I couldn’t have been more embarrassed when Mum came into my room that afternoon. I was on fours on my bed dressed in a bra, suspender belt and stockings and nothing else. Behind me was my best friend Peter, wearing nothing at all. A part of his body that could vary in size at maximum extension.

And now for something different. Not different for me, come to think about it, but a change from the general gloom.

This is a sequel to “And the Winner is …” To understand this sequel you really need to (re)read that.

While my parents just stood there shocked Arnold said

“Until tomorrow morning then. I’ll take you up in the mountains so wear sturdy shoes and suitable skirt if you have one.

Thanks to my parents I did have one. A short one.

True to his word Arnold rang the bell at exactly 10 am. The skirt was the only girl garment I wore. Shoes, socks, shirt etc. were all my ordinary boy stuff. If only they had screamed “BOY” instead of just whisper it!

It was really tragic, no, heart wrenching, to see Taylor. He used to be such a good boy. It only shows how detrimental betting can be for the happiness and wellbeing of people.

HOPELESS HIGH ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE SCHOOL YEAR

Hopeless High did not live up to my expectations. At first sight it was far, far worse. And to make things even worse “Hopeless High School” really was it’s name. The pride of Hopeless, MT. pop. 6,421, including me now. Hopeless had decided to keep the name because it drew tourists. Perhaps as many as 2 000 every year. Doesn’t sound much but it was the difference between life and deaths – for the motel and the one decent restaurant in town, sorry, city.

Girl 101 for Boys! When I saw that listed on electives in the high school I was about to start I just knew I had to sign up for that. That was so outrageous!

My name is Caspar Ozymandias Duchamp. Please don’t mention that to anybody. I’m known as Cod. I know it’s a bit fishy but I prefer that to my real name. Besides it makes me a big fish in a small pond – I wish. I’m not really that important in school. On the other hand, my high school is not that important. To be honest, it’s on skid row. Nobody cares. The teachers have given up, most of them anyway. The sports teams are in a death spiral with dire results resulting in dire recruitment. For God’s sake they couldn’t even get enough girls to get a full cheerleading squad this year. But who but a cheerleader could care about the Kangville Kangaroo Rats? Just the name is enough to lose interest.

Bob waited for me after Drama Club. He had two tickets to the premiere of the new Secret Sissy Spy film. Actually it was Secret Sissy Spy 3. Technically that film had had its Hollywood premiere already but this was the national cinema premiere. He had won the tickets in a call-in radio show.

“Why don’t you go there with your girlfriend?” and then I remembered that his latest girlfriend was history. Bob had quite a lot of history. Rather ironic since he got Ds in that subject.

“No, I just want to see an action movie with a friend that appreciates action movies.”

I was sad that nice old Mrs Wilson next door passed away. She always had had a soft spot for me. The sadness was mitigated when I heard that a family with kids would move in instead. The Gadin family came from Sweden. That wasn’t what excited me. It was the kids.

I’m a nerd. I like being a nerd. I never had any other ambition. I’m also a boy. I like being a boy. I never had any other ambition.

Before I go home I’ll just check the announcement board. Our principal is a traditionalist so everything important is announced on the announcement board. This time I want to confirm that I’m on the list for the school’s womanless beauty contest.

My name is there all right. Peter Dupont in big letters. The problem is the big black line through it and the additional comment “Disqualified”. How can they do that! I’ll have to talk to the Principal!

As soon as I saw Bill walk towards school in a dress I knew that I had been handed a golden opportunity. No, I had no interest in Bill himself but his actions opened up so many possibilities.

This story was inspired by Emma Anne Tate’s story Gullible Travails posted in February. At the time I mentioned that I could twist it and mangle it ,,,, (I also might have mentioned stomping but that was silly).

And the winner is …

I had always been a strong supporter of the cheerleading squad at high school. My best friend, Sally, was a cheerleader. Sally and I had been best friends ever since we moved into the house next to hers when she and I were four years old.

Since you read this on BCTS you are familiar with my situation.

I wore a skirt to school ONE day to see what would happen. At the time I was known as Toby. Well, it was supposed to be only one day. Things snowballed. Being tagged as a girl. Cheerleading, ballet, standing up to bullies, assigned to the girls’ locker room. Even a boyfriend. Ending up as the popular girl, slayer of bigots, savior of damsels in distress (perhaps not the last). The Prom Queen ruling the school.

Bobby

That Thanksgiving was scary and mortifying. Not to mention the horror it all led to.

“Robert Taylor Smith! Where do you think you are going like that?”

The most scary part really came early, already at Halloween. As every teenager knows, hearing your full name expressed in a severe voice by one of one’s parents is not a good sign. Especially when expressed by a father reading with his back towards you.

Add to that I was trying to sneak out dressed in my sister’s cheerleader uniform …. Yes, I had forgotten about the mirror on the wall. Mirror, mirror on the wall tell me who is the kid most in trouble.

Despite that last kiss no relationship developed between Larry and Bob. Just as well since Bob graduated a two weeks later and moved away for college.

We were at his graduation since Betty was in the same class. After the ceremony Bob came up to Larry.

So Larry was without girlfriend. While I had not expected him to be single for long (what a change from the beginning of the year!) I had NOT expected Bob (the baseball captain) to be the next one to ring the bell and ask for Larry.

By spring semester Bob’s paper was written and had got an A++. However, many boys still wore the lilac skirt to school. That had taken on a life of its own. Bob could easily have quashed it but saw no point in doing it (and it was his mother's shop that sold them). Besides a couple of his teammates had decided that they liked wearing the skirt. And it WAS the school colors, if they wore it with a black shirt.