not that I was complaining. I was just mildly surprised by it all. More so when I thought back to some of the past interactions I’ve had with various people over the years. Had they all thought I was a girl too? Just thinking about it made me the happiest person in the world.

“Thanks, Mom,” said Kelly, doing a twirl.

I watched my friend twirl. Then looked at her mother. It was easy to see how the two of them were related. They were both exceptionally beautiful people. They had enough Asian features that made them even more beautiful. Kelly told me her great-grandparents meant during World War 2. Her grandfather was an American GI, her grandmother a Japanese refuge. It was one of those forbidden romances. They got married shortly after the war ended. He brought her back to the US with him. Kelly’s grandfather---their son---married an American girl, Kelly’s grandmother. They had three children, one of them Kelly’s mother of course. It all sounded kinda nice.

My family was very small.

My father only had the one sibling, my uncle Jake and he was always too busy to marry. Mom had a couple of sisters but they didn’t live around here. My Dad’s parents were in Florida. Mom’s parents were in Vermont. None of them visited often. Then I had Dad and the Idiots.

We were all one big happy family.

Not.

Mrs. Donalds must have picked up on my negativity toward it because she gave me a look. “You ok, honey?” she asked with some concern.

I nodded. “Just thinking about my stupid brothers,” I said with a laugh.

“They’re the worst,” said Kelly, gently squeezing my hand.

We sat around talking for a few more minutes. Most of the conversation was centered around Kelly’s mother and her numerous compliments. Then her mother starting discussing curfew. Unlike me, Kelly had to be in the house no later than ten. I guess it made sense. Mothers were a bit more strict with daughters than they were with sons. I was both relieved and annoyed by that. Mostly because I felt bad that Kelly had such restrictions. The other part of me wished that my father saw me that way and was just as strict. It was a blessing and a curse I suppose.

“Are you driving tonight, honey?” her mother asked as we walked toward the kitchen.

“Is that ok?”

Her mother frowned but nodded. “Stephanie is only down the road so it should be ok.”

Though Kelly and I were both freshmen, she was a couple of months older. She was now sixteen and had her license. Her parents wouldn’t let her drive to school but she was allowed short trips around the city. She was allowed to drive as long as she wanted as long as one of them was with her though. I was still a few months away from sixteen. Dad had already started taking me out for lessons though. We did it mainly in parking lots to avoid any serious accidents. I was getting better at it. Dad told me he was impressed because I was a lot more cautious driving than my brothers were when they started.

“There’s my baby,” said Kelly with a slight squeal as we walked into their large garage.

It was big enough for at least six cars.

I wasn’t the least bit surprised by the quality of said vehicles either. There were two Mercedes S classes, an Escalade and of course, Kelly’s “Baby”. I’d seen her drive the shiny blue Miata around town. It was a sleek and sexy car. I’m not sure the convertible was right for the window but with the top up I think it would be all right. I couldn’t help but drool a bit over it too. I might have been all girl on the inside but I still could appreciate some boyish things. I loved cars. I guess that’s a given seeing as my father was a car man. Looking at this fine piece of machinery before me, I couldn’t help but stroke the hood when we got close.

“I see someone is in love too,” she said with a giggle as she unlocked the doors.

I nodded like a dumb idiot.

Kelly giggled. “Wait until you feel how smooth the ride is.”

----- OOO-----

The ride to Stephanie’s house was very quick. Kelly apparently only lived a few blocks away. The closer we got, the more nervous I was starting to become. I’d always been apprehensive about this party. I’m not even sure how I let Kelly talk me into it. Last weekend when she told me she bought the dress to wear to this party, I thought she was kidding. Over the week though, she kept telling me I was going. I humored her for a bit until I realized that she actually roped me into it. That’s when I went out to get the makeup and things. It still felt pretty unreal to me. Even when I was in Kelly’s bedroom earlier, getting dressed and fully emerged in this lie.

No, not a lie.

Jessica was not the lie.

I had to keep telling myself that. Jay was the lie. I think when my mother started dressing me up all those years ago, it had started as some harmless fun. Mothers can have fun with their young children. As I grew though and didn’t tell her to stop, I think we both knew. That’s why our sessions started to become secret. We found whatever time we could to be the mother and daughter both of us wanted. When Mom got sick, I tried to do it without her but I just couldn’t. After she was gone, I stopped altogether. It felt wrong to be a daughter when Mom wasn’t there to be with her anymore. That, of course, didn’t stop me from looking. I thought I’d been discreet about it.

I wasn’t.

I was scared and upset when Kelly caught me but I think I was happy too. Kelly was my life saver. Without her, Jessica would still be sitting in the dark, never again to see the light.

I couldn’t help but smile at that.

I also couldn’t help but smile at Stephanie’s house.

Though not as large as Kelly’s, it was still pretty impressive. It was also surprisingly just around the corner from my own. It was weird. I’d lived in our house all my life and never knew that Stephanie and Kelly lived so close. I guess that goes to show how much disadvantages you have when you’re a loner. Thinking about it made me sad but all the Christmas decorations perked me up a bit. Her house was vibrant with light. It was classy too, not overblown like some overzealous people got this time of year. My father usually paid a professional to string our lights. It was very well done but it lacked that personal touch. It was clear that someone in Stephanie’s house hung these decorations themselves.

I smiled at it again.

“You seem happy,” said Kelly as we pulled up in front of the house.

There were already a lot of cars parked around us.

“I like Christmas”.

I did too.

It used to be my favorite holiday.

I almost teared up. Kelly gave me a concerned look.

“You ok?”

I nodded. “It's just that without Mom, Christmas isn’t the same.”

Kelly grabbed my hand and pulled me into a hug. It was nice. I’m not sure someone had ever hugged me to comfort me. I almost cried. It was a good thing I didn’t. I definitely did not want to walk into this party with my make up a mess.

Kelly took my hand and led me out of the car.

As we walked up the driveway, my nerves started to take over again. I felt like I wanted to puke. I also felt like I wanted to run. This was stupid. People were going to know. I was a boy. They were going to see a boy in a dress. I started to panic. My body grew hot and the world started to swim around me. I felt like I was going to pass out. Kelly seemed to notice because the next thing I knew, she had her hands on my shoulders and was standing directly in front of me.

“Breathe,” she said in a soft voice. “In and out. You’re going to be ok.”

I did as she asked.

“Now, I know you’re scared and nervous. I’ve been there. I know the fear and anxiety. You’re a pretty girl, Jess. You’re beautiful and confident and people will love you. They’re not going to see a boy in a dress. They’re going to see the lovely woman you are. The lovely woman that everyone thinks you are.”

I continued to breathe as she took me gently by the hand again and led me toward the house. The breathing helped because I wasn’t nearly as nervous as she rang the bell. I stopped breathing though as the door opened. I’d only known Stephanie Wright in passing. Like Kelly, she was one of the more popular girls in school. She was that perky blonde cheerleader that most of the guys wanted to date. If the locker room rumors were true, most of them that were worth having, had their shot. I’m not saying Stephanie was a slut but she did get around. Though my not thinking she was a slut wasn’t help but the tight, skimpy dress she was wearing. Especially when it was exposing a lot of her “assets” to everyone.

“Kel, glad you could make it,” said our vapid host as she half hugged my friend.

I wanted to gag.

Stephanie for all her happy niceties was always a pretty artificial person.

“Stef, this is Jessica. She’s a new friend”.

Stephanie gave a long, hard look. She seemed to be scrutinizing me with those piercing blue eyes of hers. Eyes that I noticed were roaming slowly up and down my body. She was sizing me up. I couldn’t help but feel a bit like a side of beef. The more she looked though, the more I realized she wasn’t actually sizing me up as a mate. She was checking out the perceived competition. So this was the World of Girls.
“I’ve seen you around,” she said with flippant disinterest.

And that was that.

She turned and ushered us into the house. Kelly gave a “Sorry” look and we walked inside. Stephanie sashayed away, leaving the two of us standing in her overly large foyer. I had to admit, the Wrights had an amazing house. It wasn’t nearly as grand as Kelly’s place but it was pretty impressive. The foyer opened up into a large living area with high, vaulted ceilings. It was currently jammed with people dressed in festive colors. People who I saw almost every day. There was a small lump in my throat as Kelly took my hand again and led me toward them. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when I heard Stephanie was having a party. I always imagined what they might be like and I’ve heard the stories but it was surprisingly subdued. Maybe it was because it was a Christmas one.

I was expecting loud ear splintering music, shouting and beer pong.

The music was holiday themed, there was idle chatter and though people were rowdy, it was a good kind. Kelly brought me from one group to the next, introducing me as we stopped for a moment or two. A lot of the girls hugged her. Many of them gave me polite hellos but none of them seemed too interested. There were a few who claimed to know me or lied and said they did. I knew my merit at school. I was Invisible Boy. I was happy with it too. It was nice that these people were being polite but it was clear none of them actually cared who I was. I was ok with that though.

I was only here because Kelly insisted.

“Oh, there’s Brian” my kidnapper squealed.

She let go of my hand, making it a bit harder for me to follow her. I managed though. I squeezed my way through the people to where her boyfriend was standing. He was with a group of jocks, most of them from the Football and Hockey teams. They were all milling about, sipping on punch, chatting about some game. I was never really interested in sports but I had a passable knowledge about them. It was one of my survival tactics, living in a house with my brothers.

“Brian, you remember Jess, right?”

Brian gave me a look for a second. Then a much longer look. I saw it in his eyes, he knew. Why wouldn’t he know? We used to be friends in elementary school after all. He was one of the only people here, besides Kelly, who probably knew my true gender. The look he gave me said it all. He was surprised at first but quickly recovered.

“Of course,” he said with a slow, calculated voice. “It's nice to see you again, Jess.”

When Brian looked at me, I was surprised at the smile.

It seemed almost genuine.

It was still pretty awkward though.

From there, the rest of the night slowly developed. First, it was all pretty strange and hard. I was nervous that someone other than Kelly and Brian would figure me out. Visions of getting my ass kicked plagued me for at least an hour. After that hour though, I calmed down. No one seemed to know. If they did, they didn’t care. I suppose that’s a commentary on today’s society. Things like boys dressing as girls weren’t nearly as taboo as they used to be. Just like being gay. In fact, there were several gay couples here at the party. No one even blinked when two boys or girls were dancing and making out. It was a new world and I was proud to be born into it.

The night wasn’t without its problems though.

I suddenly found myself alone.

Kelly and Brian desperately wanted to dance and who was I to interfere with that.

“You’ll be fine,” she told me as she dragged her man off to the makeshift dance floor.

I wasn’t so sure.

Nervously crossing my arms, I wandered over to get a cup of punch before slowly making my way to the couch. Thankfully there was no one around. I made sure I sat properly. I was hoping to go unnoticed. I almost succeeded. I’m not sure where Rod came from but I wasn’t happy to see him. I knew Rodney Grace well. In middle school, he’d been the bane of my existence for a while. He never went out of his way to get violent with me but it got close. The only thing that stopped him was fear of my brothers. That didn’t stop him from calling me all sorts of names and sneering at me whenever he could.

The look that he was giving me now was no sneer.

He was licking his lips.

I felt sick to my stomach.

He was almost to the couch when I felt someone slip down next to me.

“Hey, babe,” said a voice as an arm wrapped around my waist.

The person spoke loud enough for Rod to hear.

The jack ass stopped dead in his tracks and turned on his quickly.

I froze at the arm around me.

Then slowly turned my head to find Tom Sanders.

I almost had a heart attack.

I knew Tom.

There wasn’t a girl in school who didn’t. He was drop-dead gorgeous. I should know, I’ve looked many times. One might call me gay and I wouldn’t be mad if they thought so. Like I said it was a Whole New World but I wasn’t gay for Tom. I was a girl who just so happened to be crushing. I crushed on him hard. I tried desperately not to show it though. That was a little easier said than done because he was my lab partner.

“You ok?” he asked, feeling me tense up.

“Huh,” I asked.

He took his arm away. “I saw that parasite honing in across the room. Then I saw the pure look of dread on your face. There was a Damsel in need of rescuing”.

“I’m fine,” I said in a soft voice.

I noticed that even though he removed his arm, he was still sitting pretty close.

I moved away.

He chuckled. “Is this your first time?”

I gave him a look then decided to defuse the situation. “To a party, yes."

He smiled then leaned in close. “I knew that. I meant is this your first time out, dressed like that?”

Oh shit.

He knew.

Of course, he knew. We sat next to each other every day. He usually bummed my notes off me whenever he could. Tom was a smart guy but Earth science was not his top subject. I tried to be helpful as I secretly pined for him.

All of that was gone now.

I was dead meat.

I started to shake. Then a second later, I tried to bolt. I managed to get to my feet to make a run for it. This was a mistake. A massively huge one. I would have made the escape too if not for the fake that he was holding my arm. When did that happen?

“Calm down, you’re ok,” he said, slowly easing me back to the couch. “I’m not going to hurt you and I’m not going to tell anyone.”

I scoffed. “I’ll believe that when I see it.”

He sighed. “I would never do that to you. My little sister is like you. So trust me when I say this, I’m not going to out you.”

His sister?

I was confused. Tom didn’t have a….

Oh.

Wow.

I was stunned. “I had no idea.”

He nodded. “She hides it well. My parents won’t let her be herself at school. She leaves the house every morning absolutely miserable and spends the rest of the day at home the happiest girl in the world. Its because of her that I’ve been watching you.”

Watching me?

Was he some kind of Perv?

I started to get up again but he had a pretty strong grip.

“Not like that,” he said with a laugh. “I meant, I realized the two of you were the same. You liked to look at the girls but not like most boys. It took some time but when you grow up with a trans sister, you start to notice the signs. I’m not the only one who’s noticed. Though most of our classmates think you’re a really shy girl. I have to say you clean up really nice. I almost didn’t recognize you.”

“Thanks,” I said, very confused and bit scared.

Tom was holding all the cards now.

“So are you going to tell everyone then?”

He shook his head. “No. I’m not a cruel person.”

“Then what do you want?”

There had to be a reason he was still here. If all he wanted to do was keep me from dealing with Rod, well mission accomplished.

“Well,” he said sheepishly. “I was hoping you’d dance with me?”

Wait, what?

I gave him a look. “I’m a guy. You know that. Why would you want….”

He put a finger to my mouth, stopping me.

“I see no guy next to me. I see a beautiful girl I’ve been secretly crushing on all year.”

No way.

“You’re serious?” I asked, surprised and giddy.

“Like a heart attack."

“You want me?”

He smiled. “Well, there was this girl, my lab partner. This quiet, shy thing. I was thinking about asking her out but I figured she was way out of my league.”

I giggled.

What was I doing? Could I really do this? Could I really dance with Tom?

“So have you seen a girl like that around here?”

To hell with it.

“Sure,” I said, holding out my hand.

Tom smiled, took my hand and lead me off to dance.

I rested my head on his shoulder for the rest of the night. It was strange really. I definitely did not come here for this. I’m not even sure how it happened. Hell, I didn’t even want to be here. I’m happy to say that I’m glad I came though. As I danced with Tom, all my apprehension about this night, about my life, seemed so little and petty. Sure I had a lot of obstacles ahead of me but for tonight, I could be who I wanted to be, with whoever I wanted to be with. I would deal with everything else tomorrow.

Tonight I was Jessica.

Here I Am.

Author’s note: As I’m sure all of you know, comments are life blood to an author. I’m not begging or demanding, but I certainly would appreciate anything you have to say (or ask). It doesn’t have to be long and involved, just give me your reaction to the story. Thanks in advance...EOF

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Comments

Lovely and Sweet

littlerocksilver's picture

I feel some good vibes here. Jessie has support from the 'other' side. Hopefully, this bodes well for Jess.

Portia

Sweet Story

Enemyoffun's picture

When I started this tale 2 years ago for the contest. I had problems coming up with a sweet, sentimental tale so I'm glad I managed to pull it off :).

Jessica

Enemyoffun's picture

I really like this character. She's one of the only trans ones I've written :)

Beautiful Story

BobbieCD56's picture

I love the story so far. The pacing feels natural, not too forced or slow and the characters very real.
Can hardly wait for more.

More

Enemyoffun's picture

I have some ideas about continuing this. We'll have to see :)

Thanks

I really enjoyed that!

Cindy.

Cindy Jenkins

Thanks :)

Enemyoffun's picture

I'm glad you enjoyed it :)

even if

even if, this story goes no further I thank jessica has reached girlhood. keep up the good work.
robert

001.JPG

Further

Enemyoffun's picture

If there's more to this story, there might be a small time jump. I do know that I want to keep it as a holiday thing though.

Cute!

That was really sweet! I very much enjoyed it. Merry Christmas!! (Or whatever you celebrate!)

Merry X-Mas

Enemyoffun's picture

I'm glad you liked it. Merry Belated X-Mas to you too :D.

I kept waiting for the inevitable

group of High School 'bitches' to ruin everything. After all, aren't they a key part of every teenage romcom?

And they didn't appear. Wonderful.
Jess seems to have found two good friends. We all need people like that. Sadly for most of us, they are too thin on the ground.
Dare I say it... more please?
Samantha

Those Girls

Enemyoffun's picture

Maybe if the story was done in a serial format, those types of girls would appear. As it stands now though, I have no plans to do so. I want this to be a Holiday thing. So the inevitable part 3 will be next Christmas.Due to it being a Christmas thing, I doubt I'll write conflict into story. I like it happy and fun :).

Actually, *three* good

Brooke Erickson's picture

Actually, *three* good friends: Kelly, Brian and Tom

Brooke brooke at shadowgard dot com
http://brooke.shadowgard.com/
Girls will be boys, and boys will be girls
It's a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world
"Lola", the Kinks

Read both parts today and

Marianne 1965's picture

Read both parts today and just loved them.
I have recently been reading some of your other stories as well.

Keep up the good work

Ellen Marianne Tornander

Editor, Moderator and Nordic Ambassador for Crossdresser Heaven and Transgender Heaven.

Marianne 1965

Glad You Liked Them

Enemyoffun's picture

There wasn't supposed to be a 2 year gap between stories. I'm glad you liked them though and I'm always happy to hear people reading my other stories as well :).

Oliver Twist

“Please Sir, I want some more “

Definitely continue this. Please

Beautifully written

"More, You Want More"

Enemyoffun's picture

I shall give more...next year :D.

Great

I hope this inspires you to continue this wonderful optimistic tale many here need to be able feel the emotions you generate. Please consider a continuation however if not thank you for a heart felt wonderful story this could be one of my favorites.
Love

Continuing

Enemyoffun's picture

I do have some idea where I want to go with another story though it probably won't be posted until Christmas time next year. I really like how these seem to be holiday stories :).

A boyfriend already?

Teek's picture

First night out as Jessica and she gets a boyfriend. Not just a boyfriend, but one where they both have been crushing on each other for months. On top of that, she has a potential friend in another trans girl she hasn't met yet. The possibilities are endless, nevermind the little bread crumbs you have planted along the way. I love it.

Of note, you ended the first story with them exchanging numbers, and you start this one with them doing the same the next day. One story needs to be altered to be the truth.

Keep Smiling, Keep Writing,
Teek

Keep Smiling, Keep Writing
Teek

Number Oops

Enemyoffun's picture

Well its been two years between stories, though I thought I got all the little things. Thanks for pointing it out. I'll fix one of them :).

Things are looking up

There are now two houses where Jessica can be herself, plus a big sister, and maybe a little sister. And even a boyfriend.

Two Houses?

Enemyoffun's picture

I can only think of one lol.

Two houses

Kelly's house and Tom's house. I'm sure she and Tom's little sister will get along famously.

Tom's House

Enemyoffun's picture

I totally blanked on that lol.

I can see it now...

Tom says to his mom, "Jessica should be here any time now. When she comes, could you send her up to my room?"

"Oh, she's been here for half an hour. She's upstairs with your sister."

Future Story

Enemyoffun's picture

Was talking to someone about where Jessica might go in the future. There are plenty of possibilities. I would like to explore more of her home life and definitely school life. Maybe warp Stephanie into an antagonist. I'll see what happens. Right now though I want to focus on finishing up Spectacular and I'm working on something else too :).

Beautiful!

And very well written, too. Thank you for posting it!

So wonderful

I enjoyed the first story when it came out and again when I reread it to prepare for the next one. The second chapter was just as pleasant. A small troll crept in and sprinkled some confusion, though. In the third section (after the ooo header) Jessica says she is getting “emerged “ meaning to move out of or away from. Maybe “immersed”? If I had your writing skills I would be to busy writing to have noticed it. Best wishes for the new year and I look forward to seeing more of your stories.

Goes on Little Troll Hunt

Enemyoffun's picture

I shall find that Bastard. Thanks for pointing it out, I shall burn him alive...

In all seriousness, I must have sadly missed that one.

Familiarity

Jamie Lee's picture

Push and pull is one way to get someone reluctant to do something to actually do something they need to do. And it doesn't hurt that many others believe something that isn't exactly true.

Many try to fly under the radar so they aren't easy targets for the morons who believe there isn't anything such as an individual or does wish to be different.

What Jessica didn't realize when Kelly con her to go to the Christmas party, was that most in school believed she was just a shy girl. So when Jessica arrived a the party as she was dressed, her status as a girl was confirmed, but not a boy being a girl.

Rod saw a hot "chick" he wanted to get into but would have been surprised had he gotten the chance to get familiar with Jessica.

Tom, on the other hand, discovered for himself the truth about Jessica because of personal experience with his younger brother--aka as his little sister.

He also knew the dangers Jessica faced if her truth was made public, just as his sister would face. But the surprise to Jessica was Tom's admission of having a crush on her since the beginning of school.

Confirmation that Jessica is a girl was made at the Christmas party because of how she is dressed. She finds someone who not only understands what she is going through but is attracted to her, which again confirms she is a girl since she's with Tom.

But here's the question not answered, how will she dress from now on at school? Will she wear her usual clothes or start showing up in skirts or dresses? She is after all, to everyone, a girl.

Others have feelings too.

Love it

Alice-s's picture

I know you said it took some time to write this, but you really need to do more. I want to see if the boys find out and what happens.

Sweet

Short and sweet.

hugs :)
Michelle SidheElf Amaianna

Chapter two of.......

Good second chapter. Chapter three already looking good and you haven’t even posted it yet. Maybe a bit of “this past year went so fast but having a refuge with Kelly or Tom’s sister let me endure (fill in the blank). Then the next Christmas moment of a positive experience could start. However you write it you will do a wonderful job. Can’t wait to read it.