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 Twelve
Joe tossed and turned all night. He didn't think he slept for more than an hour at a time. He was mad as hell, but he wasn't sure where to direct his anger. He felt bad about giving Mark the cold shoulder, but what else could he have done? He was sure Mark was forced into the modeling thing and didn't blame him for any of it. Donna's words haunted his thoughts.
He couldn't believe what he had seen. There was his older brother, dressed in a wedding dress and kissing an older boy -- man, really. It was obvious that Mark had enjoyed the kiss. What the hell had he been thinking? And then, when Mark looked up and saw him, he had taken off running. Joe had needed to talk to him to find who was to blame, but as he had begun his pursuit....
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Donna picked up on the cause of Janet's frantic flight; she'd been observing Janet during the proceedings. She quickly signaled to Karen as she began moving towards her and pointed at Joe. Thankfully, Karen had the presence of mind to respond quickly and intercepted Joe as he began to go after Janet. The others girls moved around him, successfully blocking off any avenue of pursuit. Donna arrived within seconds.
"Joe! Wait..." began Donna, but Joe cut her off immediately.
"This is your fault!" screamed Joe, directing all his anger towards Donna. "I just know you put him up to it!" He made an attempt to push his way through the girls surrounding him, but they held their ground. "Let me go! He's MY brother!"
"C'mon, Joe. Calm down," pleaded Donna. "And keep your voice down. Do you want everyone to know," she continued at a drastically reduced volume. "Now, if you'll just listen a moment..."
"I don't want to hear anything you've got to say," Joe interrupted at a more reasonable level. "I wouldn't trust you if my life depended on it. God only knows why Mark does."
"Dammit! Joe, you WILL listen!" snapped Donna, her anger evident. "None of this was any of our doing. Things just happened. I suggest that before you run off half cocked, you talk to your mother. She had more to do with it than any of us." Donna turned away from him and walked off; she couldn't trust herself because all she wanted to do was beat him to within an inch of his life. She hated getting angry. It made her feel physically ill.
Joe stood there speechless. What in the world did his mother have to do with it? There's no way his mom would approve of any of this. His shoulders slumped when he realized that he probably would make matters worse for Mark....
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Joe didn't trust Donna and he doubted he ever would. Feeling frustrated, he got up, got dressed and went off to the gym. He figured he'd get out some of his aggression on the basketball court. Yep, a good work out was just the ticket to clear his mind.
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Janet woke from a restless night of sleep. Her dreams had grown increasingly disturbing, mostly because Jay was a major player in them. It wasn't the fact that he was in her dreams that disturbed her, it was his role in those dreams. He was her lover. Janet felt she could handle his rejection, being labeled a fag or a sissy or worse, but she was having a tough time dealing with Jay as a love interest. It bothered her that her best friend, one who was closer to her than anyone, could so easily abandon his long time friend for the woman she was becoming. Was Mark that easy to forget?
Shaking off her concerns, Janet chastised herself for not giving Jay enough credit. After all, she hadn't even had a chance to talk to him, yet. What was she going to say? "Ummm... Jay ol' buddy, I gotta be a girl part of the time. Hope it don't cramp your style."
"Yeah, right!" she chided herself. "Jay's gonna go postal. Not to mention Joe. Awwww...."
Joe hadn't said a single word to her. Hell, he wouldn't even look at her. She'd gotten home early and Joe was in the living room reading one of his anime comics. Her mother and Billy had already left for church. Joe's anger permeated the room and he acted as though she didn't exist. Janet had retired to her room, finding the atmosphere in the living room unbearable.
After lying there for a few more minutes, Janet threw off the covers and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Sitting up, she yawned, scratching her chest. When she reached up to scratch the irritation on her ears, she stiffened slightly. A smile formed on her lips as she remembered how she looked with earrings.
She stood up and made her way to the bathroom. Unconsciously sitting down to deal with necessities, she thought about how rough and scratchy her usual bedtime attire was. The memories of the silky soft satin PJs that she had worn the previous night flooded her mind and left her feeling somewhat uncomfortable in her present apparel of tee shirt and boxers.
Janet wondered what changes were in store for her at school. She hoped there'd be none, but common sense told her otherwise. After all, everything else had changed -- her relationship with the girls, her home life and, although she'd just barely started modeling, she knew her life after school would be different, too. She had to laugh about the last. Ever since she met the girls, her after school routine had slowly changed. She used to spend most afternoons with Jay, but now she was spending more of that time with Donna.
Finishing her business, she stood and peered into the mirror. It shocked her to see only Janet, even in Mark's typical nighttime attire. Was it really that easy for her to forget Mark? The longer she looked at her reflection in the mirror, the harder it was to see the boy her mind's eye had created. It was like the image she always had was being overwritten. She turned her head, trying to see herself from different angles. The earrings, poking through the hair that covered her ears, sparkled with each movement of her head. Her unconscious smile faded as she realized she was going to have to come up with a way to hide the earrings. She spent the next several minutes toying with her hair, but it seemed that no matter what she did, she couldn't conceal the earrings without being continuously on guard. She hoped that the other kids would stay true to form and not say anything. Most didn't talk with her, anyway.
She left the bathroom and dressed for school in Mark's normal "uniform". She gathered her books and headed out the door, but she was halted by her mother's voice.
"Mark, come home right after school. We have a few things to discuss."
"Awww, Mom. I was going to go to Donna's to do my homework," Janet complained.
"This is more important and you can do your homework here," she said abruptly. She then continued in a sweet tone of voice that Janet couldn't ever remember her having, "Honey, a lot has happened that we need to talk about. Please, indulge me."
Janet was momentarily startled. She couldn't remember her mother ever calling her "Honey" and she didn't recall her asking her something instead of commanding. She shrugged and replied, "Sure, Mom."
She went to school, still amazed by the changed attitude of her mother. With everything that had happened in the past four days and unsure about any of it, she couldn't help feeling elated. She'd hated the tension between her and her mother. If nothing else positive came out of this whole thing, an improved relationship with her mother made it all seem worth it.
Janet neared the school and saw the girls waiting by the gate. "Well, at least some things haven't changed," she thought. But as she received her usual morning kisses, she soon realized she was wrong.
Donna was first to give her a chaste peck on the cheek and saying, "Good morning, sweetie. Sleep well?"
"Okay, I guess."
Karen was next and kissed Janet soundly on the mouth. "How's my favorite model this morning?"
"Please, Karen. The last thing I need is for everyone to get wind of this," Janet whispered.
"Sorry, sweetie. It's just that you looked so beautiful in that gown. Did they let you keep it?" she spoke very softly.
Janet shook her head and replied quietly, "It cost thirty four thousand dollars."
"Ohmygod!" she blurted out.
Janet moved on to Nancy, whose kiss was as chaste as Donna's. "Janet, huh?" she said quietly in her ear. As Nancy backed away, she gave Janet a knowing wink.
Diane, not wanting to be out done, also kissed her on the lips, forcing her tongue between Janet's lips. She broke the kiss and left Janet wondering.
It was Sylvia's turn and she gave Janet a peck on the cheek. "Hey, girl friend," she said under her breath.
Sam kissed Janet lightly on the lips and said, "I heard you had an interesting weekend. Janet?"
Chris's kiss was about the same as Sam's. "I wish I could've been there. You'll let me see the pictures, won't you?"
"I suppose."
Judy just held Janet at arms length. She moved her hand up and pushed aside the hair that covered her ear. "Oh, wow! They suit you, though," she commented.
Finally, Kathy was standing in front of Janet. She kissed her on the cheek and reached up to move her hair back in place to cover the earrings. "They do look good on you, but maybe we should keep them covered, sweetie."
Everyone made their way to class with Donna and Diane "escorting" Janet to her homeroom. She was rather subdued, feeling just a little down. The morning routine was a subtle reminder that her life was forever changed. To the outside observer, everything seemed the same, but Janet had detected a change in the way the girls treated her. She realized that she was no longer considered a boyfriend to them, but she now belonged to the "sorority". There were, however, two exceptions. Karen, who generally followed suit with everyone else, was now showing an increased amount of affection. And then there was Diane, who never really thought of her as a love interest. But now....
The day was typical for a first day back to school after a holiday. Most of the kids were reluctant to forget their days off and settle back in to the routine of classes, studying and homework was the furthest thing from their minds.
Janet wanted to pour herself into the work, trying to regain some semblance of normalcy in her life. Unfortunately, something else had changed. She found it difficult to concentrate with everyone looking her way when they thought she wasn't aware. Her ability to detach had deserted her and now she was acutely cognizant of everything and everyone around her. Donna's words kept making the rounds in her thoughts. "Heads have always turned when you walked by...."
By the time lunch period arrived, her nerves were frazzled and she was getting worn out from being constantly on guard. But, she still had the rest of the afternoon to get through and somehow, found the strength to keep going. She first went to the administration office to get work permission paperwork. Janet was nearly fifteen minutes late when she finally joined the girls.
"Hey, Janet. Have a seat," said Karen, making room between her and Diane.
Janet sat down in the offered space and turned to glare at Karen. "Please, Karen. At school, I'm Mark. If any of this gets out, I'm screwed."
"Oh, yeah. I'm really sorry, sweetie. It's just that 'Janet' seems right somehow, but you're right. I'll be careful, 'K?" she said, embarrassed about the slip.
"It's okay. No harm done... this time," replied Janet, emphasizing the last.
"So, what's it like?" asked Diane.
"I don't know. It's kind of fun, but its still pretty new to me."
"Not the modeling, silly. I mean, what's it like kissing Charlie? From where I was, you looked like you were really into it."
The flush began to creep up Janet's face. She was unable to answer the question, unsure as to what to say.
Everyone picked up on Janet's embarrassment and began to grin. "I see," said Diane knowingly. "He's rather handsome."
"Where's Donna?" Janet asked, trying to change the subject.
"Over there, talking to Mayhem," responded Sam, gesturing to the left with her head.
Janet looked in the indicated direction and spotted Donna talking to Mayhem near the corner of the wood shop. Donna said something and both looked in her direction. A few moments later, Donna returned to the table, shaking her head and smiling.
"Oh boy, he's got it bad," said Donna, smiling and looking at Janet. She sat down and returned to her lunch.
"All right, Donna. Spill it!" said Nancy impatiently. "You can't say something like that and leave us hanging."
"Well..." began Donna, looking at Janet again. "It seems he's fallen madly in love with a certain model he met over the weekend."
All the girls directed their attention to Janet with huge grins adorning their faces. Janet ducked her head into her arms.
"He wanted to know everything about her. How old is she? Where does she go to school? Does she have a boyfriend?" Donna teased.
Janet's head snapped up. "You didn't tell him anything?" she asked, worried.
"Chill, sweetie. He has no idea who she really is. You're safe... for now."
"Oh, God," groaned Janet.
The girls laughed so hard that several of them had tears streaming down their faces. As the laughter died down, Diane put her arm across Janet's shoulder and said, "Welcome to womanhood. You'll get used to it."
Janet remained silent throughout the rest of lunch period and the rest of the girls seemed content to let her do so. She collected her kisses, chaste as they were, and went to class. The remainder of the afternoon went as expected, at least until after school let out and she walked home in the company of Chuck.
The two were talking excitedly about Chuck's new found obsession -- special effects and the use of computers to create them. He had a few ideas he wanted to try out and was trying to get Janet to help him with the programming. And even though Janet was preoccupied with much deeper concerns, she was intrigued with his ideas.
They stopped at the Seven-Eleven that was on their route home and Janet picked up a Snickers. She had lost her appetite at lunch and was just now feeling the effects of running low on fuel. Chuck got himself a Super-Big-Gulp. When they left the store, Mayhem and his crew were waiting for them.
"Yo, Mark! How's it hangin', dude?"
Janet felt panic begin to rise within her, but she remained calm with great effort. Mayhem was the last person she wanted to run in to. "Hey, Mayhem. Did you have a good Thanksgiving?" she asked, but immediately regretted it. The last thing she wanted to do was remind him of the weekend.
"Oh, man. What a weekend. Met this awesome babe and made some cash doin' some modeling," he replied casually. Janet detected a note of excitement in his voice that he couldn't quite hide.
"Cool." Janet couldn't think of anything else to say and really didn't want to pursue the subject further.
"Yeah. I think she's got a thing for me," he bragged.
Janet fought the need to go to her defense. But anything she could say would reveal too much. She couldn't, however, stifle the flush that colored her cheeks, and thanked God that Mayhem hadn't noticed.
"Anyway..." he continued, placing his arm across her shoulders and directing her away from the rest of his crew. He removed his arm from her a few moments later, feeling a little strange about having it there. "The thing is... I got some business with my old buddy, Chuck."
"C'mom, Mayhem. Whatever he's done can't be that bad," she defended.
"Naw, its nothin' like that. I just need his help with a hi-tech problem."
"Ohhh... so you're not going to hurt him?"
"Naw, it's cool."
"Okay." Janet looked at Chuck, who was looking scared to death. "Hey, Chuck. See ya later, 'K?"
Chuck just nodded. He was too scared to speak.
Janet continued on home, thinking about how much her life had changed. She was glad that at least one part of her life would remain the same. She couldn't imagine anything would be different at home.
"Mark? Is that you?" came her mother's voice as she walked through the door.
"Yeah, Mom."
"I'm in the bedroom, honey. Would you come here, please?" she asked.
"Sure, Mom. Just let me put my books in my room, 'K?" replied Janet, heading to her room. "Did she just call me 'honey' again?" she thought to herself. Maybe things were going to be different here after all.
Janet walked into her mother's room a few minutes later. Marianne was holding up a sweater, admiring the silk weave. On the bed were several pairs of jeans, some sweaters, casual shoes, panties, bras, blouses, and socks. There were even a couple of nighties and three pairs of pajamas, one exactly like the ones she got on Saturday. On the floor, near the foot of the bed, was a what looked like a tackle box, only it was pink. Stacked on top of it were several containers she recognized as the same skin care products she had at the Fisher's.
Marianne spoke without turning around, "There's a telephone on the nightstand. Susanne said to make sure you get it as soon as you came home."
"What's all this, Mom?" asked Janet as she went to the nightstand and picked up the cellphone. She sighed happily because at least the phone was a basic black. She turned it on.
"Susanne dropped all this off earlier. She said you were going to need to have some clothes here as well as at the Fisher's."
"Oh," acknowledged Janet. "Mom?"
"Yes, dear," she replied distractedly.
"Why did you say yes to all this? I thought you would be against something like this."
Marianne placed the sweater she was holding on the bed, turned, and sat on the edge. "Honey, sit here," she said, patting the bed next to her. "At first, I thought this whole idea was ridiculous, but Carol Jamison made some points that made sense to me, so I prayed. I believe it's God's will."
"But Mom, don't you think me pretending to be a girl is... a sin? I mean, it seems kind of deceitful."
"You don't have to pretend to be a girl. Just be yourself. God made you very pretty. For a long time, I wondered why God would make you so beautiful. I wanted to be able to explain to you why God would do this when I saw that you were unhappy about it. The answers didn't come. I was also sad that I didn't have the means to provide you with an education where you could use that wonderful mind God gave you. I believe this modeling thing is the answer to my prayers," she explained with conviction.
"Mom, I don't know why God made me like this, either. And I'm still not real happy about it. But, if everyone found out that I'm really a boy... I have to pretend to be a girl. Why couldn't God just make me normal like Joe and Billy?"
"Why does God make any of us the way we are? I only know that you are very special to Him. I knew the day you were born that you were destined for something that the rest of us could only dream of. Honey, trust God."
"It's real hard, Mom. Most of the time, I wonder why God hates me so much. The other kids tease me all the time and I think some people hate me because of the way I look. I know my classmates hate me because I find some things so easy."
Marianne wrapped Janet up in her arms, tears streaming down her face. She was just now realizing the extent of the pain her son suffered. "I'm so sorry, honey. I had no idea things were that bad for you. I do want you to know something and don't you ever doubt it. GOD DOES NOT HATE YOU!"
Janet sat there, enjoying the hug from her mother. The last time she felt this close to her mother must have been when she was just starting out in school. It was shortly after the birth of Billy. Her father had started drinking heavily, gotten in trouble at his job, and spent several days in detox. He returned home, sober, but distant. He blamed Marianne for his drinking problem, saying her lack of affection for him had driven him to the bottle. He'd also hinted that her attachment to Mark wasn't healthy for him. That Mark spent too much time playing with the girls in the neighborhood instead of with the boys. Marianne didn't agree, but her own lack of confidence resulted in her distancing herself from Mark, at least physically.
Mark, already aware of his differences, felt hated. His dad never seemed proud of his oldest son. As a matter of fact, he acted as though Mark was a disappointment to him. Mark felt the impact of this disappointment when he was eight and realized that his younger brother, Joe, was given his dad's name which by all rights should have been his. Even Billy was named after their uncle, their dad's brother-in-law. Mark had been named after his mother.
Janet and her mother jumped at the sound of the cell phone ringing. After the second ring, she answered it. "Hello?"
"Janet. Good, your home," came Susanne's voice.
"Oh, hi, Susanne. 'Sup?"
"How was school? Have any problems?" she asked, sounding concerned.
"'K, I guess."
"What's wrong, sweetie? You sound down."
"Oh, nothing really. Its just... well... everything's different. I guess I'll get used to it, eventually."
"I know it's hard to have your life changed overnight and I hate to add to it, but we have a busy week ahead. Did you get the electronic day timer?"
"Ummm..." said Janet, looking at the items on the bed. She spotted the day timer still in the box and picked it up. "Yeah, I've got it right here."
"Great. Do you know how to use it?"
Janet looked at all the sides of the box and replied, "I think I can figure it out."
"I don't doubt that one bit. Anyway, in the mean time, do you have a paper and pencil handy?"
"Mom, I need a piece of paper and a pencil," she said, holding out her hand to her mother. Marianne quickly provided the items she needed. "'K, I'm ready."
"First, you have three photo shoots on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Tuesday and Thursday, we need to be there at 6:00. Saturday, at 9:00 in the morning. Plan on a full day Saturday." Susanne paused to make sure Janet was getting everything.
"Where do I need to be and how will I get there?"
"Tuesday and Thursday, we'll be going to John's studio. Saturday, we'll probably be all over the city. I'll pick you up. Where do you want me to meet you? Home or the Fisher's?"
"Well... Tuesday and Thursday, it'll probably be easier to go to the Fisher's. I guess, here Saturday, but I... I really don't want to wear girls clothes around here."
"I know, sweetie. But you're going to have to, eventually. Besides, if you wear jeans and a sweater or a blouse, I don't think anyone will notice."
"Yeah, I suppose," replied Janet, uncertain.
"Don't worry, sweetie. It'll be okay," Susanne reassured. "Now, Friday, we need to meet with Mr. Carstaires at John's studio to iron out your contract. I think it'd be in your best interest for you to be there."
"Yeah, I guess."
"Listen, sweetie. Everything'll work out. Now, just a couple other things and I'll let you go. You'll need to learn to do your own makeup. For the shoots, Jacqueline will do it for you, but you need to know how. Your mother said she can teach you the basics and Jacqueline'll show you the finer points. For the next couple of weeks, I'd like you to practice every chance you get. Okay?"
"Ummm... yeah, sure," said Janet unhappily. "Susanne? What are these three shoots for... I mean... who?"
"The shoots are for your portfolio. Every model should have one. Actually, it's a must, if you want to work."
"Oh."
"Okay. One final thing. You need to keep that cell phone with you at all times. The battery should last several days, but keep it charged just in case."
"Yeah, I remember. Anything else?"
"That should be it. I'll be by to pick you up at 5:30. Keep your chin up, sweetie. Everything's going to be all right. You'll see."
"'K. Susanne? Thanks for everything."
"My pleasure, dear. See you tomorrow."
"'K. Bye."
"Bye, sweetie."
Janet hung up and looked at the list she made. "I hope it won't be like this every week," she commented.
"I really can't say," replied her mother, "but when you take a job, you also take on all the responsibilities of that job. And I don't want you to neglect your school work, either. School comes first."
"Yeah, Mom. I know," acknowledged Janet. "Oh, Mom. I was curious. Where did you come up with Janet? Mr. Carlton said you named me."
"Well, dear. When I was pregnant with you, the doctors told us you were going to be a girl. Imagine our surprise when you turned out to be a boy. Anyway, Janet is the name we picked for you. It was your grandmother's name. Your dad's mother."
"Oh.... Mom? Were you and Dad disappointed? I mean, that I was a boy," asked Janet. She figured if they were, it'd explain a lot. Like why her father left and why her mom was a lot harder on her than her brothers.
"I wouldn't say disappointed.... Surprised. We were happy that you were healthy and had all the right parts in the right places. You were such a beautiful baby. Everyone said so," she reminisced. "You were so beautiful, everyone thought you were a girl. I guess, maybe you should've been, but I have no right to question God."
"I was just wondering. I mean, Dad has never really wanted to know me. He likes doing things with Joe and Billy, but... I don't know... I mean, he doesn't exclude me... its just... he seems more interested in Joe and Billy," she finally got out.
"Ohhh, honey. Your father loves you very much. Don't you ever think he doesn't. I think you should talk to him about it when you see him again. Whenever he shows up again." She said the last under her breath. It'd been nearly two years since the last time he spent any time with his children.
Janet sat there, deep in thought. Her mother's explanation only brought up more questions than it had answered. She was sure that her parents were disappointed that she wasn't a girl, but her mother didn't lie. Why, then, did her father treat her like she was unwanted? Why was her mother so hard on her? If she didn't get straight "A"s, her mother was unhappy with her. If Joe or Billy got at least "C"s, she was ecstatic. Janet was more confused than ever.
Marianne showed Janet the basics of makeup. It turned out the pink tackle box was a makeup case. It took Janet four attempts, but she was starting to feel comfortable with applying the stuff. She was just about to wash her face and try again when her mother called a halt.
"Can you give me some help with dinner?" Marianne asked, making it sound more like an order.
"'K, Mom. I'll just wash up and I'll be there in a minute."
"Okay, honey. But keep the makeup on."
"But, Mommm. Joe and Billy?"
"What about them?"
"I don't want them to see me like this. Billy'll laugh and Joe'll be pissed."
"What have I told you about cussing, young lady?"
"Sorry, Mom. But..." Janet fell silent, having just now registered her mother's last statement. Did she really call her "young lady"?
"Listen, Janet. If you're going to do this, Billy and Joe will need to get used to it. You can't hide it from them forever."
"Yeah, I know. Joe already knows. He saw me at the mall yesterday. He's really pi... ummm... mad at me."
"So that's what's wrong with him. He would even say a word to me when he got home yesterday. Oh well, he'll get over it. I'll lay the law down for Billy."
"But maybe Joe should have a break from all this and Billy doesn't need to know yet."
"The sooner they get used to it, the better it'll be. Now, no more arguing... and go wash your hands." She left the room and went to the kitchen before Janet had a chance to disobey.
Dinner was a rather subdued affair. Joe, as predicted, took one look at Janet and his anger was renewed. He didn't say anything, however. Billy, on the other hand, started to laugh, but Marianne told him in no uncertain terms that if he laughed or said anything to anyone about Janet's modeling, he would regret it for the foreseeable future. As a result, it was silent throughout dinner, except for a few questions from Marianne, followed by grunted replies from Joe or Billy. Janet's answers were short and to the point.
Janet spent the rest of the night doing her homework. Finishing up, she went to the bathroom, brushed her teeth, and brushed her hair until it shined. She really enjoyed brushing her hair. But as she was leaving the bathroom, her mother saw her from her room and addressed her.
"Janet, you really need to take better care of your hair."
"But I thought I was doing a great job. Dennis my hairdresser thinks so, anyway."
"Oh, you do a good job... for a boy, but... as a... er... model... you need to do better. You need to put it up when you sleep."
"But, Mommm. It's late and I'm really tired."
"It only takes a minute," she said, sounding annoyed. "Have you done your skin care regime?"
"I forgot."
"Well then, young lady, get to it. I'll be there in a minute and show you how to put your hair up."
"Mommm... I'm tired. Can't I skip it tonight."
"No! You can't skip it. Listen, honey. As a model, you have a responsibility to take care of yourself and that means developing good habits. Habits come from repetition."
Janet turned and moped back into the bathroom. She figured it was easier to just go ahead and do it, rather than stand there and argue about it. The truth was, her nightly skin care regime only took a few minutes and as it turned out, her mother was right.
She returned to her room and began to get undressed. As she reached for one of her tee shirts she usually wore to sleep in, she remembered the scratchy feel of it. Instead, she went to the dresser and pulled out the satin pajamas. She donned the PJs and climbed into bed. Sleep came as soon as her head hit the pillow.