Train - In

The sun was beating down relentlessly onto the platform, Drew found himself desperately seeking the meagre shade offered by the shadow of the trees across the line. He was a bit early, the others weren't due for another five minutes but he'd really needed to get out of the house. Mum could be a real pain some times ‘ do your homework, tidy your room, your not going out like that' - ever since the summer hols started she'd been having a go.

At least today he'd get some peace. He looked up the line, the heat was already enough to supply a bit of heat haze making everything look a bit wobbly. A couple more people joined him on the platform, no one he really knew but they exchanged a quick ‘tag' all the same. A distant toot heralded the imminent arrival of the 9.20 Ahr Express - where are the others?

As if they had read his mind there was a clatter of bikes and his friends pulled up just as the train hove into view through the haze.

"Thought you weren't coming."

"Someone forgot her wallet." Pia noted.

Drew recovered his own steed, a sparkly new Schauff from the factory shop in Remagen. And no it isn't a race bike but a typical German town bike. It hadn't taken him long to realise that using a good bike for school and stuff wasn't such a hot idea, the olds had agreed and both he and Jules got a new ‘school' bike out of it. So okay its got a step through frame, so do the rest of the gangs and its certainly easier when you've got a bag of school books on the back – and the dynamo means you don't need to remember lights and the suspension makes it more comfortable over the cobbles and that's the saddle it comes with okay.

The train hissed to a halt and the four of them loaded their bikes and joined the others already on the train.

“Hi guys.” Steffi enthused.

“Heya.” Drew replied.

“Bit warm for jeans eh Drew?” Brid noted.

Drew had to agree, it hadn't been his best decision but he'd already arrived at the Bahnhof before he realised his error.

“Yeah, I'll survive.” At least the train had aircon.

“Fahrkarte bitte.”

Everyone had regional season tickets for the VREA so today's trip to the Jakobsmarkt and the Freizeitbad in Remagen wouldn't hurt their pockets too much. Although it was smack in the middle of the summer hols and full-blown tourist season the train was pretty quiet as most visitors were headed the other way and the workers were long gone.

Drew sat and fussed with his by now very uncomfortable trousers.

“Will you give over, you are making me itch.” Nena told him.

“Sorry but I'm really er, sticky.”

“Gross!” Annie and Connie chorused.

“I can't stand it, come on you.” Pia grabbed Drew and started hauling him down the carriage.

“Wha?”

“Lets get you more comfortable.”

By this time the hapless Drew was at the door of the toilet compartment.

“Here, put this on” she slapped a bundle into his hands.

“But…”

“Go” she just about pushed him into the compartment.

‘Geez, the girls can be pretty full on', Drew mused. ‘What has Pia given me here?' he shook the bundle out and let out a sigh. This lot are as bad as the gang back in Warsop! Maybe worse. Well it would be more comfortable than jeans but he cringed at the colour – bright yellow decorated with small flowers. At least the toilet was clean and spacious; with ease drawn from much practice he was soon wearing Pia's sundress. Yeah so it's a dress, wanna make something of it?

“Much better eh Drew?” Nena noted as he rejoined the girls.

“I guess.”

“You need some makeup, come here.” Connie suggested.

“Connie…” he moaned.

“Some liner at least.”

Well it's easier to go with it than argue with Connie so he succumbed to her ministrations. The forty-minute ride seemed to pass much quicker and it was seven girls who emerged onto gleis 5 of Remagen Bahnhof. They were quickly into the town centre where there were a few stalls of the Jakobsmarkt but they pressed on down the hill to the riverfront where the main market was taking place. They parked the bikes up and started to explore the stalls and attractions.

Drew was quite excited to be attending his first German festival Markt and was keen to soak up the atmosphere. It was an eclectic collection, food and bier stalls rubbing shoulders with crafts, kitchen wear, clothing and toys. A few small kiddy rides and a bandstand vied to provide entertainment for the quite reasonable crowds.

The Dernau gang keenly scanned the goods on offer and various members purchased items as diverse as ‘ohrstucker', a decorative plate, leather belt, Drew succumbed to a Frikadellen, the smell was too much to ignore. They took their time but it was still not quite twelve when they returned to the bikes.

“So we going to the Freibad now?” Steffi asked.

“What about lunch?” Nena mentioned.

“There's a café at the pool.” Connie pointed out.

“Suits me.” Drew shrugged, which meant having to readjust his frock.

“Okay, we can go along the river, save going back into town.” Pia suggested.

It wasn't that simple, they had to re-negotiate the market before they could mount up for the short ride along the riverfront. There was a welcome breeze by the river and the trees gave some shade and respite from the ever-warmer sun. They swung away from the river by the ‘Peace Museum' and soon thereafter they were locking the bikes outside the pool.

This was the first time Drew had been here but the others seemed to know it quite well. Just like TWIN in Bad Neunahr the place was busy, three pools a separate diving pool and a slide could accommodate a lot of visitors! Four Euros paid for the rest of the day's entertainment and first job was secure a ‘base' for the crew. Most of the good spots were taken but Connie found a spot that whilst currently in the sun would shortly be in shade and stay there for most of the afternoon. Soon people were diving off to get into their cozies.

“What's up Drew?” Steffi asked.

“I er only brought my trunks.”

“But a girl must wear a top!”

“I could put my t shirt on?” Drew suggested.

“Geez Drew, you really need to get organized.”

“I thought I was.” He mumbled.

“Anyone got a spare costume?” Steffi enquired of the others, “Drew forgot hers.”

“Here.” Annie threw something at him, a not particularly big something.

“Come on Drew, we're missing the rays!” Steffi dragged him towards the lockers.

There was a distinct feeling of déjà vu; Drew's thoughts went back to a trip to Ladybower last year where he ended up in a girl's cozzie. Then it was because he had forgotten his trunks, this time it was because his new friends were convinced he was a girl pretending to be a boy – well Connie knew that wasn't true but the others wouldn't believe otherwise and he was ‘one of the girls'. At least they hadn't latched on to ‘Gaby'; they did at least call him Drew! In the 8 weeks since he met them all they had firmly adopted him but as a madchen not a boy.

At least the changing cubicles were private although he was dismayed to find ‘his' costume was a white two-piece which showed off more than it covered including accentuating Drew's two small mounds. With a sigh he rejoined his friends, the feeling of being watched as he walked across the grass making him very self-conscious.

“Wow Drew, you really should dress better, you have a great bod.” Connie noted.

“Urm thanks.”

The worrying thing was that the way he was filling out Annie's bikini he really did look more like Gaby than Drew. It was pretty embarrassing, although his chest was actually not very big there was enough of it that going bare chested was out. Since he'd started taking the low dose hormones they had slowed their growth but nevertheless he could now fill an A cup bra, Jules wasn't much bigger. The doctors reckoned they'd likely become less obvious as he grew and filled out but he was showing little sign of doing either in the near future.

“Come on Drew, let's take a dip.” Connie grabbed his arm and started dragging him towards the nearest pool.

So started an afternoon of fun and hi-jinks, after some initial coyness he even joined in the lighthearted teasing and flirting with some of the local boys. It was pushing five when they left the Goldener Strand to head for the station to go home. The sun was still high although the heat was starting to seep away; all the gang had caught the sun, none more than Drew, despite several applications of sun cream.

There was best part of half an hour before the Ahrtal Express was due out so they parked the bikes and descended on the hotel opposite the station for some ice cream. Drew was pretty relaxed and allowed himself to slouch in his seat. The sounds of an Oompah band could be heard from the direction of the Jakobsmarkt in the town and life seemed good.

“Whoa Drew, you've caught the sun!” Jules exclaimed as he entered the kitchen.

“We were at the pool all afternoon.”

“That's gonna sting some, you put any after sun on?”

“Like when?”

“You are just so blonde sometimes.”

“Takes one to know one.” He poked his tongue out.

“You red like that all over?”

“I dunno, maybe, it does itch a bit.”

“Lets have a look.” Jules sighed. The little twit seems to spend his life doing dumb stuff and Mum had left her in charge.

Drew shrugged, “whatever,” before pulling his T over his head.

“What have you been wearing?”

“Er nothing.”

“They've had you in a bikini haven't they?”

“No”

“Don't fib I can see the strap marks.”

“Okay, I borrowed Annie's spare cozzie , I could hardly go top less could I?”

“Well you could' a worn a top.”

“To swim?”

Jules had by now found the after sun and was warming a handful.

“Here goes,” she transferred the cream to her brothers back, “geez you are burning.”

Drew shivered.

“Ah, ah, ooh!”

Jules spread the lotion evenly over Drew's fiery shoulders and back.

“Turn round.”

“Geez Drew, you really need to take more care, Mum'll kill me if that goes manky.” She prepared to spread more cream on to Drew's chest.

“Yow! Jules!”

“What?” Jules took her hands away.

“They're sensitive you know.”

“I can see.” She noted her brothers stiffening nubs. “I'll keep away from there, you are gonna have some right tan lines you know.”

“I guess. Can I get dressed now?”

“You don't want anything on those shoulders.”

“So I have to parade my chest around all night then?”

“No.” Jules sighed, “Hang on I'll fetch you a top you can wear.”

“Whatever.” Drew sighed.

Five minutes later he was wearing one of his sisters strapless tops with a built in bra. It did feel more comfortable, his boobs weren't wobbling so much and there wasn't anything to irritate his glowing shoulders.

'Life does seem to conspire to get me into girls clothes, well okay,' he admitted to himself, ‘I didn't put up much fight at the pool but it is more comfortable with a bra.'

Maddy Bell 15.09.07 © 2007

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