What do you want to be?

Laying in bed with Candi next to him even though the bed at the hotel was much larger she still treated him like a body pillow. It wouldn’t be so bad if she wasn’t currently snoring in his ear, not that she snored loudly, but this close to him it felt like she was bragging about being asleep while actively preventing him from doing so. The day had gone by so quickly after they had left his apartment.

Bailey remembered hurrying along behind Candi after putting on his blue heeled gladiator sandals and taking the very last of his pills, hating how it felt as he moved so quickly. The dangling earrings moving about, the sway of his chest, how he kept his elbows in as he ran. That was the other thing, he was proficient enough in high heels that he could run in them. Bailey closed his eyes tight thinking about how to write this all down in his diary.

They hadn’t gone to the usual salon at the mall, instead went to a shopping plaza, the small location looked brand new and had put out the groupons to get some new customers. He had gotten comfortable going to the place in the mall, seeing the same faces and knew who to repeat himself too now after some failed communication. Now he was trying someplace new, it shouldn’t matter but it was also odd to know he had a regular salon. They tried to upsell them to getting their nails done, or eyebrow threading, and luckily Candi hadn’t agreed to any of that. “How about it sis, do you want your nails done? My treat.” She said with a devilish smile.

“We totally got them done the other day, I’m totally fine. Super tempting with you paying though.” Bailey smirked back in a way to say I know what your game is and you aren’t going to win.

“We just got them done yesterday, but my little sis is never always changing her nail color, but I guess we will have to come back another time.” Bailey blinked at his friend for a second, it really had just been yesterday he got his haircut and nails done. This summer was dragging on, it felt like it had happened a while ago. All of this was getting to him, either that or he was becoming an air headed ditz.

“So just laser treatment for the two of you today, okay.” The middle aged asian woman said before sending them off to disrobe.

“Wait, umm isn’t laser permanent? Like my hair will never grow back?!” Candi nodded yes happily.

“Isn’t it like amazing what they can do right!?

Bailey licked his lips, he needed to back out of this and do it now. He just didn’t want to shave as often, not make it so he would never have hair! Peaches, what do I do!? Suddenly Bailey felt another headache coming on. “No, no you need seven treatments, then no more hair. This just one, we schedule you for more.”

“Seven? So umm just a few would leave patches of hair or I just have to shave less?” The anxiety that started to build up in his shoulders released hearing that he wasn’t dooming himself.

“You need seven, not one. We will get you more, you can come back next week. Coupon good for first three visits, you will like how it feels.” Bailey nodded, less shaving was exactly what he was after so a few treatments would be fine. Then if it took a little longer for his hair to grow back, not a big deal, it wasn’t like he was going to ever shave his legs again after this summer was over anyhow.

When they left the salon Bailey’s skin was red, they had even hit his chest and face, something they didn’t have to do to Candi for obvious reasons and it made him worry they would say something about him being a man in disguise. Instead Candi only made a single comment about Bailey inheriting some viking blood from her ancestors. The entire process hadn’t hurt like he was expecting either, at worst it felt like someone snapping him with a rubber band. Not comfortable, and only slightly painful stings. “I can’t wait for Tuesday for the next appointment. Do you think we should try some of their other services?”

“Ahh they are expensive, I don’t think Mommy left me much money.” It occurred to him that he wasn’t handed any money, but she did give it to Candi to control before. “Did she?”

Candi gave a small shrug as she moved to the driver's seat. “Not too much, but she did make me promise to not let you spend all your money on ****, **** and that crazy rock music you kids are listening to.” Candi gave her friend a little wink and a smile, even though she felt bad for Bailey. She was sure Bailey had to have done something to warrant not having a bank account and not trusting her with money, and it did feel good to be trusted to look over her little sister. Still it bothered her a little. “Say, how about we go to the bank and set up a savings account for you. That way you can show Mom you are responsible, though the trick is you have to be responsible.”

He already had a fake ID, no a real ID for a fake person, a fake birth certificate and social security card, the last thing he wanted was to extend the paper trail. “No, like it’s totally okay for you to have the money, that way I don’t spend the money on sex, **** and rock and roll and like all that.”

Candi slapped her hand on the wheel as she laughed. “You know, she nor Daddy said anything about sex and we are eightteen and this is Navada.”

His eyes went wide as he looked at Candi, who was in complete control of where they went and how they spent their money. “CANDI NO!” Candi burst into laughter again, wishing she knew where one of the brothels were just to see the look on Bailey’s face when they pulled into one. She would never have the courage to walk into one, but the parking lot for a joke, absolutely.

“Candi, yes! Now I don’t know my way around, could you be a good little sister and tell me how to get to one of those sexy houses?” Peaches no, no, no, no, no! “The look on your face tells me you arn’t going to help, and if we can’t go do that. I think instead we are going to the store to play a game.”

Anything sounded better than what she had in mind before, he was almost certain she was messing with him, but he didn’t want to go anywhere near a place like that the way he looked. It was something Aunt Megan had threatened him with before and right now it scared him more than it did before. Not just for himself, but Candi had no idea the types of guys that hung around places like that. “I do like games, what kind of game and are we making a bet?”

“Nope, no bet. You have to go into the store and get one item from the baby section. Pick something that you have a story for that happened to you and then something else from the store that you have a story for about what you want to be when you get older. We aren’t like going to buy anything, accept maybe some icees when we are done. I could totally go for a cherry icee right now.” It was kind of like what they did at the mall with Aunt Megan that day and seemed like as good a way to spend the afternoon as any. Especially considering the options of a brothel or going back to the salon.

Heading into the store the two went their separate ways, one of the first times Bailey had been by himself in a while. It felt good to have the freedom, but it wasn’t real freedom. He couldn’t take off his heels or makeup, couldn’t drive off on his own. He had the freedom to play the game and talk like a ditzy girl on the phone. He added mentally as his phone beeped to indicate a message.

Mommy: I just wanted you to know that I love you Bailey.

Mommy: I accept you and love seeing how happy you have been.

Mommy: You are a wonderful daughter.

Bailey: I gave you that best Mom mug for a reasons <3

Bailey: Love you too Mommy!

Bailey: It is like super easy to be happy with a Mommy like you!

“Bleh” Bailey made the sound as he slid the phone into his purse. He wasn’t sure what that was about, but if Derrick was sending a similar message to Candi ast that second she might have done it so he didn’t think anything was odd. “Time to go shopping.” The voice lacked any enthusiasm, so he took a deep breath and tried again. “Time to go shopping, I totally love shopping.” Bailey’s voice much more bubbly as he minced off through the store.

When he was done Bailey met up with Candi at the little coffee bar and slid his items onto the table. “What do we have here?” Candi asked looked at the items Bailey just put down.

Pointing to the pink pacifier he picked up in the baby isle he started in on his story. “So like a pacifier, I did not want to give it up. I mean at all… my Mom, Mommy would take it away and I would kick and scream till I got it back. Or like so I”m told, but one day we were in the car and I threw it out the windows. Like little kids do, always throwing things, but the garbage truck was picking up our trash and my Mommy said that it was all gone. I threw it away and the trash man took it away because I gave it to them. She said I cried, but instead of being upset at her I was mad at the trash men and for years I just didn’t like them. I would take my favorite toy and hide if I saw them outside.” Bailey shrugged his shoulders, it was a true story or at least the one he was told about himself.

“Are you still afraid of the garbage truck?” Bailey glowered at her at the ridiculous question. “No, i’m not afraid of the truck, the men or anything.”

“Are you sure you aren’t afraid of anything?” Candi said with a smirk.

“It’s your turn, what do you have.” He said motioning to her plastic bag, a little surprised she bought what she picked out when she had said the opposite earlier.

She pulled out a pink and white baby bib that said Feed the Princess on it with a little crown. “When I was a baby princess I wasn’t exactly a messy eater. Mostly because the word messing doesn’t like describe how much of a mess I made. I have seen photos of me when I was little with most of whatever my parents were trying to give me ended up on them instead of myself. They said if I didn’t like something then I wouldn’t swallow and just spit it up. If they tried again, and of course they did I would fling the food as far as I could. So I picked out a bib.” She waved her hands over it in a tada gesture. “I see what you have there, but what is the story.”

Bailey looked down at the ballet slippers, he didn’t think they were nearly as bad as the heels he wore now. Still he disliked the idea of telling people he liked to dance or ballet, but that was part of the story already set for Bailey Ann Best and when he saw them it just fit for the game. “It probably will never happen, but I always wanted to be a ballerina. I always thought they were like so pretty.” And flexible Bailey added thinking about the one time he took one to bed, she wasn’t a professional or anything, but she was really limber.

“Awww, it could totally still happen. Even if it doesn’t though, you are a way better dancer than me.” She giggled before pulling out a toy plane from her bag. “I want to be like a lot of things, soooo many, but one of them I wanted to fly around the world and be a stewardess. A few years ago they had this show called Pan Am and I lovvved it. When we graduate highschool we could totally take a year off before college to fly around the world together. Wouldn’t that be so fun!? We could fall in love in Paris or see some of those scary castles in London.”

“Flying around the world does sound super fun, but I think I like would rather be a pilot.” Candi tapped her finger to her lip and then took Bailey’s hand.

“Being a pilot is like a lot of work and like you have to take a lot of super hard tests and I would sooo rather have you with me, but we both could totally get some of those avatar sunglasses and rock that look.” He was sure he could pass a pilots test after some studying, he absolutely didn’t want to be some stewardess joining the mile high club. Bailey looked away from Candi, thinking about the drivers test he failed and the math workbook, suddenly a lot less sure of himself. If he couldn’t pass a road rules test how was he going to pass a test on elevation and pitch… what if the test required him to do math to know how long it would take before he hit the ground based on his speed. It was fine, he didn’t really want to be a pilot anyways.

Everyone always said growing up that you needed to know what you wanted to be, but Bailey was happy running his parents' store and in his free time spending time with girls and riding horses. He always figured he would get some other manager role running a department or a business, but he never really considered what he wanted to do other than be in charge. He held onto Candi’s hand and looked over at the ballet slippers in annoyance, their presence annoying him even more now that he selected something more girly than Candi. “Yeah, maybe… you did say something about an icee right? I like to mix the blue and red one together.”

Candi smiled, glad Bailey didn’t take what she said as a personal attack. If she wanted to be a pilot she would do her best to help her sister study for the test when that day came, but she remembered seeing her face when she failed the drivers test and no matter what she said, Candi knew the look of disappointment and didn’t want to see it on her face anymore. “Mixing them together, yeah I think I will do that too! Let's do that then buy your stuff. It shouldn’t be too long before Nana is in town.”

“We totally don’t need to buy any of this, I don’t need a pacifier or ballet slippers.” She specifically said they weren’t going to buy anything, he wouldn’t have picked either of these if he knew he was going to have to go home with them.

“Sure we do, and I think you knew that otherwise why would you have gotten a pair of slippers your size?” Bailey looked down at the slippers, already knowing they would show his shoe size. He had picked out the correct size, because that is just what you do when getting a pair of shoes.

“But, but…” Candi wagged her index finger. “We all know you have a nice butt, BUUUUT we are not talking about that right now. Let's go, we don’t want to make Nana wait.”

When they got home Bailey hung the slippers from his bedpost and tossed the pink pacifier on his dresser next to the little horses he got the last time they played a similar game and sat down to do his math workbook. This time Candi deciding to not participate and turned on his gaming system. It irked him that she got to play videogames while he did stupid grade school math and in his attempt to hurry to join her he kept himself form over thinking any of the problems and was pleasantly surprised to see he got more right then wrong for once. Still a far cry from what he expected himself to be able to do, but this workbook was teaching him a lot about himself. Now done though he was able to join in for a few rounds before a knocking came to the door.

With the kind of excitement a child might have to get a new puppy Candi dashed to the door. “Nana your here….” Candi frowned at the mail man who held a package. “You are not my Nana.” Candi said bitterly to the man.

“True, but I did bring a Ms. Bailey Ann Best a present. Does that help?” Candi took the package for the man and smiled down at it and quickly signed for it.

“Presents always make things better. Thank you much!” She said holding the box up to her ear and giving it a shake and coming inside. “Bailey you got a present!”

Not sure what it was or who it was from with no name on the package, Bailey opened it and inside found a pair of boots with a protective covering. They were leather knee high boots with a four inch heel, the same boots Aunt Megan had asked Bailey’s opinion on and he said he loved them. Though at the time he was thinking of her wearing them, not him and now he was the not so proud owner of an according to the card inside it was from August.

“So much on your list I want to get you, but I know how you love shoes. Wear these in good health and think of me when you do, because I will be thinking of you.” - August

“Awww that is sooo cute! And the boots are super sexy!” Candi said picking one up and looking it over. “They can totally go with your outfit, you should put them on and send your Auggy a photo. He will just die seeing you in them and you need to break them in so i can wear them.”

Bailey frowned at the heels and handed Candi the other boot. “Oh you can totally wear them if you want. You know me always willing to share the things I love.” Candi gave her a hug before pulling away with her gaze on the pair of boots. Candi thrust her hands with the boots back at Bailey and turned her head away., “No, they are yours and it wouldn’t be fair, and we need a photo for your man.”

“He totally isn’t my anything.” Bailey took the boots and started to head towards his bedroom to put them in the closet with his other shoes and hopefully forget they existed.

“Where are you going?” Bailey looked over his shoulder. “To put them away, I totally like the shoes I have on for this outfit.” Candi shook her head and stepped forward, hands on her hips. “August gave you a give and I know you love them and they will totally go with what your wearing, so put them on.”

Hanging his head Bailey sat down on the couch and swapped over to the heeled boots, wishing he wasn’t putting on the sexy footwear and then posted with them. One shot was him just sitting on the couch with his legs crossed, another he was standing behind the couch, leaning on it with one hand while kicking back one leg. That pose is when the next knock came to the door, this time it was Nana Connors.

“NANA!” Candi yelled as she hugged the older woman. “It is good to see you, Candace and you Bailey. Are you girls ready to go?”

Bailey noticed she didn’t have a suitcase in her hands or out in the hallways between apartments. “Umm where are we going?”

“Didn’t your parents tell you child? You both are coming to stay with me at the hotel we stayed at before. Go pack a bag so we can be on our way.” When Bailey didn’t immediately move to do as she said the elder Connors motioned with her index finger over to the bedroom. “Quickly now girl, so we can be on our way and start enjoying ourselves.”

Bailey started to feel sleep take him as he lay there with Candi in the hotel, after spending the rest of the day playing cards, ordering room service and listening to each other talk about their time apart. It was amusing to hear how much gambling Nana did, it seemed a need to make wagers ran in the family.