The Settlement

[Sandra B]

Chapter 22.  “The Lovely Lady, Christabel…”

At the end of school Philip remained in his seat as his classmates filed out.  There was a hubbub of excited chatter, and many of the girls waved goodbye or blew him kisses.  One or two came up to him and commended him for his courage.  Many of them would have loved to wear miniskirts, but feared repercussions.  Now if he could get away with it...  Miss Waters, sitting at her desk, occupied herself with her work until they had all gone.  Then she stood up and looked at her watch.
“Philip?  We have an appointment with Miss Tancred in five minutes.  Please follow me.”
She led the way to the head’s study and knocked.  They were admitted at once.  Miss Waters sat down to one side.  Philip remained standing, in front of her desk.  Miss Tancred leant back in her chair, and regarded him with an enigmatic smile on her face.
“So, Philip.  Until today you had been a model student.  And then suddenly you start breaking school rules, and are rude to your form teacher.  Do you have an explanation?”
“I’m sorry I was rude, miss.  I really didn’t mean to be.  I had to change my skirt, and I was afraid I was going to be late for registration.”
“Which you were,” interjected Miss Waters.
“But you did change your skirt, I see,” said Miss Tancred, glancing at it.
“Yes, miss.  I’m sorry.  I know it must be against school rules.  I’ll find my long skirt as soon as I can.”
“Oh, you’ve lost it, have you?”
“At the moment, yes, miss.”
“Is this it?”  She produced his skirt, neatly folded, from her desk drawer.
“Yes, miss.  I think so, miss.”
“It was found in the cloakroom this afternoon.
“Thank you, miss.”
“You’ve nothing to thank me for.  Since you appear unable to look after your own clothes, I’ll retain it here for safe keeping.  As to the school rules, I can tell you there are no rules about skirt length here.  We’re not one of those conservative establishments for the mass production of  nice conservative young ladies.  So you’ll be pleased to hear that you can keep that one on - the one you seem to prefer - for the rest of the year.”
“But…”
“No, Philip, I insist.  It suits you, and I have a feeling it might help to remind you of your place here, that you are nothing special, merely another student.”
“I don’t think I’m special at all, miss.”
“I’m pleased to hear it.  But I’m afraid I’m going to have to report your behaviour to your aunt.  I’m sure she won’t be very pleased to know her nephew has been behaving like a nine-year-old.”
“Please don’t, miss.  I don’t want to be punished twice for what I did.”
“Please don’t presume to question my judgement, Philip.  Being made to wear such a pretty skirt is hardly a punishment, anyway.  No, as to the punishment…  Miss Waters, you were the prime sufferer.  Can you suggest anything appropriate?”
Miss Waters tipped her head to one side and looked at Philip slyly.
“Well, I did have one idea,” she said.  What about if he were to spend some time each week acting as a model for the lower school Art and Media Society?  They can never find suitable subjects, you know.  They meet after school every Thursday.”
“That’s an excellent idea, Miss Waters.  I believe Miss Lambert fosters a very liberal approach to her subject.  Arrange it, would you?”
“Of course.”
“Philip?  You may go.  And don’t let me have to discipline you again.”
“No, miss.”

Philip returned to his classroom, gathered up his things, and headed for the gate.  He knew his tiny skirt was going to attract attention, and he was not looking forward to the walk home.  So it was with mixed feelings that he saw Olivia, the prefect, hanging about there.
“Can I walk with you, Philip?  I heard what happened.”
He would have liked to say no, but he knew her presence would distract attention from him, and give him confidence.  So he replied, “If you want, I guess.”
“Do you want?”
“I know you’re one of them.  Those horrible little pranksters.”
“Well, it’s true I do know them.  But I did warn you to do what they said.  If you’d taken my advice, perhaps things wouldn’t have turned out so badly.”
“Oh, it’s not that bad.”
“What did Miss Tancred say?”
“I have to keep wearing this skirt, and I have to model for the stupid Art and Media Society.”
“Really?  Clever Christabel!  Trust her to come up with something like that.”
“Actually, it was Miss Waters’ idea.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Anyway, do you know anything about that?  What will I have to do?”
“Oh, nothing much.  Miss Lambert believes in “free expression”.  So it will be up the girls to decide what you’re required to do.” 
“Great!  That’s all I need.  At the mercy of another bunch of….”
“Well, I’m sure they’re not that bad.  Don’t pre-judge them.  You’re too pessimistic about everything.  Look on the bright side for once. You’re now the centre of gossip in the school, everyone knows who you are, and in fact I would say you’ve become incredibly popular.  Make the most of it!”
“All I want is to get on with my studies!”
“Well, it needn’t stop you doing that.  Look at the rest as a bonus.”
“Some bonus!  But no, it won’t stop me.  I’ll show them.”
“That’s the spirit.  Well, I’ll have to leave you here.  See you tomorrow, then.”

He was home late, and Tina was earlier than usual.  As he approached the front door, Tina’s car was coming up the drive.  She wound down her window and gave him a piercing wolf whistle.  He was not amused.
“It’s not funny!”
“No, of course not.  Sorry darling.”  But she didn’t look sorry.  She jumped out and ran to open the door.
“How was your day, then?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“What do you mean you can’t tell me? Tell me…”
She was insistent.  She made him sit down in the lounge, and brought him a beer.
“Now tell me all about it.”
He related the story of the incident in the cloakroom.
“So they’ve got incriminating photos?  How incriminating?”
“Along with Freida’s fake distress, enough to get me kicked out.  As bad as that.”
“Oh, Philip, that’s terrible!  You’re completely stuffed, then.”
“Yes.  So now I don’t have any choice but to do what they tell me.  God knows what their evil little imaginations will come up with next.”
“How awful.  They’ve really got you by the short and curlies, haven’t they?  They’re so naughty, that bunch.”
“Naughty?  They’re sadistic little bitches!”
Even better, thought Tina, trying to keep a straight face.
“They are, Tina.  What am I going to do?”  He looked as though he might burst into tears.  His sad little face seemed to be appealing to Tina for sympathy.  Instead he found her covering her mouth and spluttering with laughter.
“What are you laughing at?  Don’t you understand?”
“I’m sorry.  Of course.  I was thinking of something else entirely.”
He frowned at her.  “And Miss Tancred has ordered me to keep wearing this skirt.  And I have to model for the stupid Art and Media Society!”
Tina’s eyes widened.  “What?  You don’t!”
“Yes, I do!  Whatever that involves.”
“Oh, don’t worry.  You’ll probably quite enjoy that.  The girls who join that Society are usually the more intellectually inclined ones.  You know, the studious types.  Cultured.”
“Are you sure?”
“Well, they used to be, anyway,” said Tina, seriously, remembering with delight just how wild that Society used to be when she was at Caroline Norton.
“Well, I hope you’re right.  For most of the girls I’ve met, the nearest they get to culture is buying a new shade of lipstick, or posting some fatuous comment about some useless band on Facebook.” 
“Well now they can post a few fatuous comments about you, can’t they?”
“That’s what I’m afraid of…”
“Well don’t let your imagination run away with you, Philip.  It probably won’t be as bad as you expect.  Anyway, it’s time for your meds.  I’ll go get them.”
Upstairs, Tina closed her bedroom door, lay on the bed, stuffed the corner of her pillow into her mouth, and let out her feelings.  It was fully five minutes before she recovered.  Wiping the tears from her eyes, she went to get Philip’s tablets.  Oh, you poor darling, she thought. And we’re only just getting started.  She headed back downstairs, rattling the pills in their boxes from sheer exuberance...

[Sandra B]

Chapter 23.  Barbie Boy.

It was windy on Tuesday.  Philip begged a lift from Tina, but she was not going into work till later.  So he had to run the gauntlet alone.  He put on blue panties, which he hoped would be less conspicuous than the bright yellow ones.  He got several dirty looks from passers-by, but when a boy from another school shamelessly leered at him, he realised that it may not have been for the reason he feared.  Then two middle-aged women passed him – rather, they walked straight at him, two abreast, so that he had to step into the road – and he heard one of them say, “schoolgirls today!  It wasn’t like that in my day!”  He thought of turning round and saying, “No – things have changed since the nineteenth century”.  But they looked the sort who would have complained to the school, so he thought better of it.  Nevertheless, it made him feel better to know that not everyone realised he was male.

When he arrived at school, he was surprised to see that word of Miss Tancred’s ruling was already out.  There were five or six miniskirts on display, each at the centre of a little knot of admirers.  He wondered if it was the start of an epidemic.  He wouldn’t have minded – he thought they looked cute – besides which, the more girls in miniskirts, the less he became the exception which attracted all the attention.  As he was standing there looking around, Carol came running up.  She gave him a hug, and stood back to admire his new look.
“Oh, Philip!  You look great!  I heard about all the stuff yesterday.  There’s pictures of you all over Facebook!”
“Really?  I didn’t know…”  His face fell.
“Oh, don’t be sorry about it.  Everyone likes you.  You’re a big hit.  Especially as you’ve upset all the oldies!”
“I see.  Well, I have to wear this skirt now, anyway.  Miss Tancred’s orders.  So I’ll have to make the best of it, I guess.”
“Look, I gotta go.  I’ll see you this afternoon, yeah?”  And she planted a kiss on his lips.
Hey, maybe this isn’t so bad after all, he thought.  Maybe Olivia was right.  And his suspicion was soon confirmed.  Girls from every class seemed to be gravitating towards him.  Even Sadie and Freida came to pay their respects. 
“See?”  said Sadie.  “Suddenly you’re the best thing since sliced bread.  And you’ve got us to thank.”
Did he detect the faintest note of regret in her tone?  Maybe.  But all he knew was that he upset any one of the Gang of Four at his peril.  So he simply replied, “Yes.  Thank you girls.  I’m sorry I made such a fuss.”
They regarded him coolly for a minute, and then walked away, deep in conversation.  He guessed their dealings with him were far from over. 

That evening, Aunt Estella was waiting for him when he returned home.
“Philip.  Come and sit down.  I want a word with you before you get changed.”
“Yes, aunt?”
“I had a call from Miss Tancred today.”
“Oh.”
“Yes.  She told me about your behaviour on Monday.  What have you got to say for yourself?”
“Well, er…  It was like this.  Er…  I decided to change my skirt, so I went to the classroom to get it, and I was late, so I didn’t have time to ask permission, and then…it took longer than I thought to change, and I missed registration.”
“You were rude to Miss Waters.”
“I didn’t mean to be…”
“But you were.”
“Miss Tancred punished me…”
“What, by letting you join the Art and Media Society?  Tina tells me that used to be quite a privilege.  No, I’m sorry, I need to take some action.  You will find I have removed your usual panties from your drawer.  And I will have the ones you’re wearing now, please, when you change into your maid’s uniform.  I have substituted some other ones more age-appropriate to your behaviour.  If you want to have me reinstate your usual ones, you will have to stay out of trouble for the rest of the month.”
“But….”
“No “buts”, young man.  No hurry along and get changed.  And bring me those blue panties you’re wearing now.”
“Yes, aunt.”
“And Philip?”
“Yes, aunt?”
“I’m having some friends round the weekend after next.  I mentioned it before.  You’ll be waiting at table.  I’ll tell you what will be required of you nearer the time.  But you’d better be on your best behaviour then.”
“Yes aunt.”

He went upstairs, and opened his underwear drawer with trepidation.  His fears were justified.  Instead of the nice plain panties he’d been using up to now, aunt Estella had substituted a variety of juvenile designs, in what might be termed bright pastel colours.  He thumbed through them.  Dolls, rainbows, Barbies, unicorns….and each with contrasting frills.  Too much!  Where did she get stuff like that, in his size?  He took a pair and looked at the label.  “Daring Designs.  Bespoke clothing for all occasions.”  Where had he heard that name?  Of course, that was the shop his mum dealt with!  So that’s the sort of stuff they sold.  A chilling thought occurred to him.  Maybe his mother had actually made some of these, not realising that they would end up on her son!  It made him even more eager to talk to her.  Anyway, he’d better try on a pair to see what they looked like.  He took off his blue ones, and substituted a pair of yellow ones with blue edging and ponies prancing all over them.  He looked at himself in the mirror.  The frills just peeped out from below the hem of his skirt, coquettishly inviting attention and further exploration.  Oh, god!  Once his schoolmates saw these, every day they’d be wanting to find out which pair he was wearing!  Despairingly, he tore them off, and his underpanties, and got out his maid’s uniform.  He put them back on under his dress.  At least he didn’t have to show them off here.  And ten minutes later he was downstairs hoovering the lounge.  Take it a day at a time, a day at a time, he said to himself. 

[Sandra B]

Chapter 24.  Art and Media.

The next day, when he changed for school, he grabbed a pair of his new panties quite at random.   After all, there was nothing to choose between them.  The Barbie ones.  Neon pink, red frilling, sprinkled with little Barbies.  It was shocking what a difference it made.  On his way to school – he was walking again, Tina being unavailable for the second day in a row – he seemed to attract everyone’s attention.  Why did people stare so blatantly?  They had no discretion at all.  One woman even pretended to drop something so she could get a better vantage-point!  He thought he might try going by bus in future, something he had always thought it advisable to avoid.  Things were no better at school.  Worse, in fact.  His schoolmates had no compunction in asking to see his panties.  Some even just lifted up his skirt without asking!  He guessed their fascination would diminish in time – perhaps when everyone had seen every pair of panties he owned! – but for the moment it was a little annoying.  They could be so childish at times.  What was the big deal?  There was really nothing wrong with his new panties.  Actually, they were quite pretty.   In fact, during the afternoon, he even found himself thinking about which ones he would like to wear the next day....

There were other sources of irritation, too.  For some reason, his nipples were feeling sensitive, and sometimes itchy.  And he was finding himself getting aroused for absolutely no reason.  He didn’t immediately connect these things with the meds he was taking.  Had he been allowed to examine the little plastic bottles from which Tina dispensed them, however, he would have discovered two things.  First, itching of the nipples was a common side-effect, long before any actual enlargement of the breasts occurred.  Second, one of the bottles contained, not hormone tablets, but a Viagra-related compound.  This was Sally Button’s strategy to counter in the short-term any loss of libido.  It was a clever idea; it convinced Philip that the hormones were either ineffective, or were doing the opposite to what was intended.   


So despite the unwelcome attention, and the jibes of Rebecca and Valerie, he got through the next couple of days with increasing confidence.  On Thursday he was a little anxious about his appointment with the lower school Art and Media Society – he wondered if he was going to be asked to pose in his panties, or something like that -  but he put on a brave face and, when school had finished, made his way to L.1’s classroom.
The Society had ten members.  To his annoyance, Freida was one.  He frowned at her, and she smiled back sweetly.  He was introduced to everyone by Miss Lambert, an efficient, middle-aged woman with glasses and intelligent eyes.
“Now, Philip,” she smiled, “I have been told that this is intended as some sort of punishment for you.  That’s seems rather unfair to you, and to the Society as well.  I want you to think of yourself as our guest.  And who knows, if you enjoy your time with us, you may feel you would like to join.  Though the Society is really only for the lower school, I’m sure we would be prepared to make an exception for any student with genuine enthusiasm.”
“Thank you, miss.  I’ll bear that in mind.”
“So, girls.  Does anyone have any suggestions, or requests, about how Philip might most usefully be employed?”
There was no shortage of suggestions, most of which involved him being put on show as a model for the girls to gawk at, draw and photograph.  But Miss Lambert had foreseen such ideas, and was having none of it.
“You can photograph or draw Philip anytime, girls.  He about the school and playground every day.  Don’t you have any more original ideas?”
“How about a sort of condensed biopic, miss?  Like “a day in the life” sort of thing?”
“That’s a very interesting idea, Janie.  How would that work, exactly?”
“Well, I guess we’d follow him around for a whole day and film everything that happens to him.  Afterwards we could edit it however we wanted.  I mean, he is the first boy ever in the school.”
“That’s true.  It may even have a more universal appeal.  Any more?”
Philip frowned slightly at the words “universal appeal”.
“If we’re going to do that,” piped up Freida, “then it shouldn’t be just about school.  I mean, we all know what he does at school.  It should be a whole day, from the time he gets up to the time he goes to bed.”
“Or even,” suggested Janie, with growing enthusiasm, one school day and one weekend day, so we show a picture of his whole life!”
Philip was beginning to panic.  “But that would be…difficult, wouldn’t it?  I mean, my aunt would never allow…”
“But it’s a wonderful idea, Philip, don’t you think?  It would be so interesting.  I’ll approach the head.  She’ll have to give permission for the girls to miss lessons while they’re filming, of course.  But I believe she’s also a personal friend of your aunt.  Perhaps she can persuade her…”
Philip desperately tried to think of reasons it was impossible.  But by now the whole group was swept up with excitement.
“Who would do the filming, miss?”
“Would they be with Philip all the time?”
“Not in the toilet, miss?”
“Now, girls.  Calm down.  First of all we have to see if we can get permission.”
What about asking my permission, thought Philip.
“Then we can deal with the details.  I suppose you’d have to take it in turns to follow him around.  Anyway, we’ll see.”
Despite Miss Lambert’s caution, the rest of the meeting was taken up with discussion about the technicalities of the project, from the best camera to the degree of intrusiveness that should be adopted.  As to what Philip felt about the whole thing, no-one bothered to ask. 

[Sandra B]

Chapter 25.  Flies on the Walls.

On the Saturday, while Philip was clearing away the breakfast things, his aunt called to him from the lounge.
“Philip, dear.  Can I have a quick word?”
He put down the plates and went to see what she wanted.
“I had a call from Christabel yesterday.”
“Oh yes?”
“She asked about the Art and Media project.  You know all about this, of course.”
“Yes, aunt.”
“What a splendid idea, isn’t it?  You’ll make such a fascinating subject!”
“Aunt…”
“They wanted to start next weekend.  Of course I agreed.  From the time you wake up Sunday morning.  Then through Monday until you come home that evening.”
“Aunt…  It’s going to be terribly intrusive.  Do you really want some inquisitive girl in here with a video camera?  I mean to say…”
At that moment Tina, who had been dressing upstairs, entered the room. 
“Oh, are you talking about the filming?  I think it’s a great idea.  You’ll be a celebrity, Philip!  It’s so good of mum to agree, don’t you think?”
What could he say?
“Yes, darling,” continued his aunt, “I had invited my friends for Saturday, but in view of this, I’ve asked them if they can make it Sunday instead.  Add a bit more interest.  I’m quite looking forward to it!”
“But, aunt!  Sunday is supposed to be my free evening!”
“Well, I’ll let you have Saturday evening for leisure and schoolwork instead.  Fair?”
Philip drew his hand across his brow.  Could things actually get any worse?

The answer was yes.  On Monday, Miss Waters announced at registration the exciting news that Philip was going to be the subject of the Art and Media Society’s video project, and that the following Monday there would be filming going in the classrooms all day.
“You must simply ignore it and behave as normal, girls.  Just get on with your work.  Please don’t start grinning or looking at the camera, or you’ll spoil the film.  It’s supposed to be a typical day in Philip’s life.  And Philip?  I’ve decided to postpone your poetry recitation until then to add a bit of interest.”
Great.  Everyone wanted to “add a bit of interest”.  A bit of extra humiliation.  A bit of a laugh.  I’d better not screw up on the poem this time, he thought to himself, or I really will look a prize idiot.
“Miss?  Can I ask…?  Can I read from my desk this time, not out the front?”
“Of course, Philip.  Don’t worry.  You can just stand up where you are.”  She smirked.  “I don’t think it’ll be necessary to make an exhibition of you again.”
A faint disappointed chorus arose from the class.  A minor access of relief for Philip.
She turned to the class.  “Quiet everyone.  Let’s get on.”
The week passed quickly.  Too quickly for Philip.  He tried desperately to think of a convincing explanation of why he would be performing the role of his aunt’s maid.  But it was stretching even his ingenuity.  Maybe he could pretend it was just a charade, a bit of fun to make the film more entertaining.  Another little "bit of interest".  It was worth a try.  So at the Thursday meeting of the Society, when the members were seated in a circle, discussing arrangements for the filming, he piped up, apropos of nothing,
“You know what?  I’ve had an idea.  You wouldn’t believe how boring my home life is.”
“So?” said Freida.  Everyone turned to him.
“So…  well, I’ve had this idea, see?  Why don’t I pretend to be the maid, you know, my aunt’s maid, with a feather duster an’ all?  Just as a joke.  You know, inject a bit of comedy into the film.”
No-one laughed.  They all stared at him.
“That’s weird,” said a girl called Madison.  “In any case, where would you get a maid’s outfit?”
“Oh, I think…I think my aunt has an old one somewhere…maybe…”
They all looked at him suspiciously.  Epic fail.
“It was j-just an idea…” he stammered, turning red.
They turned away and resumed their discussion.  He realised all he had done was to make matters worse.  Now they all thought he was some sort of pervert.
“Now, I’ve discussed this with the head,” Miss Lambert was saying, “and we’ve agreed the schedule for the camera work.  Miss Crowthorne had kindly agreed to accommodate the girls at the weekend.  So this is the plan.  Cynthia, you will stay overnight at Philip’s on the Saturday, and be responsible for filming up to midday on Sunday.  Madison will take over and film till seven.  Then Freida and Janie for the evening.  One of you will stay overnight as well, and film until Philip arrives at school.  Then Sandy and Jacqueline will work during the first two periods, Inna will cover lunch, and Katsumi and Freya the afternoon, and finally Shaniya the Monday evening.  That will give all of you a chance to contribute.  You are going to generate nearly forty hours of video!”
“So we’re going to film everything he does, miss,” asked Shaniya.
“Well, within reason.  The difficult bit will be the editing.  From that forty hours, you are going to have to make an interesting feature film lasting no more than two.  This is the sort of thing professional studios do.  It will be a great opportunity for you to practise your skills.  It will not only be a technical challenge, but an artistic one.  You will have to construct something that has narrative, pace and rhythm, which moves smoothly and naturally and keeps the audience’s attention.  If you are successful, I’ll arrange for a showing for the whole school.”
The girls were full of enthusiasm, and started chattering away excitedly amongst themselves.  Philip, sitting to one side, was feeling slightly sick.  Miss Lambert came over and laid a friendly hand on his shoulder.
“You’re the lucky one, Philip.  All you have to do is go about your normal life.  The more you are able to ignore the girls, the better the film will be.  Do you have any concerns, or questions?”
“No, miss, I don’t think so,” he sighed, resignedly,  “I just hope my life isn’t too boring to make a film of.”
“Of course not!  Everyone’s life is interesting, when portrayed honestly.  And I imagine yours must be more eventful than most.”
“You can say that again,” he murmured.
 

[Sissy Little Girl]

Sandra B, Another great group of chapters.  Poor Philip has been put thru the wringer with his juvenile panties and his short, yellow skirt and now being the subject of a film.  I am sure that the girls involved will have a ball filming Philip's life.  His party that he has to be a maid for, will be a highlight of the film.

Thanks for adding these chapters. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Sandra B]

Chapter 26.  Rejection.

Philip’s relationship with Rebecca and Valerie was a bit of a paradox.  Before Monday’s incident, he felt that he had been getting on much better with them.  But now they had betrayed him again, albeit they were maybe not the prime movers.  So when Rebecca approached him during Friday lunchtime, he was immediately suspicious.
“What do you want, Rebecca?”
“Nothing really.  Just wanted to say hi.”
“Really?  Sure you’re not cooking up another little scheme?”
Her face reddened.  “Look, I’m sorry about that thing on Monday.  But it was only a prank.  It was Sadie’s idea, anyway.  I didn’t even want to go along with it.”
“Do you expect me to believe that?”
“I don’t care if you do or not.  But it’s the truth.”
“So what do you want?”
“Actually I just wanted to say sorry for that.  But it hasn’t turned out too bad for you, has it?  You’re flavour of the month now.”
“No thanks to you.”
“You don’t have to be so rude!  I just came to apologise.  And…”
“And what?”
“To see if you wanted to come for a drink?  Maybe tonight?  Or whenever….”
Philip couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  True, Rebecca was nice looking, and although his sense of his own importance hadn’t yet permitted him to acknowledge the fact, he quite fancied her.  So his knee-jerk reaction was mindless outrage, at the thought that the person who’d made a fool of him had the nerve even to ask.   
“Are you serious?  Go on a date with you?  I’d sooner date….a Mongolian warthog!”
Philip didn’t know why he said that.  He’d been reading about Mongolian warthogs the other day.  Actually they were rather nice animals.  But Rebecca didn’t appreciate the reference.
She stared at him, horrified, her eyes filling with tears.  Then with a sudden access of anger, she punched him in the ribs – she was left-handed, so he didn’t see it coming -  turned on her heel, and walked away.  The punch hadn’t hurt, but it made him realise instantly what an unpleasant idiot he had been.
“Rebecca…” he called after her.
She turned her head, her face contorted with disappointment.  “You’re a pig!” she shouted.
Damn, he thought, why do I always seem to open my stupid mouth without thinking?  An old adage came into his mind.  “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.”

He returned home Friday evening in a state of depression.  He thought of writing her a letter of apology.  No, she’d just rip it up.  But he couldn’t get the exchange out of his mind.  Why is this such a problem for me? he thought.  I mean, why do I care what she thinks?  She hasn’t exactly been a friend to me, has she?  What did she expect?  And what about Tina?  And why…why did she ask me out anyway?  What a fool…!  Though whether he was thinking of Rebecca, or himself, was not immediately obvious.

Several miles away, sitting at a pub table drinking beer, Rebecca was also discussing the topic, but not with herself.  Her questions were being bounced off her best friend.
“Val, why did he have to react like that?  Why did he have to be so horrible?”
“Cos he’s a bloke, Becca.  That’s what they’re like.  It doesn’t mean anything.  They can never say what they mean, cos half the time they don’t know what they mean.”
“Do you think I look like a warthog?  I know my nose does turn up, and my nostrils show too much.”
“Don’t be silly!  He just said the first thing that came into his head.”
“Yeah?  He took one look at me, and the first thing that came into his head was a warthog.  I believe it.”
“Oh, shut up.  Why do you care, anyway?  I mean, do you really want to go out with him?”
“I dunno.  No.  I mean, why would I?  He’s just a sissy, isn’t he?”
“A cute sissy…”
“Yeah.  Anyway, I don’t care.  He can go f*** himself.  I’ll ask out someone else.  I know plenty of guys outside school.”
“Good.  That’s resolved, then.”
“You know it isn’t, Val, you bitch!  Why do I have to fancy him?  Please god, why?”
“It’s Sod’s Law, dear.”
“I’ll tell you one thing though.  Fancy him or not, I’m gonna get my own back for today.  Wait and see.  I’ll think of something.”
“That’s the spirit!” exclaimed Valerie.   â€śThat’s sounds more like my old Rebecca!  I know you will, my love.”

[Sandra B]

Chapter 27.  Nightie Night. 

Philip was still upset when he got home, and didn’t say much that evening.  He was still unhappy on the Saturday, so his aunt asked Tina to go out and buy him a little present to cheer him up – something they’d been discussing for a couple of days.  When Tina came back, she went up to her room, and then approached Philip, who was moping in the kitchen. 
“Philip, dear?  Would you come upstairs for a minute, please?”
He followed his cousin up to her bedroom.
“I’ve bought you a little something.  Here.”  She handed him a package wrapped in tissue.  He pulled it open.  Something silky and butter-coloured.  And light…so very light.
“Oh, thank you, Tina….that’s…really nice.”
“I know you usually sleep in your panties.  I thought it was time you had  a proper nightie.  There are some pretty bloomers to go with it, see?”
He found himself looking at a swirly, silky nightdress with little puff sleeves.  He held it up against himself.  It came down to just below the waist.  The bloomer panties had short elasticated legs with matching lacey edging.  He caught sight of the label.  “Daring Designs” - again!  He thought he’d like to see this shop.  He was curious.
“Why don’t you go and try it on, darling, and come and show me?”
Obediently he retired to his own room, and returned shortly in his new night-time ensemble.
“Oh, you look gorgeous!  Look in the mirror.”
He presented himself in front of Tina’s full-length mirror.  Well, I do look quite nice, he thought.  And it feels so silky!  It’s very light.  It would be nicer than those tight little panties I’ve been wearing.  I seem to be getting so…excitable these days, and they’re really not comfortable any more.  It’s gentle on my nipples, too.  It’s cute.  No-one else will know… 
“Well?  What do you think?”
“Thank you Tina.  It’s really nice.”  He said this with such genuine warmth it surprised her.  He would never have accepted this a week or two ago, she thought.  He seems to be much more comfortable in girls’ clothes these days.  Could it be his therapy is having an effect?
“I’m going to wear it tonight.”
“Oh, I’m so pleased you like it.  Actually I’ve bought you two more, but I didn’t tell you in case I had to return them.”
“Really?  The same?”
“Same style, but one is blue and the other pink with little mauve flowers all over it.  I’ll show you.”
“Oh, Tina!  That’s so pretty!   Hmm.  I’m going to wear the yellow one tonight…then maybe the pink one…”
“They are very sweet, aren’t they?  Here, go and put them in your drawer.”

Philip was a much happier boy for the rest of the evening.  He went to bed early, and was soon snuggled up in his new nightie, cuddling the soft doll he had found in his bed the other day.  The feeling of the silky fabric against his nipples made them stiffen and itch, and he had to play with them to make them feel better.  Unfortunately this stimulated him in other ways, and Tina, who had come to say goodnight on her way to bed, stayed her knock, and instead stood and listened outside his door.  His muffled moans were succeeded by total silence, and she retired to her room with a knowing smile of satisfaction on her face.