Nick backed away in fear. “Come here Nick” his father said in a dangerous tone “ I have to teach you a lesson.”

“B-b-but w-what did I do?” Nick managed to stammer out. His heart was beating fast against his chest. His senses were working overtime. He looked at the table noting an empty bottle of tequila, dad had been drinking again. He knew he would have to go through another few weeks of summer wearing long sleeves to cover up the bruises.

“You slammed the G-ddammed door again!” his father roared starting towards him.
“Please dad I didn’t mean to. It’s windy outside.” Nick replied truly afraid of what his father might to in such an obviously inebriated state.

“Don’t give me any excuses!” he bellowed. He was only a few steps from Nick now, gearing up his fists for the serious beating he was about to give him. Nick stood frozen in fear; completely unable to get away, he stood to face the beating.
“When I’m through with you you’ll have to drink your meals through a straw” this last threat from his father was all it took for Nick to lose his nerve. He ducked under his father’s first swing and ran to the other side of the room.
“HOW DARE YOU RUN AWAY FROM ME!” his father roared as he slowly turned around. Nick almost laughed as he imagined his dad as a big drunk dinosaur rampaging through the house.
“What are you smiling for you little sissy? You want to get beat up?” he said as he barreled towards Nick like a (dinosaur) freight train. Nick toppled a chair in his father’s path in an attempt to slow him down as he ran to get away. He heard an earth shattering crash and turned around to see his father who had tripped over the chair smashed his head on the couch and passed out next to the coffee table.

“Oh God! I’ve killed him!” Nick yelled frantically as he stood over his father’s limp body. Nick breathed a sigh of relief as he noticed the tell-tale signs of life from the rising and falling of his father’s chest.

“What am I going to do?” he said aloud to himself. His father was out cold but not for long and when he woke up there would be a beating to end all beatings and Christ knew he didn’t want to be there for it. He stood swaying listlessly in the living room contemplating his options until finally he decided on a course of action.

“I’m going to run away and never come back” he thought to himself “where could I go though?” he thought for a moment longer before coming up with a solution. He slowly maneuvered around the living room taking care to avoid the snoring figure sprawled out on the living room floor as he made his way to his room. Once he was safely inside he quickly retrieved a duffel bag from his closet and began packing the essentials. His plan was to stay at his best friend’s house until he got a job and enough money to live on his own. Then he would move to California to start a new life. While contemplating his plan he dumped his entire gothic wardrobe into his bag and was then ready to be off. He exited his room, duffel bag bulging, and cautiously made his way into the kitchen. He looked to his left quickly located the phone picked up the receiver and dialed the number of Ashley, his best friend.
“Hello?”
“Hi Ashley”
“Hey Nick how ya doin?”
“I’m running away”
“Finally. Come over to my house right away. I have a plan”
“You have a plan?”
“Yes, you see I expected you would need to get away from that horrible household sooner or later so I decided to make a plan for when that day happened. Just come over and I’ll explain when you get here”

Nick stepped off the Albuquerque City Bus and navigated the suburbs to Ashley’s house. His mind was buzzing, wondering what Ashley’s plan was. He had a sudden realization as to how good of a friend she was and how lucky he was to have her. He began to think back when they first met in kindergarten. Since then they had been inseparable; sleepovers, putt-putt, the movies, good times and bad, they had been together through it all. He both loved and trusted her and he knew without thinking about it that she felt the same way towards him.

Ashley had Nick in a rib-crushing hug before he even had the chance to shut the door. She led him to a bubble bath in the top floor of her two story house while warning him not to let his hair get wet.

“I’ll be back in about 20 minutes to see how you’re doing.” She called as she walked back downstairs. When she returned Nick had begun to feel a burning sensation all over his body wherever the water had touched. She instructed him from outside the bathroom to drain the tub and then wash with the exfoliates and conditioners she had left for him. He followed her directions noting that all of his hair had come off in the bath as he drained it. “What is she planning he thought to himself as he showered off. When he was done he found a black robe in place of his clothes which he promptly put on and exited the bathroom to find Ashley waiting for him just outside the door. She led him to her room and told him to sit.

“Ok” she said in a matter-of-fact tone as she rummaged through her drawers. “We both know you’ve been trying to leave that house for a long time but you couldn’t because of the huge inheritance your mom left you for when you grew up” Nick nodded solemnly “There was no way your dad was going to let you emancipate yourself and take what was rightfully yours so he kept you with him most likely because he was trying to figure out a way to get your money.”

“Even as we speak he is probably filing a missing persons report to make sure his precious money doesn’t get away” she said disgusted. “But no one will ever find you thanks to the brilliant plan me and my mom came up with” she said smiling deviously.

“How are you going to do that?” Nick asked intrigued.
“Nick is going to disappear and in his place will be Nicole, my cousin from Wisconsin. We will re-enroll you in school and you will live as a girl until you’re old enough to collect your inheritance” she said a triumphant look on her face. As the idea of living as a girl 24/7 hit home he began to get a little afraid. “What if someone finds out?” he asked

“Don’t worry. After I’m done with you not even your no good dad will recognize you. Plus you already have a pretty girlish figure so it’ll be really easy to pass you off as a girl” she replied pulling a pair of cotton panties from her drawer. “Here put these on” she tossed them to him and he did as she instructed. She then proceeded to rummage through her closet mumbling to herself as she searched for what she was looking for.

“Aha! Found it!” she said suddenly as she retreated from the deep inner recesses of her close holding a long black garment with several strings hanging out of the back.

“What’s that?” Nick asked tentatively.
“This is a corset.” She proclaimed “it’s designed to be wrapped around your stomach and tightened to give girls that all important hourglass figure.” She then ordered him to remove the robe and proceeded to put on and tighten the corset around Nick to the point of pain. He gasped for air until he learned that he would have to take short shallow breaths to avoid hyperventilating.

The rest of the dressing process went relatively smoothly. First she gave him a bra to put on which she proceeded to stuff with tissues. Then she gave him a black blouse and a short black and pink plaid pleated skirt. This was quickly followed with a pair of knee high socks and a pair of 4 inch black and pink heels. Next came the makeup which Ashley instructed Nick how to do on his own as she applied it. She started off with a light foundation then proceeded to apply black eye shadow and eye liner. She then painted his lips a glossy pink. Last of all came the hair.

“You know you’re lucky you have such pretty hair or this would be a lot less convincing.” She commented as she worked it into a feminine style.

“Ok time to see the new you” Ashley said leading him over to the full length mirror.
“Nick meet Nicole” Nick gasped in shock at how different he looked. Even he couldn’t recognize himself.
“Welcome to your new life Nicole”

End of part 1