14--THE FRILL OF IT ALL!

"Well, everything----sort of," she explained, "I mean, they would never have let me live alone in the city, so I told them that I was living with a room-mate named 'Jackie.' I told them about everything we do. . .I just didn't mention you were a guy.

"You'd better come up with a 'Jackie' then. You don't want to disappoint the folks. You told them everything?"

"Not everything silly," she said. "Remember when we were freshmen and you did the Follies? I mentioned 'Jackie' and sent them a picture of US backstage. I thought it was funny. Since then I have been telling them what my roommate and I have been doing."

وو

"Well, let's get my things out of here," I urged, "Then you can think about the rest of the situation.' It took us both the best part of an hour to get all my clothes and accessories collected and haul them down to the storage room in the basement of the building. After we were done, there wasn't a single male article to be found.

The place was just exactly right for a couple of college girls; very NOW, but just a bit feminine. Margaret had gotten out her flowered bedspread and lace curtains She evenly divided her wardrobe between the two bedrooms, so as to give the impression that there were indeed two girls living there. This left her with only one problem, where to come up with the other young lady?

I was ready to leave. I didn't think I could be of much more help. I said, "Well, I'll see you next week. I'm going to take a room at the 'Y' until Mommy and Daddy skip out. Call me if you need help."

"Jack, please help me with my problem. Any ideas before you go?"

I asked, with a very puzzled tone, "Which problem? Your parents, or your roommate?"

"My roommate---who can I get to be Jackie?"

"One of your girlfriends?" Still confused, I tried to help, "It sounds simple, why don't you just call a friend of yours and ask her to move in with you for a week? That should satisfy your folks."

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"That's that problem. They've meet all my girlfriends. . .I really don't know anyone who they don't know!"

"Say Jackie is out of town. How much time do we have?"

"Till tomorrow morning," she said fighting back tears, "I can't think of anyone. Jackie wouldn't be 'gone' with mid-terms coming up." She started weeping. I tried to hold her and comfort her, but it looked as if we were at a real impasse.

We sat for a while, both silently trying to come up with a solution, but my mind was a blank.

She had an idea. Suddenly she looked up, and said, "I think I have something that just might work----but it will take a lot of cooperation from you. Do you really love me as much as you claim?"

Getting puzzled again, I answered, "Yes, of course! Why?"

"I know that this is a terrible thing to ask. . ."

Trying to make some sense I interrupted, “Oh, I know. We'll just tell your parents that I'm your roommate and I look the way I do because I have a gender identity problem."

"Well, sort of...only you won't look like you have a problem. Could you bring 'Jackie' back for me? For us?"

Not puzzled anymore, just shocked, I stated, "If you think that I'm going to put on a dress again and flit around here in front of your parents, you're crazy.'

وو

"Jack, please. It could work you know. It's my only hope. After all, if they find out that I've been lying, they would take me right out of here. They've seen your picture!"

"I'd need practice," I moaned. "I'd be terrible with no practice."

She interrupted, "Look, your hair's gotten so long. You'd be better than ever!"

"NO!"

She started crying in earnest. She was convinced that this desperate request was the only plausible way to pull this off by tomorrow.

I had to make a decision. I had told her I loved her