Maya was full of nerves after the call with Brittany, the other girl had been so comforting and had just listened without judgement. A silent bastion of strength as Maya bared her soul. When Maya had been finished Bethany had been nothing but supportive and soothing. If their previous conversations in class had been stilted and faltering it was quickly proven that it was purely down to boy that Maya portrayed. With Maya unshackled from her Mason persona they quickly bonded as and began conversing with each other as two teen girls. To listen to the two of them you would have thought that the two girls had been best friends for years, certainly the peels of giggling belied the newness of their friendship.

It was arranged between the two of them that Maya would come to Bethany's house for a girls' evening next Friday. While Maya did not feel comfortable walking between the two houses as a girl, Bethany had encouraged her to at least dress mostly as a girl, even if, for the moment, Maya would be dressed as a fairly boyish girl. Maya had also begged Bethany not to call her Maya in public at school, or anywhere they might be overheard. While Bethany would not concretely promise in relation to the second point, she promised solemnly not to let Maya's identity slip out while at school. Overall, Maya was a lot happier after her call with Bethany, and she felt like she had just made her first friend, not as Mason, but as who she truly was, Maya.

Friday rolled around, and at least with someone to confide in, Maya's week had been markedly better than the one that had preceded it. Maya and Bethany found themselves speaking to one another at least once every couple of days. Maya had quickly grown to enjoy Bethany's acerbic humour and kind-hearted nature. While she could be intense at times, Bethany genuinely seemed to care about others, while she could be slightly odd in her ways, she expressed that concern, which, Maya was certain, had driven several people away from her, she was kind and considerate. Bethany's attitude seemed to have a soothing effect on Maya, the girl seemed to exude a quiet, no nonsense attitude that Maya, usually the antithesis of that, seemed to feed off of as if drawing strength from her friend’s steadfast resolves. Consequently, around Bethany, Maya seemed to be even more full of life than she usually would be.

With Bethany to help her, Maya could honestly say that she hadn't hated this week as she had the last, she hadn’t even merely tolerated it, instead, at the least for parts of her week, she had genuinely enjoyed herself. She honestly could not remember the last time that had been true and had found that happiness of enjoyment enlivening her. The freedom that feeling gave to Maya’s soul was light a bright, warm sun beam that made everything more tolerable, even the things she didn’t enjoy.

Maya had tried to obey Bethany's instructions as best as she could. Maya still did not really have an extensive feminine wardrobe yet, partly out of practicality and partly out of necessity. Maya had few places to store, at least in hiding, a more extensive wardrobe, second, even if she could store one, she had to be very careful when washing and drying clothes, otherwise her mother would soon find out. Thirdly, Maya had very little money to spend to such an ends, she had assembled what little she did have over a period of time, using birthday and Christmas money, plus some she had scraped together from odd jobs, mowing grass and the like. Even then, it had been assembled a piece at a time and using sales/bargains to her advantage.

But Maya had made the best of her extremely limited wardrobe, she had paired a cute pink top with a pair of girls’ jeans that hugged her curvy hips and accentuated her ass in just the right way. While Maya had seldom worn the jeans, she had been able to put them in her everyday wear wardrobe. The jeans had very few distinguishing features bar the cut that marked them as being girl’s jeans, thus Maya had been able to persuade her mom that they were in fact just tight-fitting men’s jeans. She had not entirely fooled her father, though, one of the only times she had dared to wear the jeans around him, he had given a loud kind of choking sniff, before telling his son to go change into some jeans that actually fit.

On Bethany's request, Maya wore a white training bra under her pink top. While it wasn't exactly cold outside, Maya took no chances, it was, however, warm enough that any jacket she did wear would not have to be very thick. Maya did not have any feminine jackets, but she was able to select a fleece that she often wore as Mason. Light blue with a fluffy, soft fleecy lining, it was light enough to not be cumbersome and yet warm enough to protect against chill winds. Maya loved her fleece with a passion, however much her father had hated it. It was just a little too big for her slight frame, and that suited Maya's purpose that afternoon perfectly.

Bethany lived in a house on the edge of town that was only a short walk from Maya’s own, therefore Maya had decided to walk it. It also meant that she did not have to alert anyone as to where exactly she was going. Despite not exactly wearing that being much different at least to the average eye than she did everyday as Mason, Maya felt somehow a lot more exposed, self-conscious and vulnerable than she usually did.

The more she walked away from the safety of her home, the more vulnerable and self-conscious she felt. Even though she knew that the fleece hoodie did a good job of hiding her appear more androgynous, Maya was painfully aware that with her now more girlish ponytail, and girlish figure, most people would consider her a girl, even when zipped up to cover her top, the fleece could only do so much. The part that disturbed Maya the most was not the sense of vulnerability that Maya reasoned any young woman must feel walking alone, but a deep private dread that while she could not possibly be mistaken for a boy anymore, she could not possibly look good as the girl that she was. Those doubts began to grow, multiplying until Maya was a nervous wreck. Maya nearly turned around more than once, but still decided to continue on.

Ironically, it was the most heart-stopping moment of Maya's adventure that gave her the strength and confidence to set her doubts and fears aside. While thus far Maya had encountered few people on her walk, suddenly, the path in front of her took her directly alongside a building that was under renovation. There, most of them shirtless, were several men, most of them young, but even they were several years older than Maya.

Maya found herself strangely drawn to their toned and muscled abs, so much so that, despite her fears, Maya found herself walking considerably slower past them than she had been before she saw them. Maya wondered what it would be like to be held close by one of them, what it would be like to trace her hands down those perfectly sculpted muscles. Maya must have been walking so slowly that she was noticed by some of the men, because she soon heard the first of several wolf whistles.

Those whistles reawakened some of Maya's fears, and she didn't stay around, she sped off quicker than she had been going before she had first seen them. Yet, when she was out of range of their shouts and whistles, peculiarly Maya found that she had a lot more confidence in herself. Those men fully believed that she was a hundred percent female, and an attractive one at that, and if they did, then she couldn't look as obvious as she had first believed. Maya found that for the rest of her walk towards Bethany’s house, she walked slower, with more confidence and more purpose.

Maya still knew very little about Bethany’s family while she and Bethany had bonded fast over the last few days, that was something that had not come up. In some ways, it seemed strange to Maya how short a time she and Bethany had been friends, it felt, when they were talking together, as if they had been best friends for ages, yet in actuality, it had only been a few days.

Bethany’s house was, Maya was surprised to learn, slightly larger than Maya's and the outside was adorned with brightly coloured potted plants, this was all Maya could determine by a brief look around. Nervously, she hesitated on the step for a moment or two, unsure what exactly she was afraid of. Overcoming this, Maya gave a couple of light taps on the door, seeking admittance. To her surprise, Maya found the door instantly opened by a woman with blonde hair, a bright smile and endless energy.

"Hello, come in, come in. You must be Maya, Bethany told me you would stop by. I’m Hannah, Bethany's mom, forgive me if I seem overeager, Bethany doesn't often invite friends over."

Maya found Hannah to be a delightful host and as good company as her daughter, though a tad bit more outgoing and easy going than Bethany. As per Bethany’s instructions, and as much as it galled Maya not to be entirely truthful, Maya answered all Bethany's Mom's questions truthfully and honestly, but crucially without mentioning or in any way hinting at Maya's Manson origin and identity. Bethany had been quite insistent that her mother only be told of Maya, the girl, to Bethany’s mom, there could be no question that Maya was and had always been that which she appeared to be, a girl the same age as Bethany, who went to school alongside Bethany.

After a few minutes of delicate answering to Hannah’s probing questions, Maya was directed upstairs towards Bethany's room, she was also carrying a plate of newly baked cookies and those may have featured into Bethany's decision to open the door as fast as she did, Hannah had cooked them only an hour or so ago so the cookies were still lovely and warm.

Maya examined Bethany's room critically, it was, after all, the first time she had been in another girl’s bedroom, and it was a great example of how, contrary to most fiction, not all girls have rooms that look like a well-organised multi-coloured unicorn threw up all over them. While Bethany's room was fairly clean and organised, it was what could be generously called organised chaos. The room was fairly big, with a queen-size bed as the main focus, to the side nearest the window, there was a small desk. Around the desk were scattered various art supplies, this scatter really encompassed the whole room, but seemed to be most concentrated around the desk.

After several minutes of talking, Bethany went to a draw in bed side cabinet and pulled out several tubes, dishes, brushes and powders that made up her supply of makeup. Holding what appeared to be a lipstick in between her finger and her thumb, and waving it theatrically.

"Do you still want to do this, you don't have to, you know."

"I have tried before and everything, but I guess I have never had someone to show me how before. I think I'm nervous because no one has ever seen me made up like this before, I can't help but think I feel like I will look like a circus freak or something."

"You won't." Bethany told her with certainty and sincerity.

"Just promise you won't laugh if I do, ok."

"I promise." Bethany agreed, pulling the other girl into a much-needed hug.

That settled, the pair took a while to prepare, Bethany went down to make a couple of cups of tea and then they sat talking for a few minutes eating the cookies and getting and getting mentally prepared, at least Maya was, the idea of looking unnatural or like some sort of freak to a degree that she even drove Bethany away was a fear deeply ingrained.

They sat on two brightly coloured beany bags, as Bethany got to work. Once they got into it, Maya was fascinated by all the different varying compounds and techniques. Bethany took her time and explained, showed and taught Maya as much as possible, figuring that this needed to be as much as anything else a learning experience for the woefully in experienced Maya.

Despite that, when it was all done, thanks mostly to Bethany's skill, Maya could not believe the results. She held the mirror up and could scarcely believe it. The girl staring back at her was soft and natural looking, she looked like herself, but more so.

“Wow, I look hot.” Maya breathed.

“You said it, girl.” Bethany agreed with a laugh.

“Though if you need to prove it to yourself, you could always go find those workmen you told me about.” Bethany added with a suggestive look.

“No, I’m not ready for that anyway, they wouldn’t be interested after they knew.” Maya told her loudly and firmly.

“Maybe, don’t knock yourself, given how hot you look, many of them might not be as put off as you might think."

"Regardless, it doesn't matter, I mean, I don't even know if I like boys or girls. Though those men really did help my confidence considerable even though they did scare me a bit! It's strange and slightly disturbing that their approval boosted confidence like that. Isn't it like, masochistic and degrading, why would I like that? Is this a whole thing?"

“More than you know, girl! There is a certain power in how we affect potential sexual partners, usually men. There is also power in control and how that is given and taken. Part of that is feeling confident and maybe even excited by their reactions, even if those reactions are a little degrading.”

There was silence between the two for a minute or two, then something changed in Bethany’s expression and the atmosphere between the two friends. Bethany moved like a predator, in an almost stalking fashion, until, whilst still mostly on her bean bag, part of her legs and thighs rested on Maya's, brushing experimentally yet confidently against Maya’s legs. Maya's shy gaze met Bethany's self-assured and confident one, and a fire was blazing between them.

Maya's breath hitched, turning coarse in her throat, she let out an involuntary moan as she felt Bethany's breath on her neck to Bethany’s sly smile only grew as she rested her right hand on Maya's upper thigh. Then, just as suddenly as she had moved towards Maya, she moved both hands to grab both Maya's arms and pin them to Maya’s sides, firmly but gently. Persistence and forceful, but not to a harmful extent, just enough to make Maya's heart skip a beat.

Maya knew that she should be thinking, should say something, she wasn't ready for anything like this and well, Bethany was her only friend who knew her secret, she couldn't risk messing that up, could she? But already she was too overcome by lust and the powerful pull that seemed to be drawing her towards Bethany like a magnet. Maya's body was already rushing forward, her lips ready to greet Bethany's. Bethany hesitated for a moment, and then she pulled back. In seconds, she was sat, on her bean bag, a small but significant distance across from Maya, just as she had been at the start. Bethany let out a small laugh, not sharp but cheerful, and she was sweet. That laugh, so breathless and soft, burst what had been between the two of them like the bursting of a soap bubble.

Maya was momentarily stunned and dazed her eyes wide and searching about her as if she had been in a dream.

"See," Bethany chortled lightly. “I answered two of your questions in one there. I showed you the power of control, dominance and a little of what it means to give up that control, and I also answered your question of whether you like boys or girls. At least from your reaction there, I can say with certainty that you definitely like girls, even if we can't answer the question of boys. "

Maya found herself rolling her eyes at her newfound friend, not trusting herself to speak yet. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, one of which was that she would dearly love to whip that sardonic smirk off Bethany's face right now, but she really could not decide on how.

Despite the recent tone shift between them and Maya’s initial reluctance to speak, the energy that had recently existed between them was once again gone, and it did not take long for the two friends to go back to animated conversation. With the tension gone, Maya was happy to feel them both shifting back into the usual pattern of their friendship. They discussed Tyler and how his new relationship was making Maya feel, and throughout, Bethany stayed most unusually silent, often with a knowing smirk on her face, content to let her friend vent her frustrations. Maya noticed Bethany's unusual silence but wasn't sure what, if anything, that silence signified and didn't want to read too much into it.

The pair also discussed further get-togethers and activities. Bethany wanted to go to the mall with her new friend, something Maya was deeply opposed to. Maya was opposed to the idea primarily as the mall was not far away from where the majority of the school’s students lived, and consequently was seen as a well-known hang out location. Maya knew that if she were to venture there, she was liable to encounter numerous people who knew her as Mason or at least knew of her as Mason. Maya knew that there was a high chance of recognition there, one she was no eager to encounter. Finally, and rather crucially for Maya, who was rapidly losing the argument, the two girls were called down for dinner by Bethany's mom before a final decision could be reached. Ending the conversation prematurely.