In what was a normal school facing the start of winter, 14 year Paul had propped up his book in order to hide behind it. While everyone else was listening to the English teacher going over the previous night chapter in assigned reading, Paul was giggling at the local town gossip rag,. The paper had incredible stories like 'four legged woman opens a dance studio' and 'Martians threaten to attack the Earth'. Rubbish!

     What was bad for Paul was worst for their single mother, Ann. She wasn't really single. But with her husband home three days a year from the military; she might as well be. Underneath Paul's winter boots and snow pants was not the pair of long johns he had gotten for his birthday, but a pair of suntan pantyhose. Nylons he had paid for himself and his mother was too shamed to admit it in pubic.  

     "What am I going to do?" Paul  thought as he looked through the Halloween ads and imagining himself dressed in a harem outfit. He had already picked up a black dress and witches hat for the party he'd have in a little over a month's time. When it got closer to the holiday; he'd be able to buy the discount on the special Halloween pantyhose that get sold in October. He just wished he could openly be the girl he was inside.

     "Finally." Paul thought as he heard the school bell. He slipped the magazine into his book bag; gathered up all his things, and headed for the front door.  Some kids near the door was putting on snow shoes and made Paul wish the snow wasn't so deep. He could feel the coldness seep through the boots and cause his nylons to get wet. 

     "Got the hot cocoa ready, mom?." Paul said as he arrived at home and saw his mother watching the soap and reading a book at the same time. To his surprise her book was on the TV tray as she stared at a commercial for a student exchange program. 

     "That's what Paul needs to become a real man." Ann thought to herself.

      "I think you need to broaden yourself." Ann said with a mysterious  look. "I'm just arranged for you to enter the student exchange program. I want you to start packing to go to Japan."

     "But mom," Paul  protested. "They have a uniform code in the schools in Japan. I couldn't get away with being myself there."

     "This isn't up to debate." Ann said with her arms crossed under her B-cup breasts. "You are becoming too  feminine without a male influence. You'll do well to have a family with both a father and a mother.  So start packing!"

      A short time later Paul  was alone on a plane, flying from Maine over to England where he had to exchange planes before proceeding to Japan.  Ocean. Hours later, she was landing in Japan. He was greeted at the airport by a man in a three piece suit and rounded lens glasses.

      "Greetings, Paul-kun." Mr. Moto  said as he bowed before the young  man. As Paul stood in his bare mid-drift top and jeans showing his nylons through its holes.

     Looking at the women in wooden platform tongs and kimonos, she gathered his stuff and followed behind to a the train. "Don't you have your own car?"

     "Here in the city it's easier to use public transportation." Mr. Harry Moto explained as they reached a building with a large fence and yard.

     "Wow,. It's like a mansion. Paul said in amazement as he clutched he ran up to the porch. He notice Harry's wife going in through the kitchen entrance and opening up a group of sliding doors along the side of the dojo. .

      "Not really, but I have one of the finest martial arts studios in the area." His host said as his new mother took him by the hand. "My wife will show you to your bedroom so you can settle in. School is early for you tomorrow so you also better get a good night sleep tonight."

        "Is it true that they were uniforms in school?" Paul asked.

         "You will find yours in your bedroom." His new sister,  Laura said as she took him upstairs to his bedroom. There he found the in the middle of the room a unrolled map with mystical arts signs all over them.  He frowned at the button down blue top and long pants. 

      "You don't want to be here do you?" Laura said with a smile. As Paul nodded, he watched as she started to light up a smoke pot and filled started to breathe it in deeply. "You don't want to remain part of this family, we can send you on a magic journey with your spirit animal."

    Paul and Laura got on the floor in yoga position and faced one another. They breathed in deeply and slowly. Paul found the room spinning before he blacked out. 

     When Paul opened his eyes he felt a tickle about his neck. Brushing back some long dark hair from his shoulder, he noticed how slender both his arm and his waist was. As he pursed his lips together he could taste the familiar scent of lipstick.

     "Welcome to the dream world where one become in tune with their spirit self, Paula" Laura said as he looked over in shock and saw that she had a green fish tail from the waste down. Looking at his own lower half, he had a pink tail. "In this case your spirit is a fish, making us mermaids."

     "Mom always says that I swim like a fish, but this..." Paula said as she tried to stand up, only to go flopping over on her stomach. "I... I can't walk."

     "This isn't really happening." Paula began to panic as a hole appeared beneath the both of them. Falling through the floor, they dropped into the swimming pool below.

     "Of course it isn't really happening." Laura smiled as she joined them into reaching the surface of the pool.  "This is the dream world. What some call the spirit world."

      "What we were breathing brought our souls here?" Paula asked.

      "Yes, but I admit I was expecting to be with a mer-man." Laura said with a chuckle. "This really does prove that you're a woman at heart. Now that we know the truth, we can really begin to help you."

      "How?" Paula asked. Her voice echoed off as Paul woke up back in the bedroom. Laura's parents were standing over their limp bodies on the floor. Paul just blinked as Mrs. Moto held a male uniform up in one hand and a girls sailor uniform in the other.

   "So Laura, which is to?" Harriet asked. "A brother for the term or a sister?"

    "A sister." Laura looked up with a smile.

     "Drink this." Harriet said as she handed him a tiny glass that one could barely hold between two fingers and only held a sip worth of drink. Paul was never a drinker but had sipped his parents liquor before and knew Tequila when he tasted it. Though this one seemed different.

      It caused Paul to pass out until morning. When Paula awoke she was dressed in pantyhose and a bra, but no panties that he could feel.   The girl uniform that was hanging on a wall hook was now in Harriet hands while Paula waited to be dressed.

   Over the term of Paula's stay, she stood frozen like a statue in the shop Harriet helped her parents run after school. Martial arts isn't as big a business as it used to be. When the time of the student exchange was over, Paula was freed from being immobile and asked which he preferred to be. Choosing female,  Ann was shocked to find a true daughter and not a cross dresser stepping off the plane in a navy blue dress, hose and black pumps. His finger and toe nails done in pink. The Motto's had sent letters telling Ann and her husband ran up and greeted their new daughter with open arms.

THE END