RELUCTANT PRESS

adding to her growing frustration. How she longed to go back to Cindy's bedroom and slip into a nice dress!

Once fully dressed, she carefully ran the comb through her hair, fruitlessly trying to undo the still obviously girlish hairdo and recreate the chaos that was the norm after Sheldon had always haphazardly done the job. Dropping the comb, she fought the urge to cry. It seemed hopeless, for her reflection still looked more like Shelly than Sheldon. She was determined to become Sheldon once more. Angered at her inability to eliminate her girlishness, she decided simply to disregard the way she looked. After all, Sheldon had never looked at himself when dressing.

With determined strides that she felt might be her former boyish gait, Shelley exited the bedroom, but quickly stopped short. She missed the swish of her skirts and the tickle of the lace hem of her slip!

Forlornly, she searched her mind for Sheldon, begging that he come back to take control, but he simply wasn't there! Frightened, she swallowed her rising bile and steeled herself to persevere. Maybe Sheldon would come back in a few days, until then, she'd simply have to do the best she could. After all, she did have all Sheldon's memories.

Fred, Helen, and Cindy were seated in the living room, munching on brunch and reading the Sunday newspaper when Sheldon timorously entered the room. Everyone looked up, smiling in greeting. What they saw wiped the smiles from their faces; they were quite shocked.

It wasn't Sheldon who entered the room, but a very uncomfortable Shelley awkwardly wearing Sheldon's clothes. The girlish hairdo hadn't fully washed out, so instead of the normal unkept straggly locks of Sheldon there now appeared free-spirited, soft, shiny still girlish tresses. She had neglected to remove the earrings, so the strange boy still wore twin golden balls in each lobe. The most telling feature was the still delicately-arched narrow eyebrows that could only belong to a girl.

While dressed in typical Sheldon fashion, the clothes obviously felt uncomfortable. Even the walk belied the presence

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TWO LITTLE GIRLS

By JENNIFER SUE

of Shelley instead of Sheldon; it looked like a girl trying to walk like a boy. The overall impression was that of a prissy girl hopelessly attempting to be a tomboy! But the most startling thing was when the confused child instinctively tried to curtsy upon entering the room!

Shelley just stood there, her fingertips still griping the legs of her jeans. Her face was bright red, her lips quivered with humiliation and fear as she stared helplessly into the shocked faces of her family.

How could she have been so stupid as to try to curtsy!

As the tears burst forth, she turned and fled, wailing loudly as she stumbled up the stairs. Not thinking, she turned right instead of left. Thus the bed she threw herself upon was Cindy's!

Downstairs, no one said a word, but the looks they exchanged spoke volumes. They could hear Shelley's muffled crying and sobbing, they had heard her pounding feet head into Cindy's bedroom. It was obvious that Shelley still existed. What really shook them was that they all realized they already sorely missed Shelley.

"I liked having a twin," Cindy finally said softly, breaking the deadlock.

"I liked having a well-behaved, cooperative step-daughter," Helen added wistfully.

"I can't honestly say as I miss my son," Fred confessed. "It seems quite obvious we were too effective in teaching him how to be a proper young lady so he could save Barry's wedding."

Silence fell upon them again while they held internal debates on whether what they wanted was right or wrong. Occasional sobs still filtered down from above.

Finally, Helen stood. "This is ridiculous," she said firmly. "She's still crying. I'll go up and help her slip into something she'll be more comfortable wearing. Then we'll come down and discuss this matter."

"What's to discuss," chirped Cindy with a broad grin. "I want Shelley!"

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