A Guy Like Her

Brother From Another Mother

Chapter Three
- Brother From Another Mother -

"Kathy, stop pulling!" I gasped, "It's tight enough, seriously. I. Can't. Breathe."
"But you still have boobs..." she frowned studying me, tugging at the body wrap in vain.
"That's okay; I'm wearing an oversized hoodie," I assured her, prying the fabric from her hands. "Thanks for helping but I like being able to breathe." she huffed at me and moved over to her side of the room to grab her toiletries.
"Would you like help with your hair?" she asked and I shook my head.
"Rhonda showed and helped me yesterday. I think I got it," I smiled at her.
"Alright, I'm going to have my shower. Let me know if you can't do your hair," she sighed and walked out of the room.
I pulled my hair up into a high pony tail and smoothed it all out. Using a million and one bobby pins, I then went about pinning my hair flat to my head. After I had the hair net securely in place, I worked the blonde wig on my head. I styled the hair to cover any of the tale tell signs along the edges of the wig and when I was sure it was all covered I stood back from the mirror and looked at myself. It was a strange sight, I was used to having heavy dark eye make up on and foundation and concealer as well but right now I was completely bare and felt a little naked, it was sort of liberating, but also scary as hell. I haven't been out of the house without make up on since I was about thirteen, and I sort of didn't recognize myself. Not only the bare face, but also the hair. I got into the baggy jeans and bright red hooded jumper and pulled on a pair of skate sneakers.
"Oh my fricken god, babe!" Kathy laughed, coming back into the room, "I hardly recognize you!" she came up close to me and looked me over.
"Hey baby," I growled at her in a deep voice, trying to sound sexy and then burst out laughing at the same time she did. "This is insane," I looked back at the mirror and played with the wig again.
"No, don't touch your hair, it looks perfect." Kathy batted my hands away. "you look amazing, all you need is deodorant and even I'd do you." I laughed at her and she laughed back. "So when do we meet the new roomie?" she asked as I sprayed Lynx over myself. It was what Trent always wore and I had stolen it from him when I had left home and it was defiantly coming in handy.
"Uh, like, lunch time. I have class but Mark is fine with me missing it for assessment purposes."
"Can I come help? I am your girlfriend after all," she winked at me and I chuckled.
"If you would like, I guess. Don't you have class?" I asked.
"Nah, I was meant too, but apparently the teacher got busy with something. She sent an email around this morning," she shrugged. "What are you going to move into the other room?"
"I'm not sure, just clothes I think. Maybe go buy a poster or something," I shrugged, I hadn't really thought about it.
"Seriously? How much stuff did you bring here?" Kathy asked, looking around the room. "It's totally not going to be believable if you have just like a poster, you need alarm clocks and pictures of your mum and stuff a twenty year old guy with a steady girlfriend would have. This isn't some Amanda Bynes movie."
"Yeah well, she had soccer and a twin brother as a head start," I rolled my eyes, referring to the movie 'She's The Man', "And roomed with Channing Tatum. This would be a lot more fun if I was rooming with Channing Tatum."
"Amen, brother." Kathy nodded at me. "C'mon, let's go to Kmart, we can get smoothies before we head over to your new bachelor pad."
"You're having way too much fun with this," I rolled my eyes and purely out of habit grabbed my handbag and swung it over my shoulder.
"What are you doing?" she gasped and snatched the handbag from my shoulder, shocking me. "You're a dude!" she rolled her eyes and swatted me.
"Oh. Shit" I stared at the back and then laughed, "That was almost embarrassing." I frowned and dug through my bag, picking out my wallet and taking my bank card and cash I had in it. "Guess I need a new wallet as well," I murmured, looking at my dark purple womens wallet.
"You boys are all the same, completely useless without a good women by your side," she huffed at me. "C'mon, let's go," Kathy more or less pushed me out the door.

I must have looked like a deer in the head lights as I stepped out of the room. Two girls that had a room at the end of the hall walked past us, openly staring at me with curiosity. It was like time stood still, as if I could almost completely read their minds, as I looked back at them.

'What a freak, why is that chick dressed up like a man? What the hell do we have living down the corridor from us?'

They were finally completely past us and around the corner when Kathy elbowed me with a big grin.
"You totally just got your first check-out as a guy! Those girls were so into you!" she giggled excitedly, "Lucky me that you're all mine!" she looped her arm through my arm and rested her head on my shoulder. "I'm so lucky to have found someone like you," she sighed and then giggled uncontrollably like a child being tickled.
"Seriously, stop it. You're crazy," I rolled my eyes, unable to not smile at her.
"But this is so much fun!" Kathy skipped down the stairs and out the door into the sun.

We got to Kmart and Kathy took to her role like a duck to water. I was still freaking out completely.
"Ohh, she's checking you out too. You're such a stud," Kathy laughed as we placed all sorts of 'essentials' into the shopping trolley.
"Okay. Stop it. Not every person that looks at me is checking me out," I rolled my eyes as I looked at doona covers.
"But you're a hunky dude. A bad ass hunky dude."
"Please never say that ever again," I begged her as I stared at her seriously and she skipped into the next aisle, giggling again.

Lucky for me, I had money thanks to mum, who had given me two months to find a job before she cut me off. She and Dad were fine with paying my tuition, but I had to have a job to pay for my personal expenses. Dad thought it was a sign of maturity and character building to learn to balance my fun with my study and working, and apparently mum agreed.

We ended up getting a doona cover, an alarm clock, a couple photo frames, some linen and a few other bits and pieces that seemed homely and manly and what a guy would bring to University when he moved out of home.
We went and saw Mark next and he gave me the key and told me what room I would be in. He told me a little bit about the guy I was rooming with. his name was Jacob Brennan, He was just starting his first year as well, studying science. Mark told us that he had met him and he was a good kid.
After talking to Mark we went and found my new room. I felt nervous the whole time it took to get us there. Fooling people in a shop that I was never going to see again, was one thing. Living with a guy for two weeks and still pulling it off, was in a complete class of its own. I was litterally shaking by the time we got to the door of the guys dorm.
"I can't do this," I blurted out, stopping cold causing a guy that was also going into the building to crash into me from behind.
"Watch it bro," he frowned at me, pushing past me and opening the door so he could disappear into the building. I stared at the guy until he walked from my line of sight and looked back at Kathy.
"See! He thought you were a guy! It's okay, seriously, you can pull this off," she grabbed my shoulders and shook me a little, "Take a breath, steady yourself and lets do this, I'm coming with you and everything will go perfectly." I looked directly into her bright brown eyes. She smiled at me with all the confidence I wish I had at the moment and took a deep breathe
"Alright..." I nodded and she grinned and spun on her heel, opening the door and waiting for me to walk through. "...I think," I added after a moment and walked through the door.
The boys dorm, that I hadn't been in yet, looked much like the girls dorm. Though the light salmon walls of the girls dorm was replaced with a light grey paint job that gave the whole building a darker feel. We trotted up the stairs and found my room, I honestly couldn't look at anyone that passed us in the eye. I was so paranoid and my heart was beating through my butt. Kathy took the lead and eventually took my hand, literally pulling me towards my doom.