Why didn’t anyone tell me that you had to light the brandy in the spoon before pouring it over the Christmas pudding to make it do that flaming thing that you always saw in the movies?

Queen's Gambit - Chapter 6

© Copyright 2025 Maeryn Lamonte

Polly traded her anxious look for one of relief when I rounded the corner.

“I thought you might have forgotten,” she said.

“No, just got caught up talking to my parents.” I led her into the cafeteria and over to where Marie, Elaine and Abby were sitting.

“Why on earth did you bring Polident?” Marie asked as we sat.

Queen's Gambit - Chapter 4

© Copyright 2025 Maeryn Lamonte

We’d taken over a fair chunk of one of the carriages and the girls were back to chatting animatedly. Most of them had rediscovered their appetites and we’re tucking into energy bars and sucking on juice boxes. I still wasn’t hungry, but dug out my juice box to suck on just so I could join in, and so I had an excuse for not saying much.

Queen's Gambit - Chapter 2

© Copyright 2025 Maeryn Lamonte

I agreed on the basis that it was the easiest way to move things on. There really wasn’t anything else on offer that particularly interested me so I had a vested interest in trying to enjoy the costume making.

Ellie's Voice

© 2025 by Grace Ann Hansen

"What are you doing? Are you... wearing my mini-skirt?"

Karen's voice echoed in the room, but Sofia wasn't scared. She knew her sister wouldn't judge her. Karen had always been her biggest supporter, her confidante, and her role model.

"It's just... I like how it looks," Sofia replied, blushing a little. "I feel... like Sofia when I wear it."

Karen smiled and approached her sister. She took her hand and turned her gently so she could see herself in the mirror.

"You look beautiful, Sofia," she said sweetly. "That skirt looks perfect on you."

The next morning at the breakfast table a freshly grounded Tracie was almost shouting. "If I was a boy, I wouldn't be grounded, and we wouldn't even be having this discussion right now!”

Speaking through his teeth, Tracie's dad spat, "You ARE a boy!"

"No. No, she's not."

It was spoken quietly, almost unheard, but it had a force behind it that shut everyone up.

Corinne looked at her husband, "Face it, honey, she's not a boy and hasn’t been for a long time, if ever, really." He sat back down and put his forehead in his hands, staring at his plate.

Restyling Danny
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

Preface

This is a story from and idea by Erin contained in my latest anthology published by Doppler Press on Amazon (link below the story). Please remember that Doppler is a key supporter of Big Closet and buying books from their impressive stable of TG story writers is a way of supporting your favorite site.