Who Is Lucas Ryker O'Riley?

26. EXPOSED AND VUNERABLE

With the hardest part of the shopping trip completed, Mom then took me to the Juniors department.

Being that it was early June, the summer clothes in their many light airy fabrics and bright bold colors, were on full display.

Between the two of us, we pulled a half dozen different shorts from the racks, everything from cuffed denim shorts, different colored bermuda shorts of several different materials, and even a couple pair of athletic shorts.

Picking out a few tops, I decided to go for it and picked out a few things I was sure my mom wouldn't approve of; a bright red cropped tank top, a few different colored camisoles and a white summer knit top that stopped short of my bellybutton by a couple of inches.

At this point, I started to feel like I was getting into a character, wearing a costume like I did back when Dave, Mandy and I used to go trick or treating on Halloween.

At the same time, I realized that it was also different, as in, if I changed my costume or took it completely off, I'd still be the character, regardless what I wore, but I could control the character's image, style, and perceived personality.

The more I thought about it, the more it intrigued (if not even in the back of mind excited) me to think that I was in charge of creating this new character that could be what ever I wanted it to be.

As I tried on the various shorts and top combinations to check for fit and style, Mom disappeared back into the Junior section searching out more items for me to try on.

Mom was pretty good at this shopping business. Not only had everything she picked out for me fit properly, all the clothes also seemed to really emphasize my legs and curves the way you'd expect a teenage girl's attire to do.

Of course, Mom's aptitude and proficiency for selecting nice clothes that fit properly shouldn't have been such a surprise knowing how Mom used to model for a living before she had Dave and I.

When she returned, she handed me a couple pairs of jeans. Having been a boy the whole rest of my life, I had worn plenty of jeans, but I found these were nothing like any jeans I had ever worn before.

When I held up the first pair, I swore to mom they would be several sizes too small and I wouldn't ever be able to get my legs in them. She just smiled and told me to try anyway.

Once I began to pull them on I was suprised to find that even though they were much tighter, they were made of a softer, stretchy material that allowed them to slide right on. Those jeans fit me like a glove and I could feel them hugging every curve.

Looking at myself in the mirror I saw they were quite curve enhancing too. A sticker on one of the rear pockets said they were tummy flatning-derriere boosting jeans.

After deciding the jeans were the right size, mom left me alone in the dressing room again to retrieve even more things for me to try on.

This time she returned with garments that I had been slightly curious about, yet feared at the same time; skirts and dresses.

She handed me a couple skirts that I tried on and discovered they were 'above the knee' length. I felt so exposed and vulnerable in them.

With one of these skirts on, mom made me walk out of the dressing room, so I could see myself in the three angled mirrors out in the shopping area.

This caused me to feel very self-conscious. I felt like everyone around us was looking at me and staring at my legs. They weren't really, but I still felt almost naked standing there in the shorter of the two skirts.

Returning to the dressing room, I tried on two different style summer dresses.

After trying on the new round of clothes Mom had found for me, I was amazed how good her selections looked and how well they fit. In my mind, skirts and dresses shouldn't look good on me, but surprisingly they did.

I felt really awkward in front of mom in a skirt, but I couldn't deny to myself how nice it looked on me. Just looking at myself in the mirror I felt myself beginning to get excited.

Oh no, not now, I told myself while quickly turning my thoughts to football, trying to concentrate on specific running plays.

Then I reminded myself, what are you worried about. It's tucked inside, duh.

That did the trick and I relaxed.

I tried on both of the dresses and Mom oooh'd and aaaah'd over me while making me once again go outside the dressing room to see myself in the mirrors.

Once I had the dresses off, she asked me if I wanted either of them or the skirts.

"Do I have to?" I asked. "I think both dresses look great on me, but I don't think I'm ready for skirts or dresses. I just think something so short makes me feel  vulnerable and attracts attention I'm not looking for."

"I tell you what," she responded. "How about you pick out one of the dresses and we'll not tell your Dad. He thinks it's moving too fast to put you in dresses just yet, anyways. We won't show it to him yet and we'll hang it in your closet for now. I know you say you don't want them, but I think you'll soon change your mind and you'll wish you had taken me up on the offer. Call it mom's intuition, but I really do think you'll change your mind. On second thought, I'm just gonna go ahead and get them both."

Before I could put my clothes back on to leave the fitting room, Mom walked back in and handed me two different style, one-piece bathing suits, one in solid red with darker red tribal designs and another in black that looked almost like a dress.

I gulped.

Yes, I had wanted a suit so I could go swimming, but at this moment I was having second thoughts. Couldn't I just wear board shorts and a tee-shirt.

"I saw how you kept staring at the pool and I know how much you love swimming. If you are going to use the pool this summer you are going to have to wear one of these. You're going to need one tomorrow anyway. Try these on, and that'll be it for this department. Let's see how they look."

Upon looking in the mirror at myself in each suit, if I hadn't known it was me staring back at myself in the looking glass, I'd have been tempted to follow that girl home, figuratively speaking of course. (But seriously, though.)

"Don't you think this black one looks too much like a dress? Dad won't like it."

"Well, actually he's not gonna like either one. He's just gonna have to get used to the idea of you wearing one though, but between the two he's gonna like the black one better. It's a swim dress and it's more modest, covers more than the other one."

"Are you saying we can't get the red one then? I really like it."

"I think it'll be fine if you are wearing it in our back yard, maybe when dad's not home, at first. Wear the black one when you go to the neighbor's pool, and when dad's home. Go ahead and get your clothes back on. I'm gonna find you a swimsuit cover up."

Once we finished our selections and subsequent purchases, we set out for the shoe department.