Zoe did her best to explain to Sarah what had changed that evening in the ten minutes before Linda left Dawn's bedroom, cardboard box bearing the sharpie-fashioned inscription of “FOR DAWN” in hand. The concerned parent descended the stairs, finding her two cheerleaders on the sofa in the living room and gave them a bewildered look as she put down the box: “You know what’s strange? None of the clothes in Dawn’s closet seem to fit her. She’s got an opened package of Disney underpants that I don’t think I bought for her, and she’s wearing one of those okay, but nothing else looks her size.”
“You mean she outgrew them?” Zoe asked cautiously. “They’re too small for her?”
“No, they’re not too small. They just don’t fit.” Linda got the same far-off look that Mikey had had just a few minutes earlier.
A look which seemed to summon her now-middle child, as Mikey exited his own room bearing a cardboard box, and descended the stairs.
“I think all of this stuff should be in Dawn’s size,” he huffed as he dropped his clothing-filled box on the floor next to the the one his mother had brought.
Zoe’s eyes shot wide. “Mikey!?”
He gave his older sister a look. “Mikey? Nobody’s called me that since I was Dawn’s age. You know I want people to call me Mike.”
Zoe shook her head and apologized, adding this new piece of information on top of all of the other new pieces of information. Sarah put a concerned hand on her friend’s shoulder, but it didn’t seem to help. Zoe barely heard Mikey’s– Mike’s conversation continue with Linda because she was distracted: no longer a pre-teen, the boy had shot up half a foot in height since he’d entered his bedroom. His chin had a tell-tale mix of new hairs and acne that established his age as firmly late-puberty.
“Do you really think your little sister will want to wear boy’s clothes?” Linda asked.
“They’re just plain tee shirts and jeans,” Mike replied. “It’s not like they have to be for boys.”
“I just don’t want the other girls to pick on her,” Linda bit her lip. “But there was something she said at the game right before she fell, she said she wanted a new name. Maybe this is more her speed. We can let her decide on her own style in the morning once she’s feeling better.”
Mike looked down at the two boxes and a grin crossed his face. “Speaking of ‘her own style,’ if Dawn isn’t using Zoe’s old clothes, can I give them to my girlfriend?”
This snapped Zoe out of her thoughts. “You have a girlfriend?” She almost choked on the words.
“Did you fall down a staircase tonight, too?” Mike gave his sister a confused look. “Me and Athena have been dating since middle school. You know that.”
Sarah chose this moment to chime in, nudging her friend with an elbow. “Hey Zoe, weren’t you saying we should invite Athena’s sister on our shopping trip tomorrow? We should bring Dawn too, we can help her build a new wardrobe that isn’t stinky boy clothes.”
“Hey!” Mike protested.
“She’s right, Mike,” Roger called from the kitchen with a chuckle. “We are pretty stinky.”
“Hey!” Mike shouted again, exiting in the direction of his father’s voice.
“So, Mrs. Gibson,” Sarah ratcheted her charm up to eleven, “can we take Dawn shopping tomorrow?”
The older woman knew that Sarah wouldn’t quit until she got the answer she wanted, and decided to cut her losses. “Alright. If Dawn is feeling up to it and if you promise not to spend too much money, she can come with you.”
Sarah silently cheered, but Zoe was still reeling. “Say ‘thank you, Mom,’” Sarah whispered to her friend.
“Thank you, Mom,” Zoe gave a wan smile, then lead her friend upstairs.
