It’s been a very strange summer, what with his mum fussing over his sister all the time and saying “Doesn’t Sonia look pretty today?”.”Doesn’t Sonia’s hair look nice in ringlets?”, “Doesn’t Sonia’s dress look nice?” “Sonia this” and “Sonia that” became a daily… no, an hourly occurrence. It wouldn’t be so weird if Sonia really was a girl, but she’s not… she’s his younger brother Vincent and their mother decided she wanted… no, needed a daughter… and Vincent was the obvious choice since Andrew’s was considered too ugly and Gregory is too old.

Today is a big day for Vincent because today is the day that Mum is taking him to get his new school uniform. We all knew he’d be dressing like a girl at his new school, but I think even Vincent was overwhelmed by just how big a fuss our mother made about it. “Do I have to?” he moaned when Mum told him to go and try the summer uniform on.

“Of course Sonia dear!” Mum replied in her annoying overly joyous voice she’d adopted. “Girls love trying on new outfits.” she reminded him.

“Oh… OK.” Vincent coyly replied.

“Leave him Gregory.” I suggest as our older brother Gregory sneers under his breath.

“Her!” Mum reminds me. I mumble an apology and glance at Vincent. “Run along Sonia… I can’t wait to see how it looks.” Mum excitedly tells him. My heart kind of goes out to my little brother at times like this. I know he doesn’t like being a girl as whilst he appears to be accepting and willing, there’s a clear reluctance in his voice and on his face. I can’t imagine what it must be like for him, having to pretend to be a girl day in day out. A few weeks ago he was a normal boy just like me until one Saturday when Mum turned him into her daughter, and that daughter could have easily been me!

Looking back, it seems almost laughable that a simple card game would hold such high stakes. I’ll point out that this was no tense game of poker, but a frantic game of Happy Families that would decide which of us three brothers would become ‘Sonia’. I still recall the fury I felt when Vincent slammed his cards down on the table, leaving the competition between Gregory and myself. But this soon turned to elation when Mum pointed out that the winner will become her new daughter and our new sister. All three of us assumed that the loser would have to become a girl, which meant we were all playing to win… and the fact that I was so close to winning still sends shivers down my spine.

My heart went out to Vincent as he sloped off to his room clutching his gingham school dress whilst Gregory called him names. But somewhere deep in my gut I hate my little brother every time he says ‘OK mummy’ whenever Mum wants him to try on a new dress or tie ribbons in his hair or embark on some other girlie activity. I know I’d be at least putting up a proper fight!

“Andrew can be nice to Sonia so why you can’t Gregory I’ll never know!” Mum said to my big brother. Mum and Gregory often have this conversation, but I don’t get involved. On the one hand I agree with Gregory that ‘Sonia’ isn’t a girl and should be dressing or acting like one, but on the other hand I agree with Mum… Vincent’s simply trying his best in difficult circumstances and we should be more supportive instead of being nasty. This puts me on the fence so I’ve stopped teasing Vincent for acting and dressing all girlie, but I do try to avoid calling him ‘Sonia’ or referring to him as ‘her’ or ‘she’… in fact I tend to avoid talking to him altogether since he became Sonia.

Mum shouted up the stairs. “Come on Sonia… we’re all waiting to see how it looks!”

“I’m not!” Gregory sneered as he shot up from his chair and stormed out of the house.

Mum shook her head as he left then looked at me. I smiled through pursed lips, but I didn’t know what I was smiling about. We both watched as Vincent shyly walked down the staircase wearing his new school uniform. It’s one of those bog standard gingham school dresses that junior school girls wear, but in purple instead of the more common blue or green. Mum fussed over how smart he looked, made him try his school cardigan on, then the blazer, and possibly worst of all, a straw boater hat! It was uncomfortable viewing so I headed for my room. “What are you doing Andrew?” Mum asked me. “Well whilst your there, can you put your uniform on too please?” she added.

“What for?” I asked.

“Because I’d like a photo of you and Sonia in your school uniforms.” Mum replied. I tried to moan my way out of it but it was no use. After taking several photos of us, Mum sent Vincent to change into his winter uniform. Mum faffs with my tie and my hair whilst he’s upstarts. Vincent returns wearing a purple & green plaid pinafore dress over a white blouse with a broad round collar. On his feet are the same Mary Jane’s, but his legs are clad in a pair of dark green woolly tights.

Once again, Mum stands us side by side and begins taking photographs. Gregory returns, sneers at both of us and makes derogatory comments about our smart new uniforms,and bangs about in our bedroom, clearly looking for something. After a few seconds he bounds back down, sneers once more in our direction and storms out of the door again, slamming it behind him. Mum advised us to take no notice of him before she started fussing over Vincent once more. “Can I get one with your hat on?” Mum asked/told him.

“That’s a different hat!” I stated as he reluctantly donned a grey hat instead of the yellowy straw one.

“It’s the winter hat.” Vincent replied, glancing up at its brim. The winter hat is grey felt with the school crest embroidered on the front and a purple band similar to the one on his summer hat. Its brim isn’t as wide and its top much more rounded than his square edged straw boater.

“It’s better than the other one.” I said as I imagined having to wear something similar.

Vincent cast me an appreciative smile before Mum started faffing with his fringe and his collar before standing back to admire us. Mum wanted pictures of him wearing his hat, without his hat, then with his blazer on, fastened and unfastened. I suggested I go and put my anorak on, but Mum dismissed my jovial suggestion and told me to stop being silly before faffing with Vincent again.

After a few snaps of myself and Vincent wearing his winter uniform, Mum tells me to get changed before I ‘ruin my new trousers’, then told ‘Sonia’ to go and try his PE kit on, which he’d clearly rather not do. Mum tells him that she needs to make sure everything fits as she sorts through the numerous cellophane packed items. “Shirt, skirt, knickers and socks.” she says as she bundles the items to together.

Vincent glances at me and rolls his eyes. I throw him a reassuring smile before we head for our bedrooms. It wasn’t too long ago that Vincent and I shared a bedroom, but since mum turned him into Sonia, I’ve been sharing with Gregory… and Gregory’s presence is evident in the mess I now have to put up with. I shut the drawers he’d left open before changing out of my school uniform and pull on my jeans and a t-shirt. I return to the kitchen and Mum asks if I’ve hung my shirt and trousers up properly. “Yes.” I reply before my eyes follow Mum’s towards the stairs.

“Oh very sporty.” Mum says to Vincent as he slowly descends.

“It’s too short.” Vincent gulps as he looks down at himself.

“It’s supposed to be short.” Mum replied. “Have you got your gym knickers on too?” she asks, prompting him to reveal the thick purple panties he wears beneath his pleated purple skirt.

I can still barely believe that there’s a school in which the boys have to dress like girls… and as I understand it, most of them are normal boys like me and Gregory… not pretend girls like Vincent. I can understand them dressing like girls if they’re in Vincent’s position, but when they’re not it just seems wrong.

“They’re lovely colours Sonia.” Mum says as she fusses around Vincent. As usual, Vincent just puts up with her faffing as he models his ‘outdoor’ PE kit. Alongside his pleated purple skirt, he wears thick woolly knee socks in green and a short sleeved polo shirt, also in green. The is embellished with the school crest embroidered over the left breast and wide purple stripes down each side, running from armpit to waist. Mum picks up yet another polythene wrapped item and hands it to Vincent. “This one’s for Gym I think.” she told him.