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The Contest Beginnings

by Sarah Bayen

  

PART SEVEN

High Street

 

As we walked along the road, we all linked arms with me in the middle. I supposed this was some sort of protection in the minds of Anita and Nikki, but I still felt afraid and miserable. My boots hurt my feet, and the bag weighed heavily on my shoulder. I wondered what was in it. It felt like a brick or two.

The denim skirt pulled at my thighs every time I took a stride, and the bunches Anita had tied my hair into kept tickling my face and neck. To add to my discomfort I could feel the straps on my bra holding my chest in every time I breathed, and the electric rubbing of the tights against my legs.

To add to all of this, a couple of people were coming down the street towards us. The game was up. People were bound to realise I was a boy as soon as they saw me. My concern must have been obvious on my face, because Anita turned to me and whispered. "Relax, and try and smile."

"Yes," agreed Nikki. "Girls always smile remember."

Smiling was the last thing on my mind, but I did my best to look relatively cheerful as the old couple approached. Linked as we were, we were going to force them off the pavement if we weren't careful. Anita anticipated this however, and unlinked herself from me while they were still several steps away. They smiled in appreciation, and walked on by.

I heaved a sigh of relief.

"See, that wasn't difficult was it?" asked Anita. "They just thought we were three girls out for a walk."

"Yes," agreed Nikki.

Anita linked arms with me and we walked on towards the High Street. A middle-aged man carrying armloads of shopping passed us, and again smiled. We turned a corner, and at the end of the street in front of us, forming a T-junction, was the dreaded High Street itself. Although it was about two hundred yards in front, I could see the shops across the junction, and crowds of people crossing the road. I bit my lip, and breathed in, and immediately regretted the action, as my bra held my ribs firm against their attempted expansion.

A couple of young boys, around 12, were running from behind us. This really worried me. Why were they running? Had they realised I was a boy, and were coming to confront me about it? Anita and Nikki did not seem to share my concern, and the boys ran into the road to get passed us.

"Taking up the whole pavement!" one grumbled as he went passed.

"Nice tits though!" said the other, as they ran on towards the High Street.

I was shocked, and stared at Anita. They were right, her tits were nice, I thought.

"They liked your tits!" she said, and giggled.

"No yours!" I insisted.

"I don't think so," put in Anita, grinning widely. "It was you they were looking at."

"Yeah," agreed Nikki.

We walked on along the road, and neared the junction that was the High Street, with all its crowds. I felt naked and vulnerable, and tried to slow the others down.

"Come on Sarah," encouraged Nikki. "Nearly there."

"I know," I replied miserably. "If I'd have known we were going somewhere so public, I would never have agreed to come out dressed like this."

"It's good for you, you know it is." Anita said, encouragingly. "This is the best practice you could possibly have for the contest."

"Yeah," agreed Nikki.

Still trying to drag my feet, I was more or less carried the last twenty yards or so to the junction. Then there it was, the High Street. I blinked at the sudden change of pace. It was just a normal small town High Street, with a mix of shops and offices, all in red brick. People were swarming along the narrow pavements, somehow not bumping into each other, and, despite my fears, showed no particular interest in me.

Opposite us was a greengrocers shop, with much of its wears on display outside the shop. Cars and buses rumbled slowly along the narrow street, stopped every ten yards or so by pedestrian crossings, or traffic lights, or just the general volume of traffic.

"Where do we need to go?" asked Anita.

"Well, I've got to get some food and stuff." Nikki replied. "But that can wait if you want. Why don't we have some coffee, that might be fun!"

"Oh yes!" responded Anita enthusiastically. "We can drop in at the café. That'd be good!"

I was speechless. I had hoped we could get this High Street trip over as quickly as possible. The last thing I wanted was to drag it out with cups of coffee, or window-shopping.

"I don't feel like a coffee," I mumbled.

"Well you can have a milk shake then!" Anita announced, and taking my arm again, led me firmly up the High Street in the direction of the only café there. I felt dejected and miserable. People shuffled passed us in the street, and I stared at each of them, gritting my teeth and awaiting recognition. None came however, and the people we passed seemed entirely content to ignore us to the same extent that Nikki and Anita were ignoring them.

At last we came to the café, which was a relatively downmarket affair. The outside was painted white, with big plate windows filled here and there with posters, poorly drawn and worded, showing the offerings. I glanced in through the windows. There were around ten tables set out regularly. Three or four were occupied, mainly by elderly ladies resting their feet after an arduous morning's shopping.

Anita went in first, up the two red painted steps to the door, which she opened. Nikki motioned me to follow, which I reluctantly did, wondering if I would be able to keep my footing in the boots. I managed it, and entered the café, to be hit with the smells of fried food and coffee in equal measure. I flinched, waiting for the customers to recognise me as a boy wearing a skirt, but there was no lull in the conversations. I heaved a sigh of relief.

"What do you want Sarah?" Anita asked. It took me a moment to realise she was talking to me.

"A milk shake," I mumbled as quietly as I could.

"What flavour?"

"Banana," I replied.

Nikki told Anita she wanted a coffee, and, touching my arm, pointed to an empty table at the back of the room. I had to lead the way, and did so gingerly, picking my way past the other tables. It was then that I noticed two biker lads, clad in leather jackets at a table in the other corner. They were lounging in their chairs, and staring expressionlessly at Nikki and me as we walked through. I turned my eyes away from them quickly, but was still excruciatingly aware of their eyes burning into me. I was sure that I had been discovered.

When we got to the table, I managed to make for the only chair which would mean I wasn't looking at them. I sat down quickly, and Nikki walked around the table to sit opposite me.

"Watch how you're sitting Sarah!" she whispered urgently to me.

I shook my head to indicate I didn't know what she meant.

"Knickers!" she whispered.

In shame, I pulled my skirt down as far as it would go. Would this torture ever end? I could not see how girls put up with this sort of hassle in their every day lives all the time, there was so much to remember.

"That's better," Nikki told me. "Now remember, smile a lot!"

I grinned wanly in response, and looked out of the grubby window.

"I've seen a smashing top in Sylvia's Boutique," Nikki said, conversationally. I stared at her. What was I supposed to respond to that?

"It's blue," she went on. "Have you seen it? It's in the window."

I was only vaguely aware of the existence of the shop she was talking about, and certainly wasn't an avid follower of its window display. I shook my head.

"They have some good stuff in from time to time," Nikki went on. "Especially around now. We ought to have a look in there."

"No," I responded, rather quickly and aggressively. The elderly couple at the table next to us looked around.

I was saved by the imminent arrival of Anita, carrying a tray with two coffees and my milk shake on it. I looked up to watch her swivel through the tables. The biker lads watched her too, and I felt a pang of jealously, as well as relief that they were no longer looking at me.

"Here we go," she said brightly. "Two coffees and a milk shake." She placed the plastic tray onto the table, and sat down next to Nikki and opposite me. "Well this is good!" she announced.

"Yes," agreed Nikki. "I was just saying to Sarah that we ought to look in at Sylvia's boutique while we're here."

"Oh yes," responded Anita with some enthusiasm. "That would be good."

"No!" I whispered. "I can't do that."

"Of course you can!" Anita told me brightly. "It'll be good."

"Yeah," replied Nikki. Then suddenly, looking behind me, she said, "Oh look out."

I turned, and to my horror one of the biker lads was standing behind me. I froze in terror. He must have realised that I was a boy, and was coming over to sort me out.

"Hello girls," he drawled.

"Goodbye" replied Anita dismissively.

He stood there, unabashed by this put down. "I was wondering if any of you wanted a quick ride on my bike."

"No thanks," Anita replied. "Now we're very busy, so you go off and play on your own."

He smirked back, but did not budge. "It's a two fifty," he went on. "You'll have a good time."

"We're having a good time already," Nikki informed him, and turned pointedly to Anita, and started a conversation about Sylvia's boutique.

"As it happens," he went on, putting his hand on my shoulder. "I was talking to Cinderella here, not the ugly sisters."

I jerked in fear as his hand touched my shoulder, and Anita and Nikki gasped in outrage at his comments. I hardly heard their barrage of abuse at him, but after a few seconds his hand was removed, and he returned to his friend.

"Bloody lesbians, that's what they are," he declared. "Still, that one's got nice tits, " he continued, pointing at me. The elderly couple next to us tutted their displeasure at this behaviour, but to my relief, he and his friend stomped out of the café and out into the street.

"What a cheek!" I managed to say eventually. "Ugly sisters! He was hardly an oil painting himself."

"Don't worry about it," said Anita assuringly. "He was just picking on you because you were so quiet."

"Yeah," agreed Nikki. "You've got to give as good as you get in this game."

"That's right."

"But he called you ugly sisters. That's outrageous!" I went on, still shocked at what had happened.

Anita just shrugged. "Well if we go downtown with someone as pretty as you it's bound to happen." She and Nikki giggled at this.

It took me some time to regain any composure, during which time Anita and Nikki carried on talking about the merits and otherwise of Sylvia's boutique. I took a sip of my milk shake, and tried to pay attention to what they were saying.

"I could never wear anything like that with my legs though," Anita said. "Sarah could get away with it, but I never could."

"No," said Nikki. "Me neither. Still, we might as well have a look in there."

"Yeah, " agreed Anita." You don't mind really do you Sarah?"

I looked at her. "Well I suppose not. As long as we don't stay too long, or have to try anything on."

"Well it depends what they've got in," Anita responded. "I can't say I won't try anything on whatever happens."

"No," agreed Nikki.

I took another sip of the milk shake, feeling a little calmer now the bikers had gone. The strong banana flavour took away some of the sweet plastic taste of my lipstick, which was something of a relief. I leant my head on my hand on the table, and fell into something of a dream state, while Anita and Nikki chatted on. I thought about my predicament. Here I was, sharing a coffee with the girl of my dreams, but wearing a whole load of clothes I wasn't used to. Why had I said yes when they had asked me to enter the competition? To be near to Anita I supposed. But why had I agreed to all this practicing stuff they had suggested? That I couldn't answer, except by realising that I could not say no to Anita when she asked me for something.

I was a little less uncomfortable now I was sitting down, but my feet and legs still ached from the boots. The tights were really becoming a nuisance as well, feeling clammy and clingy all over my legs and midriff. I surprised myself by realising, much as Anita had promised, that I was getting used to the feel of wearing a bra. I had moderated my breathing somewhat, to make sure it didn't suddenly grab me around the chest. Hanging the shoulder bag on the arm of the chair had been a relief as well.

I looked over to Anita, chatting happily away to Nikki. How I loved her, despite my current humiliation. My mind suddenly jumped when I remembered that I had agreed to sleep over at her house as well. Did that mean that something magical might happen, even with me dressed like this? My mind went around in circles like this for some time.

It was something of a surprise then, when Anita suddenly said, "Come on Sarah. Finish your milk shake, and we'll get on." She and Nikki had stood up, ready to go. I sipped the last of my milk shake, and stood up as well. We negotiated the tables to get to the door, and then down the steps back into the street. 'Thwap' went my skirt, as it clung to my thighs. Smaller steps, I told myself, take smaller steps like a girl.

"Right let's have a look then," said Nikki, walking further up the High Street to where I knew Sylvia's Boutique was. Anita took my arm, and we followed Nikki up the pavement, dodging passers by as we did so. I got a couple of glances, but nothing that made me think my cover was blown.

Some thirty yards or so further up the road we came to Sylvia's Boutique. It's windows were slightly shaded, and full of mannequins wearing rather racy fashions. One had on a skirt rather similar to mine, only a little flouncier, and she was wearing white tights as against my black.

Nikki paused briefly to look in the window. "That's the top I was on about," she said. "The blue one."

"It's nice," said Anita. "Let's go in and see whether they've got your size."

Nikki walked across to the door and walked in. Anita and I followed. Inside, against three walls, were racks upon racks of girl's clothes. The till was about three quarters of the way down one side, and behind that, brightly lit, was the underwear section. I was struck by the smell of new clothes that seemed to pervade the whole shop.

We walked over to the far wall, where the tops were hanging. Nikki soon found the one she was looking for, and began to riffle through the selection to see what sizes they might have.

I noticed an assistant coming over to us, and looked rigidly at the tops in front of me. It even occurred to me to pick one up and look at it, to avoid undue suspicion.

"Hi Anita!" came a bright voice. My heart leapt into my mouth. It was Sue, another of our school friends. She obviously had a Saturday job here. Sue was about my height, with bobbed hair, and slightly plump. She liked to hang around with Anita, but always seemed slightly out of the picture socially.

"Oh Hi Sue!" Anita replied enthusiastically. I buried my face even further into the display.

"Hi," chimed in Nikki. "I didn't know you worked here."

"No," replied Sue, and I could feel her eyes turn towards me. "I only started a couple of weeks ago."

"Oh that's good," said Anita. "Do you like it?"

Sue still had her attention on me, but briefly looked away to answer Anita. "Yes, it's good. And I like the money."

"Yes," agreed Anita. "Do you get discounts on the stuff in here as well?"

"Yes, twenty per cent."

"Wow, that's good."

"Is she with you?" Sue asked, still looking at me, although I was now looking intently at another blouse.

"Oh, yes," Anita responded. "Sarah, this is Sue."

I felt the colour rise in my cheeks, but knew that I could not keep looking away without looking suspicious. I glanced up as briefly as manners would allow, smiled, and went back to my in depth analysis of the blouse.

"Do I know you?" asked Sue.

I panicked, not knowing what to say.

"I don't think so," Anita said, coming to my rescue. "Sarah's a friend I met on holiday last year. She lives in Newcastle."

"Newcastle?" Sue responded with interest. "I know Newcastle really well. My uncle lives there."

I cursed Anita silently for picking that town amongst all others.

"Which part do you live in?" Sue asked me.

Again, I thought I had to look at her to avoid appearing excessively rude. I'd never been to Newcastle in my life, so I had to think of something. "The centre," I replied.

"You haven't got much of an accent," Sue observed, unhelpfully.

"No, she's not lived there long," Anita chimed in.

Sue was riveting me with her stare, with a quizzical look on her face. My terror began to rise up again; I was sure she was going to recognise me.

"You look really familiar," she continued. "It's your eyes."

At this point Anita began to giggle uncontrollably, I glared at her quickly, but she did not stop.

"What's going on?" asked Sue, obviously realising that all was not as it seemed. Anita could not reply, and Sue turned her intense stare back to me. Suddenly her expression turned from quizzical to one of realisation, and then delight.

"I know who you are!" she exclaimed. "It's Steve isn't it? Oh my God, you look brilliant!"

My heart sank as Sue eyed me with even more interest than before, her eyes darting from my chest to my face and then my legs. I shook my head in denial, but it was no use. I had been found out.

"He looks so good. Did you do it for him Anita?" Sue went on.

"Yes," Anita replied, with a note of pride in her voice. "We're entering him in the Womanless Beauty Contest next week. We thought we'd have a dress rehearsal."

"I did his make up," Nikki put in, obviously not wanting to be left out of the glory.

"He looks fantastic," Sue went on. "If I didn't know him, I'd never have realised he was a boy."

I stood stock still as Sue inspected me minutely. "His boobs look so real!" she exclaimed. I blushed still further. "And his legs! I wish my legs were as good as that!"

Anita and Nikki giggled in response to this.

"Well Steve," she declared. "I reckon you'd win a regular beauty contest let alone a Womanless One!"

"We told him that too," exclaimed Anita, still laughing. I hung my head in shame.

Sue had a huge grin on her face; she was obviously enjoying this immensely. "How does it feel to be a girl then Steve?" she asked me. "You're so good at it, you must be having fun."

I blushed even deeper, and looking up, saw all three girls looking at me with wide grins on their faces. I looked down again, "I would hardly call it fun." I mumbled.

"Oh I think he's enjoying it!" beamed Anita. "He must be. Lots of people have told him what nice tits he's got." They all laughed again at this, while I cringed again.

"Be quiet!" I pleaded. "I don't want to draw too much attention to myself."

"There's no-one else in the shop at the moment. Well, only Sylvia, and she's out the back." Sue pointed out.

"Still, it's a fair point," conceded Anita. "We did say we'd treat him as a girl while we were out, so no-one guessed he was a boy."

They continued to stare at me. "So is that why you said his name was Sarah?" asked Sue, after a pause.

"Yes," explained Anita. "That and because it's his name for the contest; Sarah Sweetheart."

"Aw!" exclaimed Sue. "How sweet! I like that; Sarah Sweetheart." She giggled her appreciation at the choice of name. "He looks a real sweetheart too!"

"And a Sarah!" put in Nikki. The three girls giggled, and then grinned at me.

"Is that what he's going to wear for the contest then?" asked Sue, looking me up and down again.

"Not exactly," explained Anita. "First off, he's got to wear school uniform. So he'll have more or less what he's got on now, except for a school skirt."

"Oh that'll be nice!" beamed Sue.

"And then he's got to wear something formal for the final." Nikki went on.

"If I get through the first round," I mumbled.

"Oh I don't think there's any doubt about that!" Sue informed me. "Actually," she went on, "we hire out some nice formal dresses and things. They're out the back. Do you want to have a look?"

"Oh yes!" enthused Anita.

"Well I've already sorted him something," interjected Nikki, looking a little hurt at the suggestion.

"But we might as well see what's on offer!" Anita went on. "They might have the perfect dress for him. It would be a shame not to at least see what they've got."

Nikki shrugged. "I suppose so."

"I'd best tell Sylvia what we're up to," said Sue.

"No!" I exclaimed. Suddenly the whole world seemed to be in on my secret.

"Well I'll have to," Sue responded, looking puzzled. "We can hardly take up the changing rooms without telling her."

"But you don't have to tell her I'm a boy!" I pleaded.

"She won't mind," Sue said, "she's quite theatrical. She likes that sort of thing. Before I could object any further, Sue rushed back down the shop, and through a curtain that I assumed led to the changing rooms at the back.

"Oh God," I groaned.

"What's the matter?" asked Anita.

"At this rate the whole world will know I'm dressed as a girl."

Anita giggled. "It's not the whole world, only Sue and the shop owner. If you're going to be trying some of their dresses on, it's only fair." She looked to Nikki for support.

"I don't suppose they'll have anything suitable," she said. Anita stared at her, looking puzzled. Nikki went on "Besides, we can't afford the hire charges."

"Well we don't know what they are yet!" exclaimed Anita. "Anyway, it's just a bit of fun."

Nikki shrugged again. She was obviously uncomfortable about something, but I couldn't think what it was.

The curtains at the end of the shop opened, and Sue came back through with someone who I assumed must be Sylvia. Sylvia was indeed theatrical looking. She had extremely short hair, almost shaved, and dyed black. She wore a voluminous sort of kaftan top, and black trousers underneath. The most striking thing about her, however, was her height. She was at least six feet tall, and towered over Sue as they came down the shop towards us.

Her eyes glanced around as she approached us, looking at each of us in turn.

"Well," she said eventually. "I suppose that's him. He's the only one wearing a skirt."

"That's right!" exclaimed Sue, grinning broadly. "Well done."

"I wouldn't have known otherwise," the woman I assumed was Sylvia went on. "He's very good; very good indeed."

"Thanks," said Anita.

Sylvia looked me up and down, concentrating particularly on my legs. "They're good at it at his age," she went on. "Once they get past about sixteen it gets much more difficult to get them to look right." She was obviously setting herself up as something of an expert in dressing boys up as girls. I stared back at her, not liking her tone.

"He's certainly very pretty," she commented, looking into my face. "Nice delicate features; his make up sets that off really well."

"I did his make up," Nikki said. Sylvia looked at her critically. "Well you've done a good job."

"Thanks."

"Well young man," she said, addressing me directly for the first time, "I understand you want to try on some of our posh frocks."

I stared back at her, but did not answer.

"Yes he does," Anita replied for me.

"Well that's good. I like it when we get boys in here trying things on." She smiled for the first time. "Not that it happens very often; or at least, not as often as I'd like."

"I didn't know you were so keen on boys shopping here." Sue said.

Sylvia looked at her, and said, "Susan, if we could get men and boys wearing our stuff we'd sell twice as much and I'd be twice as rich." She turned her gaze back to me. "Well, let's see. I'm sure we've got one or two frocks that might fit the bill. You come out the back with me. Susan, you'd best mind the shop. Let me know if we have any," she paused, "other customers. Particularly if they want to use the changing rooms."

"Shall we come in with you to help?" asked Anita.

"Yes," I responded.

Sylvia paused for a moment, as if to consider. "I don't think that'll be necessary. You have a look around here, and I'll bring him out when he's finished."

Anita and Nikki seemed to acquiesce in this, much to my annoyance.

"Come along then, let's see if we can make a lady of you," Sylvia said to me. Reluctantly I walked with her along the length of the shop, and through the curtains at the back.

  

  

  

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