“How do you like your pretty new things Miss Dana?” Maria asked, putting special emphasis on the Miss.
“What’s going on here?” I demanded as I stared at the clothes.
“This is part of the wardrobe you’ll need for your new life,” Nicole replied. “Remember? I explained it to you downstairs, and you asked about fancy things.”
“This can’t be Nicole!” I screamed. “Those are girl’s clothes, for Christ’s sake!”
“Nevertheless, these and similar items are the clothes you’ll wear for the foreseeable future,” Nicole stated in a no-nonsense tone.
“Didn’t you hear me?” I shouted again in case she hadn’t heard me. ”Those are girl’s clothes! I won’t wear them, and you can’t make me! I’m a boy, and I won’t stand for this!" Then, seeing the smiles on their faces, I spoke more calmly. “This is a joke, right? You’re just saying that stuff to put a scare into me, aren’t you?” I gasped, hoping against hope that it was true. Just in case she was serious, I added, “Okay, you win! I’ll get a haircut and a job and think about college.”
Maria dashed my hopes, saying, “This is certainly no joke, Miss Dana! As your mother said, these are the clothes you will wear as you begin your new life. Now, let’s get started.”
“Bring him down to the sitting room when he is properly dressed, Maria,” Nicole instructed calmly as she turned and left the room.
“You’re out of your mind!” I shouted. “Those are girl’s clothes, and it’s not right to expect me to wear them! What kind of boy do you think I am anyway?”
That said, I headed for the door only to find myself flying headlong across the room into a lamp, sending the globe crashing to the floor in pieces.
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way Miss Dana,” I heard Maria say as I struggled to my feet in a daze, trying to fathom what had happened. “It’s all up to you, but in the end, you will wear your pretty clothes.”