Standing inside his living room, finally home Blake felt less like he was safe and more like he had led himself right into the jaws of proverbial death. His blase attitude about just taking a grounding hadn't been built on a good foundation and hadn't accounted for his mother finding him wearing a dress and bra. "Mom, I can explain," The slamming of the front door shut stopped the next thing Blake was going to say, not that he knew exactly what to say, he was winging it. His mother was more of a yell at you for closing a door too hard in the house and less of a slam the door herself type of person.
"Explain? Oh you better explain why my son who told me he would be at his friend Steven's place, is now home wearing a dress. Blake..." Lauren moved where she was standing to be able to have both her son and his girlfriend in her line of vision. "Lizbeth, who would like to explain what first?"
Not wanting to meet the woman's hard gaze Lizbeth pressed her lips together in a line, held up her hands in the air at chest height and shook her head no, she did not want to be part of the lecture she knew Blake was in for. She had seen the woman get angry before, never at her and she hoped never to have the ire of the six foot tall dark haired amazon of a woman. Much as she wanted to shirk away she couldn't help really seeing the resemblance between Blake and his mom. Blake's hair wasn't just past shoulder length like his mother, but it was the same color and now that Blake's hair was under control and he at least looked like he had a feminine chest she could see that her boyfriend was a smaller, younger version of his mother.
"No?" Lauren said watching the young blonde avoid eye contact. "That leaves you Blake, how about we start with Steven and don't think you are going to get away with anything. The second we are done talking I'm going to call his father to check your story. Something I guess I should have done to begin with, but that was my mistake for trusting my only child."
"Mom, mom... he doesn't have anything to do with this, I told you I would be at his place so I could go and stay with Liz at the house she was watching."
"Wait, hold it," Lauren said, holding up her hand for her child to stop talking. She was about to lay into him when her husband came out of his office. While she was already in her pajamas he was still dressed for the day in some slacks, blue polo shirt and a brown sweater vest and a pair of dark brown socks that she knew had a hole on the bottom and had been meaning to throw them away.
"Hey Ren, what is going on out here?" Bennet Downings said coming into the living room, seeing his wife with his son's girlfriend and another dark haired girl that looked familiar.
"Oh nothing, just our son flagrantly lying to us, getting his friend to lie for him and crossdressing. You know things every mother should expect from there child who she can't trust when he is off at college, as he fails half his classes and had been caught by the police drinking underage at a party."
"Son?" Bennet's eyes grew large as it struck him who the girl was in his living room and once said wasn't sure how he could have missed it being Blake for a second. A spike of guilt hit him as he took in the sight. Blake's legs were shaved, his hair was neat and clean, his eyebrows, while not as plucked and arched as his wife Ren's, had definitely been cleaned up. Blake was wearing a little makeup and he could even see the bra strap underneath the denim jumper. "Blake, why don't you come sit on the couch and we can talk about what is going on, it looks like you have some emotional weight that you would want to share," To him it didn't look like his son had just put on a dress as a lark, a lot of effort went in and the fact that he came home looking like that with his girlfriend told him that his son more than likely came home with someone he trusts in order to have a difficult conversation with his parents.
"He doesn't need to move a muscle, what he needs to do is understand how foolish he was for lying," Lauren flexed the fingers of one of her hands into a fist, she hadn't hit her child since he was a toddler and even then it was with a wooden spoon, just enough to spook the child. Her husband had chided her that it wasn't an effective way to teach a child, but she always knew him to be a loving, but a bleeding heart. A trait she imagined was helpful being a psychologist focusing on adolescents. Her Bennet was always the calm one, her rock that helped her stay grounded. He always looked for compromise and ways to avoid conflict that still resolved a situation. "Blake what do you think... did you even think?! What if there was an accident? No one would know where to find you," she said pointing her left index finger in her son's direction as he flinched away.
Putting his hand on his wife's shoulder Bennet tried to temper the fire of her well... temper he supposed. "Ren, I think Blake understands, but considering that he came home, looking the way he..." Bennet made eye contact with his son trying to guide his child's reaction. "Or she does, we might have a bigger conversation. Maybe Blake went to spend time with Lizbeth to get away and explore himself... or herself."
Touching her tongue to the top of her lip Lauren looked at her husband like he had two heads. Not believing for a second her son was transgender. She had cleaned up his pigsty of a room for many years and while it was cleaner than it had ever been now, that was because Blake hadn't been home from college long enough to make a new mess. She knew exactly what he hid in his room and where and not a thing told her he was anything more than a normal horny boy and she wasn't sure where Ben was getting any of this, she had shared with him what she found in the room and had pretended not to when her husband said it was all perfectly normal for a growing boy. She hadn't even so much as seen him watching the drag race reality tv show, there wasn't the tiniest hint Blake was anything different other than how he looked now. "Fine, let's talk about that. Blake... dear." She glared into her child's eyes.
Glancing to the front door Lizbeth considered making an excuse to leave, but no sooner had the thought crossed her mind Blake's mother looked in her direction, pointing that finger that told her to just stay put, like the woman could read minds.
Looking back at her son Lauren rolled her hand in a go on type motion. "Tell your father and I about why you are dressed that way."
Putting his hand on his son's shoulder Bennet tried to reassure him. "This is a safe place Blake, you can tell us anything," he didn't particularly disagree with his wife, but if his son was exploring his feminine side the way he went about it seemed normal. Have a friend say they are staying together or at least willing to back him up if he needs the cover just in case he needs an escape from what he was experimenting with. Then going to a place where no one would be except a person he trusted and now that his child got the answer they were looking for or at least the start to that answer they came home to talk it over with parents he knew would be receptive to different life choices instead of hiding them away.
"Dad, I'm not trying to be a girl," Blake said before rolling his eyes at himself. "Well I am, or I was but..." Blake then looked over at Liz for some help, but found none. What bothered him more about Liz not speaking up for him now was the fact he was one hundred percent positive she would stand in front of him to take a bullet and it told him just how much he had F-ed up when he blew up at her. So with a steading breath, one that just reminded him of the bra he wore as he felt the band around his chest and the straps on his shoulders, he started telling his parents what had happened and hoped to earn some points back with his girlfriend for the truth. He told them how Liz told him not to come over, how he did anyway because he thought the two having a house to themselves would be fun. He did leave out what that fun would entail. Then Blake went into how they found out about the Maruo's coming home for what they thought would just be a day and how he didn't have money to uber home and since he didn't have his own car...
Looking between his mother and father as he let that thought hang he pushed on knowing if he pressed on the subject any longer he was going to get another rendition of the trust is earned speech. He talked about how in a panic the only good idea, or idea at all that didn't involve spending money was him getting dressed up and how he knew it was a stupid idea, but he wasn't really thinking things through, how it would have just been for a day. Or they thought it would be a day, but the family that owned the home or at least half of them that came back from their vacation would be there for a week. Blake skipped the going on a movie date or even holding hands with David in his story, but he did bring up the load of dresses and such he now owned thanks to Mrs. Mauro or at least would own if it wasn't all left back at the house, minus what he was currently wearing. Telling them how Liz was supposed to be his babysitter and he was a sixteen year old girl hadn't felt pleasant and he avoided eye contact during that part, talking as quickly as he could. How everything was just too much and he wanted to come home.
"That was brave of you to say Blake," Bennett gave his son a hug before giving his wife a look that he wasn't sure she took the meaning of. The story sounded far-fetched, pretending to be a sixteen year old girl to hide the fact he was there in order to protect Lizbeth was a bit much. Blake could have just as easily introduced himself to this Heather Mauro saying he came to check in on his girlfriend and was just on his way out. Then all he had to do was call a friend, take the bus or call him to come pick him up. What felt more accurate was that Blake wanted to explore his feminine side and hadn't fully made a decision about what felt right. He knew Blake was having a problem at school, he had never been good with grades and seemed to be trying to run away from responsibility. Reliving part of his childhood or wanting to made sense to him in that context and doubly so if Blake felt they had missed out on teen years as the gender he thought he was on the inside. "Blake honey, if you feel on the inside that you are a girl we will support you. I'm just as happy to have a daughter as I am a son."
"Daaaad, I don't want to be a girl," Blake said exasperated.
"I hear you Blake," Bennet touched his own chest with an open palm and then did it to his child's. "No matter what, we love you."
Blake once again looked to his girlfriend for help, this time pleading with his eyes and was thankful when she finally verbally stepped in to back him up, at least doing so to back up the story.
The explanation sounded a bit out there to Lauren and the look Ben gave made her think he wasn't buying it. When he acted... no when he was being his normal understanding self, but jumping to a wrong conclusion she rolled her eyes. Lizbeth backing up the story only made what had occurred or allegedly accrued that much odder to her. Unlike her husband she could see how uncomfortable the way Blake was dressed was making him and the fact he was pretending to be a sixteen year old girl to protect his girlfriend gave her a fun and poetic idea on how to punish him for his actions. "Liz, if the girl you are babysitting just didn't come back do you think that would raise some questions?"
The raised voice and harsh tone to the woman's voice was gone, Blake's mom sounded like she earnestly wanted an answer to the question. "Yeah, I haven't figured out what I am going to say yet. Maybe that Blake's parents came home early for something... like a death in the family and that Blake went from her friend's house to back home," she said with a shrug.
"Hmmm," Lauren tapped her chin. "She did buy Blake clothing and shoes, even some accessories from what I'm understanding?" She wasn't really asking the question, or at least didn't need to wait for an answer so long as what the two of them had said was true. "That won't work then, she might want to send flowers or worse, come attend the funeral to support the girl she obviously liked having around," Lauren then turned to her husband,wanting to make sure he would be on board with this punishment. "I know I would be happy to have a daughter of my own to spoil. So I think it might be best if Blake goes back with you tonight and stays with you till the Mauro's leave, just to make sure none of the fallout from this mess hits you dear," she said switching her attention to the blonde girl.
"Wait, mom, you can't mean," Blake said, stopping when his mom held up a finger for him to stop talking.
"Blake, you are going to go back with Liz and you are going to play the part you started. Too many times you have started things and never followed through. You lied to both myself and your father on your whereabouts, this time we will know exactly where you are at all times. That means texting me or your father everyday and when you go anywhere. Furthermore, to make sure you aren't just telling us another story, anytime I text you, you will answer and send a selfie of yourself."
"Mom! I don't want to pretend to be some sixteen year old girl! Dad, tell her I can't do this!" Blake protested.
With a few nods of his head Bennet gave his wife a sly smile, happy with what she was doing. The way Blake came home looking it was clear to him the type of conversation that was intended, but his child's emotional or mental fortitude had failed them and was trying to backpedal, coming up with an outlandish story and his own girlfriend backing him up to protect him or her. Ren was using the guise of punishment to give Blake more time to come to grips with their feelings. If Blake had said he wanted to see what it was like to be a girl and didn't like it or decided it wasn't for him, that he would understand, but the way he acted like he hated it made him think his child was protesting a bit too much. "Blake, you have to be punished for what you did and I think a week of wearing some different clothing isn't going to hurt you. Do as your mother says, we are only trying to do what is best for you."
"Dad! I don't want to be a girl! And I don't want to call my girlfriend Miss Liz because she is my babysitter!"
Nodding his head once more Bennet watched Blake stomp his foot like many of the petulant children he helped everyday. "Blake, I hear you, you are heard. I hear what you are saying and what you aren't saying."
Tossing his head back Blake growled at the ceiling.
"Good," Lauren said in a slightly elevated voice before moving back to her normal volume. "Now that everything is all settled Blake come give your Mommy and your Daddy a hug and a kiss before you go off with your babysitter."
Blake just gave his mother a deadpan look at her choice of words. "Really?"
Instead of answering her child Lauren looked over at the twenty one year old girl, who she supposed really was older than Blake, just not in the way they were going to have to pretend to be. "Now I expect there to be no hanky panky between you two, it wouldn't be proper considering your age differences. So no sleeping in the same bed, let me go get some cash so that you can pick up my daughter a sleeping bag that suits her, a girl of her age and interests."
Stifling a giggle Lizbeth shook her head in a way that her long blonde hair spilled about. "That won't be a problem Mrs. Downings. The bed in the guest bedroom where we are staying is a trundle bed, so it has a compact bed underneath. Your little princess will not have a problem sleeping on that when we pull it out."
Blake's eyes jumped from one person to the next, completely unable to understand how things were turning out like this. He had come home in a dress, been caught, yelled at, scolded and then his overly accepting father wouldn't take no for an answer and somehow after all of that he was going to leave here and forced to go back to what he had tried to escape, as a punishment for being there in the first place! "Mom, Dad... please."
Lauren gave an exaggerated shrug of her shoulders as she addressed Lizbeth. "She has always been so willful. Maybe it would be best if you stopped by the store anyhow and picked her up some coloring books to keep her occupied and a diary she can write in everyday," she then looked back to her husband, raising an eyebrow. "Do you think writing in a diary everyday, talking about everything our daughter is doing and has done would be healthy?"
"Ren, you know I always advise everyone to keep a personal journal. I would be happy to see Blake actually take that advice."
"Let me get my purse so I can give you some money, I can't expect you to be babysitting my little girl for free. Now Blake, honey. You do as Miss Liz says, answer your text messages like you are told and write in your new diary Miss Liz is going to be nice enough to get for you," Lauren said in a sweet voice.
"And... and if I don't?" Blake asked, almost cringing, but hoping an alternative punishment wouldn't be nearly as bad.
"Well," Lauren looked to her husband and then back to her child before he gave any input, just wanting him to know she was acknowledging him. Ben had never been the disciplinarian in the house, he had always stood with her to show a strong front to Blake, but more than once he had given the rebellious Blake a way out after the fact. "If you can't be a good girl for Miss Liz, that will just show us that you aren't really ready to be an adult. Maybe we will just have to enroll you back in grade school. Hmm what grade would a sixteen year old girl be sent to? I think tenth, but you not following directions would show a lack of maturity, so it might be best if we enrolled you back as a freshman," she threatened.
"Mom... you wouldn't?" he asked not sure how she would pull it off, but he had also never seen her not follow through on a threat before.