Surprise Offer 2: is a direct continuation of the story about Lily and her ‘brother’ Lance. Can she find acceptance and her place in the world as Lily instead of Lance? Emotions run high as Lily’s new best friend and ‘adoptive’ family members move things forward at lightning speed. Can she handle it all? How will a surprise just before Thanksgiving change everything? Lily and Sammie are back, ready to take on the world with pigtails and dancing, in a way only ten-year-old little girls can do.

Previously:
“Lily is here to see Mr. McKenna,” Lily said to the secretary.

“Why are you here, Anna?”

“I am a witness.”

Shrugging, Miss Fran went to the Principal’s door and said, “Sir, Lily and a witness, Anna, are here.”

“They can come in,” Mr. McKenna responded.

Closing the door, Mr. McKenna stated, “Bringing a witness confirms that there is more to this Christy Waters story.”

“Anna isn’t the only witness,” Lily stated. “A fourth grader who said her name was Noel Stevens? Stevenson? was also a witness.”

“That would be Stevenson. Why don’t you tell me what happened?”

“I needed to replace my pad, but I had dropped it accidentally in the hall. I found it later by a bench. I asked to borrow a pad.”

“Go on.”

“Anna offered a tampon, which I can’t use with my tube. Noel didn’t offer anything. I really didn’t know anyone was in the bathroom with me. I heard the door open multiple times.” … “Christy said I had no internals, so no need for a pad.”

“She did now? Very interesting.”

“Noel responded by pointing out that obviously if I need a pad, I have internals.”

“I am following you.”

“Christy offered a pad, but only if I showed her the old one. I probably shouldn't have, but I did show her that bloody pad before throwing it away.”

“Anna, is what she said correct?”

“It is Mr. McKenna.”

“You two can return to class.”

As the two were walking out of the office, they heard Mr. McKenna on his phone, “Mrs. Nivara, can you send Noel Stevenson to the office, please?”

While waiting to get picked up after school on Friday afternoon, the girl scouts and Jimmy were all standing together.

“Lily Ann Vanderbilt,” Sammie glared at her best friend. “What the heck happened today?”

“Christy demanded to see my old pad to prove it was bloody, Bestie.”

Anna added, “I am expecting she lied to McKenna when she complained about Lily showing it to her.”

“Lying, when there was at least one witness, would be something she’d do,” Jimmy suggested.

“Sounds like Christy,” Tina said.

Sammie turned to Jimmy, “You joining us in my mom's car?”

Jimmy glanced down, looking sideways towards another girl, “No, I have to go straight home.”✣

In the car, Lily asked, “Did you scare your student away?”

“I hope not! I like her … him … her.”

“Samantha and J sitting in a tree K I S S I N G!”

“LILY ANN!” Sammie yelled while attacking her best friend's sides with tickles.

“Samantha Allison! Lily Ann! Behave!” Mrs. Berger yelled from the front seat.

“Sorry!”

“Sowwy, Mrs. Berger.”

When Heather Berger pulled her minivan into her own driveway, she turned to look at one of the two girls behind her, “Lily, your Mother wants you straight home. You have an appointment.”

“Appointment?” Lily questioned.

“I am not sure which appointment, but she mentioned Mountain.”

One voice rang out, “Miss Jan.”

Sammie followed that up with, “Your counselor, Bestie!”

When Susan Vanderbilt’s Toyota pulled up in front of the counselor’s office in Mountain, Lily set her homework back in her bag and waited for Mommie to open the door. She wasn’t scared, but also not completely sure she wanted to go into the building.

“Good afternoon, Princess Lily,” the receptionist said warmly. The greeting earned her a bright grin and a very red face. “I’ll let Jan know that Lily is here, Mrs. Vanderbilt,” she added, her tone returning to professional courtesy.

As if on cue, Miss Jan came out of her office, “I am ready for you, Lily.”

Lily set the book she had grabbed down. She never actually got a chance to open up that book.

“Grab a doll or toy if you want, Lily, then find a comfortable seat,” Jan Moore instructed as she closed the door.

This time, Lily grabbed a doll and a baby bottle. She sat down on the same pink bean bag she had used previously. Looking up, she saw Miss Jan writing, yet again, in her yellow notepad.

“What have you been doing since I last saw you, Lily?”

“Mostly practicing for my recital tomorrow.”

“Are you excited?”

“Yes. On the other hand, I am extremely nervous too.”

“What makes you nervous?”

“Will I be able to do it without messing up?”

“Do you know your piece?”

“Yes.”

“So, what makes you think you will mess up?”

“Umm.” Lily shrugged, “It is my first recital.”

“So, you don't know why you think you will mess up?”

“Yes, Miss Jan,” Lily said, as she burped the baby doll before cradling it again.

“Anything else that you did in the last two weeks?”

“Miss Rebecca, Sammie, and I did a ballet program for the children at Pratt.”

“Oh, how was that received?”

“Excellently.”

“Who set that up?”

“Granny Gilbert did it because I wanted to do it.”

“How did Sammie and Miss Rebecca get involved?”

“My best friend was involved from the start. Miss Rebecca saw Sammie practicing my recital piece and asked why.”

“I am following you.”

“She asked to be included, and we agreed.”

Jan Moore decided she should deal with the elephant in the room. The ten-year-old girl who looked like a six or seven-year-old, cuddling a doll like she was four or five. She really didn’t have a problem with it, but there were unanswered questions. “I see you grabbed a doll today and are being a good mommy.”

Lily looked down at the doll, “Yes, is that okay?”

“It is fine by me, but do you think it is ok?”

“I guess so. I know I’m not a little girl, but I was feeling young today.”

“I see. Do you feel young a lot?”

“From time to time.” Taking a breath, “Sometimes Samantha and I play house where she is the Mommie, and I am the baby.”

“Do you enjoy that?”

“Yes, I really do,” Lily smiled as she cradled the baby and fed it the bottle. “Sammie makes me look younger by putting cute, smaller dresses on me.”

“Smaller dresses?”

“I normally wear an eight-ten. She put a size five on me a few weeks ago.”

“Did the dress fit?”

“Partially. Not all the buttons would fasten.”

“But some of them did?”

“Yes. I also own a 6X over-the-top frilly dress.”

“You own it?”

“Sammie picked it out, but I really liked it. I convinced Mommie to buy it for me. It’s the only little girl dress I’ve ever had that was all mine and nobody else's."

“Do you own the size five dress?”

“Not that dress. Sammie found that one somewhere in her house. Mommie put away the size five dress I own to protect it. I wore it when I was a preschooler. It is soooo cute, like capital C cute. I wish they made dresses that cute for kids my size. At least I do have the frilly dress that Sammie picked out at the store. Mommy said I will get to wear it again. I just don’t know when. It will be fun to have Mommy treat me like a little kid again.”

“Tell me about your little girl dress that Sammie picked out for you? What is the story of that dress?”

“Sammie was trying to tease me at the mall, calling me Miss Six-Year-Old. She found that dress, and I tried it on.”

“Did it fit?”

“Quite comfortably. I begged Mommie to let me get it.” Pausing, “She tore the tags off and made me wear it home.”

“To embarrass you?” the counselor inquired.

Looking shocked, “No, I don't think so. I, however, was told that we were going to use the dress, and I would be treated how the dress makes me look.”

“Which is?”

“Like a six-year-old. The big change is that I can't go anywhere without my hand being held.”

“How do you feel about that?”

“I am fine with it.”

“So, where have you worn the dress?"

“Other than around the mall and home from the mall, it has just sat in my closet. I had the option of wearing it to see the Nutcracker, but I chose another dress instead. One that we got the same day we got the little girl dress.”

“Do you want to wear the little girl dress again and be treated by your Mommie like you are six instead of ten?”

Lily rocked the baby doll in her arms for a bit before responding, “Yes, it’s easier being six. People think I’m that young anyway because of how small I am. Life is so much easier when I just let them believe that, and I get to play with fun toys and wear really cute dresses.”

“How do you feel when everyone is treating you like you are a little kid?”

Lily just shrugged.

“Well, Lily, the term for what you do when you wear that dress or play house with Sammie is regressing. I have another little friend who does regression. As I told her years ago, it is perfectly fine to do regression if it makes you feel better. I only get concerned if you never spend any time as ten-year-old Lily. Do you still want to be ten at times?”

Lily nodded and smiled.

“We’ll talk more about this another time, but for now, our time is up. How about you put the baby doll down for a nap on the shelf?”

In the lobby, “Susan, we had a great discussion today. How does every other Wednesday after school sound to you?”

“Depending on which Wednesday. Lily has Girl Scouts every other Wednesday, too.”

“How about December thirtieth?”

“That doesn't interfere with Girl Scouts. However, we are flying home from North Carolina that day.”

“I am not in the office on Thursday or Friday that week. Saturday?”

“She has ballet in the morning.”

“I can make a special exception for her for that afternoon. I will come to her instead of you coming to me.”

Just before bed, Lily walked up to Mommie carrying her bunny rabbit hot water bottle. “Can you fill this up with hot water, please? Tracy swears it will help with the cramps.”

With the bunny filled with hot water, the sleepy girl in her nightie went back upstairs.

Saturday morning, Lily went down the stairs to the kitchen still in her nightie. She addressed her parents, “Morning.”

“What can I make the Ballerina for breakfast?” Daddie asked.

“There is no way I can eat breakfast. I hurt too much, and I am too nervous for that.”

Mommie instructed, “Lily Ann, there is no way I am going to let you leave this house without eating breakfast.”

“Fine,” Lily huffed. “An egg with toast.”

Daddie turned to the refrigerator to get an egg out, while Mommie went to get Lily some Motrin.

Lily went upstairs after breakfast to change into her ballet costume. Once her white tights were on, she went to her closet to grab her tutu. Unzipping the storage bag, she took out the ballet costume.

Hearing a noise in the hallway, “Mommie or Daddie, can you do my back?”

“It is Mommie. Turn around, sweetie.” … “Okay, all dressed. Have a seat so I can do your hair, Princess.”

Sitting on the bed, Lily felt Mommie gather up the hair before hearing the sound of a hair elastic being twisted around the small ponytail, “Is the Motrin helping, Sweetie?”

“A little Mommie, but these cramps are really painful. Are things going to be this bad every time?”

Mommie grabbed the fake bun and started to attach it, “Probably not. For some girls, the cramping is worse in the first few years.”

“Great,” Lily rolled her eyes. “Years of really bad cramps. I love being officially a girl, inside and out, but I could really do without the cramps.”

A few minutes later, Mommie stepped back to check her handiwork with the hair, “Sorry, all girls have to deal with rough periods at some point. Before you put on a sweatsuit, you can check how you look in the mirror in my room. When you are done with that, grab your ballet bag you packed last night.”

Lily looked in the mirror. She thought her hair looked identical to last week. Returning back to her room, she put her pink sweatsuit on, taking special care not to mess up her hair. The ballerina headed downstairs with her ballet bag in hand.

“Mommie, how long till we have to leave?”

“About 20 minutes, Princess.”

Lily went back upstairs to grab a stuffed animal from her bed. The nervous girl looked at it, “Okay, up in front of all those people. Think I can do this?”

Taking the stuffed bear in hand, “Miss Bear, do you think I can get away with taking you to the recital?”

The cream colored bear nodded her head.

Lily hugged the bear with a pink ribbon as she descended the stairs back to where her ballet bag was left. Sitting next to it on the couch, she hugged the bear, trying to get comfort.

“Lily, it is time to leave.”

Still hugging the cream bear, the nervous girl put her coat on before heading to the car.

“Is Creamy coming with us?”

“At least as far as the parking lot, Daddie.”

Once at the theater where Anastasia’s Dance Academy was having its recital, Lily stuffed her teddy bear into her ballet bag before exiting the car. She headed towards the door being held open by Sammie, followed by her parents.

Backstage, stripped of her coat and sweatsuit, the girl in a candy cane ballet costume laid her beach towel down before putting on her red ballet shoes. Lily did a few minutes of stretching to warm up for later. When her warm-up was done, a set of Minnie Mouse slippers went over top of the ballet shoes.

“Lily, I want you to meet someone.” Lily jumped when Tina, in her Gingerbread outfit, came up from nowhere. “I am sorry, did I scare you?”

“You're fine. I wasn't expecting anyone.”

“I want you to meet my sister, Megan.”

Lily followed Tina towards the chairs. The two of them headed towards a brown-haired teenage girl reading a manga. “Megan, this is my friend, Lily. Lily, this is my older sister, Megan. You two should talk. You have much in common.”

Megan matched Lily’s confused look. “Well, it isn't ballet. Are you into Anime? Cosplay?”

“Nope for Anime, but what's cosplay?”

Megan looked at the little girl who appeared to be seven years old. She thought about how she could explain it to a little kid, “It’s a big kid version of dress up.”

“Oh, I do that for work, but not other times.”

“Tina, we are confused,” Megan stated. “What do we have in common?”

Tina whispered, “Women's Issues.”

“Christina Grace Rose! That is four years old news. Why are you bringing it up here and now after all these years!?!”

Lily whispered, “That was last month.”

“Last month?!?” Megan snapped her head from Tina to Lily.

“Last month,” Lily confirmed.

“My sister is right. We do have a lot to discuss.”

As Megan led the red ballerina towards a quiet place to talk, Tina went backstage.

Megan asked, “Was your birth name Lily?”

“No.” Lily didn’t like how this conversation started.

“My birth name wasn't Megan, either.”

The two girls continued talking about the experiences they had in common.

They probably had been talking for 20 to 30 minutes when Sammie walked up. “Miss Rebecca wants to see you, Bestie, to do your makeup.”

“OK, Bestie.”

“Who was that?” Sammie asked as the two girls headed backstage.

“Tina’s sister, who is 46, XX like me. They spent time at Riverville hospital in June of 2011 for the same reason I was at Pratt.”

Miss Rebecca smiled, “There is my star performer. Have a seat, Lily.”

Soon after the makeup was done, Mistress walked up. “Samantha and Lily, have you both had your makeup done?”

“Yes, Ma'am.”

“Yes, Ma'am.”

“Can both of you help Miss Patricia with the pre-primary girls?”

They both agreed to the request and followed Miss Anastasia to a group of toddlers in blue ballet outfits with snowflake accents.

Lily, who regularly enjoys the company of Lauren, was having a blast with these toddlers.

Just before show time, Miss Patricia asked the two girls to stay just off stage during the dance and copy what the dance instructor was doing. After taking her Minnie Mouse slippers off, Lily followed the little angels to the stage when it was time for the recital to start. Sammie ducked to the other side of the stage using the backstage area.

The girl in the candy cane tutu found it easy to imitate Miss Patricia. Finally, the pre-primary girls were done, and they grabbed each other's hands and headed towards Sammie. The second from the last toddler tripped, causing the last to fall on her. Lily quickly ran onto the stage, helped the two girls up, and led them towards where Miss Patricia was standing with the rest of the toddlers.

While the beginners in their Wooden Soldier tutus performed, Lily did a quick warm-up to get ready for her piece. When that was done, the ten-year-old was waiting patiently on the wing for the soldiers to vacate the stage.

When the familiar music started, the ballerina bourréed on the stage like Lily had practiced. This recital piece had been engraved in her mind so many times that Lily did it with just muscle memory. Finally, it was time to bourrée to stage left. Once backstage, Lily rubbed her sore legs. Miss Rebecca was waiting for her with a bottle of water.

Lily accepted the water bottle from Miss Rebecca. She stayed in the wings to watch Samantha and her classmates dance.

“Give this one to Samantha when she is done. I have to get into position to join my class.” Miss Rebecca said, handing another water bottle to her student.

The stage was a little crowded when all the ballet students were on stage to do a révérence to the gathered audience.

Lily put her slippers back on before following the rest of the older students into the seating area. She was heading towards her parents.

“Lily, you did very well.”

Lily looked to see who had addressed her. It was her lawyer, Mr. Olsen.

“Thanks, Sir.”

Strangely, Megan was also standing by him.

Megan took the lead, “Lily, you already know my Uncle. This is my Dad. This is my Grandma and Grandpa Olsen, and here are Grandma and Grandpa Telgenhof. That is Grandma Rose, and you already know this brat, my sister Tina. …”

“I’ll show you, brat.”

“Megan and Christina!” Megan’s Grandma Olsen exclaimed.

Megan quickly got back to introducing people, “This is my cousin, Katie. And this angel is my cousin ‘Manda.”

“Wow, a big family. Where is Katie's and ‘Manda's Mommie? Your Mom?”

“That is complicated,” Megan expressed.

Just then, one of the pre-primary girls ran up. “Mommie! Mommie! Did you see me dance?” The toddler ran straight to Katie.

“That is the complicated part. Meet my aunt Kathleen, and I believe you already met my cousin Molly because you helped her off the stage. And the one failing to catch up with Molly is my mom.”

“Lily, I may look like I am eight, but I am actually 28.” Katie addressed the young girl. “Welcome to those in the know of our confusing family.”

“Daddie, me do good?” Molly asked.

Lily’s lawyer, Mr. Olsen, picked Molly up, “You did a fabulous job out there, Molly. I’m so proud of you. Did you thank Lily for helping you?”

“Miss Candy Cane, tanks help me up when me twip.”

“You’re welcome, Molly. It has been nice meeting everyone, but I need to see my own family.”

“I will see you next Saturday, Lily.”

“OK, Tina.”

Lily wandered over to where Granny Gilbert was standing, talking to another person. The preteen just stood around patiently while the two adults were talking. “Excuse me, Linda, I need to give attention to my star.”

The other adult wandered away.

“You did very well, Lily.”

“Thanks, Granny. Where are Aunty, Uncle, and Lauren?”

“Lauren is being babysat, and your Uncle and Aunt are here somewhere.”

“Aww, no Lauren time.”

“Lily and Ms. Gilbert, if I can interrupt, I would like Lily to meet someone,” Sammie mentioned.

Lily saw that Rachel was with Sammie. She looked confused at her best friend, “But I already know Rachel.”

“Not Rachel, silly Bestie, meet Juliette.” Sammie pointed to someone behind Lily.

Lily spun around and discovered J, apparently renamed as Juliette, behind her. They were wearing a green Christmas dress with a white peter pan collar. The short ten-year-old looked at her friend up and down before exclaiming, “Juliette?!?!” She actually made a very nice-looking girl. “You have something to do with this, Bestie?”

“Blame Rachel, not me.”

“Is it a bad thing I am here?” Juliette asked.

Samantha said, giving Juliette a hug, “Absolutely not, girlfriend.”

A girl in the beginner's class ballet tutu walked up. “There you two are. Daddie wants to get to our reservations.”

“Guess we have to go, my friends,” Rachel stated. “Juliette and I should be at Samantha’s house this evening.”

After the two other girls walked away, the two best friends walked towards where their parents were talking.

Lily noticed her Aunty Stephanie and cousin Tracy were talking to her Mommie. This reminded Lily that Tracy had expressed interest in seeing the recital at the hospital. “Aunty and Tracy, it is nice to see you two.”

As soon as Tracy saw Lily, she embraced her in a hug, “That was fabulous and so worth all the driving we have to do today, Lily.”

“Thank you, Tracy.”

“Is this your best friend, Sammie, that you've been talking so much about in your emails?”

“Yes. Sammie, meet my cousin Tracy and Aunty Stephanie. They live in New York.”

“Nice to meet you.”

"You sure you can't stay, Sis?" Susan wondered.

"Yeah," Stephanie looked over at her daughter. "She has a 4-H meeting this evening that we need to get back for. Sorry, we can't stay."

"That's okay," Susan said, hugging her sister. "Thanks for making the long drive down here just for the recital. We appreciate it."

"Tracy was quite insistent that we come down to see this. She really does think it's cool that her Halloween costume partner is back. We'll see you three on the 24th?"

“Mom is expecting us the evening before.”

“Great, see you then, Sis.”

The two sisters hugged before Tracy and her mother walked away.

“Now, Princess,” Mommie said. “Get ready to leave. We are meeting the Bergers at a restaurant in just over an hour. That gives both of you ballerinas time to change.”

Lily came downstairs in her red velvet dress. “Mommie, I am ready.”

“Good, the Bergers are expecting us. We are carpooling together.”

The three Vanderbilts walked next door and rang the doorbell. In five minutes, the six members of the Oak Acres were in Mrs. Berger's minivan, headed to Bob Evans.

After eating, Lily headed to Sammie's house. She looked confused when Mommie followed her next door.

Lily heard Mrs. Berger talking on the phone to someone. “We are here expecting you.” She said on the phone.

Five minutes later, the doorbell rang, and Samantha ran to the door.

“Juliette Lynn Bowen!” Sammie exclaimed when she opened the door for Rachel and Juliette. The two girls apparently also had changed into jeans and sweatshirts.

“Samantha Allison Berger!”

“You …”

“Samantha! Let both of them get in the door before you interrogate Juliette.”

“Yes, Mommie.”

“Whose clothes are those, Juliette?” Lily asked when Julie's coat was removed.

“Her own.” Rachel offered.

Juliette said, “Only because you made me take them.”

Rachel just smirked.

“As I was saying before my Mommie stopped me, you owe me an explanation, Juliette.”

“Am I in trouble, Samantha?’

“Not yet.”

“I think yet is the key word, Julie,” Rachel giggled.

“I will start from the beginning, let me call my Mommie first.” On the phone, Juliette said, “Mommie, I am at Samantha’s house now.” …

“Let me check.” …

“Mrs. Berger, will you bring me home? Or does my Mommie have to pick me up?”

“I will take you and Rachel home.”

“Thank you.” … “Yes, Mommie, she will bring me home.” …

“I already thanked her, but I will do it again later.” …

“Talk to you later, Mommie.”

When Juliette returned from the phone, Rachel pointed out, “You said Mommie four times, Julie.”

“I did? Not again. Fiddlesticks!” Juliette continued, “I guess we start back in Kindergarten and first grade. You remember the dress-up area that each class had?”

Juliette got nods from everyone except Lily, who neither agreed nor disagreed.

“Even though it was meant exclusively for the girls, I couldn’t stay out of it. The teachers sent notes home repeatedly about that fact.” … “However, I wasn't the only boy … I am using the term boy very loosely … getting those notes sent home. I remember a certain Vanderbilt playing alongside me in the dress-up area. So I am assuming she got the same notes.”

“I did?” Lily inquired, staring at her Mommie.

“You did,” Mrs. Vanderbilt agreed. “I didn't make a big deal of it, though.”

“The teachers’ efforts to discourage us weren't helped by some of the girls who encouraged us, including a certain Vickers and Berger.”

Juliette got nods all around before continuing by explaining the deal Julie had with her cousin to be able to try on every Halloween costume that her girl cousin got her hands on. However, any time Julie tried to get her hands on her own costume, Juliette's Mommie vetoed the purchase of it.

They continued discussing what happened that day at the beginning of the month when Juliette opened her mouth and said something not very nice to Lily, and all that was involved. She explained about receiving a photo in the mail later that week.

“There were photos taken, Rachel Vickers?!?”

“Yes, Mrs. Vanderbilt. I took multiple photos of Juliette. I also took pictures of Juliette yesterday and today.”

“For what purpose?”

“Some good, some bad. The ones yesterday and today are definitely for good.”

“What about the photo that got sent in the mail?”

“That was for good.”

“Yes, it was a very nice photo of me in the flower girl outfit.”

Rachel frowned. “The rest of the photos were for blackmail purposes.”

“You're blackmailing Juliette, YOUNG LADY?!?”

Juliette laughed, “Does doing what you would have done anyway count?”

The adults looked confused.

“They told me to apologize to Lily and treat her with respect. Something I planned on doing anyway.”

“That is it?!?” Mrs. Berger questioned. “Nothing of value?”

Juliette smirked while gesturing at her outfit, “She threatened to never let me borrow any more girl clothes if I even thought of returning these.”

“Rachel, do you understand what blackmailing is?”

“Yes, and I couldn't do that to Juliette.”

“Whose idea was it for you to go to the recital, Juliette?”

“Mine.”

“As Juliette?”

“Yes, my brother doesn't have any outfit that would work.” Juliette continued to explain how she actually asked Amanda, but since Rachel was going, it was decided that she would help instead.

Mrs. Vanderbilt looked at Rachel, “Do your parents know about Juliette?”

“Just that she is a classmate from school. Mommie was giving her the third degree at the restaurant, and then she suddenly stopped asking questions.”

“I don't want to know how you pulled that off.”

“That is good, because we don't know either, Mrs. Berger,” Juliette said.

Mrs. Berger expressed, “You four can talk for an hour, then it is time for the three girls to go home. I recommend your brother be here just before we leave.”

“OK, Julie, I want to see this better quality wig which is here,” Rachel nodded.

Juliette grabbed Rachel's hand and dragged her to the spare bedroom. The other two girls followed behind, smirking.

Once in the bedroom, Julie tried to remove her current wig.

“Stop, Juliette. I need to remove the bobby pins,” Rachel proceeded to help Juliette remove the wig.

Juliette grabbed the other wig off the stand and put it on her head.

“Yes,” Rachel agreed. “That is a better wig.”

“What are we doing now?” Lily asked.

“I understand Julie is learning ballet?”

“Yes, I am teaching her.”

“I saw you two dance, but I haven't seen Juliette dance. I want to see her dance.”

“I’m not dressed for it, Rachel.”

“Catch, Julie,” Sammie threw the pink leggings at her. “Just take off your sweatshirt and put those on. You can do it in your socks.”

Shrugging, Julie headed to the bathroom to change. When she came back, Sammie quickly ran through a simple ballet routine. About five to ten minutes later, Juliette was sent back to the bathroom to change back into her jeans and sweatshirt.

“If you four haven't found Jimmy, I recommend doing it now.” Came screaming up the stairs.

Juliette put her wig back on the stand, it lived on, and removed her pink cat face sweatshirt. She … he grabbed the paper bag. Pulling Jimmy’s sweatshirt out, he put it on. The pink sweatshirt and cheap wig were added to the book in the bag.

Samantha blinked at how little Jimmy had to do to hide Juliette. She turned to look at Lily, who was shaking her head.

Back downstairs, Mrs. Berger asked, “There he is. How did you have a complete outfit in that bag? It looked almost empty.”

“I didn't. There was only this sweatshirt in there. Oh, and a book.”

“Your mother already went home,” Mrs. Berger smiled at Lily. “We’ll see you Monday.”

Lily headed home under the watchful eye of Mrs. Berger, who was standing next to her car with Rachel and Juliette, now dressed as Jimmy.

As she was being tucked into bed, Lily asked, “Mommie, was Juliette right when she said notes were sent home because I was wearing girls' play clothes?”

“Yes, your dad and I basically ignored them.”

“Kindergarten is fuzzy in my mind for some reason. I don’t really remember playing dress-up very much. There is an odd memory of me doing it once or twice with the girls.”

Susan started laughing at her sweet daughter and completed Lily’s statement: “... a day.”

“I did not!” and stuck her tongue out at her Mommie.

“You did, too.” Mommie stuck her tongue back at her daughter. “Honestly, we didn't care. Your Kindergarten teacher sent a few messages about it in September. When we never reacted, she stopped sending the messages.”

“What did grumpy Mr. Applegate do?”

“Your first grade teacher?”

“Yes.”

“Ignored notes home weren't enough for him. He slowly transitioned to phone calls and discussions at parent-teacher conferences over it.”

“Oh?”

“We eventually got Grandpa Moose to send a cease and desist letter to him.”

Lily thought about that and realized something. “Mommie, why aren't we using Grandpa for my legal issues?”

“One, he is retired, and two, his specialty was real estate.” Kissing Lily on the forehead, “Now you and Creamy close your eyes, and get some sleep.”

“Goodnight, Mommie. I love you.”

Please see the story ‘Juliette in the Audience - Juliette 2’ for another viewpoint.