Chapter 6: Boy's Dilemma

CHAPTER 6: BOY'S DILEMMA

The next Sunday turned out to be a warm, sunny day in May. Leonard decided to walk to Deedee's house. He had just started walking up the driveway, when

---- "Woosh" ---- , something went by close to him. And not five seconds later---

---- "Woosh" ----- , something again went by close to him, something with pink hair undulating in the wind.

" Let's see . . . . ", reasoned Leonard,

" --New shiny Huffy Elite racing bicycle,

-- flower and leaf print halter top,

--Stretchy black leggings and white Danskin premium cross-trainer athletic shoes,

that would be Sherry . . . .

and,

--Old, rusty, beat-up children's bicycle,

--White girl's polo shirt, underneath a

--Faded blue denim romper, and old Converse sneakers,

that would be Mazie . . . . "

By the time Leonard had walked to the end of the driveway, the two girls had parked their bikes on the walkway and were waiting on the porch.

" Yo ! Slow poke! ", said Sherry.

" Yo ! Speed Racer! ", shot back Leonard.

Mazie rang the doorbell, but when the door opened halfway, Sherry started to step through the doorway, but stopped, blocking the threshold with one hand on the edge of the door, and the other hand on the door jam.

" OOOOOooooo!!! . . . .AAAAAhhhhh!!! . . . . ", said Sherry through the doorway to no one in particular, " Sit back, and for the next hour, we will control all that you see and hear, from the farthest reaches of the inner mind, to the Outer Limits .  .  .  .  "

" I wanna see, I wanna see! ", clamored Mazie, as she bounded up and down.

" Watch out for that signpost up ahead, you just crossed into the Twilight Zone !", mumbled Leonard to himself, as Sherry went through the door. But now Mazie had stopped in the doorway.

*" Check out the scenery, we've won the lottery, I tell you, man, it's all right here ! "*, sang Mazie in a silly tone.

" Fire Photon Torpedo, Scotty ! ", said Leonard, as he gently pushed Mazie through the doorway. But then Leonard stood in the doorway, just like a cartoon character with his eyes popping out on springs, and his jaw dropping down to the ground.

" To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life, new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before. . . . . . ", mumbled Leonard to himself.

It was Deedee standing in the foyer, but not the Deedee that Leonard had always seen or known. Deedee, the tomboy who has always worn casual shirts and pants or leggings, was wearing an outfit so unlike her tomboy style. Deedee had on a white, formal, button-up-the-front dress blouse, with a dark red bow tie at the front of the crisp collar. Over the blouse was a tight, form-fitting black dinner jacket, only buttoned at the bottom, showing off the blouse, and the fact that Deedee was obviously wearing a padded bra. Deedee has never in recent memory worn a skirt or dress, nor shown her legs. However, she had on a dark green with dark blue pinstriped plaid pleated mini-skirt. Deedee's thin, slender, creamy colored legs were bare, but she had on white lace frilly socks, and black oxford shoes. On her fingers, she had on a delicate red shade of fingernail polish to match the color of her bow tie, and on her lips was pink lip gloss. Her short black hair was done up in sexy twin tails.

" U2 ? U2 ? ", stammered Leonard as he pointed a shaky finger at Deedee.

" Don't have a cow, Leonard. " clipped Sherry.

" Ya ! Don't have a cow ! " echoed Mazie.

Without saying a word, Deedee walked over to Leonard, lovingly took his pointed finger in her hand, led him upstairs to the family room, and sat him down in the easy chair.

" U2 ? U2 ? " He mumbled again and again. Deedee noticed that Leonard had on a really old U.N.L.V. basketball sweatshirt, from when the team had won the March Madness Final Four, and faded blue jeans.

" You know that my father sits on the board of directors of the Community Theater Association. A talent agency was having try-outs at the theater this Saturday and Sunday for that new kid's reality TV show, called---

' So You Want to be a Junior Rock Star? '

My dad got me a try-out ticket and my audition was this morning. You had to audition as your concept of what a rock star would be like. I picked an outfit that Amy Grant had worn. "

" That's the outfit that Amy Grant wore to the Grammys, isn't it ? " questioned Sherry, " How did you do ? "

" My outfit was styled to look almost the same as what Amy wore. However, I did not make it to the final round.  A judge told me privately afterward that I look, act, and sing too much like a boy, and was scored low and cut from the final round because of that. " said Deedee.

" That's too bad. " cried Mazie, " You look really different when you are not wearing your jeans. "

" I wish I could have done an audition like that, " quietly thought Leonard to himself.

Leonard watched Deedee as she was now on the computer, looking at a music station list. She picked an Internet only station from cold and chilly northern Canada, playing her favorite kind of music, namely "Chill"!

Leonard was now lost in thought. " Deedee looks so cute now, and she has. . . . . NEVER WORN A MINI-SKIRT BEFORE . . . . and . . . .she has. . . . never shown her bare legs before . . . . ? . . . . why would she now. . . . ?. . . . "

" Leonard, Leonard ! We're drawing for the opening round. " someone was saying in the background . . . .

In the first round, Leonard played Sherry, and won. Deedee played Mazie and won.

" Looks like you and me for the final round. " said Deedee, as Leonard was staring at her, like a cat watching a bird.

Once again, the final round seemed to be close to the end, with Leonard certain that he was poised to win, when Deedee got up to go to the bathroom. He watched her get up, straighten her mini-skirt, and leave.

While she was gone, Leonard became lost in thought again.

" My Mom always wears a nice dress, or a color-coordinated blouse and skirt, and she always looks very pretty.  Today, Deedee looks as pretty as, and has the same mild spirit as, my Mom. " , mused Leonard.

Later, Deedee walked in, gently scooped the back of her mini-skirt, and sat down. As the play resumed, Leonard tried to concentrate on the movements of the Chibi Chess pieces. But other, extra, thoughts were crossing his mind during the game play, like a frightened cat running through the bushes.

" . . . her first time wearing a rock star outfit . . . .? . . . . on stage, at the audition . . . . must have taken a lot of faith to do something like that . . . . told she looks like a boy wearing girl's stage clothes . . . .!?! .  .  .  .  she's like a male J-Rock\* star cross-dressing on stage . . . .?. . . . ya know . . . . . . if I were to .  .  .  .  when would be my first time that I could . . . . . . dress like . . . . . . and wear . . . . . . what girls wear . . . . . . ???"

" Checkmate, Leonard ! To quote your own words, 'Winning is so sweet' !!! " cried Deedee.

" what? .  .  .  .  WHAT? .  .  .  . ***WHAT ?!?!?!?.***  .  .  . " exploded inside Leonard's mind.

It took a few moments for it to sink in, but then Leonard jumped up and said loudly, " no ! No ! NO !!! **Not Again.** . . . ? ! ? .  .  .  .  I don't know what it is with you girls . . . . ? "

" Girls will be girls! " interjected Deedee.

*" Girls just wanna have faa - unn, that's all they really want ! "* sang Sherry into an unseen microphone that she held in her hand.

" Well, I don't like it! " shouted Leonard, " Not one bit ! "

Unexpectedly, Leonard walked briskly over to the door.

" All of a sudden, now, I have to go to the bathroom, too, and you better have a Mountain Dew in your fridge ! " Leonard said angrily, as he slammed the door. A worried look came across Deedee's face as she looked at Mazie, then Sherry, then the door.

Leonard came with Deedee when she announced that everyone was going over to Taco Bell. The two girls rode their bicycles over, but when Deedee tried to walk with Leonard, he scooted ahead of her and walked briskly away. Just then, three teenage high school boys drove by in an old pick-up truck and yelled at her in a mocking tone--

" ***Look !*** It's the 'cross-dressed boy' from the audition this morning ! You trying to be *'Rock Star of the Year' ?* "

At the Taco Bell, the girls could tell that Leonard was still upset. He made the counter person remake his Nachos BellGrande because it was supposedly cold. Back at their table, it was as if a storm cloud was hanging overhead.

" I don't know what is going on, it's as if you girls are cheating, or something . . . . " , proclaimed Leonard loudly.

" We're not cheating, you watch every move that we make! ", said Deedee.

" I always used to win, smart boys can always win over silly girls ", said Leonard in exasperation.

" Zat so ? That rap went out with the dinosaurs ! ", replied Deedee.

*" Bite Me ! "*, said Leonard sourly.

" Look, Leonard ! Here's the skinny ! ", said Deedee, " Boys can maybe win over other boys by doing boy stuff, like yelling, plotting, fighting, smoking, drinking, joking, overeating, belching, farting, and using profanity. That's just what boys do. "

" Ya think ? " , grumbled Leonard.

" And some boys try and act 'manly' and do boy stuff around girls, and most of the time, and for a lot of girls, that does not work. Boys like that have ' their head up their ..... ', said Deedee.

" Ya think ? "

" However ", continued Deedee, " Many good girls, boys too, can usually win in situations by displaying the widely regarded as feminine-only personality traits of love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, and self-control. Plus good girls avoid obvious bad boys like the plague. They much prefer to be by themselves, or around other good girls. That's just what many good girls do. "

" Ya think ? "

At that time, the older couple came in and walked by their table. They remarked on how nicely dressed Deedee was.

" You look like that girl we saw one time on an anime music video, very cute and pretty ! ", said Mr. Wallingford.

" Why, thank you very much. ", said Deedee.

After they left, Leonard said, " So, show me the money! "

" To win with certain girls, being a bad boy is not going to cut it! You have to think like a girl, have and display what is widely regarded as 'girls' personality traits, and almost 'become' a girl. ", stated Deedee.

" Ya think ? "

" Good girls are 'da bomb' ! " cried Mazie.

" Quiet, Mazie ! This is serious ! " said Sherry as she poked Mazie in the ribs. Mazie frowned and stuck out her little pink tongue.

" I have one of those, too ! ", said Sherry as she stuck out her tongue in return.

Leonard became lost in thought for a little while. Then he burst out with an observation---

" You mean that girls can dress like boys, act like boys, and do boy stuff if they want to, just like you almost always do ? Why, everybody says that you have been, and are now practically a boy for all intents and purposes !!!"

He pointed a finger at Deedee. Deedee reluctantly nodded her head, Yes.

" However, you just said 'almost *become a girl*'. So, can boys dress like girls, act like girls, and do girl's stuff if they want to, and still be understood and accepted ? "

He pointed a finger at a boy, wearing a male uniform,  making tacos behind the counter.

Deedee shook her head, No.

Leonard suddenly became livid. " That's not fair ! **NOT FAIR AT ALL !!!** And that's also just stupid, **REALLY STUPID !!!** ", yelled Leonard, as he stood up. " I don't have to play stupid games with crafty girls ! I'm outta here ! "

Leonard still had a few nacho chips in his tray, but he grabbed it and his almost empty drink cup, walked over to the trash bin, slam dunked everything into the bin, and walked out, slamming the door behind him.

" OMG ! I had not planned on this. I did not think that Leonard would get angry enough to . . . . ", said Deedee softly. Sherry then noticed a tear streaming down Deedee's cheek.

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\* J-Rock---Japanese Rock Bands that play Hard Rock and Punk Rock music. Many J-Rock male performers cross-dress in female Gothic / Lolita attire, both on and off the stage.

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# Story Note---DeeDee's shirt and mini-skirt choice was the same outfit that Cindy Grant, Amy Grant's granddaughter, had on at the ballet reception and party, in her dream about living in Antarctica.

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Click on the Chapter 7 title to be taken to the next chapter.