“I'm starting dinner.” Mom said as they entered the house. “I expect you two to behave and not argue, understand?” They nodded. Sammy planned to go to his room and avoid Sarah by any means necessary, but like always, she had other plans.
“Come here, Sammy. I want to show you something.” She said, stopping in the doorway of her room. He sighed and made no move toward her.
“Look, can't we just spend some time apart?” He asked. “I'm not in the mood”
“Not in the mood for what?”
“Stop that.” He said, annoyed. “You're my big sister, whatever. Just leave me alone.”
“Alright, we can play in your room then.” Sarah said, following him. Since Sammy did not have a lock, he had no way to keep her out.
“Please, Sarah. Big sister.” He said, flopping down on his bed. Sarah shrugged.
“Fine. If you're going to be a baby about it.” She turned and stormed out, leaving Sammy perplexed. Had he just won against Sarah? It happened so infrequently that he almost did not know what to do. Should he go after her to apologize? He scoffed. What did he have to apologize for. She was the one who endlessly teased him. She was the one who had made him into some sort of little boy, not the young man he wanted so badly to be. He glared at his dress, no, it was just the dress in the closet. It was not his. He hated it.
Marching over, Sammy grabbed the dress and balled it up, throwing it into the back of his closet. He felt a strange swell of relief in the small act of defiance. He grinned at his reflection. He felt so much better, taller even. He knew that Sarah had no power over him now. He was his own man, as it were. He hoped the feeling would last.
* * *
To his surprise, the next time that he saw Sarah was downstairs, when it was time for dinner. Halfway down the stairs, he sniffed the air and groaned. That was the unmistakable smell, no stench of broccoli, which easily had to be his least favorite vegetable, not that Sammy liked any vegetables.
“Sammy, is that you pounding down the stairs like a herd of elephants?”
“Yeah.”
“You were making so much noise, I thought you'd fallen.” His mom said as he reached the ground floor. “Go wash up. Sarah's setting the table right now and your dad will be here in just a few minutes.” Sammy had forgotten that Dad was due to come home from his business trip today and he could not help but smile. Sure, his dad usually sided with his mom and Sarah, but he firmly believed that his presence would help Sammy resist Sarah's latest bout of manipulations.
“She'll be my little sister again.” He mused as he scrubbed his hands.
“Use soap.” His mom called through the door. How did she always know? He pumped some soap onto his hands and washed them again before heading out to the dining room. He perked up as he saw his dad sitting at the table.
"Hi there, Sam.” His dad said, smiling at him. “Why do you look so happy?”
“Just missed you.” He said with a slight shrug. His dad chuckled and tousled his hair.
“Getting a little shaggy there.” He said with a grin.
“Yeah”
“It’s okay. I kinda like it.” His dad said. “Why can’t guys have long hair, hmm? Might even get you a girlfriend!” Sammy chuckled nervously. He was not sure he wanted a girlfriend. After all, Sarah was a girl and she had weird ideas.
“Here comes dinner!” Mom said, carrying in a plate of chicken breasts. “Sammy, sit down.” Sammy slid into his chair next to Sarah, who smiled at him.
“Did you wash your hands?”
“Did you?”
“Sammy makes a good point, Sarah. Did you?” Mom said. Sarah ran to the bathroom. “Walk, young lady!” Sarah grumbled, but complied.
By the time Sarah had returned, Mom was dishing up food. Sammy wrinkled his nose as he saw that Mom had given him far more broccoli than she had given Sarah.
“They're exactly equal, Sammy.” She said, reading his mind. “You just have bigger pieces.” Sammy had his doubts, but what could he do? He looked at the chicken, but realized he did not have a knife.
“Hey, where's my knife?”
“Oh, one of our steak knives broke, honey.” Mom said to the kids’ dad. “I meant to get a new set today, but the store didn't have the style I like.”
“I can cut your chicken for you, Sammy.” Sarah immediately swooped in and set to work eagerly cutting his chicken. Rather than cut it all at once, she cut a piece off and then held it up to his lips. “Open wide, Sammy.”
“C'mon” he began to say, but the intrusion of the chicken silenced him. Sarah smiled and, retracting the fork, cut a second piece as Sammy chewed the first. “Give me” the fork pushed its way in again. Somehow, Sarah knew just the right size of piece, just slightly too big, to silence Sammy with chewing. He glared at her as she used his chewing time to spear two of the biggest pieces of broccoli, promising him a disgusting mouthful ahead.
Sammy held his mouth shut and reached for the fork, but Sarah pulled it away. He chased it, but Sarah remained firm.
“I'll give you the fork after one more bite.” She said. Sammy looked to his parents appealingly.
“Sarah, you've had your fun.” Mom said.
“Give Sammy the fork after one last bite.” Dad added. “And cut up his chicken for him, please.”
“I will.” Sarah said as angelically as she could.
“They've been doing things like this all day.” Mom said wearily. “Sammy, just open your mouth so you both can eat your dinner.” Sammy frowned, but complied, practically gagging as his mouth was filled seemingly to the brim with broccoli.
Making short work of cutting his chicken, Sarah left his fork on the plate and started eating her own meal.
“At least Sammy's eating his veggies.” Mom mused. “Maybe that's all we need, a threat of having someone feed him them.” Sammy rolled his eyes, but took care to finish his broccoli before his chicken, forcing it down and trying his best to hide his revulsion.
“That darn washer shredded a few dish towels today.” Mom said. “We’re going to have to get it replaced soon, I think.” Dad sighed.
“At least it was only some towels.” Weariness and annoyance filled his voice, but he smiled as he looked at his kids. “And what have you two been up to lately?” Sammy looked over at Sarah, wondering if she was going to tell him about the dress he had worn the day before.
“Nothing much.” Sarah said. Sammy nodded, appreciative.
"Sammy, tell your dad about what you wore yesterday.” He blushed and hoped his mom knew how betrayed he felt.
“Um… Sarah and I had a bet that one of her dresses would fit me.”
“And did it?” Sammy felt a few tears well up in his eyes as he nodded. His dad chuckled. “You know, I wore dresses a couple times playing with my cousins.” He patted Sammy’s shoulder. “They’re just clothes, kiddo.”
“Does that mean Sammy can wear dresses more often?” Sarah exclaimed.
“Only if he wants, remember?” Mom said.
“Oh, good! After dinner, can we go upstairs and I can give Sammy all the dresses I don’t wear anymore.”
“Calm down, sweetie.” Dad said.
“Well, he’s already got my old nighties.”
“He does?” Dad’s surprise was written all over his face as he looked at his timid son.
“Sammy realized that he would rather not have to run out of the house in just his undies if there's an emergency.” Mom said. Sammy was not sure how he felt about it sounding like it was his idea. “So, we're making due with some of Sarah's old nightgowns. Just until we can go buy him some pajamas of his own.” Mom explained. Dad laughed and looked over at his son, who was staring down at his food, humiliated.
“And what do you think of all this?”
“Don’t like it.” Sammy mumbled. “It’s embarrassing. I’m a twelve year old boy, not Sarah’s doll!”
“C’mon, Sammy.” His dad said. “If you’re wearing the dresses, they’re doing a lot more good than they would just hanging in Sarah’s closet. You only need to wear them when you want, okay?”
“Okay.”
“So, Sarah. That means no forcing your brother to wear them.” He turned his attention back to the boy. “But I do want you to wear one tomorrow so I can see, alright?”
“But”
“Please wear one for me, Sammy?” His dad asked.
“The whole day?”
“Sure. Sara’s worn dresses all day lots of times, hasn’t she?”
“That’s different.” Sammy mumbled, but he knew he had lost the battle.
“Finish eating.” Mom said. “You've already taken your bath for today, so I want you to put on your nightie immediately after dinner. Bedtime's not that far off.” Sara giggled until Sam’s glare caught her attention.
“I still don't see why I can't take showers.” He muttered. His mom tsked.
“We went over this earlier.”
“Why's Sammy already had his bath?” Dad asked. Sammy sighed and explained the whole mud hole fiasco. Dad shook his head.
“And this is why I tell you kids to stay away from it. You're lucky you didn't get hurt, Sammy.”
“I think you should block it off yourself, Dave.” Mom said. “The kids clearly can't handle it.” She looked back at Sammy.
“Like I said earlier, Sammy, you'll be taking baths for the time being. I think at least for the summer. When school comes in the fall, maybe we can discuss letting you take showers like your sister, okay? If you think you can be trusted to keep clean like a big boy.” Sammy felt his ears burn from the most extensive blush ever. He was twelve years old for god's sakes! “Now, take your dishes into the kitchen, put them in the dishwasher and then go upstairs and put on your nightie. I'm sure your dad wants to see you in your new nightwear.”
“Okay.” Sammy mumbled, getting up and putting his dishes in the dishwasher before disappearing upstairs.
Topic: Boys Don't Wear Dresses (Read 70684 times)
