Season of Terror
by Tigger
Copyright 2002, All Rights Reserved

Chapter 4: A Student Challenged - A Day at the Mall

Fortunately, he had used the washable cosmetics in the creation of his beard, Jane mused an hour and a half later.  She watched with satisfaction as Victor slipped out of her car. Everything, so far, had gone perfectly, at least from Jane's perspective.  The clothes, which in the blatantly feminine background of Seasons House had seemed innocuous, no longer seemed so middle of the road.  In fact, against the more gender neutral environment of the mall parking lot, the total package portrayed a subtle, yet clearly feminine image. 

The jeans were so tight through the groin as to emulate a dancer's gaff, thus giving the wearer a decidedly girlish profile front and back. The shirt was particularly devious. At first glance a pirate's shirt - regular collar but soft, top button fairly low in front, with wide sleeves that gathered down to tight cuffs - it was fitted rather tightly about the waist and lower rib cage, but just a little loose about the shoulders and chest.  The brightly colored magenta fabric was opaque in direct natural or incandescent lighting, however in the harsher, flourescent lighting of the mall's interior and stores, the fabric would appear sheer and would give subtle indications of a budding, pre-adolescent bosom. No particular feature was 'wrong' in that shirt sported a real collar, real cuffs and buttons on the 'male' side of the shirt (though they were hidden in the folds of the material), but the net effect was effeminate - VERY effeminate.  

When combined with androgynously styled 'penny-loafers' and scalloped white socks, well, Jane suspected that once Victor got a good look at himself inside the mall, he would no longer think his outfit met his definition of 'reasonable'.  

Unfortunately for her student, he had accepted them when they'd first been presented to him at the house. *Next time, he'll try wearing them on before making any snap judgements.  If there is a next time.*

However, even more important than the outfit was Victor's face and hair.  The gel-like substance he'd used to slick his hair down before leaving Seasons House was not really styling mousse at all, but an alcohol-based product.  Thanks to the heat of the Indian Summer day, that ersatz 'mousse' had completely evaporated away during the drive from Kingston to Providence.  If anything, the permanent wave Sandy had applied was even 'fluffier' than it had been before Victor had applied the mousse.  And his face, despite the ruthless scrubbings he'd inflicted upon himself in the vain attempt to remove the "adult" make-up, was still well and distinctly colored, emphasizing the delicacy of his feminized features.

But la piece de resistance was Sandy's miracle-of-modern-science uncuttable manicure.  Just during the short drive to Providence, Victor had already forgotten to keep those girl-claws hidden in his fists at least five times that Jane had seen.  

*It's going to work,* Jane thought relieved. *Taken as an integrated whole, Victor's presentation literally shouts 'GIRL' to any casual observer, except to the still-over-confident boy himself. I'll have him back at Seasons House and in skirts before tea time.*

"To review our agreement, Victor," Jane said as she came around the car to join him.  "You will make at least two full circuits of the mall on your own.  I will follow, but at a distance so that you will face the world on your own.  You must make two stops at stores and buy at least one thing with the money I've provided.  No knives, male clothing or girlie magazines.  Something simple, not associated with either sex.  You may then leave the mall triumphant.  If however, you are challenged, or questioned directly about your sex, then you will agree that I have won."

"Yeah, yeah," he snapped, trying without success to hide his taloned fingers in the too-tight pockets of the jeans.  "Let's do it."

"All right, young man.  Let's," Jane agreed.  "Good luck," she called after him as he hurried away. *He doesn't believe I meant those good wishes,* Jane sighed inwardly. *It's just that our definitions of what 'good' luck would be in this case are diametrically opposed.  Lord, please let him fail here so he can succeed later in my keeping.*

~---------------~

The mall was of an older style, essentially a strip-mall with a roof, and had few of the more-spacious amenities of the modern super-malls.  The concourses were relatively narrow, and for the most part, ran in straight lines so Jane had no difficulty keeping an eye on her pupil as he bull-rushed his way through the first circuit of the mall.  That strategy had the advantage of shortening his time in the mall, but the distinct if unrecognized disadvantage of drawing attention to the speeding teen.

By the time he'd reached the far end of the mall, Victor was being examined, covertly by some and overtly by others, by nearly every shopper he encountered.  The increasingly amused and wondering looks on each passerby's face assured Jane that her ploy was working. *Hmmm, I'd say my little program of studies has been more successful than I thought.  Those are some rather effeminate mannerisms and postures he's exhibiting.  Seems almost second nature to the boy, too. Excellent.* 

The first circuit of the mall, however, went without incident, but Jane was not worried.  *At the rate he's going, he might just make it out of the mall without anyone challenging him,* she mused, *but I accounted for that in our negotiations.  He cannot pass the test without going into at least two stores and he will have to stop completely in order to buy whatever it is he elects to purchase. That pause in his headlong charge should be his undoing. I hope.* 

Jane decided that his first loop of the mall was in the way of reconnaissance - looking for the least 'dangerous' place to make his required stops.  'Less danger', she was sure, meant few people in the area and in particular, no young people.  Actually, there should not have been any young people at the mall - school was back in session and it was a Friday, after all, but Jane had accounted for that in her selection of this mall for her little test.  The shopping center was located just a short distance from a local high school and was a favorite lunch stop for the older students who considered themselves too mature for their school's cafeteria.

*And isn't it fortuitous that it is just about lunchtime,* Jane grinned to herself as she saw a large group of teens enter the mall's main concourse heading for the food court.  Unfortunately for Victor, their point of entry was by then behind him so he did not see the newcomers until he turned to begin his second loop and found himself face to face with a cluster of rather boisterous teenaged males.  Recognizing the threat at last, Jane watched as he tried to evade them by changing direction, but that only served to catch their full attention . . . and whet their curiosity.  In short order, Victor had at least half-a-dozen of the boys following him down the mall.
*Full marks for strategy and quick thinking,* Jane chortled silently as he suddenly dove into a lingerie store - a maneuver that served satisfied half of his store-stop requirement while bringing his pursuers up short at the storefront door. *And that counts as his first stop. Too bad there's only one entrance to that store,* Jane thought. *Because unless he escapes soon, one of those under-employed sales ladies are going to attempt to sell him some frillies."

As Jane predicted, Victor emerged from the store moments later with two of the sales staff bearing down on him. He tried to dodge the phalanx of still-waiting boys, but the exit was too narrow and he found himself quickly surrounded.

Jane suddenly found herself in something of a quandary.  If she closed the group to a distance she could hear what was being said, she might scare off the boys too soon.  On the other hand, if she couldn't hear what was being said, she'd have only Victor's account for what happened. *Would that be enough?* she wondered.  She had come to believe that this student possessed an innate honesty that would preclude him lying to her, but she wasn't one hundred percent sure. *And a boy's future hangs in the balance,* she reminded herself.

She was close enough that she could make out voices, but not the words being exchanged.  Victor said something to which the largest of the boys replied. *At least he's keeping his word about not using an artificially deep voice,* she thought. *I just wish I could understand what was being said!* 

It was the look of growing fear on the still-cornered Victor's face as the boys closed in on him that made up Jane's mind.  *This is wrong,* she thought and then moved decisively to intervene. *I'll find another way to gain his cooperation, but this test just came to an end!* Regardless of the greater goal, she wasn't going to let one of HER boys be hurt or worse by this scheme. 

She'd just started to close when Victor suddenly gave a panicky squeal and bolted, knocking over one of the boys in his headlong flight. "VICTOR!" she called out to him, but he evidently did not hear her, or if he did, chose to ignore her.

He ran past Jane before darting down one of the mall's side-halls.  Following as best she could, all the while cursing her modestly-heeled shoes, Jane barely made it to the hall in time to see him slip into a restroom.
A men's restroom.

*Gotcha!* she thought in relief as she settled on a bench to await his return. *All I have to do is be here when he comes out.*

Twenty minutes later, however, she was still waiting for her student to emerge and was beginning to grow anxious. *Is there a window in there?  Or another door? Where IS he??!?*

Another fifteen minutes passed with no sign of Victor and Jane was very worried. *Why isn't there ever a security person or reliable-looking male around when you need one?* she fumed, scanning the mall concourse, and only then did she realize that the boys who had frightened Victor so badly were still there - waiting. *Well, I can do something about THAT, by God!*

Jane Thompson rose to her full height and strode purposefully over to the end of the hall where the six teens congregated.  Her head high, Jane gave them each 'the look' before asking, "Isn't it time you gentlemen returned to your classes?"

Three of the boys looked abashed while another two looked expectantly to the obvious leader of their group.  Jane recognized the cocky air and smug grin even before he opened his mouth.  "What do you care," he said with a dismissive smirk.

A mental picture of that somewhat overweight, pimple-faced fool squeezed into one of her corsets and colored by Marie's cosmetic artistry brought a chilling smile to Jane's lips.  Each boy literally took a step backwards.  "Oh, I don't care," she assured him sweetly.  "But I do enjoy my truant officer job with the school district.  Did you know that every teen I catch cutting classes loses driving privileges for six months?  Now, if I might check your id's, gentlemen?  Just to make sure you're over eighteen, you understand?"

Their hasty retreat did a great deal to lighten Jane's mood as she turned back toward the restroom.  A man was just emerging from the door and Jane was wondering if she might ask him about Victor when the boy burst from the restroom, nearly bowling over an older woman in his flight.

Relief poured through Jane as she hurried towards her student, only to pull up short as she realized the woman was busily berating Victor.

". . . The very idea," the white-haired woman fumed as Victor literally cowered from her wrath, "running about like that - heedless girl!  And from the BOY'S bathroom.  The very idea," she repeated, the 'finger of Mother' shaking furiously in Victor's face.

*Wonder if she's related to Edith White?* Jane considered amused.

After the outraged woman finally stormed away, Jane sidled up to the thoroughly shaken boy.  When he didn't make any move to escape or continue the test, Jane knew she'd accomplished her objective - Victor was hers for the duration.  Just to be sure, however, she asked "Do you want to try again?" as she approached.  "Do you think you can make, say, four circuits without having any MORE people accost you for your, shall we say, unmasculine appearance?"

"No. . please, no more.  You. . you win," he told her in a thin, almost breathless voice.  "You win, just please, get me out of here!" then he hiccuped out a sob, "Please."

Nodding sternly, Jane offered him her hand as she would a small child and was surprised when he took it.  "Very well.  Let us leave, and don't worry about THOSE ruffians," she added.  "Like all those who bully others weaker than themselves, they were decidedly lacking in any real fortitude and ran as soon as I challenged them."

The allusion to bullies and their lack of personal courage also struck home, Jane saw, again precisely as she had intended.  In the final analysis, and despite the uncertain moments, it had been a most successful excursion.