Heidi had a good life here in Southern California. At the age of forty-three, she had a good job and a lovely house. Living in the city of Arcadia was almost the equivalent of an island paradise. She had friendly neighbors who reminded her why she stayed in such a quiet and clean suburban community. They were good people, the kind that never overstayed their welcome or caused any interruptions. One of them was the one who lived next door.
She had met Oscar approximately one year ago. She had grown to admire the eighteen-year-old man as a kind and sociable individual. He was handsome with his blond hair and overall skinny figure. Since Heidi was tall, Oscar was just a few inches shorter than her. But the two of them didn't mind it at all. Their friendship became more important. Since their introductions, their small talk slowly led to casual conversations. They grew to admire each other. Heidi would grow fascinated with Oscar's ambition, his search for fame as an aspiring writer taking the top spot on his checklist. Oscar, on the other hand, couldn't help but respect Heidi's success as a bank branch manager, leading to a great reputation on her part. Their friendship would never seem to end.
On a calm and cool Friday night, Heidi relaxed in her living room and began to read a book by the window. She had a clear view of not only the house form across the street, but also the distant foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains on the left. The moonlit sky made for an excellent mood as Heidi continued to read a book from one of her favorite authors.
The doorbell rang. She placed her bookmark between two pages and went to see who was at the front door. She smiled when she saw Oscar standing on the front porch. He had a skateboard in one hand and a flat rectangular box in the other.
Heidi asked, "What's going on?"
Oscar briefly gazed at his house next door. "Listen, I just arrived from the mall and my parents are at home. Can you please put this somewhere safe? I'll come back tomorrow morning and retrieve it."
Heidi felt suspicious. "What is it? What's in the box?"
"Oh, it's nothing. It's just something that I bought at one of the stores."
Heidi chuckled. "Can you be a little more specific?"
"It's just clothes."
"Why would you want to hide it from your parents?"
"It's...a little complicated. Just put in it somewhere safe. I'll see you again in the morning."
He handed the box to her and gave her a little smile before leaving. Heidi didn't know what to say, but she followed his instructions. She trusted him enough to not feel convinced that something disturbing lay inside the box.
She went into her bedroom, but before she could put the box in the closet, she just had a thought. She had never seen Oscar give off a little hint of mischief before. His current behavior made her want to see what lurked inside. At first, she tried to suppress her temptation as she wanted to respect Oscar's wishes. But then again, she needed to see why he would do such a thing.
Instead, she sat on her bed and placed the box on her lap. She opened the top and immediately froze as soon as she noticed the dark green dress from inside. Her curiosity had been followed by a mystified effect. She picked up the dress and had a good look at it. She examined it from top to bottom. The green dress included a halter neckline and a skirt that could have ended at the knees.
This became a mystery that proved to be quite difficult to solve. Heidi began to feel confused as to why Oscar would purchase something like this for his personal self. The only reason would have to be that he bought this for his girlfriend. Then again, he always mentioned that he didn't have one. Perhaps he bought it for his mother as a gift. Or perhaps, he bought it for himself.
Heidi's jaw almost dropped at the thought of the last possible motive. She wouldn't think of her young neighbor as someone who would want to wear a dress in secret. He wouldn't have kept a bit of his own information from her unless he absolutely had to. Heidi put the dress back in the box and closed it. She put it in the closet and kept it safe. She would need a definitive answer from Oscar. She would think about this new image all night, but at least she would discover the truth in the morning.
* * *
Saturday morning started with a cup of coffee in the kitchen. The clock on the wall read 8:12 AM. She waited for Oscar to ring the doorbell. She had placed the box on the graphite countertop. She kept her eyes on it. She always trusted Oscar, and she would never dare to believe that he would conceal some sort of dark side to his own persona. She only hoped that there would be no malicious intent for something like this. She almost laughed. Of course, no one would get hurt. It would be too silly for Oscar to behave in such a negative manner.
The doorbell rang. Heidi put her cup down and left the kitchen with the box in her hand. She opened the front door and smiled at Oscar who did the same for her.
She showed him the box. "I put it somewhere safe, just like you told me."
Oscar nodded. "Thanks a lot."
Heidi suddenly pulled it away from him before he could even touch it. "But let's have a little talk first."
Oscar didn't flinch. "Okay, whatever you say."
She led him into the living room and the two of them took a seat on her sofa. She asked him, "So why did you want me to hide this in the first place?"
Oscar had a little smile on his face. "Are you sure you want to know?"
That just made Heidi even more curious than before. "Yes, I do want to know."
Oscar had his eyes on the box. "You looked inside, didn't you?"
"Yes, I did. And it shocked me at first. I kept wondering why you bought a dress and wanted me to hide it. I thought it was a gift for someone. But then...I started to wonder if you bought it for yourself."
Oscar chuckled as he brushed his fingers across his blond hair. "Well, you caught me."
"So it's true?"
Oscar grabbed the box and opened it. He looked inside and started caressing the dark green dress with slow and careful fingers. "You can just see this as my confession. I bought this for myself. I wanted to wear it. I've been wanting to since Christmas."
"But why?"
Oscar looked at her like a sly scalawag. "Because I want to know how it feels to submit. I want to know how to take it like a sissy."
"That sounds rather fascinating."
Oscar lifted the dress from out of the box. "This is a secret dream. A dream that I hope will come true someday."
Heidi only had one thing in mind. "I'd like to see you in it."
Oscar's smile grew larger. "With pleasure."
* * *
In her bedroom, Heidi watched as her young neighbor took off his clothes and put on the dress. He was careful with it, having it slide on his body in a slow and stable manner. He straightened out the fabric with his fingers before standing in front of Heidi.
"So how do I look?"
Heidi was enthralled. Oscar had somehow exchanged his original appearance with a more feminine appeal. The quick transition seemed flawless. The green dress fit him perfectly. His hairless legs were the perfect match for the skirt. The halter neckline didn't bother him at all.
Heidi couldn't help but feel so proud of Oscar's achievement. "Oh, it looks amazing on you."
