My birthday at the end of February came and went, I had a 'party' with a few friends and family but all in all my ascent into a teenager was an anti climax. My injury from the Christmas accident healed nicely and I was soon back to riding my bike. Now lets get this into perspective, in a land where the kicking of a ball round a field reigns supreme, I rode a bike! I was passionate about bike riding, the whole family rode but I was fanatical.

This dedication to a minority pastime did little for my popularity, I was always the last to be picked for teams, the only thing I could do with any conviction was run. As a student I pottered along as part of the intelligency, my grades were always in the top five in the class. As at this stage of my school career we were kept together as a group, you can see how we would develop as a separate social group to the rest of our peers.

I had never had many friends, I guess most people don't really but I generally could be found with Clive and Paul, although we had known each other all through school it was only this last year that we formed a clique. I, unlike some lads my age, was quite happy to mix with the girls. In fact I was sort of in another clique which included me Ally, Bernie, Mad and Rhod. I don't think any of us had anything in common except a willingness to hang together.

Like most secondary schools, we had a limited social calendar, Christmas party and disco, Easter disco and end of year party. And living in a fairly rural area there was very little else going on without travelling to either Worksop or Mansfield or even Sheffield about twenty miles away. At thirteen parents don't tend to like their kids going off on their own so these trips were rare. So we made our own entertainment, I know that sounds a bit old fashioned but we did. Bike rides and walks into Clumber Park and Sherwood Forest, the girls would practice little dance routines, us guys would play with our RC cars and well even we fell back to abuse of games consoles.

Easter was late this year, nearly the end of April so the school dance was still six weeks away but of course the girls were already plotting what they would wear. Clive and Paul never attended these functions, I avoided most of them but Rhod generally went along. The three girls, as a result, usually bolstered the sea of girls and the vastly outnumbered guys were never short of attention. Perhaps that's why Rhod went.

My fancy dress escapade at Christmas had never reached my friends much to my relief and I had pretty well expunged the episode from my memory. So back to the present and half term break.

"Drew"

"Yeah"

"The guys have got an idea that requires you and Rhod"

"So"

"Come over to Maddies after lunch and we'll explain"

"Sure, see you later"

"Later"

Maddie lives out on the new estate in a detached mansion, well that's what we call it, so I set out on my bike for short ride or otherwise half-hour walk. I arrived at the same time as Rhod and we locked our bikes up and knocked. "Hi Mrs Peters" "Hello boys, the girls are in the dining room, go on through" "Great your both here" "Hi guys" "Anyone want a drink" Mrs Peters poked her head round the door. A chorus of "yes please" had us all in hysterics. We're thirteen! The tray of drinks and hot cross buns distracted us for a few minutes then Rhod asked the question I was ready to ask.

"What's the secret?"

"Well we've got an idea, shut the door Ally"

"And?"

"And you probably won't like it, but we think it would be a real buzz"

"Spill it"

"Ok, you know the Easter disco"

"Yeah"

"Well we want you two to go with us"

"That's no big deal, I was going anyway" opined Rhod

"And I guess I can fit it into my social calendar too"

"There's a catch" Maddie was showing a bit of nervousness.

Bernie took up the reins,"We want to go in costume, there's prizes and stuff"

"Still with you so far" I sarcastically put in

"Well the point is we want to go as Manga girls, you know like Sailor Blue and that"

"What will us guys go as?

"Erm that's just it, you'll be Manga girls too"

"What, no way!"

"Come on guys, your kidding right"

"No we're deadly serious, we've even sort of sorted some costumes"

"You are serious aren't you"

"Of course we are"

Memories of Christmas came back and I blushed a little.

"Look guys, it will be fun, once your dressed up no one will know"

"Like you can make us disappear! Everyone will know who we are straight off"

"No they wont!"

"I'm not saying I'm in" Rhod started, "but what's in it for us?"

The girls looked at each other.

"Fun, and our gratitude"

Well the innuendo was there but passed straight over our heads. Personally I was in no rush to repeat my time as Gaby but I could tell Rhod was intrigued.

"One condition" I started

"You'll do it?"

"Hang on, I didn't say yes yet"

"What condition?"

"If you can't make us pass as girls by next weekend were out"

"Agreed!"

Rhod looked a bit unsure but nodded his ascent.

"Ok, we'll go to Meadowhall on Saturday, if anyone guesses you are boys we'll call it off for the dance"

"What now?"

"Us girls will get everything together and we'll start tomorrow"

"We need to choose costumes now though, I've brought my Manga"

Well we started to look through the Japanese comics and after a couple of hours the girls had picked out everyone's costumes. If anyone saw through these costumes we were in trouble! Bernie was to be Sailor Blue, Maddie Prince, Rhod got Yellow, Ally would be Pink and I drew Sakur! What had we let ourselves in for!

We all stayed for tea then a session of PS2 before we headed home agreeing to meet at Ally's at ten next morning.

I have to admit that I wasn't really up for this, but the girls were set on it and Rhod was willing to give it throw so I had gotten myself into a corner. I spent some time that night in front of the mirror trying to convince myself that the girls would fail but after Christmas I knew that it was possible that I would lose my bluff.

After my morning ride I showered and walked over to ally's house with a heavy heart. I really, really didn't want to do this but I had agreed and I kept my promises. Ally's mum let me in and I was escorted up to her room, I guess with five of us there she trusted us to not get up to mischief! Bernie was last to arrive toting a couple of plastic carriers.

"I'm going out in a few minutes, so behave. If there's any trouble I'm holding you responsible Alison. You have been warned. I'll bring lunch back, Maccy D's ok?"

"Great"

"Brill"

"No gherkins for me"

"Remember Rhod's a veggie"

"Ok guys, see you about one o'clock"

"Bye mum"

"Bye Mrs Lacey"

"Right fellas time to get started"

Bernie emptied her bags on the bed, and whilst both Rhod and I had sisters we both blushed deeply at the stuff the girls pulled out.

"Ok guys, strip!"

Well I was mortified even though I was expecting it.

"Come on we've seen you in your Speedo's so don't be bashful"

"I guess"

We both stripped down to our pants and stood squirming while the girls giggled and checked us out. Although all the girls were just starting to develop a bit us lads had yet to start on the testosterone roller coaster that is teenage life.

"Bernie you take Rhod and we'll do Drew, you can use my parents room"

"Ok"

Bernie grabbed an armful of stuff and half dragged my fellow conscript next door.

"Right Drew, let's get you dressed"

Ally and Maddie worked like a well-oiled machine as they selected and dressed me in female attire. Lacy vest, white knee socks, slip then one of Ally's pink summer uniforms, I always thought the girls looked cute in them, I was sure I didn't!

"Hmm, well you're the same size as me and Maddie, but we need to do some work on your face and hair"

"Hey, no plucking or stuff"

"Course not just some makeup"

"I brought the wig"

Maddie produced the hairpiece, looked like I was gonna be a blonde again.

"I got this after that episode with the chewing gum"

I looked blank

"You remember, it was just before we changed schools"

I must be dim or I had missed something major.

"Remember I used to have really long hair"

"Yeah, I thought you just got it cut that summer"

"Well I did but not through choice"

"What do you mean?"

"Perhaps you just didn't get it, you remember Perry, short kid who got expelled?"

"Yeah"

"Well do you know why?"

"No, I just thought he'd done something bad to some girl, hit her or something"

"Well I was the girl but he didn't hit me"

"Something with the chewing gum?" it was starting to connect upstairs

"Yeah something with chewing gum. We were in the playground as usual and he was showing off blowing bubbly. Bernie and I were sat talking then I heard a pop and someone mussing with my hair, Perry in fact. He popped his bubbly on my hair and then when he mussed it up, it really got stuck. It was so bad the only way to get it out was to cut it out, by the time mum had done I looked like the chainsaw massacre. That's when mum went and got dads clippers, gave me a number one and took me still sobbing to get this" she indicated the wig.

"I guess most of the girls knew but it probably didn't make it to the boys. Perry got binned and I got a wig. I'm still trying to grow it long but I guess I'm used to shorter hair now"

I have to admit that I was shocked, partly at the assault and partly that I had never heard about the details until almost two years later. The girls were hugging and I didn't know what to do.

"Come on Drew, let's get on"

I sat on the stool in front of the vanity unit and watched Maddies expert fitting. The wig was nearly shoulder length and styled into the pageboy I always associated (I know knew why) with Maddie.

"Okay Ally, your turn"

My other tormentor turned me round and spent twenty minutes doing 'my' makeup.

"Stand up and let's get a look at you" "Sheesh, he looks cute Maddie" "Hang, something missing. Shoes!" "You take fives right?" "Yeah" "Same as me" Ally gave me her school shoes, "put these on" They were a pair of chunky soled Kickers with a sling back and two inch heel, right on the edge of school reg's. "Excellent, where's Rhod?" "Hey are you guys ready yet?" "Just coming"

Bernie came in followed by I guess Rhod. My fellow conscript being a bit bigger than me needed Bernie's best attention but a bit of slap works wonders. He had a girls cropped t-shirt and a knee length denim skirt on with a pair of trainers. As he wore his hair a bit longer than me, Bernie had managed to put his nearly black hair into small bunches like I'd seen some of the seniors wearing. I guess we both were looking at each other in shock.

"Well I reckon we're going to win this one girls"

"Yeah, come on lets get some pictures"

"Noo" we both cried

"Yes, you don't think we did this to let the moment just go do you"

"I guess"

So we spent time having our pictures taken, group and solo shots, then Ally set the self-timer and we all posed together.

"I still think there's something wrong" Maddie stated

"Panties!" Bernie opined

"You're right, their y fronts really show under those clothes" Ally dived into a draw and reappeared with a couple of pairs of ultimate humiliation, pink, nylon, lacy panties.

"Put these on, you can slip yours off without anyone seeing"

"Do we have to?"

"Yes, otherwise we can't see how you look"

Well we both blushed through our makeup as we changed underwear and rearranged ourselves.

"Excellent, you two look really cute, I think this might work"

"We can't call them Drew and Rhod dressed like this"

"Well girls what shall we call you?"

Not liking it one bit I thought for a minute

"How about Gaby, like from Xena? She's blonde and I think pretty cute"

"I cant be Xena can I, I mean that would be too obvious"

"Well I reckon Drew's right, he even looks a bit like Gaby so that's settled, but it should really be Gabrielle"

"How about Phillipa, my middle names Phillip"

"Yay! Girls meet Pippa and Gaby"

"Oh heck, mums due back at one"

All eyes went to the clock

"Quick lets get you two changed, Pippa go get dressed while we clean up Gaby then we can swap"

The next ten minutes were a flurry of activity as Rhod and Drew once more replaced Pippa and Gaby.

"Hi kids, hope you didn't get into mischief"

"No Mrs Lacey"

"No mum"

"Ok, come and get your lunch"

We descended to the kitchen for our Ronald specials, all through the food Maddie kept calling me Gaby, which was winding me up.

"What's with calling Drew Gaby?"

"Oh nothing Mrs Lacey, we were talking about Xena and Drew said that he'd prefer to be Gabrielle than Xena"

"I see, what are you all doing this afternoon"

"Going for a walk mum"

"Ok, make sure one of you has a phone and take care"

"We will" we all echoed

We were out in the woods before our forthcoming humiliation was brought up again.

"Gaby, Pippa we need to do some practice before Saturday"

"Drop the names huh?"

"No if we are in the mall and someone speaks to you it will look odd if you don't reply, so whenever we're alone we will call you by your girlie names"

"Yes Herr Fuhrer!" Rhod snapped off a salute

"That's just what we don't want. If you act like boys, even if you look like girls people will look twice and you could be found out"

"I never thought of that"

"Well do. So between now and Saturday you are both taking girl lessons."

So each day we met and mostly went for walks, Gaby and Pippa receiving the perceived wisdom of girlhood from the real thing in buckets. By Friday they were satisfied that we would pass and everything was set for the five of us to go to Sheffield on Saturday morning. We were meeting at Bernie's house to get ready then catch the bus first to Worksop then on to Meadowhall. Time would be short, Bernie's parents were taking her brother to Nottingham and were leaving just after eight, our bus left at five past nine. To speed things along the girls presented each of us with our undergarments and informed us that we would shower, hair wash at home and be wearing our frillies when we got to Bernie's.

I had to put Juliette off joining us, by saying we might go to Doncaster instead so she headed off for the earlier bus as I headed for my reluctant rendezvous with girlhood. I had been surprised to find a different set of undergarments to our initial dressing up. I had a pair of trainer socks with a pink frill and little pom poms, a pair of white panties with lace edges and a matching cami top. I put them on and decided I would wear a set of Baggies to avoid any chance of discovery.

We decided to hit the food hall and while three of us grabbed a table, Bernie and Pippa fetched us pizza and drinks. I was idly playing with my cup when Maddie gave a surprised squeal.

"Look guys, it's us"

"Cool"

I looked where Ally pointed to see our little group up on the huge TV screen; we were on the in mall TV station that slowly scanned the seating area. The girls and both guys all gave a wave before the camera panned away.

"Let's see a film"

"Ok, what's on"

"Don't know, let's look"

We went upstairs to check the options and bought tickets for Lord of the Rings. We had a bit of time to kill so we headed down to the arcade of little shops adjacent to the food hall.

"I thought it was you guys"

I nearly jumped out of my skin it was Paul and right there with him was Clive and my sister!

"Clive reckoned I was wrong and Juliette thought Drew and Rhod would have been with you"

Maddie was thinking on her feet,

"No they came on the bus with us but decided to go on the tram into the centre to look at some book shop"

"Oh yeah, we thought of doing that but the lure of the big screen caught us, we just met Juliette when I saw you"

"Oh right you don' know my cousin Gaby and her friend Pippa, they live in Worksop. Gaby, Pippa these are Clive and Paul, Drew's friends and his sister Juliette."

"Hi" was all I could manage in I hoped a voice unlike my own. Juliette gave me a funny look but addressed the group in general.

"You guys all going to the same film?"

"LOTR for us"

"Snap"

"Mind if I join you, we can all go back home together afterwards"

"Sure, Julie"

"Ok I'll go get a ticket, meet you in the foyer in ten"

"We'll come too" Paul stated. I knew he had a thing for Juliette, he could dream!

"Shit" I whispered when they were out of earshot, "me and Rhod are done now"

"Don't worry, if these guys haven't rumbled you yet, no one else will unless you give yourselves away. Look I know come with me a minute." Maddie dragged me into the ladies and a vacant cubicle.

"Sit down and hold still."

I was not going to disobey sat in the ladies toilet of the countries biggest mall. She dug something from her bag then fussed around my ear.

"This might sting"

"Ow! what are you doing?"

"Sit still!"

"Ow! What have you done?"

"Flush and I'll show you"

I had a sinking feeling that I knew but I followed her to the mirrors.

"Da-da! Two pretty studs, Drew would never get pierced ears so therefore you can't be Drew!"

Staring me in the mirror was a girl I recognised as Gaby/Drew now with a pair of sparkly blue crystal studs in her ears.

"Look, we'll take them out later, they heal pretty quick if you don't keep them open"

"Shit"

"Come on we need to meet the others"

You've all seen the film right, so I don't need to take you through it. We all had sore bums and I had sore ears by the time we left screen 1. All eight of us headed for the bus station and made it with barely a minute before our bus left. We commandeered the rear seats and even Pippa and myself participated in the discussion of Tolkien's epic. We were nearly back to Worksop when it occurred to me that our cover was that Pippa and I lived in Worksop and would have to leave everyone there and catch a later bus. That meant just the two of us alone, in drag for an hour. I was scared at the prospect I can tell you.

"You guys still coming back home with me Gaby?"

"Sure" I replied adlibbing, "mum said she'd pick us up about nine if that's ok?" I looked imploringly at Maddie for confirmation.

"Great"

I breathed a sigh of relief and by the look on Pippa's face so did Rhod.

We made it back to the village just before six, Paul and Clive said they would walk Juliette home and the rest of us headed towards maddie's, before doubling back to get to Bernie's and our boy clothes. Bernie's olds were still out thankfully, so we were able to do a quick change including shower.

"Whoops Drew, unless you want to keep them, we better take those studs out"

I had forgotten them but as soon as Ally mentioned them they started to itch.

"Yeah, I still don't know why you did that Maddie?"

"It worked didn't it?"

"Yeah, but still" I let it hang as Maddie moved in to retrieve her studs and Bernie cleaned each lobe with an antiseptic wipe. What I didn't realise was that Maddie had unintentionally (I think) left the plastic keeper sleeves in my slightly swollen lobes.

"Ok guys - you win, no one not even my own sister spotted us so we'll do the dance thing with you"

"Ok with you too Rhod?"

"Yeah we agreed"

"What now?"

"We'll meet Monday after school to start on our costumes. We have most of the stuff already but we need to make the actual dresses."

I winced, I really didn't want to do this, I hated the idea of dressing as a girl but I had promised and at least Rhod was with me too.

I walked into flak from mum when I got home at seven thirty, but she accepted the story that I had been at Rhod's house since we got back earlier than the girls and my sister.

Maddy Bell 18.01.03 (revised with images 12.02.03) Copyright 2003

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