RANSVESTIA

"No maybes about it. I'll go first but only if you promise me that you you will. Come on, Peggy, it will not hurt much. And then you'll be that much more authentic I'm sure mother would not mind that much. We don't even have to tell her if you don't want to."

...

No, I didn't want her mother to know just yet. I'm sure she'd notice eventually anyway. "All right, I'll promise to do it if you go first. But don't tell your mother. I think she prefers me as a man in the final analysis. But I don't want to take any chances. Let her find out for herself, O.K.?"

And so it was set. We finished our drinks and went back to the store where zit zip zip zip, figuratively speaking, Erica and I both get our ears pierced. True, there was some pain but not all that much. Little did I know of how the words I had spoken had been put in the back of Erica's mind. About what? The reference was to electrolysis ... She noted that and stored it away for later.

Several days later, the doctor called. He said that except for an unusual amount of hormones there appeared to be nothing else wrong. If the condition persisted or got worse, I was to see him again, otherwise come next month if it had not gotten worse. I thought that a month was a long time but he said not really. The condition would probably not go away suddenly as it had risen slowly. If there were any sudden changes, I was to call him immediately. Also if any lumps or other growths were to be noted, also to call him. The breasts would probably continue to grow, but I was not to worry (?). But he em- phasized that it was not serious and so my mind was eased. But still, there had to be something wrong. Then again I had his green light so I adjusted to the discomfort. It was not like adjusting to a broken leg, that I became so used to it finally that I did not notice it! Thus more than a month had passed when I thought of seeing him again. By now my ears were well healed but my breasts were getting quite large. I'd given up falsies, in fact, and had gone to wearing a quilted padded bra. I also noticed that my hips were getting wider and my com- plexion had cleared up considerably.

My beard had never been a problem, not really. But it was a remark of Erica's that brought the visit back to memory when she mentioned my beard and how nice it would be if I could be rid of it. She said her mother had mentioned it several times and she'd finally decided to say something, having remembered the mention of electrolysis that I

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