32A

"Now, you have seen it for yourself. Do you still doubt me?"

"Jasmine, please forgive me, and thank you very much."

She smiled radiantly at me as I turned and twisted my torso, admiring Cindy in the mirror. I was so excited that I kept twirling round and round in front of the mirror liked Natalie Portman in Black Swan. I thought to myself that if I could wear this dress in class then it would be really great. However, I knew that would be silly.

"Can I keep this dress?"

Jasmine nodded with a grin.

"Now, can I have my clothes back?" I said after giving one last lingering look at Cindy.

"Of course not."

"Jasmine, enough is enough. I really want to get changed now. Someone might come in at any second."

"But why change. There's really no need to. You're so pretty, nobody can tell."

"Come on, Jasmine."

"No." She said brusquely.

At that juncture, two girls in PT kits came into the changing room. My heart was thumping madly all of a sudden and my face turned scarlet. I bent over a bench and pretended to fiddle with my socks, hoping that my hair could hide my glowing hot cheeks. I looked up pleadingly at Jasmine but she shook her head firmly. Then from the mirror, I saw that one of the girls had slipped off her top and was she wearing just a white bra on top. I thought to myself, "O.M.G. is she going to take off her bra as well!" My heart was pumping so furiously that I began to feel dizzy.

"Let's go, Cindy." Jasmine said just as the other girl was wriggling her PT top over her shoulders, baring a sports-bra. When Jasmine saw that I was still making no move, she added, "C'mon, it's getting late."

The two girls were staring at us now. I pulled my hair with my fingertips, trying desperately to hide my face as I followed Jasmine out of the changing room. Nervously, I hid behind Jasmine. As we went for the school gate, we saw more girls, from the volleyball team, heading towards the changing room. I just lowered my head, hoping that if I didn't look at them, they wouldn't discover that I was wearing the wrong uniform.

At the school gate, Jasmine suddenly threw a heavy pink backpack to me.

"It's your. A gift." She said.

I checked it and found my schoolbag along with my clothes inside.

I looked up at Jasmine and I didn't know what to say.

"C'mon, Cindy."

As if in a trance, I followed her.

"Where are we going?" I asked in a hush and nervous voice. Yet, I was feeling really excited deep down for Cindy's first public appearance.

"I am taking you home to show you some really pretty dresses. Is that all right?"

What choice did I have, but say yes?

We took a bus. It was rather crowded and I felt men pressing against my body. Instinctively, I crossed my arms to protect my bosom. I also pressed my thighs tightly together, praying that my thingie would stay in place and not slip out to embarrass me.

"Mum, I'm home and I've brought my friend Cindy over for a visit."

Jasmine's mum came out of the kitchen and said hi. She was also a tall woman. I wondered if I was imagining things but I saw no warmth in her smile.

Jasmine took me to her room and locked the door.

"Your mum seems nice." I said.

"You liar. I saw that you noticed the chill in her smile."

I looked at Jasmine with a new respect. She didn't miss a thing.

"Is your mum always like that?"

"Ha! Now she probably thinks that we are lesbian lovers."

"You're kidding me!"

"Well, I'm not les if that was what you were thinking. I just don't like the clothes, the make-up and the things she bought me. If I could have a choice, I would rather be a man."

Judging from her behaviour at school, I could very well believe her.

"Now, you want some pretty dresses. Take your pick."

She pulled open the door of her walk-in wardrobe and my jaw dropped.

"Oh My..."

There were literally dozens of colourful dresses all hanging at the far end while a few pair of jeans and unisex casual wears that I presumed were her favourites were left hanging near the doorway.

"Your mum bought you all these?"

She nodded.

"Then she must love you dearly."

"Well, I have no use of them. They're just not my style. In fact, I hate them. Last year, I had a big row with mum. She wanted me to wear a 'lady-like' dress to dinner with her and her friends, those snobs! I told her that I was not interested in her dresses or her friends. Then she suddenly yelled at me, asked why I behaved like a tomboy and queried if I was, you know, a lesbian...

"After the row, we hardly spoke to each other for a month. To show how pissed off I was with her, I failed my exams deliberately last year. Well, count yourself lucky. Otherwise, we wouldn't come across each other and you wouldn't be here."

"Jasmine, how can you be so cruel to your mum?"

"Oh hell, not another word, please!"

"So you mean I can borrow some of your dresses?"

"For all I care, you can have them."

"Oh no, that won't do. I can't be your puppet, to act against your mum."

"You trying to be a smartarse or what! So, do you want my dresses or not?"

"Perhaps I could come around once in a while and try them."

"You mean to pose as my lesbian lover and give my mum a heartache once in a while?"

"Oh no, but..."

"You look really lovely and convincing in this school dress. Perhaps I would lend you one piece at a time so that you can dress up at home. And if you're brave," she paused and stared at me, challenging me, "we can have a date. You did say that your grandparents trust you and let you go out, right?"

"That's no problem, but I don't want people to see us as dykes."

"Wrong. You will be going out with a boyfriend."

"You mean... you are the boyfriend? You are going to dress up like a man!"

"Well, I'm proposing a date to you, yes or no?"

I thought about it for a bit. Then I checked her collection of pretty dresses and I was truly tempted.

"Let me pick one for you now, Cindy."

She went inside. Half a minute later, she came out with a knitted dress in red and white stripes.

"This will suit you very nicely."

It was like brand new and I doubted if Jasmine had worn it before. It was, as she put it, just not her style! I measured it against my shoulder and checked it in the mirror. It was kind of short but it was really pretty. Before I could say, "Yes, please" Jasmine fetched me a pair of tan leather ankle boots with sensible two-inch heels. Well, the boots had been worn before but they were good as new.

"You will probably need one of these."

She pulled open a deep drawer at the far end of her wardrobe. There must be hundreds of tights and all sorts of pretty socks, like the pair that I was wearing. They were all brand new and were still in their original packing.

"Take this." She threw me a packet of neon-green nylon.

"Thanks! Can I try them on now?" I didn't demure this time and took everything eagerly.

"Nah," she shook her head and continued. "Surprise me on Friday night when we shall have our first date. Oh, that's tomorrow night!"

I thought for a bit and nodded with a grin.

"Now, perhaps it's time for me to finally get changed." I said.

"You mean you want mum to ask you where Cindy was and why there was a boy in my bedroom."

I gulped. I never thought of that.

"So, how am I going to change back to my clothes?"

"Well, that's your problem isn't it? If I were you, I wouldn't bother. You will be the prettiest schoolgirl in town."

"I can't go home like this."

"Of course you can. Now, unless Cindy wants to stay and have dinner with my mum and dad, I suggest you say goodbye to mum. I shall see you tomorrow at school."

"You planned this. You tricked me into this."

She shrugged.

Carefully, I checked my hair then my bosom at her dresser mirror. I took a few deep breaths to work up my courage for a quick goodbye and left. Jasmine accompanied me to the bus stop and stayed until my bus came.

"Don't worry. Cindy, you look great. Honest!"

Suddenly, I was left on my own and my stomach was turning upside down. I became such a nervous wreck that I just stood at one side on the bus looking down at the shiny buckles of my Mary Jane, trying to avoid eye contact with the others. However, there were some girls from another school on the bus. They saw that I was standing and they squeezed together to free up a space for me to sit next to them. This had never happened to Steven before!

"Thanks." I muttered in my best attempt of a girlish lilt. Yet, my heart was thudding so loudly I felt sure that the girls could hear it.

My knees felt wobbly as I alighted the bus near home. How could I explain to my grandparents? I tried looking for a public toilet to get changed. But should I go to a men's room or the ladies' room? I risked getting arrested either way. The safest bet, after all, was to sneak back home as quickly and as quietly as possible.

Gently, I slipped the key in the lock and turned. I could hear granny cooking in the kitchen and grandpa was nowhere in sight. I suppose that he would be playing chess with friends at the community hall. Quickly, I tiptoed to my bedroom and locked the door.

"Steven, is that you?"

"Yes."

"You are late today. Can you come and give me a hand."

"Yes, I won't be a minute."

I was dying to try on Jasmine's pretty dress but that would have to wait. I stripped off the school dress, the bra and stuffs and hurriedly pulled on my t-shirt and shorts to join granny in the kitchen.

"Keep, stirring." Grandma instructed as she stepped out of the kitchen to prepare the table.

"Steven, why there is a dress on your bed?"

Stunned, I suddenly remembered that I had forgotten to put it away. My head was suddenly spinning.

Granny was standing and staring at me at the doorway while holding Jasmine's old school dress.

I had to think on my feet and think fast. I told her that was my costume for a school play where boys and girls had to switch roles.

"Can I come and see it?"

"I don't think so. It's an inter-class drama competition and no guests were invited, sorry!"

"Well, tell me all about it, will you?"

And thank god, I got out of that one. But I just couldn't afford to be so careless anymore!

Jasmine and I again spent the morning recess alone in the classroom and I told her all about granny's discovery.

"Clever that you thought of a school play. But why didn't you tell her that it was a school project. Tell her instead that we had to switch roles and go out in town every Friday evening, starting from tonight?"

I stared at her and she suddenly burst out laughing.

"I'm just kidding. So are you up to it tonight?"

"I suppose so."

"You don't sound very positive."

"I am so scared of getting caught."

Then I told her about the girls on the bus and she just giggled.

"And this evening, I have to find a way to sneak out home as Cindy."

"Well, that's your problem."

I sighed. Jasmine could be so impossible, at times!

We had lunch together but we didn't stay in the classroom as our classmates were already giving us the eyes. In any case, we agreed to meet at 6:00 tonight. When the school bell chimed at 3:45, we left separately in a hurry.

Granny was watching TV in the living room and grandpa was not at home as expected. Last night, I told them that I was joining some classmates for dinner to discuss about the play. My plan was to sneak out at 5:30 dressed as Cindy, around the time granny would start cooking in the kitchen. Now, I had to work fairly quickly. Otherwise, I would be late for Cindy's first date.

With the bedroom door securely locked, I dug out the pretty dress Jasmine lent me from the pink backpack. It was a knitted woollen dress in bold red and white stripes. It looked rather short. I stripped and searched through my collection of underwear. I chose a padded black bra with a black pair of lacy bikini knickers. I donned them quickly and double-checked that I had my thingie safely tugged out of sight. When I slipped on the dress, it felt very soft and light. The dress was meant to be formfitting and it came down to just around mid-thigh, leaving the better half of my legs on show. Sexy, I thought to myself. But when I smoothed the dress over my small bosom, I frowned.

"No, not good enough."

I removed the dress and stuffed an extra pair of sponge padding in the padded bra cups. When I put the dress back on and checked I frowned again. Was I overdoing it? I looked kind of clumsy on top! However, for tonight I preferred a slightly exaggerated version of Cindy. Whether Jasmine was a lesbian or not, I wanted her to have a really sexy and attractive girlfriend tonight.

Quickly, I slipped on the glossy pair of tights and admired my legs in the mirror.

"Hi, sexy!"

I said but had to try it again at a higher pitch, in a girlish lilt.

"Hurry up Cindy. No time to waste." I told myself.

I put on the boots. They fit and the leather was supple but the narrow toecaps felt rather uncomfortable against my feet. I wondered if Jasmine had a pair half-size bigger. She probably had. Yesterday, I noticed that she had quite a collection of, how should I describe them, very 'lady-like' shoes. And they all looked like brand new to me.

I planned to make myself up nicely for our first date and it was getting really late.

Quickly, I unscrewed the Revlon bottle. As I applied a coat of fiery red vanish on my short nails, I told myself that I had to let my fingernails grow. Painstakingly, I applied varnish on the right hand.

I spent the next 10 minutes or so admiring Cindy's voluptuous body in the mirror, her sexy stockinged legs and the bright nail varnish. Not bad! But if I could be a bit rounder on the hips then I would look much sexier, I thought to myself. When I was certain that the varnish had set in, I added the lipstick and eyeliner.

"Steven, do you want something to eat before you go out."

Granny asked as she knocked on my door and I almost had a heart attack.

"No thanks!" I halted my girlish lilt and switched back to my normal voice, "I want to get some homework done before going out."

"All right."

Then I heard she walked to the kitchen. Shortly after, granny was chopping with the cleaver. I checked my watch. Damn, it was 5:35 already! Oh Jasmine, I was trying really hard today! Don't get mad at me, if I was just a few minutes late!

I checked myself in the mirror and realized that I had done nothing about the hair. Carefully, I combed my hair the way Jasmine showed me yesterday. I checked my watch again but realized that it didn't match my Cindy outfit and it had to go. I took it off and told myself that would have to do for now.

I had nothing to put my wallet and keys. I grabbed them, eased open my bedroom door a crack and listened. Granny was still chopping in the kitchen. I tiptoed to the door in this uncomfortable pair of boots, didn't pause to say goodbye but slipped outside quickly, in case granny would put down the cleaver, come out and catch me in this outrageous outfit!

Wearing this very light and body clinging short dress, I knew that I was showing too much legs. A light breeze blew right through the knit-ware making me feel naked. Suddenly, I became conscious that men were checking me out. Yet, I felt a weird kind of satisfaction. Jasmine, you should be so proud of Cindy tonight. I took the bus to Tsimshatsui, my heart thudding furiously all the while, as men on the bus were stealing glances at me.

I didn't have my watch but the tower-clock said 6:20! I was really late and I dreaded Jasmine's wrath.

I walked towards the seafront and scanned around but couldn't find her. I began to worry. Perhaps she was so mad at me that she had left already.

"Hi, sexy!" said a familiar voice.

I turned around and saw Jasmine, or was that really she? She wore a thick chequered cotton shirt showing no telltale curve on top, a pair of loose-fitting denim jeans that couldn't disguise her long slim legs and a pair of Nike trainers. She also had an ugly pair of glasses in a thick black frame. The lenses must be plain-glass, I thought to myself and chuckled.

"You looked so stupid with that pair of glasses, Jasmine"

"Sssh..."

"Oh, I... I, I mean James." I corrected myself.

She smiled.

"And you looked so devilishly sexy, Cindy." She said while ogling lecherously all over me.

And I just blushed from head to toes!

We went to the nearby MacCafe at Star House and ordered a simple dinner that I insisted on paying, to show my appreciation for her help.

"Everything fit you alright, I guess?" Jasmine, or was it James, asked while sipping a cup of cappuccino.

"The dress is too short. I am surprised that your mum let you wear this.

"Well, she would try anything just if I tried the girlie stuff she bought me. In any case, you were supposed to wear it over leggings and not just a pair of sheer nylon, sexy."

"You tricked me into this!"

"Yes, how did you guess," she grinned.

"I thought the dress would look nicer though, with a belt."

"Come to think of it, there was a belt to go with the dress. I just forgot about it yesterday, sorry!"

"Then the boots, they felt a bit cramp around the toes. I wondered if you had something else half a size bigger."

"I just might. But I thought they looked nice with the dress, don't you think?"

"Sure, they go very nicely together."

"So, any more complaints?"

"Well, a handbag to put my things would be nice." I showed her my keys and wallet.

"I shall remember that next time and perhaps a watch for you too. Anything else?"

I couldn't tell whether she mentioned the watch as a kind of rebuke for my lateness. Suddenly, she was ogling all over me again and she made me queasy. I crossed my legs and pressed a hand over the hem of the short dress, making sure that I looked decent.

"Uh, nothing, no complaints." I shook my head.

"Well, then I have one."

"Yeah?"

"Must you be so over the top? I mean, it looked at though you were wearing at least C or probably D-cups. You like top-heavy type women?"

"No, I don't. In fact, I thought they looked kind of clumsy. But, I thought you might..."

She shook her head disapprovingly.

"Sorry!" I blushed.

"It's all right. I just don't like men all around gawping at my girlfriend."

I blushed a few shades deeper.

"Well, you looked rather handsome... James." I tried to divert the attention.

"I thought you said you didn't like the glasses. I knew that I looked stupid with them. Yet, I couldn't leave home without them."

She glanced around and lifted the glasses briefly. I had to agree with her. She looked too damn pretty in the face without that awful piece of disguise.

"I see what you mean. But you look very tall and handsome, even with that stupid pair of glasses!"

"Thanks!" she smirked. "Now, shall we go out for a walk on the promenade? After all, it's our first date."

"Sure... Jas... James." I must get used to calling her James, otherwise we would both look really stupid.

We got up and headed for the exit. The heels of her boots were suddenly making so much noise on the tiled floor that I noticed men's eyes were burning on my body. A shiver went down my spine as I pressed the embarrassingly short dress down behind my back and made my way carefully up the stairs.

We walked by the seafront but at an awkward distance from each other, pretending to admire the night scene on Hong Kong Island across the Victoria Harbour. As we were passing through the dark shadow behind the Cultural Centre, we saw pairs of lovers holding hands, cuddling and some even kissing. I felt a sudden sense of unease. I glanced sheepishly at Jasmine and found that she was gazing down at me. She must have also realized our predicament. I felt her hand reaching across and took mine. Her palm felt so soft and warm and my cheeks were burning all of a sudden.