Waking up to a new reality

Hogmanay Party

Upstairs, in Lauren's room, the girls took turns using the shower. While Lauren was in the shower Mhairi looked for a top in Lauren's wardrobe and Erin went to her room and collected the clothes that she was going to be wearing later.

Erin's turn for the shower came and as she washed her hair she liberally applied her straightening conditioner. After drying she pulled on a bra and panties, before putting on a robe and leaving the bathroom. Brushing her hair straight as she dried it, she pondered how to wear it tonight. She counselled Lauren and Mhairi's advice.

Both thought she suited her hair back, before Mhairi said, "Ponytail, French plaid again, or how about two plaited pigtails?"

Erin said, "Let's try the pigtails– I've never had them before. . . But they're not going to make me look younger than I am, are they?"

Mhairi: "No – they're going to make you look amazing."

Mhairi brushed Erin's straight back and used a comb to part the hair down the middle. Taking each side in turn, she plaited the hair back until two pigtails hung from the back.

Next attention was turned to make up and Erin was still reticent about overdoing it. Mhairi convinced her to 'Let go a little'. Eye shadow, liner and mascara completed the eyes. Her cheeks were accented with some blusher, and her lips were glossed. As she looked in the mirror she realised that the colours were the same hues as the heather of her mini kilt.

Mhairi looked at Erin's nails and said, "They were okay for a bit of fun, but we need to sort them out for tonight!"

Cotton wool and nail polish remover did the trick and returned the nails back to their native state. Lauren lined up the nail polish bottles roughly from light to dark colours. "What do you think?", she asked Erin.

Erin replied, "I don't know. This is all new to me, sometimes it seems a bit overwhelming."

"Sorry Erin. Let me make it easier for you.", said Mhairi before picking three colours that all complimented the pinky-purple tones.

Erin pondered a bit before selecting the palest of the colours and almost a match for her natural nail colour - just with a hint of purple. With her nail done, Erin sat with her fingers spread until she was sure the varnish was completely dry, before she opened the new pack of tights.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, she bunched up one leg of the tights between the fingers and thumbs of both hands, as she had seen mum and Lauren do many times in the past. With the left leg over her ankles she repeated the procedure on her right leg. Carefully she pulled each leg up until they were at the top of her legs. Finally she pulled the tights up to her waist, doing a little jiggle to get the tights to sit comfortably over her panties.

Removing her robe, she put on the white broderie Anglais top, before wrapping the mini-kilt round her waist and doing the buckles up. Determined to wear her new boots, she took them from the box and pulled them up to the top of her calves.

As she looked in the full-length mirror a tinge of doubt flashed through her head. She said, "You don't think this is too much? This is the first time I've worn a skirt and I'm feeling a bit exposed."

Mhairi replied, "Remember positive thinking – this is not the time to falter. Go, girl go!"

Erin: "But this is the first any of them have seen me as a girl – what are they going to think?"

Lauren chipped in at this point and said, "Everyone is going to accept you as you are. They're all good friends and wouldn't be invited if mum had the slightest of doubt."

Erin: "That's easy for you to say. I feel that it would be just as easy to walk into a room naked, as it is to wear a skirt."

Mhairi, "Don't be daft – you look stunning."