An Accident, A Decision, and Destiny (Revised)

Chapter 12

Once inside the mall, true to her word, the first place Aunt Jill took us was a nail salon.

The moment we entered the salon, Kelli began excitedly chattering about what kind of nails I should get and showing me all the different designs and colors. She had a definite idea about what I should do and was obviously excited to share this inner sanctum of femininity with me.

I took a deep breath and stopped her.

"Hold on. Just wait a minute," I told Kelli, "I know you're excited about this, but just wait. This is my first time ever inside a nail salon and definitely the first time I ever got my nails painted, professionally or otherwise. If I'm gonna experience everything like a girl and make my life decision off of everything I learn and do this summer, I gotta do things for myself. How about I decide and I'll ask for your advice and opinion?"

"You know he's right," Aunt Jill spoke up.

She quickly corrected herself while looking around, hoping no one had heard her slip. "SHE, she's right. I think that's a wonderful idea, Destiny."

"Thank you," I replied to Aunt Jill as I began looking at all the different styles of nails.

There was so much to choose from, I was feeling overwhelmed. I discovered there were square tips, round, square with round corners, almond-shaped, pointy, and that was just the shape of the tip.

I eventually settled on a length longer than a guy would ever have but still kind of short with a soft rounded tip. I didn't want anything unnatural, gaudy or attention-grabbing.

I asked Kelli for her opinion on the color and she suggested I do each nail a different shade of hot pink. I told her I liked the idea of different shades of the same color but that I thought hot pink might be a little too bold right now.

I began looking at all the colors available and decided on a color-shifting subtle soft matte red.

When the nail technician started applying my new nails, which Kelli said were called acrylics, I realized that no one in the shop, not even the girl doing my nails, had figured out I was a guy. This helped to calm me down quite a bit and was able to enjoy the experience.

When she was done with my nails I curled my fingers and admired them. This was definitely a new experience, but not bad. My hands really didn't look boyish at all anymore.

Kelli took hold of my hand, straightened my fingers out, and turned my palms downward.

"Looking at your nails like that is how boys do it. Doing it like this makes you appear more feminine."

(I made a note of that tip too.)

Rotating my hand back and forth, I saw that the color appeared to get darker or lighter depending on how the light hit my nails. I had to admit the color was really cool.

I walked out of the salon with a slight boost to my confidence. I still was a little worried, but not quite as worried as before about someone realizing I was a boy.

The first place we went from there was to a shoe store to get me my very own pair of casual everyday girl shoes, a pair of comfortable flats, and another pair that Aunt Jill insisted I walk out of the store wearing.

Next Aunt Jill led us into a store that sold nothing but girly underwear, or as Kelli said I should call it, lingerie.

They took me straight to the panties where I was instructed to choose my own. I picked out several different styles because I wasn't sure what I'll like yet and I wanted to try them all.

Aunt Jill had me measured for a bra and it was an embarrassing, uncomfortable experience, but I got through it and got several bras out of it.

She also got me several different styles of hose beyond the "Sheer Energy" tan pantyhose I currently had on. Aunt Jill picked out the types she said I should get.

Kelli tried to tell her that teen girls don't wear hose hardly ever anymore, but she insisted, saying I need the experience. Besides, based on how the hose I currently had on made me feel, I had to side with Aunt Jill.

I definitely wanted more.

When I first started picking out panties, I went straight to ones like my Mom bought me, plain white cotton. Kelli quickly told me that girls our age don't wear that kind ever, and she steered me to the rack filled with all sorts of tiny styles in shiny fabrics and pretty colors.

Kelli also told me that sexy lingerie is one of the things girls wear to help them feel pretty. She picked me out several boyshorts and a couple of bikini-cut pairs.

From there we headed to buy outerwear. Kelli informed me that I wear misses size clothes and it was into the dressing rooms we headed, carrying the maximum six things at a time for me to try on.

In and out, back and forth we went, from the sales floor and racks of clothes, back into the dressing rooms where I tried everything on to see how it fit and looked on me. There were skirts of various lengths, several different blouse styles, and even a few dresses.

Conspicuously absent were any type of pants. I knew I wanted to experience everything I could, so once I got a chance, I began looking at a rack of jeans.

Kelli came over and said she'd help me look for my size. After a moment she pulled out a pair that looked way too small for me.

When I said something about it she informed me they were meant to be tight but they were also made of a stretchy material so they would fit comfortably.

Aunt Jill walked up and informed me there wouldn't be any jeans purchased today. She said I had to get comfortable in dresses and skirts first. Once she's satisfied with my comfort level in dresses, she said we could look at adding a cute pair of pants or two.

I was disappointed, but then after mulling it over I began to see the wisdom of her thinking.

We left this store with three shopping bags full of new clothes, plus the one from the lingerie store, all of which we took back to the car.

From there it was back inside the mall to another shoe store and to look for a few other things to wear around the house and while I'm out running around with Kelli and her friends.

Now there's something I hadn't even considered, hanging with girlfriendsends. Oh crap. That terrifies me, but I guess I'll have to since I can't very well run with a gang of guys this summer, right?

In the next shop, we entered I was introduced to the fit and feel of girls shorts. I asked Aunt Jill why I could have shorts when I wasn't allowed jeans and she informed me that these shorts were not like anything guys wore. She said I'd understand once I saw how exposed they'd make me feel.

I tried on the first pair. They were made of the same material as a pair of sweatpants but were tight and barely had any leg. I saw what she meant when I walked out of the dressing room and a couple ladies looked my way. I felt completely feminine but totally exposed like she said.

Aunt Jill said I could wear them over a cute patterned pair of tights if I wanted too.

She had me turn left and right while she examined how the shorts looked on me, paying particular attention to my crotch. She told me she was just making sure that they weren't exposing a bulge, then decided they were just tight enough to keep my tiny member securely hidden away, creating a completely smooth, feminine front.

She didn't know I had it tucked back, and it's not tiny, small but not tiny.

Meanwhile, Kelli was busy picking out a short, lacy nightgown and a sleep tee/shorts set for me. At least I wasn't made to try those on in the store.

Lastly, Aunt Jill allowed me to pick out one pair of leggings and she suggested a cute short skirt to wear over them.

After we left that store we stopped on the food court for lunch. I was ready for a break and wanted to sit down but Kelli wanted to take me to a place that had tables you stand up at. It was themed like a hamburger/ hotdog stand on a beach boardwalk. It turned out to be a pretty cool place. Definitely different from any restaurant I'd ever been to before.

It was also here that I had my first experience using a public ladies room and my my first time being accompanied to the bathroom.

Kelli said it's what girls always do with each other.