At the park

The radio cut off as Megan turned off her SUV and looked into the back at Bailey. "You did so well singing, I loving hearing you say baby I'm a firework. With your love of dance maybe we could figure out a routine and you can do a show for your mom." Bailey crossed his arms and frowned "Definitely not happening." Megan tilted her head a little with a tiny smile, one that reminded Bailey of a cat before it ounces on its pray. "Bailey, pumpkin, are you a good girl?" The question caused the motto to run through his head and right then he realized he wasn't. "I'm like totally sorry Auntie, putting on a show just like makes me scared." Megan patted his leg. "I understand, to help you remember when we go to the play ground you have to do something before you can play. You are going to put your feet on the curb so that only the balls of your feet are on it and the rest are having off. Then you are going to lift yourself up like you are wearing the tallest heels and then go back down. Can you do that?" Already being punished Bailey gave her a small smile a few nods of his head. "I can do the calf raises, fer sur." Seeing her smile at his acknowledgement was a relief, he was expecting worse. He would have exited the vehicle when Megan did, but it seemed the child safety lock was on. So he had to wait for her to walk around and open the door.

When Megan opened the door she still looked like the cat that was about to eat the canary. "I'm glad you know what the exercise is Bailey. But I think you should call it ballerina practice, that sounds more like how you would think of it. You do want to be a ballerina don't you?" Bailey swallowed the saliva in his mouth and wished a car would just run into him when he crossed the parking lot. Did that all start from the conversation with Derrick? The week was so long and so much had changed he wasn't sure. "More than anything!" He said excitedly to his tormentor. "Good this will help and make it so wearing heels will bother your feet less and less. The last thing I need you to do though, because you forgot what it means to be a good girl is recite your motto while you do your ballerina practice. Okay pumpkin?" Megan waited for him to give her an affirmative and was happy to see he was at least making an effort to know his place. "Good, now give your Auntie a hug and tell me how much you love me. I just don't hear it enough." Getting out of the vehicle Bailey wrapped his arms around the taller woman as she bent down just a little bit so they could be cheek to cheek. "I love you Auntie Megan, I love you like I love kittens!" That felt sickly sweet to say and he knew it would work. "Aww pumpkin, I love you too. Now you go do your ballerina practice and I will let you know when you can go play."

Bailey watched as Megan took the wicker picnic basket from the car and went to one of the open tables. He could afford little attention to her once he started the calf raises. "A good girl always looks her best. A good girl is polite. A good girl is always obedient. A good girl always smiles. A good girl never argues or complains. I am a good girl, happy and proud!" Bailey hoped adding a little excitement to his voice would make Megan lay off a little, he really needed that phone before noon when the bank closed for the weekend. Bailey wasn't sure how many lifts he had done, or how many times he said the motto like he loved it, but he did know he was thirsty and his calves were burning. "Whatcha doooing?" Bailey almost lost his balance when a voice spoke from behind him. Stepping off the curb he turned to see a red headed girl in a yellow polka-dotted sundress and white velcro sandals behind him. She looked like she might have been twelve, but Bailey was bad at guessing that sort of thing, it was annoying that she was only two inches shorter than him. He was going to tell her to bugger off, but that wasn't how a good girl would act. A good girl is polite. A good girl always smiles. "Hi! I'm practicing to be a ballerina. See?" He said hopping in the curb, and doing another calf raise. "You're a ballerina!?"

"I'm not..." Bailey less curious of and more of talked over by the excited and loud girl. "I can't wait to tell My mom when she comes home that I met a real ballerina. What's it like to dance? Oh I'm so happy! Oh and what were you saying about being a good girl. My daddy says I'm a good girl that is why I was allowed to wear my new dress to the park. Isn't it pretty?!" She said doing a little twirl. "It like totally is you and I was just saying my good girl motto." Interacting with the girl like a peer made him feel so small, but he was sure the wicked witch was paying attention. "I'm a good girl, I'm going to do it with you, okay?" The yellowed dressed girl bounced up on the curb to mimic Bailey and after rolling his eyes he joined her and started the motto, something she picked up on after the third repetition. "I'm Maggie!" She said interrupting Bailey ad he was saying how a good girl should always smile. "I said, I'm Maggie." She said a little sterner when Bailey didn't respond. "Oh. Hi Maggie, I'm Bailey." Maggie gave him a happy smile, like it was the most normal thing to act the way she was. "I love your shoes, I have some like it that are red. My mom calls them my Dorothy shoes. What about you?" Bailey looked over to Megan who looked to be now ignoring him as she working on her laptop.

"Just call them shoes." Maggie look unimpressed. "That's boring, I hope you aren't boring Bailey." He wanted to yell 'Hey you little shit, I'm not boring.' Damn little thing had a mean streak. "I'm not boring!" He said defensively with his hands on his hips. "I hope not, I don't think they let you be a ballerina if your boring, but if they tell tell you no just say you are friends with me." Bailey squinted at the girl trying to figure out if she was fucking with him. "That so? Just tell them I'm friends with Maggie and everything is better?" She gave him the biggest smile her adolescent face could hold. "Yep! Everything is better with more friends. Oh is that your mom over there? She looks pretty! Come introduce me!" With those words she took off latterly skipping to the parks table. Bailey had no real choice but to follow, and quickly to catch up."

"Hi!" Megan looked up from what she was doing to look at the red headed girl. "Well aren't you the cutest thing. I love that yellow hair band, it matches your dress." The girl beamed a smile at Megan while twirling her dress from side to side. "Thank you! I was talking to Bailey and she was telling me about being a ballerina and that she is a good girl, but she is a little boring. She doesn't even name her shoes, but I told her it was okay that they wouldn't make her stop being a ballerina if she told them we were friends. Then I saw you and thought you how pretty you were. My mom is the best mom ever but she isn't pretty like you. Bailey is lucky to have a mom so pretty." Megan's eyes drifted over to Bailey as he caught up to the speedy girl. "Who is your new friend Bailey?" It was like a slow building feeling of dread and anxiety, Bailey was sure he was going to get an ulcer at this point."Aunt Megan this is Maggie, we just met." Megan looked between the two of them, the silence quickly filled by Maggie. "Oooohhhh, she is your Aunt. Miss Megan I like your shirt, it is pretty and matches my dress. It is new!" Bailey thought the girl was annoying, Megan that she was adorable. "Thank you Maggie, I like your dress too. Say how old are you sweetheart?"

"She's twelve, almost thirteen and knows she isn't supposed to talk to strangers." Said a tall thin red headed man that was covered in freckles. "Dad she isn't a stranger, this is Miss Megan and this is Bailey. She is a ballerina and we are friends." The man mouthed the word sorry to Megan. "No, no it's fine. I was about to call Bailey over for an early lunch. I have extra sandwiches if the two of you would like to join us." The tall man ran his hand through his short hair and rubbed the back of his neck when his hand got there. "You know what, sure. I have a small cooler with water bottles and boxed juice, let me go grab that. I'm Mike by the way. We appreciate you being so kind, she stretches my wife and I to our limits some times. Be right back." Megan looked to the two girls, okay have a seat. We have two options we three options. Ham and cheese, tuna fish and peanut butter and grape jelly."

When Maggie's father came back she was already three bites into the only ham and cheese sandwich. Megan had brought a few extra, not sure how long they would stay here as she planned out more for Bailey and tried to fill out the paperwork for her nieces past. "I don't think I have seen the two of you before, just move to the area?" Megan finished chewing on the bite of her tuna, holding up a finger to indicate she needed a second. "No, Bailey's mom had to go to work today so I am watching her." Both Mike and Bailey had PB&J, Mike didn't seem to care. Though Bailey was upset he had the most juvenile one of the group, even if an adult had the same. "That is nice that you would do something like that for her. How old is Bailey anyways?" Megan looked Bailey in the eye before looking back to the man. "Guess." He raised an eyebrow at her adopted Bailey over. "Well little lady, I think your Aunt has forgotten how old you are. I'm guessing a little older than my Maggie. Say fourteen?" It was like being hit in the gut. He had just been mistaken for a female many years younger. Megan didn't speak up, but he saw her make eye contact and nod her head. "I am not! I'm eighteen!" He wasn't thinking, it just came out. Soon as the words came out of his mouth he knew Megan wanted him to play along and why did he say eighteen. He was twenty five! "You got it in one Mike. Bailey pumpkin no Candace your babysitter is turning eighteen on Monday. Remember?" Bailey turned his head from the group and took another bite of his sandwich. "Always in a hurry to grow up." Mike laughed.

The four finished their sandwiches, the girls drank their juice and Maggie let everyone know she was going on the swing. Not asking, just informing them of what was about to happen. Bailey watched her go and then looked at Megan, who smiled at him. "Go head pumpkin, this is why we are here. Go play with your friend." Bailey hopped off the bench and started after Maggie with energy Megan wished she had. He was the steps away when he rushed back and gave Megan a hug. "Thank you Aunt Meg." Then was off again to his next demeaning task. On the swings Maggie had declared she could go higher and he was happy to let her hold that title until she got mad because Bailey wasn't even trying. "You have to try so I can win!" The redhead was getting on his nerves and he was going to show her who would win. Pumping his legs Bailey swung higher and higher, the glittery shoes reflecting the sun as he surpassed the girl and then leap off into the sand below. Turning around and kicking some of the same from his feet he looked to Maggie as she slowed down. "I win!" He declared with a giggle he hadn't meant to add. "That was so cool, you did that so fast! I could do that too, but it makes my stomach feel funny."

The two were interrupted when a boy shorter than him ran up to Maggie and shoved her just a little to hard. It didn't knock her down just made her stumble to the side. "You're it!" He declared like he knew them and that they were playing with him. "We are not playing tag." Bailey declared back go the boy. He paid Bailey no mind as Maggie made an angry face and charged at him as he fled. Bailey opened his mouth to say 'Hey!' But stopped when he realized he didn't give two shits, and maybe he could use this as a chance to leave. As he turned to face Megan he felt the small hands of Maggie push him. "Got you!" Looking over his shoulder she screamed with glee to flee his reach. With a sigh he went after her, but instead was able to catch the boy and right after he touched his shoulder the boy spun around and yanked on one of his pigtails. Bailey just stopped, he was playing tag with a twelve year old and another boy who wasn't even though puberty and he just pulled his hair and it hurt. It hurt only a little physically, but it was like something snapped and he started to cry.

A moment later Megan hand his arms around him hugging him for a moment. "Shhh, shhh it's okay pumpkin. I saw what happened. It just means he likes you." Her words caused him to cry harder. Unlike last time Megan wasn't willing to sacrifice her blouse to the emotional man masquerading as a girl. "Is everything okay?" Mike came running up. "Oh she is fine, just a young boy showing he is interested the way boys do. She is just tired and I think we will head home so she can have a nap." Megan said quick goodbyes to Mike and Maggie while Bailey tried to get himself under control. When Megan had finished backing up everything she handed a pill to Bailey and ehat remained of his juice box. "Take your medicine." Having just stopped crying he wanted to ask what it was, he didn't have medicine except the vitamins and this was not them. 'A good girl is obedient. 'A good girl never argues or complains.' He took the pill and swallowed it with the drink before throwing the box in the trash. "Aunt Megan, I have been good. Can. Can I have my phone to talk to my friends?" Megan swung her laptop bag over her shoulder, took the basket in one hand and Bailey's in the other as they moved to her SUV. "Let's talk about that in the car pumpkin."

It felt like a blessing to have the cold ac blowing over him inside the car. Bailey enjoyed that for a moment. Waiting for her to give him his phone. The time in the dashboard read eleven twelve. He still had time and she might get angry at him for the phone call, but what would she do pull over to the side of the road to take it. No she would try to punish him later where she controlled things and by then it wouldn't matter. With access to his money he could be gone. "I have been talking to your friends, they all hope you feel better soon." Bailey tilted his head to the side. "You were talking to them?" Megan nodded, holding up his phone, still in Mandy's phone case. "I have, and they have no idea its not you." Bailey's jaw hung open as he thought about her pretending to be him, well her pretending to be Bailey Ann and what she could have read or done.

"Let's see, Candi has been super worried and feels terrible about not helping you sooner with what happened at the mall. She was also bummed that you couldn't spend the day with her. Apparently both a Ryan and August went over to the hotel with her to enjoy the pool. She also said August was sad to see you not there, but he did text you too. August wished you a speedy recovery and wanted to see if you wanted him to pick up some Panera soup and come over to watch a movie and snuggle." Bailey groaned and slammed his pigtailed head into the seat. "I found a photo of you in a bathing suit on your phone, so I sent it over to him so he could think of you at the pool. I know, I shouldn't have, but I can't help but try to help young love. Oh and the four of you will being watching a movie at your place this week. August is looking forward to your second date and he sent a photo back of himself in his bathing suit. I told him he looks hot for you, your welcome." Bailey closed his eyes, leaning his head back on the now cool seat. It felt so comfortable, he could just fall a sleep like this right now. All the energy from earlier seemed go be gone.

Derrick Connors even sent you a text asking if you were okay and if you wanted him or Candi to bring you something. He is a good man, wouldn't he make a good Daddy for you?" Bailey opened just one eye and didn't say a word. "Okay, how about this I am going to show you a photo and tell you who that person is. You repeat it and remember it as I will test you later." Megan turned the phone around to show Derrick on it. "This is Mr Connors. Your Mommy's boyfriend and you hope he marries her because he would be a good Dad and so Candi can be your sister. Now repeat." Bailey moved his jaw around a bit before complying. "That is like my Mommy's new boyfriend and I think he should marry her because like Candi would be my sister and I don't have a Daddy, oh oops, like, his name is Mr Connors." Megan smiled, that was more than perfect. She repeated the photo game with one of herself, Candi, August. Making her say how she thinks he would be a good boyfriend, and she hopes he will let her taste him again. When the photo task was done Bailey closed his eyes again, enjoying the sway of the vehicle, the sound of the tires. "Oh you also talked to a Liam, he now knows I'm your Aunt and is excited to go out on a double date with me and his brother. Did you know he also thinks I'm hot?" When she didn't hear a reply Megan looked in the mirror to see Bailey sound asleep. She knew he would crash eventually, specially when she gave him something to help him sleep.

Megan had just out the car in park when her own phone rang, a number she hand seen before. "Hello, how may I help you?" The voice on the other end was familiar a few when she said her name Megan was able to put a face to it. "Hey, Megan this is April Gates, I work your sister and I was wondering if you have a minute to talk about what you are setting up for Bailey that makes the DMV not an issue." Megan looked in the mirror to see if Bailey had stirred and when he didn't move she saw no harm in the conversation. "April! Of course! I was able to clear Bailey Ann Best for a background check that would be good enough for anything except a secret clearance. I called in a favor with a friend at the clerk of the court, the social security office. Honestly the birth certificate was the hardest part. I had to berate some overworked person in records at Saint Mary's to create one for me. I insisted she already had one on file here to pass the background check, but the file got purged. The gentlemen wasn't willing till my third call, when I think he just wanted to get rid of me."

There was a long pause on the line. "You have a social security card, a birth certificate for someone that doesn't exist after one day?" Megan smiled to herself, feeling proud. "One morning, not one day, but at the same time no. I have them in the system, they will arrive in the AM in certified mail on Monday. I'm also working on a school records for Bailey. I don't know why, but he insists on having home economics, and up to child care three for the transcripts, at least he didn't ask to be a cheerleader. That would be difficult to do with school photos. Last thing I need is him to finish the placement test, he is taking forever. Saying how he needs to get it just right for his character." Megan could hear nails drumming on wood through the phone. "He really is just going forward with the most stereotypical things he can think of isn't he?" It seemed to Megan that Bailey's attitude problem had won him no ally in April. "Seems like it. I was planning on doing some photoshop to get images for Bailey's past and he insisted we go try in prom dresses tomorrow. I don't get it, bur I'm happy to help my sister and he says they agreed on this personality." Megan glanced back to Bailey, still sleeping, his chest moving up and down in a steady rhythm. "Okay… that does not sound like Amanda, think it is more of him, but none less. I am really impressed, could you shoot me over the digital copies of those please? I need to get Amanda’s daughter on her insurance and I think I found something that could help. I found a medical study we are doing with a new type of prosthetic for people wanting to have a woman's parts, without having to do surgery. I don't know much about it, but I think I can get Bailey in. That could help this from unraveling." Megan was shocked and loved the ones. "Bailey is going to have a vagina?!" That would be amazing, she had bought something on Amazon called a chastity cage for him, bur that sounded so much better. "Well at least look like it, I only glanced at the study."

Bailey woke when Megan got him out of the car, but he was ready gone when his head hit the pillow. She removed his shoes a socks and tucked him in for a nap. "Wish I could take a nap too, but to much to do for you, and too you."