Laura made it very clear that I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone that she’d done my hair and make-up
I felt I had no choice but to claim that I’d done it myself.
I told Mum that I’d watched loads of YouTube videos about hair and make-up and did it when I was home alone over the weekend.
She said I looked lovely.
Though she was disappointed that I’d borrowed my sister’s clothes,
make-up and jewelry for the prank,
and made me apologize to Laura for ‘stealing’ her things.
After this Mum sat me down for a long talk about honesty, gender and ‘the closet’.
She didn’t believe that it was the first time I’d worn make-up or styled my hair because I’d done such a good job,
so I lied and said I’d dabbled a few times previously. “…and what did you put in the bra?” Mum asked.
“A couple of pairs of tights.” I gulped.
“Well they certainly look convincing,” Mum replied.
“You could have talked to me about this.” she said.
“You didn’t have to out yourself so publicly.” she told me, glancing at my profile page on the iPad.
“Your grandmother nearly had a heart attack.” she sighed.
“She thought you’d had a sex change.”
I tittered. “I’m not going to have a sex change Mum.” I said.
“I just did it for a laugh, that’s all.”
“Well everyone’s seen it now,” she said.
“Why don’t you change it back?
Or put a different picture up…
one that won’t worry your grandparents.”
“No.” I said. “I can’t.”
“Why not?”
Why not indeed? I thought.
I had to think of an excuse quickly.
“Because I don’t want to.” I said.
It was all I could think of.
“It’s funny.” I added.
“It’s not that funny.” Mum said, lifting her iPad and observing the picture.
“If you were pulling a pout or grinning inanely it might be but…”
“That was the only one in focus.” I lied.
“How many did you take?” Mum asked.
“Not many.” I told her, before adding a cock & bull story about having to quickly put the clothes back and remove my make-up and wash the style out of my hair before someone came home that day.
“So in a mad panic, you changed back into a boy before someone caught you, then posted the picture on FaceBank for everyone to see?” Mum quizzed.
I didn’t blame my mother for questioning my motives.
One lie contradicts another and my mother is understandably baffled by it all.
But I couldn’t tell her the truth.
She’d hate me forever.
Everyone would.
I wish I’d never confessed to my sister that it was me who was responsible for this