Caitlyn 2: Grandma's Gift

"James," Caitlyn whispered. "This isn't funny. You have to figure out a way to change me back."

"Can't." James replied. "Threw the magic wand in the lake."

"I can't stay..." The former boy couldn't bring herself to say the g word. Not yet. "Like this."

"You gonna have to." James said with a grin.

"You'll get used to it, I bet." Bryan whispered. Caitlyn sighed. Why had she sat between the two of them? "Being a girl, I mean."

"Duh." Caitlyn muttered. Get used to it? Bryan wasn’t the one stuck there in a pink dress, long hair getting everywhere.

"I bet the spell will make it so even we don't remember you being Michael." Bryan shrugged.

"What are you three whispering about back there?" Their dad asked.

"Oh, leave them be, Mike." Lisa said. "They were fighting all morning. I'm glad they'll at least behave for grandma."

"Course, you never should've thrown the wand away." Bryan continued. "We could've had a lot more fun."

"And changed me back."

"That too." Caitlyn glared at Bryan until he added. “Maybe it’s not even permanent.”

“Yeah, that bird only talked to us for like thirty seconds before it went back to chirping.” James said.

“You know what would really help?” Caitlyn asked, her voice testy. “If you two could tell mom and dad I’m a boy.”

“Why?” James asked with a smirk at the same moment that Bryan said “Would they really believe us?” Maybe grandma will remember the real me, Caitlyn thought, staring morosely down at her pink lap.

Grandma did not even bat an eye as Caitlyn walked up to her, fingers anxiously brushing the sides of her dress.

“Your mom must have picked this one out.” She said as she hugged her granddaughter. “You get prettier every day.” Thanks, grandma, Caitlyn thought, feeling her hope evaporate. “Fresh baked cookies inside, kiddos.” That at least sounded like the grandma she knew.

That was hardly the only thing that sounded like the grandma she knew. Once her grandchildren were suitably placated with cookies, her ulterior motive was revealed.

“I found the most darling outfits for the kids.” She saw their objections sprout on their faces. “I want five photos, that’s all.” Caitlyn sighed. An afternoon of looking like dorky triplets. Hopefully there weren’t sweaters this time.

“Kids.” Dad said. “Are you listening?”

“Yes, dad.” The three of them said in unison.

“James, Bryan, you two have outfits in the green room. Caitlyn, your dress is waiting for you in the blue room.” James snorted. Caitlyn knew her face showed her surprise. A dress? But she always… you were a boy before this morning, moron. She told herself.

“What do you say, kids?”

“Thank you, grandma.” They recited in unison as they headed toward the bedrooms and the latest outfits. Grandma did this every time they came to visit.

“Enjoy your dress, Caitlyn.” James teased as he disappeared into the green bedroom. Caitlyn made a fist, almost looking like her old self. James yelped and disappeared into the room. Caitlyn took a deep breath and stepped into the blue room. There it sat, waiting for her.

Compared to the dress on the bed, the one Caitlyn wore was really a long pink shirt. The dress draped on the bed was a dress with a capital D. The top was sleeveless, but the bottom made up for the relative lack of fabric by being… foamy? Caitlyn almost did not have words to describe it. She just knew she would not be wearing it.

“I am not.” She told her reflection, frowning at the girl in her pink dress, the pink bow steadfastly clinging to her hair. She pictured the boy she was, the boy she had been. She had to go back to being him! She scrunched her face up and tried to make it happen. All that did was make it look like she was pooping. “I can’t be a girl.” She flopped down on the bed, pushing the dress aside. She pinched her arm, and then her thigh. Definitely not a dream. She knew it wasn’t. Why would she dream about being a girl? She sighed and groaned. Stupid James! They find an actual real life magic wand and what does he do? Turn me into a girl! “I’m not a girl.” Caitlyn mumbled, hoping that that would put things to rights. She even pointed a finger at herself and pronounced it again. “‘I’m not a girl.” She stood up, snarling in frustration at her reflection. “I… I… I’m gonna grow boobs!” She moaned. She felt her chest and then yanked her hands away.

“Caitlyn? Are you ready?”

“No, mom” She said. “Mom!”

“That sounds like a cry for help.” She opened the door and slipped in before noticing Caitlyn was still fully dressed. “Dress off. I can hear your brothers roughhousing in there, but they’re probably still further along than you.”

“Mom, who am I?”

“Caitlyn.”

“No, am I a girl or a boy?”

“Very funny.”

“I’m not joking, mom. I… was a boy. Up until earlier today, when me and James”

“James and I”

“Were fighting.”

“Caitlyn, grandma’s waiting.”

"I swear, mom! I'm a boy! My name was, is, was Michael.’

"Nice touch choosing your dad's name, but all this just to get out of a dress?"

"Mom! I promise you! James turned me into a girl."

"Two boys is enough for me. Three of them and I'd go gray." Mom murmured to herself. "I didn't know James could do that." She said, her smile making it clear she did not believe a word her daughter had said. "And to think I have to fight with him to clean his room even with Bryce's help."

"Mom!"

"Caitlyn Elizabeth." Even though that was not her name, she still froze. The mom tone meant business. "That's enough. You're wearing the dress. Once grandma's got her photos, you can take it off, but you will be taking it home."

“But mom.”

“Dress off, young lady. At least this one didn’t come with matching panties.” Mom looked over the dress as Caitlyn roughly wiggled her way out of the pink dress, her nose wrinkling as she saw what had taken the place of her favorite pair of blue camo boxers. God, girl underwear? “Arms up, Caitlyn.” She said, gathering the dress in her hands. Caitlyn turned her back to the mirror and, once the dress was coming over her head, closed her eyes so she did not have to see the garment descending down over her body.

"Holy moley, Mi- Caitlyn." James said in disbelief. She had remained hidden in the room for as long as possible, but eventually, she had to leave or Mom would kill her.

"Shut. Up." Caitlyn said in a voice almost like her old one. “I’m going to get revenge, you know.”

"Revenge? For what?"

"For making me a girl!?"

"You're older than me."

"What?"

"So you were a girl before we were born." Bryan interjected. Just my luck, Caitlyn thought. Now it's boys against girl. Boys against other boy. I’m not a girl, Caitlyn corrected, staring down at her dress. Couldn’t she fake a stomachache and hide?

Any other day, she probably would have hated being in the outfit her brothers wore, but compared to her frothy petticoated dress? At least James and Bryan looked human, not like some kid-sized doll. At least the bow was gone, she thought as she shuffled after her brothers, the dress’s soft rustle audible to her even over her brothers’ snickers at her misfortune.

Surprisingly, they all wore the same shoes, though Caitlyn was annoyed to learn her socks had enormous lace frill around the ankles. We get it, I'm a girl, she thought. It’s only for today, maybe? Like, I’ll wake up tomorrow and the spell will be broken? She was in her second dress of the day. It had to be temporary. It had to be.

“And we’re not done yet.” Grandma said, admiring her three grandchildren. “I have these for the gentlemen.” She grandly revealed a pair of fedoras. “The hats’ll go perfectly with the flower in the backyard.” Grandma said. “And as for Caitlyn…” James could not have grinned wider as his former brother had to stand still as grandma tied a matching ribbon in a bow in her hair. The dress was amazing, but the bow really cemented somehow that Caitlyn was entirely a girl.

As grandma and their parents herded the trio outside, Caitlyn would have given anything to have pants like her brothers. She felt as if the dress was horribly conspicuous, bouncing and moving with even the slightest movement.

"So, what?" James said, taking the lead. "We just stand by these trees or what?"

"Oh, that's no fun." Grandma said. "What's a fun pose for the kidlings?"

"Maybe we could have Caitlyn kneel and the boys put their hands on her shoulders?"

"No, her dress is really the focal point." James snorted.

"You're the focal point, Caitlyn." He teased.

"You are the one in a dress." Bryan said after Caitlyn punched James's arm. She turned and did the same to him.

"Kids." Mom said as the adults kept discussing options.

"You hit like a girl." James whispered.

"Well, you are one." Bryan observed.

"Not for long. It's temporary."

"Even if it is, we're calling you Caitlyn for forever." Caitlyn glared at both of her brothers.

"We've got it!" Dad announced. "On the count of three, you're all going to jump up, kay?" They nodded. "We'll do Bryan here, James over there, and princess, you're in the middle." Caitlyn blushed. She had been champ, but now she was princess? That was going to stop.

"Let's do a trial run, Mike."

"Sounds good. Ready? One! Two!" As soon as Caitlyn jumped, she knew it was wrong. Her dress flew up, her hair went in every direction, and she sincerely hoped that there weren't any photos taken.

"Ok, Caitlyn, sweetie." Mom said, coming over. "You just showed me and grandma your panties." James and Bryan's faces turned red as they tried to hold in their laughter. It only got worse as they got to wander around as their former brother got a thorough education in jumping while remaining ladylike. They knew that even if the spell wore off, Michael would never live this down.

"Don't show your panties." James whispered as they took their places again. Caitlyn just ignored him, focused as she was on doing it right. When Mom said she only had to wear the dress for photos, she should have known it would have still been an eternity.

Even with her now a pro on keeping her skirt under control, the adults still made the trio jump again and again before finally, they were allowed to see the results.

"I look like such a girl!" Caitlyn murmured.

"Yes, you do look pretty." Grandma said proudly. "I really think this one captures you three's personalities perfectly." She smiled and tucked her phone away as Caitlyn yearned to delete every single one of the photos.

“Great photo!” Grandma said with a smile, watching as James and Bryan had their fedoras confiscated before they turned them into frisbees. “Now, how about I take us all out to dinner?” Caitlyn headed back to the house as her brothers cheered. “Where are you going, angel?”

“To change?”

“Nonsense. That dress is more than pretty enough for a night on the town.”