"Hadley?" I asked before I hugged my sister. I couldn't believe that she was here. "What are you doing here?"

"I convinced the university that in order to study international law, I would have to go to other countries." Hadley explained. "I wasn't expecting you to look like this, though. So, are you going to introduce me to your friend?"

"Hadley, this is my roommate, Ashley. She's like me." I introduced. I possibly should have asked about that part, but I felt that I didn't need to considering that I had let her tell her mom about me. Another thing that I couldn't believe was that I was having the conversation wearing a cheongsam.

"So, why exactly are you two dressed like that?" Hadley inquired.

"I thought it would be a good way to experience Chinese culture." Ashley replied. "Now if you excuse us, it's kind of late, and we've been at Disneyland all day, so I need to get my beauty sleep."

I smiled. She did think that she was beautiful. I had left an impression on her.

"Are you coming, Bailey?" She added.

"How about you go on ahead?" I suggested. "I think I would rather catch up with my sister in her room for a while."

Ashley walked to our room and Hadley took me to the passengers' quarters. I had never been there before. Her room was nicer than mine and there was only one bed in it.

"How did you get the university to pay for all of this?" I asked her.

"Remember what I told you? A good lawyer can convince people to do anything." She replied.

"It seems like you'd have to be a super lawyer to pull this off." I remarked.

"Maybe I am." She joked. "So, I didn't expect you to be wearing any kind of dress. Are you out now?"

"No, but these stops in other countries give me opportunities to go out like this." I explained. Come to think of it, the ship really didn't seem like it had too much security. I hoped that that wouldn't become a problem later on.

"Didn't you come on this ship to come out as a girl?" She asked.

"Yeah, but that hasn't really gone as planned." I answered. "I don't want people to know that I lied. Things would get really weird. Ashley keeps telling me to do it, but I'm afraid."

"What about her? Is she out?" Hadley questioned.

"Yes." I answered.

"And people don't have a problem with it?" She inquired.

"Well no, but just because people are like that with her doesn't mean they'll be like that with me." I pointed out.

"It sounds like you're trying to come up with reasons not to." She pointed out. "What are you really afraid of?"

"Everything: being kicked off of the ship, them telling Mom and Dad." I explained.

"First, they can't kick you off of the ship because it would be a terrible PR move." Hadley replied. "Do you really think Wilfred Tipton would want people thinking that his company doesn't support transgender people when five Tipton hotels have hosted Pride events?"

"How did you know that?" I questioned.

"It's always good idea to do research when you're a lawyer." She explained. "Additionally, the school is not required to tell Mom and Dad that you're transgender. In some cases, it's even considered to be illegal. That means you have nothing to be afraid of."

"I was going to tell Mom and Dad on my birthday." I replied. "I really want to talk about something else. I want to talk about anything else."

"Okay. So, is Ashley the same roommate that you told me about before?" She asked.

"Yeah." I answered. "I kind of have a crush on her."

"I thought you said that you only like guys." She remarked.

"I don't know what it is. I don't really like any other girls, but maybe it's because I had a crush on her before she started transitioning and I just don't care now." I explained. "Her birthday is coming up and I really want to do something special for her, but I'm not sure what to get her or do for her."

"Well do you know what she likes?" She asked.

"I know that she likes baseball and video games and she likes it when I dress like a girl." I explained. She would probably love if I came out as transgender for a present, but coming out wasn't something that you did for other people. It was something that you did for yourself. "I could get her some clothes."

"You could get her some clothes. She would probably like the clothes, but I think you would be better if you did something special for her. Plus, it would win you points with her." She declared. "I have an idea."

She whispered it into my ear.

"You'll help me, won't you?" I asked her.

"Of course I will, I'm studying abroad on this boat after all."

A few weeks later, her birthday had arrived. Okay, it was the day before. It turned out that Mr. Blanket had a friend who was a doctor who could prescribe the estrogen that both Ashley and I needed. I had already seen her hair was growing. My breasts had also grown and I was up to a B now. I felt like a girl. I looked like a girl, but I was still dressing like a boy.

I wanted to come out, but I also didn't. Ashley had been mostly positively received and she had quite a way with the ladies. She was very good at flirting. Nothing ever seemed to really last and as far as I knew, she hadn't ever advanced beyond kissing. '

I also had gotten Cody a present. He was easy to shop for. I just got him a book. Ashley told me that he liked books. I liked books too and I even got her to read some and not just books we had for class.

Ashley and I were both awoken by my alarm. By now, I was starting to grow a collection of female clothes, including the pajamas I was wearing.

"I can't believe that I have to work on my birthday." She yawned before she rubbed her eyes.

"At least it's just during the morning." I pointed out. Yes, I had Ashley's work schedule memorized. It started as a way to make sure that she was going to work, but eventually she got better at remembering and I just did it out of habit. "You'll still have the night to do fun things."

"So are you going to tell me what you got me?" She questioned.

"You'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out." I told her.

"How is it that you always look so beautiful when you wake up?" She replied.

"It's called proper skincare." I remarked. "Plus taking estrogen does improve your skin. You'll probably start seeing that too. So how does it feel sharing your birthday with your brother?"

"Well, it's kind of annoying." Ashley admitted. "At least this year, I won't have to worry about anyone getting us the same thing. How long does it take for breasts to grow? I was wondering if I should start wearing real bras soon."

"I got mine within the first three weeks, but it can take up to a few months." I explained. "You won't just go from having breasts overnight. It's a gradual increase in size. Some of it has to do with genetics as well. Do you happen to know what size your mom is?"

"I don't really want to know that." She declared.

"It just gives you a bit of a heads up what you're getting into, but you don't have to know ahead of time." I said. "Now we need to get ready for class. We have that test today."

"I haven't forgotten about it after all of that studying that we've been doing." She said.

"Well, you'll thank me when you get a good grade on it." I replied.

The test was easy for me, but I had never had problems with tests before. Cody finished before me and I saw a look of satisfaction on his face. However, it didn't look like an 'I aced this test' look and more like an 'I finished before everyone else' look.

"How do you think you did?" I asked her after the class was over.

"It's weird. I felt like I knew most of the answers." She admitted.

"That's what happens when you study." I informed her.

"So do you want to go with me to the pool?" She asked.

"I don't think that I should keep going out as a girl to the pool. People will start to notice that they keep seeing me." I declared.

"I don't think that's true." She countered. "I've seen some of the same people here since we've been on the ship. Some cruises last a long time and you could be going to some country far away."

"Well I shouldn't go with you." I declared. "We haven't been out enough to be friends. If we're going to go, we should go separately."

"Fine." She agreed. "Maybe you should wear that bikini you bought in Osaka."

"Only because I like you so much." I quipped. "So, you wanna change in here and I'll change in the bathroom?"

"I don't see why we can't both change in here." She declared.

"I don't want anyone to see me naked." I replied. "It makes me feel incomplete."

I then went into the bathroom with the bikini and put it on. It was black with a halter crisscross style top with a pair of cutouts on both sides right at my legs. I looked in the mirror and I couldn't see any kind of bulge. No one except me and Ashley would even know that it was there. I walked out of the bathroom and I saw Ashley like I had never seen her before. She was wearing a bikini with a white top that covered her whole chest and black shorts. She looked so sexy in it.

"Wow." She declared.

"I was gonna say that to you." I replied.

"So, I think that you should go out first this time." She said. "Cody is at work right now."

I walked into the hall. I felt a little uncomfortable, but I was doing this. I walked over to the Lido deck. There were three different pools on the Lido deck and I was going to go into one this time. However, first I noticed that my sister was sunbathing.

"Hey." I greeted her.

"Oh my god, you're here." She said. She looked like she was going to give me a hug but I stopped her. "You look amazing. I didn't know that you wore bikinis."

"I usually. I usually don't even come out here and I've never actually been in the pool before." I explained.

It was at that time that Ashley walked onto the deck.

"You're staring." Hadley whispered. I then blushed and looked at her. "By the way, I got that package that you ordered. I think that she's going to love it."

"Do you think that I spent too much?" I asked.

"No, I'll just tell Mom and Dad that there were gifts for friends." She replied. "So, are you going to go in the water now?"

"I think I'll go in the hot tub first." I announced.

Ashley must have seen me walking towards there, because she joined me in the water.

"Wow, I've never noticed how good the water feels against my skin." She replied.

"Skin sensitivity is another side effect of hormones." I declared. "I can't believe that we're the only ones here."

"Well, it is a nice place for us to talk." She pointed out. I then noticed some girls looking at me with jealousy in their eyes. I blushed a little.

"I think those girls think you're flirting with me." I commented.

"Maybe I am." She retorted. I blushed even more. "You really worry way too much about what other people think."

"I can't help it." I declared. "So, I'm probably going to give you your present after you get done with work tomorrow."

"You could give it to me before work." She offered.

"Yeah, but you won't have time to appreciate it until after work." I argued.

I knew she would like it. Who wouldn't like such a one-of-a-kind item like it? Plus it was something that was just for her. I didn't know if it would get her to like me like that, but I didn't care. I just wanted her to have a happy birthday.

The next day while she was at work, I started to get ready. I first went to Hadley's room to pick up the package. I made sure that everything was the right size. I was happy that everything was the right size because if it wasn't that would have ruined everything. Sure, I would be able to get the right size eventually, but that would have taken a couple more weeks and I didn't have that time.

Once I got the package, I went to the bathroom to change. Okay, part of the package was for me, but it was also part of the gift. I knew that she would still like it because it went with what I got her.

At 3:00, she returned from work. She didn't look particularly sweaty from what. She looked kind of tired, but that was probably because she had to get up so early.

"That's an interesting look for you." She said. I was wearing a Royals jersey and hat with a pair of shorts.

"I got you one too." I declared as I held up an authentic custom-made Red Sox jersey with Martin on the back of it. Mine said Pickett on the back. "Happy Birthday, Ashley."

"You got me this for my birthday?" She asked in disbelief. "I can't believe it."

"I wanted to do something special for you." I declared. "I'm glad that you like it."

She decided to take a nap for a little while. I then got her to put it on and I was going to treat her to dinner. We headed out to the Sky Deck and we were caught off guard.

"SURPRISE!" Everyone shouted.

So it was Hadley. I know it's been forever since I updated, but that's why I read my old stories because sometimes I feel like updating them. It probably won't take me another eight months to update. Please don't forget to review.