By L. Rochelle
(c) 1999 (c) 2000 L. Rochelle
lrochelle@zdnetonebox.com
This is my first attempt at writing of any kind, let alone a story. Please keep in mind that this is a work in progress and may be changed to reflect and enhance events that may occur as the story unfolds. I have decided to go ahead and post this story in an uncompleted form to Fiction Mania's Mailing list in the hopes of receiving some input and criticism. Also, I would like to point out that this story thus far contains no sex, but has a TG theme. So, if you are offended by such a story or are underage (-18), please deposit in the circular file.
At this point, I would like to thank several people for their patience and understanding. To ChilliTNG, thank you for editing this hack job and providing the instruction that I sorely needed to be able to write at all. To Janice Dreamer, for your kind words of praise for my developing writing abilities as well as a second editor. Thank you for taking the time to post this story to the list for me. And last of all I give special thanks to Wendy J for your encouragement and input. Your friendship and love has been an inspiration to me. I also thank you for believing in me and my abilities even when I wouldn't believe in myself. To all three of my dear friends I love you all and count myself lucky to consider you as the best of friends.
Sapphire has exclusive rights to archive this story at Sapphire's Place. All rights to "Making Lemonade" is mine alone.
Chapter 10
Janet awoke slowly from the last of several pleasant but disturbing dreams. Pleasant from the fact that she enjoyed the dreams immensely. Disturbing because she was dreaming about boys, which she had never done before. Most of the dreams, at least the ones she could remember, revolved around a wedding in which she was the bride and different boys were the grooms. Fortunately for her own sanity, the dreams ended just before consummating the marriage. She really didn't think she was ready to experience sex with a boy, even if it was only in a dream.
Finally opening her eyes, she realized it was still dark, but there was a faint glow through the curtains. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand. The glowing numbers displayed 5:52 AM. Feeling completely rested, she climbed out of bed and made her way to the adjoining bathroom. After taking care of the necessities, she peered at herself in the mirror and smiled. "I still can't believe it," she thought out loud. "I feel like I'm in a dream and I'll wake up at any moment." She looked up and stared at the ceiling. "God, if it's a dream, please don't let me wake up." Looking back down, she saw the skin care stuff sitting on the vanity. "I guess I better start this morning routine. Now, which one am I supposed to use in the morning?" Remembering the instructions given her by the lady at the store, she first used the cleanser and finished with a daily moisturizer.
Janet completed her newly acquired morning ablution and dressed in a pair of her new jeans and one of her new button up blouses. The buttons were a little awkward, but, being left-handed, she adjusted quickly. Of course, since she was wearing girls clothes, she also donned a bra and a pair of panties. She had to wear her old high top sneakers because the only other shoes she possessed were the heels she got from the photo shoot. She grabbed the brush from the top of the dresser; taking a final look into the mirrored closet doors and being satisfied with her appearance, she went out to the pool and sat in one of the lounge chairs.
The sun, hovering just below the horizon, lit up the sky and promised another unseasonably warm day. As Janet sat brushing her hair, she contemplated wearing one of the sun dresses that she acquired the previous day. She wasn't sure if she was ready to wear a dress casually. It was one thing to wear one during a photo shoot, but to choose to wear one was another matter entirely. She decided to take things slowly and go as she was dressed. Something needed to be done about the shoes, though.
Charlie woke up feeling like he hadn't slept at all, which was somewhat the case. He'd had a very restless slumber, being woken several times by dreams that bordered on nightmares. The erotic dreams, which involved Janet, left him with the need to expel the sexual tension in order to drift off again. It was only 5:30 in the morning, but he decided to get out of bed and take a cold shower. He just couldn't bear another session; he was rather raw. And besides, he wasn't sure he could handle another dream; or, more to the point, he wasn't sure he could handle waking from another one. The dreams themselves were very enjoyable. It was when he woke up and remembered what he was dreaming about that he found disturbing.
The shower helped enormously, relieving the sexual tension as well as the pain from being raw. He still felt tired but thought he could make it through the day. His optimism was short lived, though. When he made his way to the kitchen, he glanced out into the back yard and spied Janet brushing her hair. He was awed by the sensual image she portrayed, running the brush through the silky locks that hung over one shoulder. He stood gazing at her for several minutes, the excitement rising in his loins. He tore himself away from the vision, thinking, "I've got to get a handle on this. One more night like last night and they'll have to lock me up. Maybe... if I spend as much time as possible with her, I'll get over it."
Charlie poured himself a glass of orange juice and was about to go out to the patio when it occurred to him that Janet might like something as well. She preferred grapefruit juice so he poured a glass and carried it out to her.
Janet was so into her brushing, she hadn't noticed that Charlie had come out onto the patio and was standing before her. He cleared his throat, getting her attention.
Janet looked up and saw Charlie holding two glasses of juice, then said cheerfully, "Good morning, Charlie. Did you sleep well?" He didn't respond but offered her the glass of grapefruit juice. She took the glass and smiled sweetly, "Thanks."
"God! She's got this girl thing down," he thought. "This won't be easy." Charlie sat down in the chair next to Janet, trying not to look at her. He'd hoped that by talking to her and spending a little time with her, he'd see a part of the boy she was. He figured that by recognizing the male in her, he'd get over his attraction, but he couldn't find any. She acted and reacted like the girl she appeared to be. Everything about her said "girl" -- her voice, her beauty, her poise, hell, even her attitude was typical girl. "Ummm... Janet?" he asked, unsure what to call her. "Which would you prefer, Janet or Mark?"
Janet had resumed brushing her hair, having placed the glass of juice on the little table next to her chair, but Charlie's question took her by surprise and she halted in mid-stroke. She bowed her head and dropped her hands into her lap. "It shows, doesn't it? I just knew I couldn't do it."
"What shows?" said Charlie, puzzled.
"That I'm a boy."
"God no!" he replied sternly. "To be honest, even though I've known you as Mark for a couple of months now, I'm having a hard time thinking of you as Mark. When I look at you, I see Janet."
Janet looked up and smiled. "Oh.... Well, to answer your question, I guess it all depends on how I'm dressed." She picked up her glass of juice, took a sip and returned it to the table.
Charlie watched this little performance and thought, "How can she be so sexy?" He noticed the brush sitting in her lap and extended his hand, gesturing towards it. "May I?"
Janet looked down at the brush, shrugged, and handed it to him.
He had her move down the lounger to make room for him to sit and began brushing her hair. He breathed deeply, her scent filling his nostrils. "God, she even smells like a girl," he thought. "Janet, how do you do it?" asked Charlie as he continued to run the brush the length of her hair.
"Hummm... do what?" responded Janet, barely conscious of anything except the sensual feeling of the brush.
"You know. Be such a convincing girl. I would think that being a boy would make it really hard. I know I couldn't do it. You don't seem to be having any problems, almost like it's natural for you."
Janet tensed slightly. She had always felt awkward as a boy, but she never really thought being a girl was "natural". "I really don't know. I don't try to be a girl. God, Charlie. This is all so new to me. It's not like I chose to dress like this. I was kind of forced into it."
"You're not being forced, now. Mr. Carstaires said you can get out of it."
"Yeah, but..." began Janet, going on the defensive. This was an uncomfortable situation for her. She tended to avoid arguments, generally being unable to make a firm commitment to one side or the other because she could always see the validity of both sides. The only person she was ever able to argue with was her mother. Janet had deep seated views on organized religion.
"Look, Janet. Don't get upset. It really doesn't matter to me one way or the other. I was just curious. And, for what it's worth, I think you make a very beautiful girl."
"Charlie, I don't know if you can understand this. I've always seen myself as a freak. I look more like a girl than most girls. I've always hated the way I looked and I've learned to ignore it. But now, fate or God, whichever you prefer, has made me see myself as others do. It's not easy growing up thinking I should be someone I can't be. Most of my life, I just hoped that I wouldn't have to live very long or that my life was just a nightmare that I'd wake up from at any moment." Janet paused to gather her thoughts. She found it strange that she could talk to Charlie so openly. A few moments later she continued, "I don't know... now that I see who I could be... life doesn't seem so hopeless. Am I a boy or girl? I was born a boy, but I never thought I could be like the rest of you. As a girl... I don't know... I feel like I belong."
Charlie continued brushing Janet's hair in silence. He couldn't imagine what her life was like. He'd always known who he was and felt confident with his place in the world. As puberty hit, he grew into the person he'd always expected. There were no surprises and he liked who he became. He wondered what it would be like to look into the mirror and see himself becoming someone other than who he'd expected.
Donna, Karen, Sylvia, and Kelly came into the kitchen. Noticing that no one was up yet, they decided to start preparing breakfast, but, as they began to work, Karen glanced out to the pool and saw Charlie brushing Janet's hair. "Ohmigod! Hey guys, take a look."
The girls gathered at the sliding glass door, watching the scene unfolding by the pool. "I think your brother has a new girlfriend," teased Sylvia. Donna and Karen looked at each other, crestfallen with an almost empathic understanding of the other's feelings.
Just then, Mr. and Mrs. Fisher walked into the room. Seeing the girls staring out the patio door, they went and stood behind them. When they saw Charlie and Janet, Mrs. Fisher let out a slight gasp, attracting the attention of the girls. The girls giggled slightly and went about their task of making breakfast, leaving Mr. and Mrs. Fisher standing at the door. Donna and Karen were a little somber, having felt a sense of loss.
"Frank, I think you'd better have a talk with our son. He's much too old for her," said Mrs. Fisher.
"Yes, dear," was Mr. Fisher's only response.
Mrs. Fisher helped with the meal preparations, while Mr. Fisher went to the den. He began pacing across the room, deep in thought. Finally deciding on a course of action, he went to the door leading to the Japanese garden and called out, "Charlie, can I see you a moment?"
Charlie, hearing his father's summons, looked over his shoulder and replied, "Sure, Dad. Be right there." He handed Janet the brush and said under his breath, "Oh fuck. Here it comes."
Janet, noticing his gloomy demeanor, asked, "What's wrong?"
"Oh... nothing. I guess I'd better go see what he wants." Charlie stood, retrieved his empty glass, and went into the house, detouring through the kitchen. He ignored the smirks of the girls as he placed his glass in the sink and went into the den.
As soon as he entered the room, his father was in his face. "Charlie, what the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Calm down, Dad," he replied immediately. "It was totally innocent. You know as well as I do that anything between me and Janet isn't possible." Charlie shuddered from the thought, but, at the same time, he felt a building excitement within his loins.
"Well, it seemed kind of strange. Do you make a habit of brushing your sister's friends' hair?"
"No!" he exclaimed. "I just wanted to talk to her about some things that might have been upsetting and I thought if I brushed her hair, she would be relaxed."
"Well, it looked like..."
"C'mon, Dad," interrupted Charlie. "You said to try and understand what life was like for her. And you were right. She's one confused kid. I don't think I could survive what she's had to go through."
Janet remained outside, thinking about the scene they must've presented. The heat from the morning sun, now shining brightly and setting her brown hair aglow with copper hues, served to ease her building anxiety. Setting herself to face the inevitable, she gathered the brush and half filled glass of juice and went into the house. "Good morning," she said cheerfully.
"And a good morning to you," replied Mrs. Fisher. "You're up early again."
"Yeah, I guess I'm a little nervous about today."
"You didn't look all that nervous to me," said Donna sarcastically, faking a smile.
"Yeah, well, you know how much brushing my hair relaxes me."
"Especially when someone else does it."
"Hey! He offered. What was I supposed to do?"
"I think Charlie's in love with you," said Kelly tauntingly.
"Okay, that's quite enough. Janet has enough to deal with. She doesn't need any lip from the rest of you," chided Mrs. Fisher.
Janet sat down at the table and slumped down in the chair. She spent the next few minutes contemplating her options. "Mrs. Fisher?" she finally asked. "Can you take me home?"
The question gained the attention of everyone in the kitchen. Mrs. Fisher, noticing the hurt that was apparent on Janet's face, handed the tongs she was using to turn the bacon to Donna. "Sure, sweetie. If that's what you want," she said as she sat down next to Janet.
"I just don't want to hurt anybody. I want to go back to my old, anonymous life. I can't hurt my friends if I don't have any."
"Well, you could go back to your old life if you want, but, make no mistake, it's too late to not have any friends. You could turn your back on all of us, but we will always care about you. And I, for one, would be hurt by it. I would miss you."
Janet looked up at the remorseful faces staring at her. "I just don't know what to do. All my life, I've had to make decisions that were basically 'no brainers'. Do this to avoid that. I've always had a sense of what was right. But, now... I don't know... if you were to ask me a week ago what I thought about me modeling girls clothes, I would've said that it just wouldn't be right. Now, I'm not too sure it would be right not to."
Mrs. Fisher's heart went out to the child. In all her years of experience in the field of child psychology, Janet was the first child she'd ever met who weighed all factors before making a decision, the first to discount her own interests in making any decision. "Janet, up until now, you have been doing what you thought best for the good of your friends. The decision to model or not must be based on what is best for you. I can't decide for you, but I can offer advice, if you want it. The bottom line is, you must decide for you and no one else."
"That's just it. I don't know what would be best for me anymore. In the past few days, I've... I'm not sure what I believe anymore. Life sure was a lot easier then. Damn... why would Mom agree to all this?"
"Well, I can't speak for your mother, but I think we need to continually question our beliefs. As we grow older and wiser, our ability to understand the true nature of God and the world around us increases. The Bible contains an example of this. During the time of Moses, God gave the people the Ten Commandments. They were a set of rules governing the way one should live his or her life. At the time, those ten rules were about all the people could understand. Ten simple rules that left no room for interpretation. Then, several thousand years later, Jesus came along. When asked about the commandments, he stated that there was only one commandment -- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This rule not only covered every one of the Ten Commandments, but it also encompassed any future violation of decency. Unfortunately, humanity was unable to grasp the concept and practically ignored it. Those who could understand the significance advanced one step closer to God. Of course, there were those who understood the rule and saw it as a threat to their authority. After all, if everyone fully understood it, what need would there be for the priests and theological scholars?"
"I think I understand what you're driving at. God wants us to know Him personally. To understand Him at our own individual level. If we are one with God, then it becomes impossible to be led astray by those who seek to dictate how we should live. I've always thought that organized religion was a means to control the masses. I've always hated God for making it impossible for me to live as the church dictates."
Janet fell silent, contemplating and reevaluating the things she'd been taught through the church. She was just now starting to realize that it really wasn't God she hated but the teachings of the church. Her mother believed that suffering was a blessing from God and that God had blessed Janet immensely by setting up a lifetime of suffering. Janet couldn't -- wouldn't -- agree with her mother. A God of love would want His people to live joyful lives; knowing His love for us. All Janet knew at this point was that, as a girl, she was truly happy. As a boy, life had no meaning. There was no joy.
Janet was brought out of her musings by Donna's arms wrapped around her in a fierce hug. "Oh, Janet. I'm so sorry. I was jealous and hurt. I love you and I felt like I was losing you."
"Me, too," piped up Karen. "Janet, can you forgive me?"
A single tear rolled down Janet's cheek. She reached out and drew Karen into the hug. "God, I love you guys so much. No matter what happens, I'll love you all forever."
Sylvia stood to the side with her hands on her hips. "Hey, what about me?"
Janet looked up at her. She then stood, holding onto Donna and Karen as she went. "Come here," she said, looking at her. "You, too, Mrs. Fisher. Kelly."
The six of them hugged each other for several minutes. Janet had never felt so close to anyone as she felt at that moment. For the first time in her life, she could visualize a future and it was full of joy for her. Sure, there would be trials and tribulations, but she felt like she could handle anything that life would throw at her. She had a sense of hope that she never dreamed was possible.
They finally broke the embrace and finished preparing breakfast. Mr. Fisher and Charlie returned to the kitchen just in time to sit down and enjoy a meal that was brightened by six beaming faces. If anything, Charlie found Janet to be more attractive than ever before.
Just as the meal drew to an end, the phone rang. Mrs. Fisher answered it as Janet and the girls began to clear the table. She spoke for a few minutes with whomever it was on the other end and then called Janet to the phone. "It's Susanne."
"Good morning, Susanne," Janet chimed. "How are you this fine morning?"
"My, we're in a good mood this morning. I guess there's no need to ask how you're doing. It's obvious."
"I feel great. Life seems to be looking up."
"Oh, Janet. I'm so happy for you. So, are you ready for today's shoot?"
"I guess so."
"What are you going to wear today?"
"Well, I was planning to wear a pair of jeans and one of the blouses we got yesterday."
"As your personal assistant, I think I should point out that there are going to be several people from the media present -- reporters, photographers and TV cameras. Maybe you should consider one of the sun dresses. It's a beautiful, warm day and I think you should appear as the up and coming supermodel that John and Carol are boasting that you are."
"Oh... I guess you're right. Susanne, this modeling stuff is so different than anything I've ever done. I'm not used to paying any attention to how I look. I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to need your help. You know, make sure I'm doing everything right."
"Sweetie, that's what I'm here for. Now, I think you need to get ready and I'll see you at the shop at nine."
"'Kay. Thank you, Susanne. I'm so glad that I have you to turn to for advice."
"It's my pleasure. See you at the shop."
"Bye, Susanne." Janet placed the phone back into its cradle and turned to Mrs. Fisher. "I guess I'd better go change."
"Okay, sweetie. Do you need any help?"
"Well, Susanne said I should try and look like a supermodel. I don't think it's possible, but... I suppose I have to try. I don't think I can do my makeup. Besides, I don't even have any."
"We'll remedy that situation this afternoon. You'll need to learn to do it yourself, but for now, I'll do it for you."
"Thank you, Mrs. Fisher." Janet turned and proceeded down the hallway to her room.
An hour later, Mrs. Fisher was putting the final touches on Janet's face. She was still awed by Janet's natural beauty. The bright red sun dress draped over Janet's body, hinting to the curves underneath without revealing anything. The loose fitting bodice, suspended by thin spaghetti straps and gathered at the waist, flowed over her budding breasts. She didn't have a strapless bra and the dress wouldn't accommodate any other type. As a result, the thin cotton fabric hinted to the pert, bare nipples underneath. The full skirt of the dress trailed down the curve of her hips and ended just above the knees. Janet didn't have the shoes to match the dress, so Mrs. Fisher produced a pair of red satin pumps with three inch heels.
As Janet stood in front of the mirror, gazing at her image, she began to notice an unusual warmth flooding her body. This sensation, coupled with a satisfaction of how she looked, created an euphoric pleasure that was completely out of her realm of experience. "My God! Will I ever get used to seeing myself like this?" she asked herself silently.
"Janet, you're absolutely perfect," beamed Mrs. Fisher, looking into Janet's eyes that were reflected in the mirror. "Will you be okay in those shoes?"
Janet wasn't altogether comfortable in such high heels, but she found that, if she walked on her toes, she could manage well enough. "I think I'll be all right. 'Sides, I probably should get used to shoes like this, you think?"
"Normally, I don't approve of a girl your age wearing high heels," commented Mrs. Fisher as she fluffed out the strands of hair that dangled loosely from two large tortoise shell combs that pulled Janet's hair high atop her head, "but, given the circumstances, you're probably right."
Janet continued to admire her image in the mirror, never even noticing that Mrs. Fisher had left the room until she returned several moments later. Mrs. Fisher held out her hand to Janet, who looked down at a pair of teardrop-shaped, abalone earrings, a rainbow of color reflecting off of them. "Oh, Mrs. Fisher. They're beautiful."
"Not half as beautiful as you, sweetie," Mrs. Fisher returned, causing Janet to blush fiercely. She clipped one on each of Janet's earlobes. "There. What do you think? When I saw you in that dress, I just knew these earrings would be perfect."
Janet turned her head from side to side, mesmerized by the changing colors of the earrings. One moment the colors seem to highlight her hair, the next, her eyes, and the next, the sensual drape of the dress. "Oh, thank you, Mrs. Fisher. I promise I'll take care of them."
"I know you will, sweetie. Here, you'll need this." Mrs. Fisher held out a red satin clutch that matched the shoes. "Now, we need to get moving. Your public awaits."
Accepting the proffered clutch, Janet cringed slightly. Reality was starting to dawn on her that she would be the center attraction to hundreds of people. Taking several deep, cleansing breaths, Janet cleared her mind. She knew she had to do this and any anxiety would make it that much more difficult. "I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be."
Janet and Mrs. Fisher went down the hallway to the kitchen where the others were ready and waiting. As Janet stepped onto the handmade Mexican tile floor of the kitchen, the click of her heels caused a silence to descend upon the room. The stunned expressions apparent on the faces within the room produced a mixture of embarrassment and satisfaction. She wondered if her friends would ever get used to seeing her like this.
Charlie's reaction was the most satisfying. Janet felt that if Charlie, the typical macho jock, could get past what he knew and see her as a beautiful girl, no one else would recognize her to be the boy she really was. Or was she? Janet realized that she was finding it difficult to think of herself as a boy. It amazed her how much her perceptions could change in only three days.
Janet felt a panic beginning to rise from deep within her being as she became aware of how everyone else was dressed. Donna, Kelly, and Karen were casually attired in jeans, blouse, and tennis shoes. Sylvia wore a plain, white, cotton romper and sandals. No one was wearing any makeup. It became obvious to Janet that she was going to stick out.
Mrs. Fisher had prepared herself for this eventuality. "Now, Janet. Calm down. You're going to have to get used to being center stage. I know you believe that you can fade into the woodwork, but you're going to have to realize that you attract attention no matter how you're dressed."
"I don't know about that. I think I fade away pretty good at school. Or, at least I did before I met the girls."
Donna got up from the table and stood in front of Janet, looking into her eyes. "Janet, I hate to burst your bubble, but heads have always turned as you walked by. You've just learned to ignore it. You never were as anonymous as you thought."
"But... I thought..." Janet broke eye contact and bowed her head.
"C'mon, Janet. Wake up! Why do you think it only took a couple of hours for the rumors about the first day we met to get around?"
"I guess... I never really thought about it," she answered in shame. Janet had been so proud of her ability to ignore the world around her. Now, she could see that it was more like an ostrich burying its head in the ground, afraid to face the world.
"Janet, everybody's always known who you are."
"Donna! That'll be quite enough!" Mrs. Fisher scolded. Sometimes, Donna didn't know when to quit. Turning her attention to Janet, she continued in a gentle tone of voice, "Sweetie, are you all right?"
Janet slowly looked up. The shimmer in her eyes betrayed the welling tears. She knew she couldn't start crying now and fought with everything she had to regain her composure.
"Why don't I call Susanne and let her know we'll be a little late?" suggested Mrs. Fisher.
"No! I'm okay," came Janet's abrupt reply. Successfully swallowing a portion of the huge lump that had formed in her throat, she continued, "We probably should get going."
Joe was lying, sprawled out on the couch, reading a relatively risqué comic book. He'd always loved comic books, but when he spied his first Anime, he found the old standbys lacking somehow. At twelve years old, he was beginning to appreciate the imagination of the Japanese artists. Their preoccupation with scantily clad, buxom babes appealed to his yet unfamiliar libido. He was sure his mother would have a cow if she discovered his new collection, but, fortunately, she'd lost interest in censoring his collection after the first year.
He was getting bored with the one he was reading and was just about to go dig out another when there was a knock on the door. Joe opened the door to see Jay standing there, smiling happily.
"Hey, Joe," said Jay as he opened the screen door and walked past Joe. "Mark around?"
"Nah. He's spending the weekend at Donna's. I thought you weren't gonna be back 'til this evening."
"Yeah. We came home early cause Frank and his wife couldn't stop arguing. Dad thought we'd better get out of there before he beat the shit out of Frank. So... Mark's getting lucky this weekend, huh?"
Joe started to laugh as he tried to imagine Donna's mom catching Donna and Mark in bed together. But, as he pictured Donna and Mark in bed together, his laughter died quickly. He tried to vanquish the image of two girls making out. It was getting harder to see Mark any other way and he felt guilty about it. Burying his guilt deep into the recesses of his subconscious, he replied, "With her parents around, I doubt it."
"Yeah, I hear ya. But still, I don't know anybody who got to spend the night at one of his girlfriend's, let alone a whole weekend. Pretty cool, really."
"I guess," Joe responded absently. He was still wrestling with his guilt.
"Anyway, what you got planned for today?"
"Nothin' in particular. Got any ideas?"
"Well, Mom wants to go to the Pacific Palisades Mall to do some Christmas shopping. I thought I'd tag along. Wanna come with?"
It took Joe a total of a half a second to make up his mind. The Pacific Palisades Mall was supposed to be one of the South Bay area's most popular babe hang outs. "Sure. That'd be really cool. I've always wanted to see if the place was crawling with chicks like everybody says. But, I gotta wait 'til Mom and Billy get home from church."
"No problem. Mom was planning to go about one." Jay looked down at the comic Joe had been reading. "Anime. Cool," he commented, picking up the book. "Ranma, huh?"
"Yeah, just got it yesterday. A little boring. I was about to get somethin' else when you showed up." Ranma was not really his cup of tea and it disturbed him a little when he couldn't stop comparing Mark to Ranma.
Jay settled down at one end of the couch and began reading the comic. Joe went to his room and returned moments later with one of the Macross series.
Mrs. Fisher pulled her minivan into the parking space next to her husband's "Hummer". The lot was filling up fast, but at least they got there early enough to find spaces near the closest entrance to the bridal shop.
As they all walked to the mall entrance, Janet and the girls in front, Charlie off to one side, and Mr. and Mrs. Fisher, hand in hand, bringing up the rear, Mrs. Fisher ran over the events of the past four days in her mind. She pondered upon the apparent ease with which Janet had accepted her situation. Janet had an air of confidence that Mark never displayed. Mark was sad, whereas Janet seemed happy. Janet appeared to interact socially with the other girls as would any other girl her age. Even Janet's nervousness around boys could be compared to any other girl who was just starting puberty.
Mrs. Fisher's discreet observations of Janet's reaction to the attention she was attracting as they made their way down the mall confirmed her earlier assessment. Janet was definitely embarrassed about being noticed, but not any more so than an overly shy girl. In fact, Mrs. Fisher noticed that Janet's discomfort with the attention was passing quickly, a trait that she had never seen in Mark. As she flashed back once again to the past four days, it became obvious that the Janet persona was growing in strength, which caused her to worry. The growing gulf between the Janet persona and the Mark persona was a classic example of the circumstances that lead to split personalities. One traumatic event could cause the split. Janet was quickly learning to cope with the world and her place in it. But, Mark had only been able to detach. If a split occurred, Mrs. Fisher was relatively sure that the Janet persona would take over. And, as much as Janet was a delight to be around, it was painfully apparent that whenever Janet felt overwhelmed, Mark appeared and tried to withdraw.
Mrs. Fisher remembered her comment to herself regarding Janet's two personas merging and realized that, in actuality, she was observing Janet growing stronger. Without a doubt, Janet needed to exist and probably remain forever, but she was only half of the total person. Mark needed to become one with Janet.