Drive to the Prom

Noah said nothing while in the passenger seat as Jacob drove, still reeling from the events he had just experienced. When they first entered Jacob's car, Noah had thought that his heart was going to bound out of his chest and into the street until he was able to calm himself down. He stared with his head tilted down, his eyes fixed on the pretty hands he was forcing into his lap to keep from trembling. The red fabric of the skirt fluffed up around his fingers, slightly obscuring the nail polish he was stuck with. Below his skirts, he couldn't ignore the feeling of his new heels as they **** his feet into its alien position. He was no stranger to embarrassment but he never thought he would ever die from it before, until that night.

“I like your flower,” Jacob said, pulling Noah out of his thoughts.

Noah looked up and over at his friend, “What?”

Jacob glanced over to him and pointed, “The flower in your hair, it's pretty.”

Noah's hand instinctively lifted and touched the flower in his feminine tresses as his eyes darted to his reflection in the glass of the passenger window. Looking back at him was the face of the woman he had seen in the mirror back at the salon, a flower set among her braids. He still couldn't believe that somehow under her makeup, there was really a man, not a woman.

Noah remained quiet for a little bit before Jacob attempted to make conversation again, “So...how old are you?”

“Uh...just turned 18,” Noah squeaked out, trying to keep his voice soft.

Jacob attempted to keep the conversation going, “Cool, same here. I had my birthday a few days ago.”

Again, Noah didn't really give much response, not wanting to engage Jacob even in the slightest. He feared that if he spoke, the illusion might break and Jacob would realize it was really his friend sitting next to him. Instead, he did his best to wish himself out of the mess he had found himself in. He was fantasizing about getting crushed by a meteor when they pulled into the school parking lot. His heart started beating again as he saw classmates walking around, making their way to a gathering area out in front of the gymnasium entrance. He had been lucky that Jacob hadn't realized who he was so far but the chance of getting found out was going to increase with more people seeing him.

“You alright?” Jacob asked, feeling Noah's worry radiating off of him.

“Ye-yes...I'm just nervous...I don't know anyone,” he lied.

Jacob's smile was almost disarming, “Don't worry. I know a lot of great people I can introduce you to.”