12 -THE FRILL OF IT ALL!

me. "Oh please, Jackie, don't change. At least, let me keep my little sister one more evening. My car is just outside and Susan has invited us over to her house. Her Mom is anxious to see what a good job I've done on you. Please do it."

Margaret was almost in tears and since I supposed that it wouldn't really do any harm, I agreed. Susan's mother was bowled over when she saw me. "Why, Margaret, I'm astounded. It seemed such a pity for anyone this lovely to be a boy. It really does." Susan went to get us cokes, Betty put on the record player, and we gabbed about the events of the evening until it was time to go home.

Susan said, "Jack, I have to thank you. I didn't have the slightest idea what to do my Master's thesis on. Now I know! Gender-blending! The department head, "Dr. Richards will love it!"

Later, before going to bed, I hung all Margaret's clothes I'd been wearing back in her side of the closet. They had migrated to my side over the last weeks. "I'm glad that is over with," I thought. "That's the end of my career in skirts,"

Margaret looked at me undress and laughed. I took into account her propensity for practical jokes and said, "Don't even think about one of your tricks."

During the next two or three months, Margaret, Susan, and Betty ganged up on me----pleading with me to bring back Jackie for an evening, but I flatly refused.

I shuddered to think how I'd feel about getting caught wearing dresses. The Follies had been a legitimate excuse. There was no excuse now.

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THE VISIT...

Margaret was returning from picking up the morning mail. In her arms she clasped the bulk of it, but she was tearing open one particular envelope with animation. With a worried expression on her face she read the contents.

"Oh, no, Jack. Our worst fear! My parents are coming!"

"Really? That's great! I been wanting to meet them."

"But they'll find out about you. . .and me. . .and our love nest!"

Margaret really had a reason to worry. Her parents had agreed to let her live off campus at a far away college IF she met certain rules----living with me was "against the rules."

We had been dating through two years of college now and had set up housekeeping together in our lovely apartment. We even planned to marry as soon as we had completed our college, but I knew INTENT wouldn't be enough to satisfy her parents.

Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were from the Midwest. With their strict mid-west attitudes, they would be very upset with Margaret if they discovered we were even dating regularly. The thought of us living together would probably give them both "heart attacks". We were sure they would drag Margaret right up to the campus dorms or worse----back to the Midwest.

Margaret said what I was thinking. "You're just going to have to get out of here for a while. I hate to throw you out of our home, but..." She looked at the letter again.

"I understand. That's probably the best thing," I agreed, "They should be gone by the weekend, and everything will go back to normal."

"Oh, no! They're staying for a week," she said in a panic, “and ... THEY WANT TO MEET MY ROOMMATE----Jackie!"

"What roommate?" I asked in an equally panicky tone, "What did you tell them about me?"