I gingerly walked down the stairs, gripping tightly onto the banister to make sure that I didn’t fall. I was unsure what I was going to face when I got down there. Goddess, this was embarrassing. My father was in the kitchen, as usual. Hearing me enter, hei turned around and greeted me with a smile.
"Morning Jonat—oh, sorry, Zane. I thought that you were Jonatha."
Well, that was one way to start it off. I sighed.
“It’s okay, Dad,” I mumbled, taking a seat at the table. Dad already had milk and cereal laid out and a pot of coffee brewing for Mom. I reached for a box of cereal. Dad shook hys head.
“It’s not okay, Zane. I don’t want my only dawter parading around in skirts and dresses any more than you do, honey. And on top of that, I nearly mistook you for one of my own sonnes. How embarrassing is that? I can only imagine how your mother feels.” I nodded as Dad continued. “You’d better hope that shi doesn’t react too badly to how you’re dressed this morning,” hei chided me, indicating my current state of dress. I couldn’t agree more.
“This was the most feminine thing that I had, Dad.” Hei frowned but eased up on the lecture.
We were joined shortly by Jonatha and Michelle-Anne. Jonatha had opted for a simple, light pink, off-shoulder blouse along with a matching knee-length denim skirt. On hys feet were a pair of comfortable-looking pink wedge heels. Michelle-Anne on the other hand, was flashier. While hys outfit choice for the day was also pink, it was a darker shade, and hei had settled on a short-sleeved dress that had a lace pattern around the neckline and the skirt part of the dress was long and flowy and fell past hys knees. Again, unlike hys brotherelle, Michelle-Anne had opted for a pair of flashy, 4-inch heels.
“Morning bois,” Dad greeted cheerily. Both bois returned a similarly chipper response before taking their places and helping themselves to breakfast. Jonatha smiled at me while Michelle-Anne gave me a quick smirk as Mom came sweeping into the kitchen, dressed and ready for work in hir dark grey suit.
“Morning everyone,” shi bellowed as shi walked up to dad, gave hym a peck on the cheek and then took the mug of coffee that hei was offering.
“Morning, Mommy,” Jonatha and Michelle-Anne replied. I mumbled a greeting as shi sat down and unfolded the morning paper. Shi glanced at me and frowned, obviously disgusted by my choice of attire. Dad sensed this and placed a hand on Mom’s shoulder.
“Don’t be too hard on hir dear,” hei said softly. “You know that shi hates it as much as you do.” Mom shook hir head.
“If shi hated it that much, shi wouldn’t be doing it.” Mom responded roughly, her voice rising. “I’m not having my only dawter become some kind of shi-boi!” Shi glared at me as I sunk low in my seat.
“Mom!” I whined. “It’s just a bet, and I only have to wear this stuff for school,” I gestured to the white blouse that I was wearing. “Believe me, I’m changing out of this stuff as soon as I get home.”
Mom didn’t look convinced, and shi continued to glare at me until Dad put hir breakfast in front of hir. Shi folded up the paper and didn’t say another word, choosing to ignore me for the rest of the meal.
After a silent and rather awkward breakfast, Jonatha and Michelle-Anne helped dad clear up the table while I went and gathered the rest of the things that I needed for school. Normally I carried my school books in a backpack but Jonatha had reminded me that bois didn’t carry that kind of bulky stuff, and so I was forced to clutch them in front of me like a boi.
Once I had my things ready, I reluctantly swung the pink purse over my shoulders and went to meet my brotherelles, being careful not to trip over in the heels that I still wasn’t used to wearing. Naturally, I was the first to reach the front door. Obviously, Jonatha and Michelle-Anne had some last minute touching up to do, but eventually they were ready.
Mom, by this point, had already left for work, which left just Dad. Hei came out into the hall to see us off before returning to hys househusbenne duties. Jonatha and Michelle-Anne both gave hym a peck on the cheek while I just mumbled a goodbye. As we started to walk, I tried to keep my balance in the heels but Jonatha caught me as I stumbled.
“Here,” hei suggested, offering an arm. “Let me help.” Reluctantly, I took the arm that hei was offering while, even more embarrassingly, Michelle-Anne came up on my other side and took that arm as well. We ended up walking to the bus stop like a trio of bois. How humiliating.
