Mid-May sun streamed in through the curtains, waking him. Blinking, thinking about pulling the covers back over his head, Dion instead peered sleepily at the clock near his bed. Seeing that it was almost six-thirty in the morning, he yawned as he figured if he tried to go back to sleep his mom or dad would just come wake him up in about fifteen to thirty minutes, as they were usually at church between seven-thirty and seven-forty five. Yawning, he sat up, but didn't climb out bed just yet.
Rather, he stared down at his pyjamas, his sleep-addled mind refusing to cooperate as he tried to figure out what was wrong with them. Staring at the blue sleeper pants with a colourful Unicorn print and the long-sleeve white shirt, also with a colourful Unicorn printed on the front, he blinked and after a moment mumbled, "What the hell?" as he found he could not understand why he was wearing one of Holly's sleeper sets and when he had changed from the short-sleeve shirt and forest green pyjama bottoms he knew he had put on last night, shortly after being told to get ready for bed.
Confused, sure his mind was playing tricks on him, that he might be dreaming, he ran a hand over the soft cotton fabric of the pants, the soft shirt whispering nicely against his chest and arms as he did so. Thinking about pinching himself, he never got a chance when his bedroom door opened and his mom entered.
Alarmed by this, his mind practically screaming she'd flip her wig once she saw what he was wearing, Dion never got a chance to say anything when his mom said, "Good, you're already up," before she took a couple garments from his closet and handed them to him.
Telling him, "Be sure you take a shower before church," she turned and was about to leave when Dion, who's mind finally registered what he had been handed, stopped her with, "I cannot wear this," and holding up the tiered black skirt, white tights, and long-sleeve white turtleneck style shirt, he exclaimed, "These are Holly's clothes."
His mom, after she had peered at the clothes, told him, "Denise Taylor, I am not in the mood for this. I know you do not like wearing dresses and skirts, but all I ask is that you dress nicely once in awhile. Now. Get dressed, or I will dress you myself," in an exasperated tone and marching over to his dresser, she yanked open the top drawer, took out a pair of rolled up undies and thrusting them at him, she gave him a look he was to comply, no ifs ands or buts about it.
Dion, unsure why his mom had called him by a name that wasn't his own and why she was insisting he wear Holly's clothes, took the underwear. Wondering why it was rolled up, as he never rolled any of his up, he stood slowly when he realised his mom wasn't going to leave and shuffling meekly across his room, he headed for the bathroom. Closing the door, he flipped on the light switch and stared at the small room, thinking.
"What in god's name is going on," he asked himself as he dumped the garments on sink, seeing for the first time that his mom had handed him a pair of Holly's panties, a white pair with pastel coloured duckies printed on them.
A quick glance down at what he was wearing and he wondered if maybe his mom and dad had changed his pyjamas whilst he'd slept. Looking into the mirror, he sighed when he saw that his reflection still showed his normal, ten year old male self. Sighing as he stared at his short, dark brown hair, thinking, "This will never work. Everyone is going to see a boy wearing his sister's clothes," he shucked off the sleeper set, and finding it wasn't just a pair of girl's pyjamas he was wearing, but also a pair of girl's undies that were white with a Unicorn print.
"What the shit?" he thought, choosing one of his father's often used phrases and pulling on the front waist band, he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that he still had his twig and berries boy parts.
Certain that girl parts must be different, he reason, "Why else would they use a different bathroom and girls look the way they do when wearing their swim suits," before releasing the waist band of the panties with a audible snap. Turning away, he started running the shower, shuddering at the thought of having to wearing Holly's clothes and hoping his dad would say something.
After he'd showered and dressed, grudgingly, in the clothes his mom insisted he wear, he gave his reflection one final look. Wondering if he had awoken in a nightmare or if he was being punished, he sighed and exited the bathroom. Feeling ridiculous wearing girl's clothes, he shifted uncomfortably in place and figured, "Might as well get this over with," before heading downstairs for breakfast, hearing his dad asking about something as he headed towards the kitchen.
Certain his dad would say something, Dion was taken aback when his dad kissed the top of his head, said, "Morning, pumpkin. And I know you don't like it, but thank you for wearing a dress," as he did so, then brushed past him and headed back upstairs.
Puzzled by this, he barely listened as his sister snidely commented, "You look, pretty. Dion," and sitting down, he had only just reached for the cereal when his mom approached with a brush and told him, "Sit still for a minute," before beginning to run the brush through his hair in quick, sharp strokes.
Aware of a weird look on Holly's face, Dion tried to ignore her as his mom went at his head with the brush. Still trying to figure out what was going on and what was wrong with his family, Dion was surprised when he felt his mom tug on his hair and suddenly aware that, sometime during the brushing, his hair had somehow gotten longer, he listened as his mom said, "I'm putting your hair in a braid. Don't fiddle with it, or it will come undone."
Lost as to what he should say, Dion glared at Holly, who still had the weird look on her face as she stared at him. Wondering what she was gawping at, he almost demanded to know what she was looking at when he felt a slight pinching sensation on first his right ear, then his left, Dion gasped when he realised that his mom had just put a pair of earrings in his ears. Hearing his mom walk away, Dion slowly shook his head and feeling his braid brushing against his back, he thought, "What the shit," as he idly reached up and touched the stud earring in his right ear, knowing his ears weren't pierced, yet what he was feeling proved otherwise.