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description: Cross-dressing involves dressing as the other gender for entertainment or pleasure. Cross-dressing isnt necessarily a sign of a persons gender identity or sexual orientation.Mayo Clinic Seventeen-year-old Michael has a secret: he likes to cross-dress. For years this Black star of the wrestling team has kept this to himself. When his twin sister Shah walks in on him trying on her clothes he finally confides to her that he wants to wear dresses in public. Understandably Michael is terrified how his suburban peers will treat him. No one besides Shah knows the truthnot even Michaels best friend Jacob. Shah agrees to keep it a secret but Michaels eagerness to express himself in dress becomes stronger each day. Michaels desire becomes overbearing when he starts dating a girl named Bella. Its clear that hes only interested in her because of the way she dresses. In fact when they go on a date she wears a stunning black dress and Michael is determined to wear it. When Bella spends the night in Michaels bedroom he decides to put on Bellas dress while shes sleeping. Michael is amazed how good he looks in Bellas dress. When he steps out into the hallway Shah discovers him in the dress and they fightShah demanding that he take off the dress. Michael comes up with what he thinks is an ingenious plan: Shah and Michael will buzz their hair and wear each others clothes. When Jacob decides to make fun of Michael Michael cant comprehend how even his best friend turned on him. Together they violently brawl in the cafeteriawith Michael repeatedly hitting Jacob with a lunch tray displaying a dark side few people knew existed. Bella breaks up with Michael and he falls into a deep depression. He refuses to leave his room for weeks. Jacob eventually apologizes and presents Michael with a brand new dress. Even though Michael knows the road to acceptance will be long and difficult he decides to try again to wear dresses. He figures it takes a real man to be strong enough to wear a dress in public especially in that bastion of unforgiving in-crowdsHIGH SCHOOL. About the Author James Thibeault is the author of Deacons Folly a coming of age novel. He lives in Massachusetts where he is employed as a high school teacher. 
language: None
title: Michael's Black Dress
publisher: Sartoris Literary Group