"Marcus Maurice Ericson! Just what do you think you are doing?" The sound of my mother's voice drew me back to the here and now. I had been thinking about how the events could turn out if I showed everyone what was happening, but reality had drawn me back.
Still standing in front of my closet, wearing my sister's swimsuit, I saw that about minute had past and during that time my mother had come upstairs and found me dressed in my sister's clothes. But that wasn't the only shock I was to have as my mother continued her rant. "I leave you alone only to come back and find you dressed like that? This would not be happening if your father was still around!"
My sister interrupted with, "Can Marcus and I play dollies? Or dress-up?"
Mother gently pushed Katherine out of my room and said, "Don't encourage him princess." Turning back to me, she said, "Thomas is downstairs and wants to talk with you. I think it is best if you greet him as is."
"No, please don't," I beg to my mom, but she just shakes her head and glares at me.
A sinking feeling comes over me and I head downstairs, still wearing the bathing suit. I find Thomas in the living room and at first it seems he is glad to see me and then he sees what I wearing and funny look crosses his face. Picking up his jacket, he begins to leave and I call to him, "Thomas, wait. I can explain everything."
Thomas looks back at me, the funny look still on his face and before I can say anything, he tells me, "Yeah, I'm sure you can. It suddenly makes sense to me why you told Jessica what you said all those weeks ago and your interest in dolls that pee themselves! Oh, and why you're dressed like that. It all makes sense because my best mate is a nutter. By the way, I can see the bulge of your penis and testicles in that outfit. You might want to tuck them back, or else people won't believe your a girl!"
Wanting to cry, I watched Thomas leave and something in me said, "Go after him. Bring him back and make him see reason." But instead I rushed up to my room and slammed the door.
I could hear mother in the bathroom and Katherine in her room humming. As I was just about to take off the swimsuit, I heard a funny noise, kind of a screeching one that reminded me of tires on a pavement coming to a sudden stop. Suddenly I was worried and stepping out of my bedroom door, I watched my mother go running downstairs.
Following, I had only reached the living room, when I heard my mother scream, "Marcus, call nine one and tell them there's been an accident."
Doing what mother said, I called the number and gave the operator the information I had; home address and that there had been an accident. Afterward, I sat down on the couch and waited, something in me not wanting to see what I was afraid that I might see outside.
I heard the ambulance approach and than depart. It was after that my mom came in and called out, "Get your coats..."
Seeing me on the couch, still dressed in my sister's swim attire, a series of different emotions passed across her face. Taking by the hand, she marched me upstairs and in front of Katherine's room, she told me, "Wait right here."
Afraid of what might happen if I moved, I waited and presently she came back out carrying something that looked like it might be a dress. Guiding me to my room, she looked at me and barked out, "Strip!" Unsure what to do, I took off the bathing suit and tossed it onto the closet floor.
My mother ignored what I'd done, instead handed me the clothes she had taken from Katherine's room and told me, "Put them on. You want to dress like that, fine."
Looking at what she had given me, I saw that it was a sundress that was white on top and had a blue swirl pattern on the half that was below the waist. Pulling it on over my head, mother handed me a pair of panties with pictures of Ariel on it. Embarrassed that I'd gotten caught, I pulled the underwear on.
Feeling slightly out of place, mother took my hand and growled at me, "This is just one of your punishments for what I caught you doing. The second one is you are grounded for a week. No telly, no allowance and no Playstation Three. I'll have a couple more, but I'm too upset with you right now." With that said, she led to the kitchen and handed me a pair of Katherine's shoes, which surprised me when they fit.
Calling Katherine, she than put us both in the back seat of the car and drove us to the hospital. On the way there, she explained to me that Thomas had been hit by a car and was rushed to the emergency room. We were going there to comfort his mother. All the way there, I begged and pleaded mother to turn the car around and take me back home; at least to get some appropriate clothes on. My mother was firm in her decision and dejected, I sat back and waited for the ride to be over.
Somewhere in my mind, I was happy; both at being dressed like this, but at the same time that my mind hadn’t taken another slip. From my little sister, I heard her say, “You look really beautiful Marcus, can I braid your hair?”
From the front seat, I heard mother responded, “Don’t be encouraging Marcus on. Oh, and call him Ashley while were at the hospital.”
Seeing the hurt look on Katherine’s face, I wondered to myself, “How can things get any worse?” In the distance, I could see the hospital and pondered over how people at the place were mother work were going to react.