RANSVESTIA

The golden girl's face was an iron mask. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well," smiled Kate nervously. "Wouldn't you like to be a real woman? Jim says we can send you to the best of hospitals in the States. He'll pull a few strings if he has to or there's Europe if you prefer."

Helen looked at Kate somberly. No emotion at all reached her face. "You mean I could have real breasts?" she whispered. "And a real vagina?"

Kate winced. "Well, yes," she said uncertainly.

"Maybe then Greg and I could get married," whispered Helen, her black eyes glinting.

Kate's face mirrored her shock. She jumped to her feet, flustered, hot flushes coursing through her body. But then Helen began to laugh, and a red-tipped hand, with several jangling bracelets, came up and waved Kate to sit down again.

"I didn't mean it," said Helen, giving Kate a wide, beautiful smile. "Such a thing is beyond me, really, but I don't blame you for thinking it could be true."

Struggling with her emotions, enraged but uncertain, Kate sat down again, her body stiff like a ramrod. "I don't see what is funny!" she snapped.

"You don't know me," said Helen huskily. "Or you wouldn't have made such a suggestion. You see, I really am a boy—and I know it."

"B-but," Kate waved a hand in helpless exasperation.

"Oh, I know," said Helen. "I look like a girl and I enjoy very much dressing like a girl, but I'm still a boy underneath. And I do like girls -and women, too, just like any normal boy. I like you very much."

Kate was stunned. "You don't want to be a real woman?" was all she could gasp.