May Queen Book 1 by Maddy Bell Copyright© 2024 Madeline Bell One day your life is just, well life, the next has Daisy in it!

 
Whatever I may have imagined I’d be wearing, once the spectre of a dress was at least temporarily discounted, it wasn’t what I found on my bed. I haven’t made observing what girls wear a big part of my daily routine, at school its about a fifty fifty split of trousers or skirts as part of the school uniform. Out of school, I suppose its either jeans or those legging things, shorts if its warm, in truth, when I think about it, Amanda and the other girls in my year mostly favour wearing trousers of some form.

There on the bed were several items which I’m guessing are from Mum’s closet, top of the pile was one of her sports bras and the matching shorts. The rest comprised a lilac t-shirt and the short dungarees Mum uses for gardening and stuff. Not sure why I need the bra thing but it could’ve been a lot worse.

"You dressed yet Daisy?” Mum’s voice enquired from the doorway as I tried to work out how the dungarees shoulder straps clipped in place.
"Almost, what do I wear on my feet?”
"Hang on, I’ll get you something.”

Looking in the mirror on my wardrobe door, I could see why Mum had chosen this particular set of clothes. Apart from my unruly hair I did sort of look quite girly, the outline of the bra suggested curves I didn’t have and the shorts were doing quite a good job of keeping stuff down below in check. The dungarees loose fit helped draw attention away from my lack of shape whilst looking, I dunno, cute?

"Here you go kiddo,” Mum enthused passing me her trainers and a pair of white ankle socks.
"Er thanks,” I allowed perching on the bed to put them on.
"Hmm, we need to do something with that mop before we go, don’t want anyone thinking you’re a boy eh Dais.”
‘Heaven forbid,’ I mumbled to myself, "Er no,” I agreed.
 

Ten minutes later we were on our way to Retford, my hair now adorned with a couple of slides, decorated with, you guessed it, daisies. On the plus side for this exercise, my hair is on the longer side, about collar length, maybe a bit long on a boy, a bit short for a girl but there are a few girls at school with a similar length. Oh, and Mum insisted on a coat of lip gloss, which tasted weird and made my lips feel sticky.

"So,” Mum began once we’d cleared the Ollerton crossroads and started our journey on the lanes towards Retford, "We’ve come up with a cover story to explain the absence of Johnny and appearance of Daisy.”
"Okay,” I allowed, my attention on the denuded legs poking out of the denim that I was wearing.
"You’d best listen up, you will get questioned.”
"I’m listening.”
"So Johnny is so upset about Amanda that he’s gone to stay with your Aunt, that is Daisy’s family down in Devon, your parents thought it would be a good idea for you to broaden your horizons hence the swap.”
"Seems simple enough,” I noted, "What about school, exams and stuff and what about the May Queen coming from Wellow?”
"The cover story is that you were born up here during a family holiday which is what qualifies you. As for school, you won’t be going apart from to sit your exams, its all revision so you can do that from home. Your Gran has already spoken to Wellow House, you’ll sit your exams there.”
"Its full of girls.”
"And? So is the Dukeries and in case you hadn’t noticed Dais, you’re a girl too and anyway they do have boys, just fewer of them.”

That’s me told. We crossed the A1, busy as usual and I strained to see if there were any planes doing stuff as we passed Gamston airfield.

"What about sixth form?”
"Give us a chance Dais, you only arrived this morning.”
"I know but its important,” I mentioned.
"I know kiddo, we’ll sort it out before September. Oh and before I forget, your surname is Miller, your mum is Dad’s sister.”
"He doesn’t have a sister,” I pointed out.
"You know that, I know that, the rest of the village doesn’t.”
"So what about Dad and Jake?”
"Well I must admit that I jumped the gun a bit last night, lets just say they won’t be surprised when I get home later with cousin Daisy.”
"You knew I’d do it?”
"I wasn’t certain, if you’d said no it wouldn’t have mattered but if you agreed things would be set in motion.”
"Guess that makes sense.”
"God, getting out of this junction is a nightmare.”

We’d reached what in years gone by, was the old A1 when it went through towns rather than bypassing everywhere. From here the Great North Road goes up through Bawtry to Doncaster before rejoining the older route northwards. Retford itself is quite small as towns go but they’ve been building houses in the villages around to the point where its not far off the size of Worksop just with less facilities although it does boast a mainline train station.

The traffic was fairly heavy all the way up into the town where Mum took us round to the big car park behind the library. Sat in the car I hadn’t really given my appearance much thought, oh there was the novelty of my (badly) shaven legs and sticky lips but nothing was uncomfortable just different.
 
"Mum,” I started, "This appointment, what are they gonna do?”
"Aunty Claire.”
"Huh?”
"I’m your Aunt Claire now, your mum is in Devon remember?”

I guess that makes sense.

"So, erm Aunty Claire, this appointment?”
"Well you’ve become a bit of a tomboy down there in Devon so we thought we’d treat you to a bit of a makeover, let you fit in with the locals a bit easier.”
"Can’t I just be a tomboy?”
"Not gonna work for the May Queen kiddo, don’t worry, its mostly sorting you out to look more like a girl rather than Johnny in drag.”
"Okay I guess.”
"Once we’ve got you looking the part we need to get you dressed the part, you can’t be borrowing my clothes all the time, besides which you need to dress like a teen not her mother. Now come on, don’t want to be late.”
 
Once out of the car I had a bit of a panic attack, I mean what if anyone I know sees me? What if anyone realises I’m a boy?

"Come on Dais, its only just around the corner.”
‘You can do this Daisy, no one’s gonna see you’, "Coming Aunty.”

Mum, Aunty Claire clearly knew where we were going, setting a good pace along Churchgate before heading down the side of The Vine, well actually through the yard to reach a shopfront that proclaimed to be ‘Debbies Hair’, apparently our destination. Its not the first time I’ve been inside a ‘ladies’ hairdresser, until I was about nine or ten that was where most kids I knew got their hair cut, ‘Madges’, which used to occupy a tin shed near the village hall. Then before ‘big’ school you were deemed old enough to go to the barber in Ollerton with Dad, that was then, this is now.

"Hello ladies,” a middle aged woman greeted as we entered this alien place.
"We’ve an appointment for my niece? Daisy Miller?”
"Oh yes, you rang this morning.”
"That’s right, thank you for fitting us in.”
"Things are a bit quiet today, give it another couple of weeks and I’ll be run off me feet, all these prom things and wedding season too.”
"Tell me about it,” Mum, Aunt Claire, agreed, "We run a pub, we’ve got three receptions booked next month.”
"So Daisy, what are we doing?”
"Erm,” I managed to mutter.
"She’s a bit shy, she’s come up from Devon to stay for a few weeks, I’m afraid she’s a bit of a tomboy,” Mum explained.
"A very pretty one,” the woman whom I presumed was Debbie noted.
"Exactly but will she admit it? Her mum’s given me carte blanche so whatever it takes.”

Mu-um!

"And what does Daisy think?”
"I um, er, guess I’m up for it,” well I could hardly dissent could I?
"Can I leave you to it? There’s a few bits I need to pick up while we’re in town.”
"No problem…”
"Claire,” Mum filled.
"Claire, two o’clock?”
"Wonderful, I’ll see you later then Dais.”
"Okay Aunty.”

And with that she was gone leaving me alone with the barber surgeon of Retford.
 
© Maddy Bell 04.08.2025