SUDSII

38-IV FICTION CLASSICS

"That's the cutest outfit," the waitress said. "You look, uh. . .very healthy," she smiled, and Bob shifted self consciously covering his chest with his arms.

"Thanks, Darlene, honey."

"You are looking spectacular, Bobbi." I whispered, "Are those really yours?"

"Yeah.. .34B. It's all me, Johnny." Bobbi blushed and looked down aware of the jellylike movement at his chest. "I try to cover them up and I don't even wear a padded bra now. Mary took me to that doctor again about the swelling. . .The doctor just gave me another shot and a cream to rub into the my nipples. What should I do?"

"If you've got it, flaunt it. . ." I laughed.

"Flaunt this," he laughed and dug me in the ribs. with his long red fingernail.

His

Bob laughed and shook his golden mane. weekly appointments at the beauty parlor had taken their toll. He really had changed over the past few months and seemed happier now than he had in a long time. As his hair tossed back and forth, each lobe showed one tiny loop, but when I looked carefully, I could see that his right ear had another stud a little further up. It looked quite stylish, but for a young man??

Ms. Mary was pleased when Bobbi announced that the College Aptitude results had come in the mail. Not only had he passed the test, his was top score!

"I knew that you had it in you, Bobbi. Why don't you apply for a scholarship at Wentworth? They have a great liberal arts curriculum.'

99

"Wentworth? That's an all women's college isn't it,

Mary?"

"It is and you are just the girl to win the Redford Scholarship for students with unusual circumstances." "Mary, I'm a man. I could never attend a women's college, scholarship or no scholarship. There must be somewhere else I could go.

""

"Let me do some research for you and we'll talk about it in a few weeks. Now, don't you have some housework to do?"

Opening night for the play was a resounding success. There were the usual opening night jitters for most of the cast, but Bob seemed the most professional of all. The audience applauded all the musical numbers and when he sang the duet with the young German boy "I Am Sixteen, Going on Seventeen" with the kiss at the end, I think everyone but me had forgotten that Bob was still really a man.

The day after closing night of the play we had an afternoon cast party in the civic auditorium with recorded music and refreshments. Bob had changed into a very revealing blue silk cocktail dress that left very little doubt that his transformation was dramatic. He wore sheer nylons with a subtle pattern woven in, and had done something with his hair that he had never done before. There were little sparkles highlighting his natural blonde. He looked lovely.

We had all gotten to know each other during the production of the play and the party was a real celebration. He had learned how to dance as a girl and he practically partnered every single man there. He even seemed to have fun as his cheeks glowed and his eyes sparkled, making him even more attractive. It amazed me how well he could dance in those high heeled pumps. That day was also the first time I saw him use the girls powder room where he went with Dot to "fix his face", as he called it.

During a break in the music, I took Bobbi aside and said, "I guess this is it, huh, pal?"

"This is what, Johnny?"

"Well, the play's over. You can get out of those clothes now and get back to being one of the guys, right?"

At that moment, Mary came up to the microphone that the disk jockey was using and called for our attention. Everyone quieted right down and she then announced that Bobbi had been accepted at Wentworth College on the Redford Scholarship: a full four year award!

Bobbi threw his arms up in the air and ran crying