America's Pastime

"Okay, our first stop will be Nordstrom's Rack. They have tons of cute clothes there and it won't break the budget." I followed her without a word, and soon I was standing behind her as she pawed her way through racks of ladies' jeans, eventually selecting a few pairs which she thought might look good on me. I was relieved to see that they weren't too dissimilar from the kind of jeans I wore, only with some extra stitching in patterns which weren't overtly feminine. Then we moved on to the tops, where she quickly grabbed a few simple ones that again didn't scream "girl" but which were obviously women's wear. She escorted me into one of the fitting rooms, and looked on while I stripped down to my bra and panties and started trying them on.

The jeans were snug, but they fit me perfectly, and the tops fit me too, dropping easily over my shoulders and falling softly against my hips. "Those are all so cute!" Jan whispered. "They sort of disguise your hips and don't make you look so much like a guy anymore."

If looks could kill, she would have died in the fitting room from the glare I gave her. After I put my clothes back on, she led me over to the purses, where she selected a simple over-the-shoulder bag before we proceeded to the shoe department. I sat in abject humiliation as she worked her way through the stacks of women's shoes, trying several pairs on me before she settled on comfortable ballet flats which would go with my new outfits. Our final stop was lingerie, where she stocked up on panties and two more sports bras. By then, I'd become resigned to my fate, and I followed her morosely back to the shuttle after she paid for everything with Coach Heller's credit card, carrying two bulging shopping bags while she chattered away. "I can't believe we were able to get everything in one store! And did you see those prices? Coach is going to be thrilled."

I continued to give her the cold shoulder on the ride back to campus. She offered to help me carry my new possessions back to my dorm, but I told her curtly that she'd done enough for me for one day and I'd see her tomorrow.

* * *

The next morning, I dressed myself as a coed for the first time. Bud was still asleep, but he woke up in time to see me stepping into my new flats and examining myself in the full length mirror on the closet door. "Holy shit, what happened to you?"

"I got fucked, is what happened to me. In order to keep my scholarship, I have to pretend that I'm a girl full time."

"Says who?"

"Says the Dean of Students. She afraid we'll get busted by the NCAA if I don't start living as a chick all the time."

"Bummer!"

"Tell me about it. And the worst part about it is, that cute girl Jan that I was telling you about was in on the whole thing, and she helped put this lovely outfit together. Aren't I cute?"

"You are, actually. If I didn't know it was you, I'd really think you were a chick. Only you're gonna have to do something about that mop on your head."

"Oh don't worry, that's next." I'd received a text from Coach Heller informing me that Erin had an appointment at a salon near the campus first thing in the morning so I wouldn't miss any classes, and with that I picked up my new purse, loaded it with my wallet, keys and cellphone, and headed out the door.

Two hours later, a new girl walked out of the salon and made her way towards the campus. Her hair was styled in a sassy bob, which fell just below the collar of her pretty top, which in turn curved seductively around her slim hips. Her feet looked downright dainty in her ballet flats, which were kissed by the hems of her designer jeans, and a close inspection of her hands revealed delicate fingernails polished by a manicurist at the salon. As she tried to get used to walking with a feminine gait, she pulled her cellphone out of her purse to find a text from Jan:

"I am so sorry about yesterday! I got so excited picking out things for you that I didn't think about what this must be doing to your head. I guess we got off to a bad start but what I told you yesterday was true: I think I have a crush on you, and if you're willing to give me another try at being your girlfriend, can we meet for lunch at the student union? If you don't want to, I'll understand, but I hope you'll say yes"

I put my cellphone back in my purse and stewed. What the hell did the woman take me for? Was all this just part Coach Heller's scheme to turn me more and more into a girl? But wait a minute, Coach Heller seemed genuinely uncomfortable with the Dean's ultimatum, and maybe Jan was just trying to help the team? I'd already thrown away any pretense that I was still a guy - when I walked into my lecture hall in a few minutes, every student in the class would clock me...although with my new clothes and hairdo, I looked so totally different that maybe they wouldn't even recognize me? Wasn't that the best way to play this, try to lose myself on campus as just another coed and blend into the crowd? And if I was going to have a shot at pulling this off, I'd need some help....I pulled my cellphone back out of my purse and texted her, "It's a date."

* * *

I took a seat near the back of the large lecture hall, and while trying to concentrate on what the professor was saying, I found my eyes roving over the "other" girls in the glass. None of them seemed to be wearing skirts or dresses, although most of them had gone to some lengths with their makeup, and I knew I'd have to tackle that if I was going to blend in. I also noticed that several of the guys were staring at me, which was disturbing....

As soon as the lecture was over, I bolted out of the hall and headed for the student union. It was only 11:40, so I had time to duck into the campus store to look for the shampoo and conditioner which my stylist had recommended, along with the hairbrush she'd specified. While I was at it, I found a tube of lip gloss like the one that Jan had surprised me with, and when I went to pay for my acquisitions I was shocked by how much they set me back.

I stopped in the ladies room - another first for me - and brushed my hair and put on a smear of lipgloss before I entered the cafe, where Jan was waving at me from a table for two. When I joined her, she was gaping at me in surprise. "Omigod, your hair is adorable! And look at your nails! You are such a girl!"

"Thanks, that's just what I needed," I said, but I was smiling at her in spite of myself. None of the girls in my lecture hall were wearing skirts, but Jan was dolled up in a pretty pink skirt that showed off a beautiful pair of legs. "What's with the skirt? I thought you were a jock?"

"I was just feeling a little girly today, one of the prerogatives of being a woman. Are you getting a little used to the new you?"

"I was till I had to shell out a small fortune for hair products and makeup. Being a girl is expensive!"

"It is, but well worth it in your case. Seriously, you make a very pretty girl."

"Thanks, I guess. I think I need to raise my game with some makeup, but I haven't a clue where to start."

"Tell ya what, after lunch - which is on me, by the way, now that your every spare cent is being consumed by female essentials - let's stop by the drugstore and I'll help you get started." We talked easily like that for over an hour, just like two girls who'd known each other forever, pausing only long enough to swing by the salad bar for salads and iced tea. Jan's conversation was peppered with little tips on being a girl, eating like a girl, how to care for my new hairdo, and similar topics as the mysteries of womanhood were slowly revealed to me.

After lunch, it was off to the drugstore where she helped me select a moisturizer, liquid foundation, eye liner, eye shadow, mascara, an eyebrow pencil and makeup remover. I was exhausted and bewildered by the time we made it to the cashier, but she surprised me by pulling out Coach Heller's credit card again. "On the house. Coach won't mind when she sees the finished product."

"And when might that be?"

"We have over an hour before practice. Let's go to my dorm room and I'll get you started."

It was a short walk, and when we got to her room she proceeded to take all of the makeup out of its packaging before giving me a crash course. First she smoothed foundation on my face before she patiently lined my eyes, shadowed my eyelids, mascaraed my lashes, trimmed at tinted my eyebrows and reapplied my lipgloss. It was incredibly arousing, and when she was through I was aching for her, which she seemed to sense, or maybe she had similar feelings towards me, because the next thing I knew we were locked in a lovers' kiss, deep and soulful, and our hands began exploring each other's bodies as our passions carried us away. One thing led to another, and before long my jeans were off, and she pulled off my panties and hers too after she lifted up her skirt and fell back onto her bed. I was on top of her in a flash, and I came almost as soon as I entered her, which wasn't a problem because she came at the same time, glorious simultaneous orgasms which were as intensely pleasurable as anything I'd ever experienced.

We both lay there panting in unison as our passions slowly subsided. "I thought you were pretending to be a girl," she sighed.

"And I thought you were trying to turn me into one."

Finally, after another long, lovely kiss, one of us must have said, "We're gonna be late for practice," because we both started to throw our clothes back on and freshen our makeup before we made a mad dash for the locker room.

The rest of the team was already out on the field, but it didn't take us long to change into our uniforms and join them. "You're late, ladies," Coach Heller scolded us, but I could tell by the twinkle in her eye that she was surprised and delighted by my transformation. "Let's play ball!"

* * *

Our team soon jelled into a well-functioning unit, and the added range I gave them at shortstop provided just the edge that Coach Heller had been looking for. And while my prowess on the field was impressive, my progress off the field was equally encouraging, as Jan devoted every spare minute into making a girl out of me, when she wasn't taking me to her bed as her boyfriend and lover. She found some old foam breastforms which she suggested that I start putting into my sportsbra, and the hint of a bosom only added to the illusion of femininity. And although I'd shaved down periodically while I was trying out for the men's team, the daily ritual of shaving my legs intensified my commitment to womanhood.

Our first game was on a Friday, a home game against a powerful state university team that went to the College World Series the previous year. We were decided underdogs, but Coach Heller had us well prepared, and our scout was very familiar with our opponents' strengths and weaknesses.

Our pitcher was the girl who'd been with Coach Heller the first day I met her. She had a blistering fastball and great control, and she breezed through the top of the first inning, striking out two and getting the third out on a lazy fly ball to left field which Jan handled easily.

I was still an unproven asset, so Coach Heller had me batting sixth in the order. Our first two batters made easy outs, but then we started to rally. Jan, batting third, beat out an infield single, our cleanup hitter (the pitcher) walked, and the next batter was hit by an inside pitch. Suddenly I was at the plate, my first at bat in a college softball game, with the bases loaded. I fouled off the first pitch, took a couple of balls off the plate, and called a quick timeout to collect my thoughts. This pitch is going to be over the plate, and she'll probably take a little off it to fool me into swinging at a changeup, I guessed.

I dug in at the batter's box and waited for my pitch. When it came, it looked as big as a basketball and I timed my swing perfectly, driving it high in the air towards deep left center field. The outfielder could only turn and watch helplessly as it disappeared over the fence, a grand slam home run which gave us a 4-0 lead.

My teammates were delirious, mobbing me as I returned to the dugout. I had to re-insert my breastforms, which came loose during the melee, and Jan gave me a big kiss which wasn't lost on my teammates.

The rest of the game was a walk in the park as we shocked the visitors 7-1. I had two more hits and played flawlessly in the field, tracking down everything that came to the left side of the infield and snuffing out two potential runs with killer throws to home plate. Although it was early in the season, a few media outlets took notice of the stunning upset, and as the season progressed, our team started to attract national attention when our winning streak stretched to 18 games. By the time our team was selected for the College Softball World Series, I was hitting.458 and was a shoe-in for All American.

All the while, my love affair with Jan continued to blossom, including secret trysts in our hotel rooms during away games. My birth gender remained a well-kept secret until an enterprising newshound put two and two together and confronted Coach Heller with a demand to know if her star shortstop was really a man. At a hastily arranged press conference, she had no alternative but to admit that the pretty girl named Erin was born a boy and only recently started her transition.

A media storm was raging by the time we returned to campus from the last game of our regular season. With the College Softball World Series about to begin, Coach Heller and the

administration were under intense pressure to allow their star transwoman to face the press, which I resisted for several reasons. First, my parents would have to be told, and I had no idea how to tell them. Equally problematic was what to tell the media: if they learned that I only started to identify as a woman to get on the team, there might be a firestorm which could jeopardize our season, not to mention ruining my reputation. By the same token, I really didn't want the world to think that I wanted to turn myself into a woman for the rest of my life. And finally, there was the question my appearance: I'd been getting along with a couple of pairs of jeans and tops, but I had nothing suitable to wear to a nationally televised press conference.

The first issue was the hardest for me to handle, and I did it in a long, uncomfortable telephone call to my parents. I confessed to them that I'd been cut from the men's baseball team, but told them that I'd been allowed to play on the girl's team to keep my scholarship. They didn't seem to grasp the implication that I'd allowed myself to be turned into a girl for all outward appearances, and although I could tell that they were very disappointed in me, they surprised me by agreeing that if playing with the girls would allow me to stay in college, they would understand.

What to tell the media was Coach Heller's problem, and she strayed pretty far from the truth: a young man who failed to make the men's baseball team was given a second chance if he allowed his true self to emerge, which happened to be the girl he'd always dreamed of becoming. Once he put on the girl's uniform, she blossomed into a superstar, and she'd been living happily as a girl ever since.

That put the ball back in my court, and I had no idea what I was going to tell the media. But Jan solved my fourth problem when I visited her in her dorm room. "We're going to have to raise your game once again, girlfriend. It's time the world got to see you in a dress."

"No way! I've never even seen myself in a dress!"

"Well, it's now or never. Either you work with me here, or our team will probably get kicked out of the World Series, and I guess you can go back to being a boy when you get back home."

"There has to be some other way!"

"What's the big deal, Erin? You've been dressing as a girl nonstop for the past three months, you know that you're drop dead passable, and all I'm asking you to do is put on a different uniform. Don't you trust me?"

"You know that I do, Jan. If you really think this is necessary, I guess I can try it."

"Okay, first things first. Hop into the shower and shave your legs, then we'll work on your arms and chest together before I finish off your back." That was more than enough motivation, and soon we were playing with each other in the shower, which took on an extra spice with razors in our hands. After I finished shaving my legs, and we took care of the hair on my arms and chest, she spun me around and removed what little hair there was on my back, before I spun her around and fucked her standing up while she shampooed and conditioned my hair. It was the most erotic experience of my young life.

We were both totally satisfied by the time we got out of the shower. Jan instructed me to give my face an extra close shave before she went to work blow drying my hair, combing and brushing it back into a sassy bob. Next, she produced a pair of sexy panties from her lingerie drawer, and a matching brassiere, not a sports bra like the ones I was used to wearing, and she fastened it in the back before she filled the cups with some silicone breastforms that were much more realistic than the cheap foam ones I was used to. "Where'd you find these?" I asked her as I admired my figure in the mirror.

"I've had 'em for years, from before my boobs grew in. Maybe if we put you on hormones, you can grow a pair of your own?" I ignored her suggestion, and after she had me step into a lacy white slip, which was the sexiest thing I'd ever put on, she sat me down and presented me with a pair of sheer nude pantyhose.

"You've got to be kidding me," I said. "Nobody wears these things any more."

"They'll make you look all grown up. Go ahead, try putting them on, you might be surprised by how sexy they feel on your legs." I did as she suggested, letting her coach me on how to roll them over my toes and pull them up my legs to my waist, and when I was finished I had to admit that she was right - they were as sexy as my slip.

"Okay, now you're going to let me do your makeup." I sat back in my slip and stockings and relished the sensations of nylon and lace against my freshly shaved skin while she pampered my face with her brushes and sponges, transforming me into an attractive young woman with smoky eyes and pretty pink lips. After that, the slinky black dress she selected for me to wear was almost an anti-climax, and as she helped me drop it over my head and zipped me up in the back, smoothing it down over my slip until it was just so, I was afraid that an anti-climax might be just what I was heading for. "What's the matter?" Jan asked when she saw my worried expression.

"This dress...these stockings...it's all making me pretty hot, and I don't think I'm gonna be able to hold out much longer...."

"Oh dear, what have I done to you?" She got down on her knees, lifted up my dress and slip, and tugged down my hose and panties until my penis sprang to attention. "I'm gonna miss this little guy if we have to put you on hormones," she sighed before she closed her lips around me, and I thought I was going to die when I exploded into her mouth. She swallowed it all, every last drop, and I lost myself to sweet waves of ecstasy for what seemed like forever before I collapsed onto the floor next to her and started to cry. "What's the matter, baby?" she asked.

"I've never felt anything like this before, and I love it. I love you, but I love being a girl too. I never realized it before just now."

"That's okay, baby. I'm glad you found out."

"But how can you love a guy who wants to wear your clothes?"

"They're only clothes, Erin. The fact that you like to wear them as much as I do makes me feel very close to you. I know that you love me, and I've never felt closer to you than I do right now."