Bobby's Rainy Day Adventure - Chapter XI

by:	Heather Rose Brown

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Rating: G	Add Review	Added: 04/23/2007
Complete: no
Synopsis:	In this chapter, Bobby is invited to Cori's sleepover and semi-officially acquires some new pronouns. We also learn a bit more about Bobby's father and get a little more insight into how he and his child feel about each other.
Categories:	Crossdressing / TV
Keywords:	Petticoats and Crinolines

In this chapter, Bobby is invited to Cori's sleepover and semi-officially acquires some new pronouns. We also learn a bit more about Bobby's father and get a little more insight into how he and his child feel about each other.

Bobby's Rainy Day Adventure
Copyright 2007 by Heather Rose Brown

CHAPTER XI

I spent the rest of the morning on the couch with my sprained ankle propped up on pillows and my legs covered by a warm, brightly colored quilt. I couldn't find anything interesting on TV, so I started reading through a pile of manga comic books Cori said I could borrow. I'd never given manga a second look up until then, assuming all comic books were just about superheroes fighting supervillains, which got old pretty fast after a while.

I felt like I could really connect better with the characters I was reading about in Cori's manga collection. There were still heroes and villains in some of them and lots of them had magic and things you don't usually see in real life, but it all felt different somehow. By the time I could smell Aunt Joan cooking grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch, I had read through nearly everything Aunt Joan could find in Cori's room.

After lunch, I started playing some of the games Cori and Terri had for their PlayStation. Being up late last night was catching up with me. I kept on yawning and was finding it hard to keep my eyes open as I played. The latest game had turned pretty weird. I was in the middle of trying to wriggle a virtual pit bull puppy into a frilly baby dress when the game controller slipped from my fingers.

I'd been searching around the couch and under the quilt when I heard a deep voices ask, "You looking for this?"

I dropped the quilt and turned to see my father standing beside me; the controller dangled from his right hand. I couldn't decide if I was more shocked to see him there, or to see him wearing a white, silky looking shirt under a dark green jacket and a matching skirt. "Dad, what are you doing here ... wearing that?"

"A better question is, what are you doing wearing that?" My father poked me in the middle of my chest with a long, pink fingernail.

I followed his finger to where it was digging sharply into my skin and saw the top of a pink dress. "I ... I have no idea how I got into this. I just changed into boy clothes a little while ago."

My father grabbed me by my shoulders and yanked me from under the covers until I was standing on the couch in front of him. "Stop lying!"

My upper arms ached where he had taken a death grip on them. I tried to lift my hands to push him away, but they wouldn't move. I tried kicking, but my legs barely had the strength to keep me standing. "Lemme go! I didn't do nothing."

He seemed to turn huge when he leaned in closer to me and his sour breath made me want to gag. "You need to wake up and face reality."

I tried to keep my head from flopping back and forth when he started shaking me. "You have to wake up!"

"Stop, you're hurting me!"

My father either didn't understand or didn't care. "You're lying to your friends. You're lying to your family. Worst of all, you're lying to yourself!"

I was starting to feel dizzy from being shaken and the smell of his breath. The only thing I could manage to say was, "Huh?"

"You have to wake up, Bobby. You're a boy, not a girl. You always have been. You always will be."

The world started spinning. I could hardly breathe. The pain in my arms faded as everything turned dark.

* * * * *

"Wake up, Bobby."

I tried to turn towards the sound of the new voice, but something thick, damp, and stinking of sweat covered my face. I took in a huge gulp of cool air when it was pulled away and squinted as my eyes adjusted to the bright afternoon light coming through a nearby window. "Aunt Joan?"

"That's right, sweetheart. I heard you yelling in your sleep when I was on the phone." She sat beside me on the edge of the couch, untangled me from the cover wrapped around my arms and legs, and helped me sit up. "You okay now?

"I feel kinda wiped out, but not as bad as last night. I don't remember falling asleep. It still feels like my father was just here in the living room."

Aunt Joan smiled and ruffled the top of my hair. "You drifted off a little after lunch and slept through most of the afternoon. Your father hasn't been here since he brought the police officer to our front door early this morning. With the way he was acting then, I would have never let him in the house." She brushed my hair out of my eyes and her smile softened. "Did you want to tell me about the dream?"

"It started out pretty weird, especially when I saw my father wearing a dress."

Aunt Joan's eyebrows popped up. "You saw your daddy in a dress? What did it look like?"

"No, not my daddy, my father." Normally I wouldn't talk back like that, but I was still feeling upset by the dream and not really thinking of how rude I sounded.

Aunt Joan frowned and looked like she was going to say something. Instead, she sighed and said, "Okay, what did your father look like?"

Parts of the dream were already fading, but I did my best to tell her what I remembered. By the time I was done, her eyes looked like a pair of ping-pong balls that wanted to pop out of her head. "How in the world would you remember ... I mean, you were only two when--"

The front door slammed closed and Cori shouted from the bottom of the steps. "I'm home, Mom!"

Aunt Joan turned and shouted back, "We're in the living room, honey. Don't forget to take off your softball cleats." There was the sound of grumbling and something clattering to the floor by the front door as Aunt Joan turned to me and brushed my cheek with the back of her fingers. "We can talk about this later."

After something else clattered to the floor, Cori thumped up the steps. Both legs of the dark blue pants she was wearing and spots on the white shirt with blue sleeves were splattered with dried mud. With her hair tucked under a baseball cap and not a bit of anything frilly showing anywhere, I almost didn't recognize her until she spoke. "Hi Mom! Hi Bobby! How's your foot doing?"

I tried moving my sprained ankle around under the comforter. It still felt a little sore, but the sharp pain was gone. "It's a lot better. I guess taking the day off from school must have helped."

"Oh, that reminds me. Tess and Rhiana were asking about you at school. I really wasn't sure how much to tell them, so I just said you were staying home 'cause you'd hurt your foot and they could ask you more at the sleepover." Cori's fingers squirmed in her folded hands as she turned from me to her mom. "I hope that was okay."

Aunt Joan only took a moment to think before she nodded. "So long as Bobby is okay with it, then it's fine with me."

Cori nearly choked her mom with a hug while somehow managing not to get any mud on her. "Thank you thank you thank you!" She pulled one of her arms away from her mom's neck and took my hand. "Oh Bobby, this is gonna be so fun!"

Aunt Joan pulled Cori's other arm from around her neck and held her daughter's hand. "I think you're jumping the gun, honey. She hasn't even said if she wants to join the sleepover."

"She?" Cori's glance bounced between me and her mom. "She who?"

For a moment, Aunt Joan seemed at a loss for words. " I guess I jumped the gun too." She wrapped her arm across my shoulders. "Bobby, how would you like us to refer to you?"

Cori tilted her head to the side. "Do you wanna be a girl?"

My heart thumped in my chest. I could barely breathe. It was a choice I would have never imagined getting a week ago, and now the words I was aching to say were stuck in my throat. I closed my eyes and concentrated on breathing, willing the tightness to go away. After taking in a deeper breath I noticed the scents of mud, grass, and dandelions. When I opened my eyes, I found Cori kneeling in front of me, chewing on her bottom lip.

"Bobby? Did I say something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing like that. It's just...."

Aunt Joan gently squeezed my shoulder. "Sweetheart, you don't have to answer if you're not sure or just not ready."

"But I want to." I looked back and forth between the two of them. The sound of my heart beating was loud in my ears. I looked down and rubbed my sweaty hands on the part of the comforter covering my legs. "If it wouldn't feel too weird, I'd ... I'd really like to be referred to as a girl. Would that be okay?"

Aunt Joan kissed the top of my head. "Of course it would be okay. "

Cori squeezed my hand. "It'd be lots easier for me. I can't tell you how many times I'd almost slipped and called you a girl yesterday. If your mom hadn't introduced you as her son at church, I probably would have assumed you were a girl at school just like everyone else."

"Which everyone else?"

The phone rang just as Cori started to answer. Both she and her mom reached for the phone, but Aunt Joan was closer and a tiny bit faster.

"Hello? ... Oh hi! Is everything okay? ... Ah, that's good."

Cori whispered, "Who is it?"

Aunt Joan mouthed the word, "Terri."

"What was that, honey? ... Oh, that was so sweet of her to invite you over. Does her mother know? ... I see. Will there be any other girls? ... And what about boys? ... Okay, that sounds all right. It looks like both of my girls will be at sleepovers tonight. When you get there, I want you to give me a call and ask her mother to talk to me. ... You're welcome, hon. Just don't forget to call me.... I love you too."

Aunt Joan was smiling absently as she hung up the phone. "It looks like Terri will be staying at Marcia's tonight?"

Cori giggled. "You mean she's staying at her girlfriend's house?"

Her mom gave her a sharp look. "You know your sister doesn't like you teasing her like that."

"But it's true, Mom. You should see how they are together when Marcia comes over."

"Really? What have they been doing?"

"Well, I ain't seen them doing any kissy mushy stuff. But the way they look at each other, you can tell they like each other."

Aunt Joan nodded and sighed. "I've seen it too and talked to her about it. She still insists they're just friends. Until she says differently, I want you to respect how she feels."

Cori frowned and seemed to think for a minute. a playful grin spread across her face. "I guess I can do that. I don't want her getting mad at me and saying I can't be a bridesmaid at the wedding."

"You are just impossible." I froze when Aunt Joan swatted at Cori's butt. At first I thought she was going to be spanked, but Aunt Joan was smiling and Cori just eeped and giggled. "Now I want you to head down stairs, throw your uniform in the washer and wash what you can in the sink down there. I'll get a bath started for you in a few minutes."

* * * * *

Aunt Joan seemed to be lost in thought after Cori headed downstairs and I had to tug on her sleeve to get her attention.

"Yes sweetie?"

"Should I get changed for the sleepover?"

"Oh you won't need to change into pajamas until later tonight."

I looked down at my t-shirt and jeans. Even though they had been washed last night and I couldn't see any stains from falling in the mud yesterday, they still looked frumpled and the sweat from falling asleep rolled up in the covers was still making my shirt stick to my ribs. "Do you think what I'm wearing will be okay until then?"

Aunt Joan pushed a few strands of my hair over my left ear and gave me a playful grin. "I'm sure Cori has something you could borrow." She turned away from me and shouted, "Cori, could you come back here a second?"

The distant sound of running water I hadn't noticed before stopped, then Cori came thumping up the steps ... naked from the waist up. She was rubbing at the mud on her forearm with a damp washcloth when she walked towards us. "Did ya need me for something, Mom?"

"Yes, would it be okay if Bobby borrowed some clothes to change into before our guests arrive?"

"Sure thing. She really took care of what she'd borrowed last night, especially considering how she'd slipped into that pothole last night."

I was too shocked to do anything but stare as they talked. It wasn't as if she had anything more than I did. I'd just never seen a girl, or really anyone else except for my father, topless before. I could feel my cheeks starting to burn as I squeezed my eyes shut. "Uh, Cori?"

"What's wrong, Bobby?"

"Err ..."

Aunt Joan came to my rescue. "I think she's embarrassed, baby. You really shouldn't be wandering around without a top on."

"But I thought she was a girl."

"Being a girl doesn't stop someone from being shy."

"Oh wow ... I'm sorry, Bobby."

I opened my eyes and made myself look again. When I ignored the curly ponytail at the back of her head and the way she was standing, I realized she didn't look all that different from a boy. "I'm the one who should be saying sorry. I don't know why I'm acting so silly."

Aunt Joan held my hand and patted it a few times. "You're not being silly at all." She looked up at Cori and said, "Go ahead and finish cleaning up downstairs. I'll come down to get you when I've got your bath ready."

Looking a little confused, Cori answered with a nod and a smile before hopping back down the stairs. After she was out of sight, her mom turned to me and squeezed my hand. "I guess things may get more complicated than I'd expected. If you feel at all uncomfortable joining the sleepover tonight, it's okay to change your mind."

"You think I shouldn't be there with the other girls?"

Aunt Joan pulled me into a warm hug. "Oh no, sweetie. I didn't mean that at all." She pulled back a little and looked down at me. "I just know girls tend to be treated differently than boys, and I'm worried you might feel overwhelmed or uncomfortable or something."

"Oh, I hadn't really thought about that. I do feel a little nervous not knowing exactly what might happen, but it's not like a scary nervous. It's more like the nervous I felt the first time I decided to try riding my bike without training wheels."

* * * * *

I thought back to that special time. It had been about a month after my seventh birthday. Even with my father holding onto the back of the bike, it still wobbled as I climbed on. I almost chickened out, but just couldn't when I turned and saw his proud smile.

My legs were shaking when we started moving and it took me a couple of tries before I was able to pedal without my feet slipping off. When we were about halfway down the sidewalk, I noticed the sharp smell of my fathers aftershave as he leaned close to my ear and whispered, "You can do it."

Without looking back, I could tell he had let go. I was finding it hard to keep my front wheel straight and my stomach started doing flip-flops. "Keep pedaling," my father shouted from what felt too far off. I began pumping harder, and found it was getting easier to steer. "Good job! Now stop and come back."

That's about when I started to panic. I had started going downhill and was picking up speed without pedaling. The end of the sidewalk and the intersection beyond was coming up too fast and I had started screaming for help. The sound of my father's boots thumping behind and hearing him shouting had only made me more afraid. My shaking, sweaty hands could barely hold onto the handlebars. I was almost at the corner when I realized he had been telling me to hit the brakes.

By the time I'd been able to get my legs to move in the right direction to get the coaster brake to work, I had already popped over the curb and was in the intersection. The sound of screeching brakes filled my ears before I was hit from behind. A small part of me had wondered why I hadn't been hit from the side. The rest of me couldn't think of anything else to do except scream.

By the time I'd stopped rolling, my throat felt raw. Everything still looked like it was spinning when I'd opened my eyes, but I could make out my father looking down at me. "Daddy?"

His voice was gentle, barely above a whisper. "Yes pumpkin?"

At the time, I hadn't realized it had been years since he had called me that. I just knew someone I'd never thought I'd see again had replaced the person my father had become. The world stopped spinning right about then and I realized his forehead was bleeding. I reached up and touched his rough cheek. "How'd you get hurt?"

His smile had felt like the sun coming out from behind the clouds after a storm. "It's been a long time since I've tried doing gymnastics. After I dived for you and grabbed you off the bike, I tried to tuck and roll. It wasn't as graceful a landing as I was hoping, but it could have been worse."

"How could it have been worse?"

I had been so shocked to see a tear roll down his cheek before he had pulled me close. "I could have lost you."

* * * * *

Tears were stinging my eyes as Aunt Joan pulled me onto her lap. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"I just miss him."

"Who do you miss? Your father?"

"No ... my daddy."