The Girl in the Mirror Chapter 9
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Read this chapter The Girl in the Mirror
Contents |
Location
- Bradford
- "Dress to Desire" - Chicago
Characters
- Shae Kirkendahl
- Denis Riley
- Bill Riley & Arlene Riley, Denis' parents
- Carl Buttery
- Barb
Also Mentioned
Time period
March, 1987
Summary
Denis (dressed as Eve) prepared an excellent, well organized dinner, and impressed his parents with the dinner and how he looked and acted as a bright, happy teenaged girl; he convinced everyone including Shae that his notion wasn't as far out as they had thought. Bill says that the time has come to explore the process in more detail; they realize that things are going to get weird at times. Shae tells them "You just said we were going to have to get used to weird now and then, so here we go. We need to go talk to the guy where I get my shoes," adding that Dress to Desire in Chicago has a small clientele of large women like Shae and her mother, but primarily caters to cross-dressing men, not all of whom are gay.
On the way to Chicago, Shae warned them "Carl wanted me to tell you that if we go through with this, we're going to be around the edges of the gay community off and on all the way. Just be cool and remember that people have a right to be different." She also pointed out an important rule of etiquette, and not just for today, either: whether a person looks like a woman or a man, treat them according to the gender that they appear, unless they tell you otherwise.
At first glance, the store looked like a more or less normal women's clothing store with a large shoe section, although many items were unusually flamboyant. They were greeted by Carl, a nicely dressed graying, fiftyish man who was at most four and a half feet tall. Carl is impressed that Bill and Arlene are approaching the situation with an open mind, and that he's asked a friend of his who had been through the process to talk with them. Barb was a tall, dark-haired woman dressed in a business suit, mid-thirties at a guess; her first words to Denis were "Don't do it". She went on to warn them that there were many reasons not to go through with it, but added that if she had to do it again, she wouldn't hesitate. After telling about her experiences, she explained a lot about the process, including hormone therapy, electrolysis, facial plastic surgery, and the requirement to prove that he was ready to live as a women by a "Real Life Test (RLT)" - at least a year.
She mentioned that Denis was in a much better situation than she had been, between having a friend and family who were supportive, and by being younger with a body that had not reached full adulthood; he should start on some of the hormone therapy as soon as possible. She mentioned that college would be an excellent environment for the RLT.
When she leaves, she wishes Denis luck, and her last thought for him was "Don't do it", although she wishes him luck whichever way he decides. Carl sends them out for lunch, and tells them to come back in a while for some additional practical advice.
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