We had just over a fortnight Christmas break, the first week including Christmas day would be at Grandmas near Nantwich, hence me and mums ride earlier today. Then we would go back home to Church Warsop near Mansfield for New Year, that was always a big family do that we all looked forward to.

I still had Mums pink fleece and low sandals on when we got to grandma's house, dads Renault was parked in the drive so we parked the Volkswagen Camper on the road. I have to admit that I had almost forgotten how I was dressed until I got out and found myself on the receiving end of a wolf whistle and crude comment from a passing local kid who I had in the past played footie with on other visits to Grandma.

By the time I had gathered my wits and kit bag, mum was nearly at the door, I rushed to catch up and just made it as my sister Juliette opened the front door for us. Up till now only mum had seen me in costume and I had hoped to keep it that way but too late now!

"Hi Mum, did you win? oh wow" she turned her attention to me, "you look just brill Drew or is it Gabs now?"

I just turned pink.

"Leave your brother alone Julie, and yes we did win, fastest and best costume!"

Mum almost visually grew as she told my sister the result.

"Erm, can I get in please, I need the toilet and shower and get out of this stuff."

"Juliette, help Drew get his makeup and wig off before he showers"

"Yes mum"

I followed my sister up to the bathroom.

"You know Drew, you really do look like a girl"

"Too much like, everyone at the race thought I really was a girl, and mum didn't help either, she kept calling me Gaby!"

"You should be happy, think about it for a minute. No one will know it's you and by New Year they will have all forgotten about it."

"No they wont"

"Why not?"

"The paper was there, they are doing a spread on the event and they took loads of pictures. We won so who do you think will definitely be in that article, me and mum, Xena and Gaby! Someone is bound to make the connection"

"I doubt it, we don't live local and you really looked like a girl, especially with those sandals and tights on, no boy is going to walk round like that"

"I did"

"Yes but no one's seen you"

"Wrong, Paul saw me outside just now, he might make the connection"

"Well don't fret it"

Juliette left me to undress and shower and half an hour later I was back to Drew.

"At least I won't have to do that again" I commented to everyone when I returned to the lounge.

Dad chuckled, Juliette snorted and both mum and grandma just smiled.

"What?"

"Nothing" mum replied then resumed telling the rest of the family about the race before they told us about the Christmas market at Chester.

The surprise came on Monday when mums mobile went off.

"Hello Jenny Bond...yes...presentation tomorrow...yes...in costume...no problem...what time? Two...ok we'll see you there."

She turned to me with a guilty look on her face.

"Er Drew, I think I've just dropped a clanger"

"Why?"

"I just agreed that we would present the cheque to the Children's Society at the newspaper offices tomorrow."

"Ok"

"In our costumes"

Well you could hear a pin drop then all hell let loose.

"Great"

"I get to see Gaby again"

"Aargh!"

"We can all go"

"I won't do it"

"Oh yes you will"

Well you get the drift, everyone but me was thrilled. Finally peace was restored and my dad laid it down for me.

"Drew you will do this, and ok you don't like it but it's quite an honour and a good thing to do, even if"

"When"

"If anyone realises you're a boy, no one will think bad of you as they will all know it's just a costume and your doing it for charity"

"But dad" I was whining again

"No buts, you're doing it"

Well that was that, my fate was sealed.

Juliette drew me to one side.

"You know we could make you safer, you know less likely to be found out"

"How?" I wasn't sure I trusted big sis.

"We make you more like a girl."

I wasn't sure I liked where this was going.

"Go on, I'm listening"

"Well you can't very well wear your shorts or that body stocking, no girl would, they would get people asking why. You don't have hairy legs so some ten deniers will look great and you can borrow one of my bodies. You'll have those sandals on so that should look great. We can do a more thorough makeup job on you, perhaps paint your nails and borrow one of my padded bras, you'll look just pukka!" "Ok, you get my vote" "Mum" "Yes Juliette" "I'll sort Gaby out, but we need to go into town to get some bits" "Ok guys, take care and don't be late back" On the way out mum stopped me. "I know you hate this, but thanks for doing it, here" she pressed a couple of notes into my hand, "get yourself something and get lunch out of this"

"Ok Mum, see you later"

Once outside I looked at the wad of paper in my hand and counted fifty pounds. Wow that was five weeks pocket money!

"What's that?"

"Mum gave me some spending money"

"How much?"

"Twenty" I lied as was sure Juliette would want a cut and Mum had given it me!

"Excellent, I've got about thirty, do you have any other?"

"Only a couple of pounds, I didn't expect to need any"

We waited for the bus and after twenty minutes it picked us up.

"Ok we need a plan of what we need"

"Like what?"

"Well we need to get you some tights and some bits of makeup"

"Can't we use yours?"

"I've only brought one decent pair of tights and I need those myself and my makeup is not right for your tanned complexion."

"Ok. Fair enough, I see the need"

Boots, the chemists was our first stop and shopping with Juliette allowed me to feel a bit happier looking through the cosmetics department. We left lighter in pocket by over ten pounds but with foundation, lipstick and a nail kit. I've never been happy shopping with mum or Juliette but today was a bit different. We found a lingerie store where my sister selected a new bra, pink and padded, that I felt sure would give me quite a bust when I wore it tomorrow. At the same time she selected a pair of tights, ten denier, sandal toe in a sort of dark nude colour.

Then we hit BK and the last of my twenty went on lunch. We trawled the shops for a bit longer before catching the bus back to grandmas.

To be fair, the rest of the family didn't bring the subject of my dressing up tomorrow at all that evening.

That night in bed, I thought of little else! I worried about discovery; I worried that I might like it! To say Sunday was my first time in a frock would be wrong of course. Having an older sister meant that I had been used as a doll when I was younger and when I was about ten I did go to a fancy dress party in drag. But I'm thirteen in the New Year and I was still mortified by the whole thing, especially my being acceptable as a girl.

Maddy Bell 15.01.03 (revised 13.02.03) Copyright 2003

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