22--CONTEMPORARY TV FICTION

Wayne nodded then opened his dresser, I gagged, "LINGERIE! "You got more girlie things than my Mom! Where's your guy stuff?"

"Rita and Mom packed it all away last night. They left me only what I need for school: two pairs of jeans, a few flannel shirts!"

Without bending his waist, he daintily lowered himself toward the floor. Picking up a pair of sneakers, he handed them

to me.

Wayne pointed to the wide pink stripes running the length of the rubber soles. "I wore these today, Ron. I'm surprised you didn't notice. Couldn't you tell these were GIRL'S shoes, TOO!"

I faltered as cold sweat beaded along my brow. I asked, "This doesn't seem uni-sex to me? What goes?"

"I know," Wayne stated. "I asked the same question. It appears that they want boy who looks feminine. They want a boy who can be a girl who they can dress in boyish clothes. Complex, eh?"

Fortunately, he didn't press me for an answer.

When I returned home, I was ready to pull my hair out. This dress up game had reached new heights. His makeup and feminine gesturing irked me so, I feared what was next!

The arrival of finals week electrified the senior class. Yet,

it also marked a month since I last visited Wayne.

He didn't fault me for restricting our friendship to school. He understood difficulties I had with his "training."

To everyone else, Wayne was basically the same old guy, except with longer hair. But what others couldn't see drove me crazy!

When his naturally straight hair had gotten too long, he'd tie it in a mannish ponytail. Yet lately, he hadn't bothered to wash out his curly feminine sets and at times banded his lengthening locks with small, girlish barrettes, instead of rubber bands! Some of the guys were beginning to talk.

Once chipped and bitten, his nails were well manicured, filed to a tapered point just beyond his fingertips. But with cuticles pushed back and lacquered a pinkish clear, they just weren't MANLY!

Wayne went from slumping in his seat to sitting primly erect. With his knees firmly squeezed together and his head tilted upward, he'd keep his hands folded, palms down.

BOSOM BUDDY -23

His walk changed to an almost "feline" glide, as his weight seemed to shift from his heels to the balls of his feet. He even carried his books clasped to his chest, instead of under his arm.

Only I knew that under his denim shirt and jeans he was wearing lingerie and pantyhose. Only I heard the whispering of nylon against denim as he walked. Only I was truly aware.

In French class, Wayne's pronunciation was ten times better. But his improved speech carried over to all his activities. To me, the pitch and timber of his voice sounded an octave or two higher!

Taken alone, they all seemed insignificant, but they mounted day by day. I swear, Wayne Carr was becoming a DIFFERENT PERSON!

"Hey, Wayne, WAIT UP!" I called, running across campus to catch up with him. "How'd final exams go?"

"Alright, I guess," he softly sighed in a voice fast becoming no more than a whisper! "Math was tough, but I aced French.

As we walked toward our neighborhood, we hardly spoke a word. It wasn't my fault. Rather, Wayne's interests had seemed to change and he had little to say.

"Wayne Carr, HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE!" I joshed, trying to get him to talk. "Whacha gonna do now...go to WALLY WORLD?"

"Funny!" he giggled at first, but then cringed. "I start modeling school for 'real' next week, Ron. This is REALLY it!"

"YEAH!" I anxiously huffed, searching for what next to say. "It's not too late to quit, you know."

"I suppose," he winced, glancing shamefully away. "But we've been through this before and..."

"I'm worried about you, man! "Walking delicately. . .Swiveling your hips. . .You're losing it!"

"It shows huh? Rachel drills me every night until I drop. It's easier to obey than fight. Rita adores my improvements, but my sister's RELENTLESS!"

"But you're just pretending. You need to turn this girlie stuff off...you can, right?"

"I never get the chance," he whimpered. "They're constantly on my back. It's like I'm really pretending to be a BOY at school!"

His admission bowled me over. "NEVER forget what you are, WAYNE! You're just as male as ME!"