Saturday afternoon I’m upstairs in my room pying a game when Mom knocks on my door, peeks her head, and says, “Rei, come on. We need to get you ready.”
I’m sure you remember we’re having our housewarming party today. Part of it is just that, a housewarming party and the other, as you know, is so we can introduce me to the neighbors. I’m really hoping I can find a ‘Chel’ amongst the kids that come.
Following her down to her room, she leads me into her bathroom and takes her time teaching me how to shave my legs. Not that there’s a lot of hair yet, but there’s enough that it shows and Mom said I should begin doing it. Once I finish my other leg, we apply lotion to them.
We walk back into her bedroom where she ushers me to take a seat at her vanity. She skillfully applies subtle makeup to my face; just a touch of eyeliner to enhance my eyes, a few coats of mascara for fuller shes, and a light pink lip gloss to add a sweet pop of color. As we chat, she delicately paints my fingernails and toenails with a delicate blush pink polish. As we wait for them to dry, she curls my hair in loose waves, creating a soft frame around my face. Lastly, she reaches into her jewelry box, sifting through its contents until she emerges with a pair of earrings that perfectly complement my outfit. "Aha!" she excims with satisfaction, pcing them gently on my ears and then slips the bangles on my left wrist, one silver and one gold, and finishes everything by slipping a gold neckce on me. I admit, I’m as disconcerted as much as I’m pleased when I look at myself in the mirror.
As soon as we arrive back at my room, she immediately dives into my closet. She delves through my numerous outfits, pulling out various pieces of clothing as she mumbles to herself. After several moments of consideration, she carefully selects a vibrant purple pleated skirt that falls to my knees. Next, she chooses a white sleeveless, button-up blouse. Finally, she presents me with a pair of kitten-heeled white sandals.
Looking me over as I stand there in my lingerie, she says. “You need to change your bra to a white one so that it doesn’t show.”
“Okay,” I reply though I wonder why since I’ll be wearing a camisole underneath my blouse. Regardless, I open my dresser drawer, remove a white bra, and begin changing.
She smiles as I change and nods at my choice of a cy white bra. “Once you’re dressed, join us downstairs,” she states.
She closes the door behind her as she heads downstairs to get ready. Before I dress, I take care of my business in the bathroom and wash my hands, then back out to my room to get dressed.
Once I don the outfit she picked out for me, I give myself a critical once-over in the full-length mirror. The reflection staring back at me is that of a girl, but not just any girl, a stunningly cute one. A sense of pride swells within me as I take in my appearance, murmuring to myself: ‘You’ve got this. You’re a girl and no one can say otherwise.’ My smile widens as I admire the girl in the mirror and reassure her, "‘You’ve got this,’ I murmur again.
I descend the stairs, feeling far more confident and ready than when we began. As I enter the living room, I notice that everyone else is already gathered there. My dad beams at me. “Sweetie, you look absolutely beautiful,” he says, and I can’t help but feel a warm rush of happiness.
A fit of girlish ughter bubbles out of me and I spin in a circle, my skirt swirling around my legs. Immediately, I freeze in embarrassment, realizing how uncharacteristic this dispy is for me. Giggling? Twirling? Am I really trying to show off what I’m wearing? Rolling my eyes at myself, I try to brush it off as just picking up some mannerisms from Mom and Diana. After all, I’ve been spending so much time with them tely.
"Thank you, Dad," I say, regaining my composure.
David gives me a quizzical look before a small smile spreads across his face. "You look…really good."
I wave away his compliment with a grin. "Thanks, but it’s mostly Mom’s doing." My mother had insisted on helping me pick out an outfit for this afternoon and I have to admit, she has an impeccable eye for fashion.
He grabs my hand, and looks at my nails. “Nail polish?” He asks in a dubious tone. As he looks up at me, his expression clearly expresses his uncertainty and revulsion.
My brow furrows as I gre at him for a moment, unsure of how to respond. Then, in a low but firm tone, I say, “Don’t even start. It’s perfectly normal for a girl to wear it.”
There’s a flicker of disappointment in his eyes, but he nods in understanding. “I know,” he says softly.
“Listen, David,” I continue my tone expressing my insecurity and even a tiny bit of shame. “This isn’t easy for me either. However, I don’t have a choice. As much as Mom and Diana are doing to help me adjust, I’m still going to need your support to get through this."
Dad pces a hand on David’s shoulder. “Your sister is right. She needs us all,” he states resolutely.
David merely nods. “I’ll do anything I can to help,” he decres firmly, but there;’s still a shadow of something behind his eyes.
Just a few moments ter, the doorbell rings and Dad makes his way to answer it. My heart feels like it’s trying to escape from my chest because it’s beating so quickly with anxious anticipation. I find myself moving to stand partially behind Diana, and tightly gripping the back of her blouse. It’s hard not to feel nervous when you’re in my shoes. Besides the doctors and nurses at the hospital, no one else has ever seen me as a boy before. In theory, that should make this experience less intimidating, but in reality, it does little to ease my nerves. My palms are cmmy with sweat and I can feel every nerve in my body on edge.
Dad returns accompanied by a small entourage of people. Everyone else in the room has already been introduced, leaving only me as the newcomer. My heart races as Dad calls out my name, which, unfortunately, makes me the focus of everyone’s attention.
I’m standing there nervous and a little overwhelmed by the attention. Thankfully, Diana takes my hand and lightly squeezes it. I find it to be a rather comforting gesture. “Calm down. I’m right here.” she softly whispers.
Grateful for her support, I murmur my thanks as we approach my parents. They proudly introduce me to the group, “You all know everyone here, but allow us to introduce our daughter, Rei.” The warmth in their tone and the genuine smiles on their faces make me feel a little better.
A warm smile spreads across the face of one of the dies as she greets me. "Nice to meet you, Rei,” she says, introducing herself as Eileen Heller. She gestures to the others with her. Her husband James and two teenagers, Kevin and Lisa. She then tells me that Kevin is around 16 years old and Lisa is 14.
Pushing down my nervousness and anxiety, I return her smile, and reply, “Pleased to meet you all.”
Eileen’s eyes show genuine concern as she asks, "I’m happy to see that you’re out of the hospital. Are you feeling better now?"
Relieved and grateful for her sincere show of concern, I reply, “I am, thank you.”
The other neighbors quickly arrive, and I’ll skip over a lot of it here and simply give you the basics of our introductions. The Hellers are rather friendly and live across the street, and are among the first to arrive. On our right are the Jensens, and have a 12-year-old daughter Kelly. To our left were the Wells who introduce me to their 13-year old son, Jeremy. Next door to them are the Alberts, proud parents of two daughters. Beth, a confident 17-year-old and Emma, an animated 12-year-old. Other couples also joined in on the gathering, but without any children of their own.
As soon as the polite introductions are finished, I quickly take a seat only to find myself cornered on the couch by Emma and Kelly. It’s hard not to notice how cute they are and it kind of makes me self-conscious. Emma has waist-length blonde hair which is loose and frames her lovely face and accentuates her striking green eyes, and Kelly with her brunette hair which reaches the middle of her back and sparkling blue eyes. As I said, both of them are the type that are conspicuous wherever they are, so that makes it even harder for me to deal with them.
Emma’s voice filled with excitement as she gushed, “Oh my, you are so flippin’ adorable and your eyes… just wow, they’re breathtaking! I can already see the boys lining up to get your attention!”
Kelly chimes in with a wide smile, and eagerly agrees, “Absolutely! Trust me, every boy is going to fall head over heels for you!”
A warm flush crept up my cheeks at their compliments and the mention of boys being interested in me. “Thank you, but my eyes have gotten me teased in the past.”
Emma smiles reassuringly and pces her hand on my forearm. “There’s no way that’ll happen. You’ll be going to Hoffstead, right?”
Hoffstead, or more accurately, Hoffstead Academy, is a private school and that’s where Mom enrolled us.
I simply nod and reply, “Right.”
“I wouldn’t worry then. The school is like, hel strict when it comes to bullies. Their first offense results in a two-week in-school suspension, and the second offense leads to expulsion.”
Changing the subject, Kelly asks, “Have you ever tried cheerleading?”
“No, I haven’t. It’s never been something that interested me,” I reply.
Kelly continues to persuade me, “We always struggle to find enough girls for the squad. Last year we only had four, so you should definitely try out.” Emma chimes in with an encouraging nod.
Feeling hesitant, I search for a way out and finally say, “Maybe, but I would have to discuss it with my Mom first.” Me being me, I’m rather hesitant to try out for something completely new and unfamiliar.
Refusing to accept my noncommittal answer, Emma’s determined voice almost echoes in the living room as she calls out, “Mrs. Daniels?”
Mom turns around, her eyes curious and expectant. “Yes?”
Emma takes a breath before asking, “Can Rei try out for cheerleading?”
A small smile graces Mom’s lips and I realize my mistake: I should’ve said I needed to ask Dad. Especially since Mom was the captain of her cheerleader squad in high school and went on to cheerlead in college as well. “Of course,” she replies warmly, her attention shifting to me. “I think it would be a valuable and rewarding experience for her.”
My stomach churns with frustration as I think, ‘Thanks for throwing me under the bus, Mom!’
Emma’s cheerful voice cuts through my thoughts, “Great! That’s settled then. Tryouts are in 3 weeks.”
I force myself to look at her and pster on a fake smile. Then Kelly leans in closer and whispers to me, “Emma can be a little pushy, but trust me, she’s a terrific friend. If you want, we can help you learn what you need to know before tryouts.”
Grateful for her offer, I respond in genuine appreciation for her thoughtfulness. “Thanks, that would be a huge help.”
Although I feel uneasy about it, Emma and Kelly appear to be making an effort to get to know me and involve me in something that they clearly enjoy.
Thankfully, the conversation moves on to other subjects and I find myself warming up to them, especially Kelly since she reminds me a lot of Chel. The sound of their ughter and the easy way they all interact with each other puts me at ease, like being with old friends. However, my eyes can’t help but catch Jeremy sneaking gnces or outright staring at me. His intense gaze makes me nervous and my palms start to sweat. I try to brush it off, thinking, or maybe hoping, that he’s just checking out a cute girl, but a small voice in the back of my mind wonders if he’s trying to figure me out instead.
The thought sends shivers down my spine and I quickly look myself over, wondering if there’s something that’s giving me away or out of the ordinary, yet everything seems normal: I’m sitting with my knees together and ankles crossed, just like I was taught and I’m dressed well in a cute outfit. Yet, he continues to furtively gnce at me, making me feel increasingly self-conscious and on edge.
Dad steps into the kitchen and loudly announces, “Dinner is ready on the patio.” Kelly and Emma leap off the couch and Kelly offers her small hand to help me up, and I gratefully accept. We make our way outside into the warm afternoon sun, with Jeremy and David followed close behind.
On the patio, we each make a pte of the cheeseburgers and chips. Taking a seat at the outdoor table, we were joined by David and Jeremy, both smiling and chatting eagerly. As we ate, Jeremy couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off me, making my heart nervously race.
I quickly finish my dinner and we girls stand up to go throw away our paper ptes. Taking deep breaths to calm myself, I hear Kelly’s Mom say, “We’re having a BBQ tomorrow and we’d love it if your family comes.”
My mom’s voice is warm as she replies, “Sounds great. We’ll be there.”
A gentle nudge from Kelly jolts me back to reality and I turn to look at her. She’s grinning and says, “Don’t forget to bring your swimsuit.”
I feel a familiar flutter in my stomach as I catch Jeremy staring at me again. His eyes are sparkling with amusement and his lips quirk up into a small smile, and I find myself thinking, ‘Maybe he’s not doing anything other than checking out a girl he finds attractive.’
The night draws to a close and the st of the guests make their way home. Kelly and Emma stand by the door, exchanging hugs and goodbyes with me before they leave. After I close the door, my mom’s arms wrap around me in a comforting embrace. A sense of calm washes over me as I sink into her familiar warmth and sigh in relief that this is over. Despite how different I may look, this evening was stressful.
“Did you enjoy yourself tonight?” she asks softly.
I shrug, unsure how to answer. “Kinda. Emma is really nice and I clicked with Kelly right away. She reminds me of Chel.”
“I thought you might. About the cheerleading…" my mom starts.
I cut her off, as I murmur, “Why did you say that?” I grumpily ask.
“I know how shy you can be, Sweetheart, but trust me, this will be a great experience for you. Plus, if you didn’t, you’d retreat back into that bubble you used to live in. It’s important that you find something to occupy your time, other than games and books. Cheerleading is a wonderful opportunity for you. I don’t doubt that if you give it a chance, you’ll fall in love with it and all the opportunities it brings. And let’s not forget about the popurity boost that comes with being a cheerleader.”
A heavy sigh escapes my lips, a mixture of frustration and defeat. I reluctantly turn to look at her, knowing what she wants to hear. “Fine,” I mutter, “I’ll give it a shot.”
She senses my ck of enthusiasm and takes hold of my chin, tilting my face up to meet hers. Her piercing stare bores into me as she raises an eyebrow in question. “Are you going to actually put in effort or just go through the motions to pcate me?”
She knows me too well. I had already resigned myself to the inevitable and simply thought I’d put in minimum effort and make sure to fail, but I can’t admit that to her. Docilely, I reply, “I promise I’ll do my best.”
Saying that makes my stomach churn, but I’ll make an honest attempt.
Gently, she pats my shoulder, a warm and reassuring gesture. Her proud smile shines bright, highlighting the deep dimple in her cheek. “That’s my girl,” she says, her voice filled with approval. “By the way, Rei, I’m so proud of you. You never messed up once.”
I look up at her, still feeling a hint of uneasiness. “Thanks,” I reply hesitantly, “but I was kinda freaking out because Jeremy kept staring at me.”
She raises an eyebrow with her eyes taking on a calcuting glint. “Oh?" she asks in an innocent tone, but there’s something about her tone that sends a chill down my spine.
“Yeah. I couldn’t decide if he was trying to figure out if I used to be a boy or what,” I say with a nervous ugh.
She chuckles, which sounds a bit evil to me at the moment. Her eyes sparkling with amusement and she grins mischievously as she looks at me. “Oh sweetie, trust me, that wasn’t it. Think about it and you’ll figure it out,” she says, giving me a knowing wink before walking off towards the kitchen, leaving a trail of ughter behind her.
I stand there, frowning in confusion for a few moments until suddenly, her cryptic words click into pce. My face scrunches up in disgust and I excim, “Ewww! No way!” Mom only ughs even harder at my reaction.
