A Diary for Two Ch. 07

"Well you'll have to start getting used to stockings and tights," said Henry with a little sigh.

"You want me to wear stockings and tights?" I asked, outraged.

"Yes I do." He stated, "I'll buy you some tights on the way back tomorrow. And I'll expect you to put on some of the make-up I bought you yesterday. You really need to start looking like a normal girl. I'm not asking for a princess, but at least look normal for once. You don't want to attract attention."

"Oh I think she'll get quite a bit of that anyway!" Mike interjected, winking as I stared at the two of them, stony-faced.

Sighing, I sat down on the couch, and turned the TV onto Family Guy. I had had enough of those two. I spent the rest of the afternoon going through episode after episode, enjoying the laughter and controversy that made me forget about my current annoyances. The other two watched it with me, occasionally communicating via small signs behind my back when they thought I couldn't see them. I ignored them, hoping I wouldn't go on being the butt of their jokes forever.

When dinnertime finally came, the other two ordered pizza. I wasn't that hungry myself, but I did enjoy taking a couple of slices off of them. I had finished one when the front door suddenly opened. It was Beth. Henry quickly pushed me down into the couch, sitting upright so as to hide me from the front door. Luckily, Beth didn't come and say hello, but instead went straight up the stairs, walking slowly. She'd obviously had a long day.

Relieved, I slipped into my room, not wishing to be discovered, and sat down in front of my desk after having locked the door. I sighed and just sat there, thinking about what had happened over the last two days. Suddenly remembering that I had missed three lectures today, I turned on my computer and went onto the university website to catch up. I was used to not working all that much, but I rarely missed lectures, and that combined to how far behind I was getting due to my new condition made me feel rather guilty.

I worked for a couple of hours, quickly reviewing what I had missed before attempting to apply them in problem sheets. It was tedious work, but it needed to be done. I was starting to lose hope as I got stuck on a thermal physics problem when I heard a soft knocking on the bedroom door. I went to open it and found Henry and Mike standing outside.

"What?" I asked them simply.

"Well..." Started Henry, "We just wanted to say that we're sorry if we acted like jerks earlier on." Mike was nodding silently at this. "We've talked about it and we decided that we should at least treat you like a real girl when you are Elise. You may not necessarily enjoy that, but it's only right to keep up the disguise for as long as we can, and that works both ways. It's your choice as to whether you want to accept your life as Elise real, or just as a cover-up... but despite that, to the world, Elise is real."

I looked at them for a while, before finally nodding at them.

"Now," He continued, "We're sorry we're forcing you to do certain things here, but it's for your own good! You need to learn to integrate, or at least make 'Elise' integrate... And for that you need some help, some pushing. Think of us as your training wheels. We're not here to make things worse, but to help you make them better."

I sighed at that, and looked down at my feet. "I know that." I said.

"Good."

To my surprise, Henry lent down and kissed me on the forehead. He then turned around and walked up the stairs, swiftly followed by Mike.

I looked up at them as they ascended, feeling a little perplexed, my small, feminine frame standing awkwardly in the doorway to my room.