So of course I couldn't go straight home could I? Oh no we had to go back to Thesing's where Con's mum plied us with hot chocolate and soup and, after an impromptu photo session, I managed to get out of the frock and back into my jeans. Warmer and less embarrassing even if I did keep the hose on underneath – it's turning damn cold you know. It was turned eight before I got away, nearly half past before I arrived home.

“Good day kiddo?” Mum enquired from the bundle of bodies on the sofa.

“I guess.”

“Well don't sound too enthusiastic then.”

“Soz.”

“So what did you get up to then?”

“We just went into Bad.”

I slumped into a chair and tucked my feet under me; maybe they'll defrost a bit.

“You didn't just go into Neuenahr.” Mum stated.

“Just tell her Drew, it'll be quicker.” Dad suggested.

Well I guess he's right, Mum can be a bit of a terrier, once she has her teeth in she won't let go.

“Went to the Spa and a dance.” I mumbled.

“The Spa? Hmm I must go for a facial sometime, so what did you do, sauna and swim?”

“Erm not exactly.”

“What do you mean ‘not exactly'?”

“Well the girls treated me to the works.”

“The works?”

“Yep you name it, I had it, I mean I didn't know what was going on did I?”

“That must've cost a bob or two.” Dad grunted not moving his attention from the film on the box.

“I hope you thanked them.” Mum noted.

“Yeah.”

“So you went to the Kursaal for the afternoon dance?”

“Um yeah, like Steff got everyone from school to go too.”

“You went like that?”

“Er not exactly.”

Mum just raised her eyebrows.

“The guys hired these like old fashioned dancing togs, it was like quite good fun really.”

“These ‘togs' I presume were dresses?”

“Kinda.” I admitted.

“Well that explains the makeup.”

Sugar I'd forgotten about that!

“Um they did it at the Spa.”

“Very sophisticated.”

My revenge for this one needs to go up a peg.

The kitchen door slammed shut announcing the arrival of Goth Girl.

“Hi guys!”

“Hi love.” Dad managed.

“Ooh nice eyebrows bro.”

Eyebrows?

“Huh?”

“There's something with your hair too, you been to the beauty parlour?” Jules ploughed on.

“The girls took him to the Spa.”

“Huh, well looks good anyhow.”

Praise indeed from my sister. Eyebrows?

“I'm gonna go on the pooter.”

“Oh while I remember, Bernie will be here on Friday, Cheryl's coming with her but only for the weekend.”

“Kewl.”

I stared at the mirror, this was actually the first time I'd had a chance to look at myself and I was not happy about what was reflected. Just wait you guys, I am so gonna get you back for this! You might recall that I get mistaken for a girl from time to time – annoying but not the end of the world. The visage in the mirror on the other hand was a girl, not just me looking a bit girly but there is just no way anyone could imagine the cutie staring back at me was anything but a girl.

I hadn't realised but the ‘trim' has left me with a decidedly girl hairstyle, yeah its about the same length and not much different to before but instead of the usual bit of a mop appearance it looks, erm, looked after. And my eyebrows, now its not like they've not been tidied up a bit before but the delicate things above my eyes should only ever be on a girl! How on earth will anyone take me for a boy looking like this?

Remove the makeup. Good plan. I retrieved my remover and cotton pads, I know but I do have to wear the stuff as Königin, and set about removing the face paint. I hadn't realised I was wearing so much but eventually the cotton pads came up clean so out of habit I whacked on some moisturiser. I looked in the mirror again.

“YAAAGH!”

“Give over up there!” Jules shouted up a moment or two later.

“Er could you come up Jules?” this was sh-scary.

A minute later my sister came into my room.

“What's up?”

“My face.”

“What's wrong with it, bit too cute for a boy…”

“The makeup?” I half whined.

“What about it? Not my style but it suits you.”

“But I've just taken it all off! Look!” I pointed to the pile of soiled Baumwolle in the bin.

“Lets have a look, come into the light.”

She scraped and rubbed for a couple of minutes, all the time making a few ooh's and aah's.

“Well,”

“What?” I asked freeing myself from her grip.

“Well it looks like you'll be wearing it for a while.”

“Come again?”

“When she put the make up on did she do anything different to like usual?”

“I can't remember, I think I fell asleep for a bit. Why?”

“You oh brother of mine have got some very nice semi permanent makeup. Wish I could afford it.”

“What? Permanent? You mean it won't come off? Ever?” I was fast moving into the panic zone.

“Whoa! Back up. I said semi permanent, it'll fade eventually, it usually lasts about six weeks I think.”

“Six weeks!” I screeched. I'm stuck looking like this for six weeks?”

“Well it might be longer.” Jules was not helping here.

“Everything ok up there?” Dad enquired.

“Yeah, Gab was just showing me something.” Jules called back.

“Well keep it down a bit please.”

“Yes Dad.” We both chorused.

“What am I gonna do?”

“Do?”

“Well duh! I am still your brother you know.”

“Not looking like that.”

“Some help you are, just wait till I get hold of my ‘friends'!”

“Look you can always cover it up, pencil your brows in a bit.”

“How will that work?”

“Come here, where's your makeup?”

Well I had to admit, using makeup to cover makeup was a novel idea but by the time Jules was finished I did look a lot more like me. Talk about hassle.

“There you go, not that I'd bother.”

“You're not a boy.”

She didn't answer that.

The problem with the cover up scheme was that I'll have to take it off each night. Why me? I decided not to say anything to the olds – at least for now, maybe if I go back to the Spa they can get it off.

I decided to get an early night so I spent another ten minutes undoing Jules efforts to reveal the made up me again. I suppose it coulda been worse, it was really quite subtle, my upper lids sporting a blend of bluey greens with just a hint of lighter highlight by the brow line. The bit you can't hide is the eyeliner but at least it's not black! Oh and I forgot to mention the lip liner! Not that I'll be able to forget it for a while.

At least I slept through the waxing! I rubbed my naked arms, it does feel kinda nice even if it's not that manly, not that my arms are usually that hairy anyhow. Then an awful thought occurred to me, if I was asleep when that woman was doing it, and even when she did my brows, did she do anywhere else? Please God; don't let her have done there!

In my mind I knew the truth of it but I had to confirm my fears didn't I? I pulled my jeans down to my thighs and followed with my tights and knickers. My few straggly signs of puberty are now definitely fewer; the few that remain just above my thingy are neatly trimmed into a little heart! Urgh! So okay I can finish the job with a razor but if she did that she must've seen Herbert, I am so dead! She never said anything though so hopefully she won't; it's too late to worry about it now anyhow.

I finished undressing and found myself looking in the mirror once again, apart from Herbert I must admit I do look a lot more like a girl than any fifteen year old boy ever should. I pulled Herbert between my legs and from 95% the reflection showed 100% girl, am I doomed to stay like this? Maybe the doctors have come up with something, which they'll tell us on Tuesday. I struck a few ‘manly' poses, it wasn't very convincing so I just pulled on some pants and slipped a nightdress over my head. What? You think I'm gonna waste all that waxing? Hairless legs – and arms are just sooo sexy!

Goodness knows what I dreamt about last night; I woke up all kinda tied up in my duvet with my nightdress scrunched up under my booblets. Weird – and cold! Yup its cold, and dark and I've got to go training – roll on summer!

A watery sun was just making its presence known by the time I slipped out of the garage. It was still damn cold though; there was a fair bit of frost about so I needed to look out for ice on the roads too. I headed up to Altenahr, a steady enough climb until the gorge then up and through the tunnel before it levels out again.

Instead of turning for Effelsberg I followed the river and railway south and headed for Adenau. Now its time for the hard graft, I decided to go over Hohe Acht to Kempenich, the top is over 700m, a 400m climb from Adenau. For the first time this morning my mind wandered from riding the bike and I found myself sort of humming some ancient tune from Fleetwood Mac. Okay, Dad likes them alright?

This time next week Bern'll be here, I wonder how that's gonna go? It'll be different to when the guys visited last year, for one I'm in school and she's staying for more than a week.

I ran through some stuff we could do but it can't all be shopping trips, I still have to fit training in and work.

Work, I'll have it out with Con later, hmm maybe if I've got time I can call in at the Spa this morning and get this makeup business sorted.

I changed down another sprocket as the hill started to bite and was soon out of the saddle in an effort to keep the speed up. Despite the rising sun it was still flippin' cold, not helped by the increase in altitude.

Wha-a-a break the chain,

Whoo-oo-oo break the chain.

Okay so I don't know the proper words but the tune is good to ride with.

Maddy Bell 01.01.09 © 2009

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