Rent or forfeit 19

Tommy descended the stairs the next morning, in the short nighty Maddison had lent him, and entered the living room.

Maddison who was sat on the sofa watching TV, looked up, “good morning Tammy, how did you sleep”? she asked.

Tommy gave her a little smile, “Ok, I guess, thanks for letting me stay over last night”.

“Any time, do you want some breakfast”? Maddison said cheerfully.

“No, I’m not hungry”, Tommy replied sadly.

Maddison changed position on the sofa, seeing him upset and patted the cushion to her left, “come and sit with for a minute”.

Tommy slowly made his way across the room, folded the flimsy skirt of the nighty beneath him and sat next to her, folding his smooth legs beneath him.

Maddison gently pulled his shoulders back, leaning his back against her, and started running her fingers through his hair, “so, are you going to tell me what happened last night, you hardly spoke a word to me after I picked you up, I was really worried”.

Her fingers raking through his long locks felt comforting, and as she started plaiting his hair, Tommy told her the story of how he had been dragged out by Jill, how he had ended up with Dom, and how vulnerable and stupid he had felt.

After listening patiently Maddison was outraged, “what she just left you there”?

“Yeah, I didn’t know what to do”?

“That’s awful, she sounds like a terrible person, why did you go out with her”?

“I had no, choice, she said she would get me fired if I didn’t go”.

“And what, you love the job that much”?

“No, I…, I…, I need the money”, Tommy stuttered.

“For what”?

“I need to get away from my sisters, they are controlling my life, they choose what I do and what I wear, I can’t take it anymore”.

“I’m sorry, Tam, I had no idea, so because you’ve been brave enough to admit to the world who you really are, they’ve been forcing you to become some caricature of woman, what the hell? That’s not right”, Maddison said now angry.

“Well, it’s not quite like that”, Tommy back-peddled.

“Well, what is it like then Tam? I’m confused”, Maddison replied.

Tommy thought about telling her the truth again, how he didn’t want to be a woman at all but remembered her reaction the first time, and how she probably wouldn’t believe him this time either, it was hard to believe looking so girly, sat in her lap, wearing one of her skimpy nighties, and having his platinum blonde hair plaited. So, he did what he had done a lot lately, he lied. “It’s not that bad, I think they’re trying to help in their own way, I’m probably just being over-emotional after last night, they did take me in after mum abandoned me, I guess, we just don’t find it easy to live together”.

“Well, don’t let them push you around or they’ll have me to answer to”, Maddison said now looking at him, and then giggling.

“Thanks, Maddy, I’m sorry”, Tommy replied, looking up at her, thinking about how kind she had been to him, and how he had known her for years and never bothered to get to know her, feeling ashamed of all the years he had spent late at night fantasizing about her, treating her in his mind, no different to how Dom had treated him the night before.

“What are you sorry about”? she replied.

“Sorry, I didn’t get to know you properly years ago, you’re a really nice person”.

Maddison blushed, “so are you Tam, but at least we found each other now, I get the feeling we are going to be best friends forever”, she said wrapping her arms around Tommy and hugging him tightly.

Four hours later, after an afternoon of sitting around and watching cheesy movies, Tommy walked back into the living room after going to get changed.

“So, you found something to wear then”? she said looking at him oddly.

“What, is something wrong?”, Tommy replied, noticing the way she was looking at him.

“No, sorry, I just can’t get over how different you look these days, in a good way though, I mean, that’s my favourite skirt and you look better in it than me”.

“Oh sorry, I didn’t realise”, Tommy blurted out, running his hands down the side of the black and white pleated mini-skirt he was now wearing, “I just found it on the side along with this pink jumper, I didn’t want to go rifling through all your things, I can change if you want”?

“No, it looks great on you, you borrow it, that’s what girlfriends do, right”?

“Er… ok, thanks”, he replied now feeling a bit awkward, regretting not looking a bit more for a pair of jeans or some sweatpants.

“Why are you wearing heels”? Maddison asked looking down at his feet.

Tommy lied again, “I just don’t feel right in flats these days”, he said embarrassed looking down at the high wedge shoes on his feet, probably a size too small and squashing his toes. In reality, he would have liked nothing better than to put on a pair of trainers, but he knew if his sisters saw him breaking one of the rules, they had inforced, his next pick would be two forfeits instead of just one, and that was something he definitely didn’t want to do.

Maddison smiled, “you know, I was shocked when I first saw you that day at the shopping centre but looking at you now, I can’t believe I didn’t see it before, I think you might be more girly than me, I’m so happy you were brave enough to show the world the real you”, she said approaching him and giving him a little peck on the cheek, “ok, let me grab us some coats and I’ll drive you home”, she added as she skipped by and out of the room, leaving Tommy to look at his feminized reflection in the mirror on the wall, wondering if she might be right, the face looking back at him didn’t belong to a man, it looked so feminine and pretty, and the worst part was, apart from a little lip gloss, he wasn’t even wearing any makeup.

“Are you ready”? Maddison asked arriving back with the coats, surprising him and causing him to quickly turn around, “ready”, he said as he grinned awkwardly.

Back home that evening, he tried to avoid his sisters, but they had other ideas, it was around 9ish when they knocked on his bedroom door before letting themselves in.

“So, are you going to tell us where you were last night? We were worried”, Sarah said staring at him from the doorway.

“Really, I didn’t know you cared”, Tommy replied sharply.

“Of course, we care, we’re family, now where were you, you didn’t even call to say you were staying out”, Monica said with a sad expression, stepping out from behind Sarah.

“I don’t want to talk about it”, Tommy spat back”, If you really care, why is she holding that hat”?

Sarah’s expression changed, fine be like that, you know why I’m holding this, it’s time to pay rent, have you got it”?

“You know I don’t”, Tommy said annoyed, it would be a few more weeks yet until his next paycheck came through and Sarah knew this.

“That’s what I thought, time to pick a forfeit then”, Sarah said stepping over and holding out the hat.

Tommy resigned to his fate, reached out but then stopped, his long red nails dangling over above the hat and shining in the light, “there are only two papers inside”, he said surprised.

“Well, after you stayed out last night and worried us sick, we’ve decided to give you two very special options this week, one written by each of us”, Sarah said with a little grin, she then reached in and unfolder the first paper, reading it allowed, “Servant for a week, that one’s mine”, she said pulling a face, “ if you pick that one, you’ll be waiting on us hand and foot all week, doing all the work around the house for once”.

As Tommy looked on stunned, Sarah once again reached into the hat and unfolded the second paper before bursting out laughing, “Princess for a week”, she read trying to keep a straight face, “that one’s Monica’s of course, I don’t know what she wants from you, but I guess she just wants to see you dressed you up like a princess, so which one will it be Tammy”?

What should Tommy choose? Vote in the poll

1. Servant for a week

2. Princess for a week