Rent or Forfeit 12

Chapter 12: The Pouting Princess

The room fell silent after the possible forfeits were pulled from the hat. Everyone seemed to realize these choices were perhaps the most extreme yet. Breaking the tension, Sarah finally spoke. "So, what will it be, Tammy? New lips or a new man?"

Monica suppressed a giggle as Tommy turned to glare at Sarah. “You can’t be serious?” he whined, his voice filled with frustration. “Why would you even put those choices in there? Do you really hate me that much?”

Sarah appeared visibly shocked by Tommy's emotional outburst, prompting Monica to intervene and calm the situation. “We don’t hate you, Tom. But you have to understand. All you’ve ever done is make our lives more difficult - from stealing and breaking our things to freeloading. We don’t earn a lot of money, and we work hard for it. You need to contribute.”

“I know, but these choices are horrible,” Tommy protested. “You’re being unfair.”

“Unfair?” Sarah spat back, clearly triggered by the comment. “What’s unfair is you expecting us to go out to work every day, while you sit around, eating our food, and making a mess. You’ve always been selfish, expecting others to look after you. And worse still, you’re cruel. I remember the comments about Monica’s weight when she was still living with you and Mum. If she hadn’t moved in here with me then…”

"Sarah! Stop!" Monica interjected, slowly shaking her head. "That’s enough."

Seeing Monica's pleading eyes, Sarah stopped, folded her arms, and turned away in a huff, leaving a heavy silence hanging in the air. Tommy - sandwiched between his sisters - sat with his pantyhosed legs trembling, weighed down by guilt as he realized the impact his thoughtless behaviour had once had on Monica. He hadn't intended to hurt her; at the time, he was dealing with feelings of anger and neglect, and lashing out was his way of coping. Breaking the silence, he finally asked in a hushed voice, "Are these lip injections thingies permanent?"

Surprised by his question, Monica smiled gently. "No," she replied. "I tried them once. They looked great for about two months. Then they went back to their normal size. Is that what you're going to choose?"

"Well, I'm not gay," Tommy stated firmly. "And there’s no way I’m going out with a man. So I guess I’ve got no choice."

“You could leave,” Sarah muttered under her breath, clearly still upset.

"Hey!" Monica snapped, calling out to her sister, "Tommy’s trying to change. Give him a chance, will you?"

Catching Monica’s eye, Sarah scoffed. “Fine,” she said before standing and leaving the room.

When she was gone, Monica turned to her crossdressed brother. "I’ll see if I can get you an appointment tomorrow," she said, pulling out her phone. "I don’t think it will be as bad as you think. Lots of guys have fuller lips. Look at Mick Jagger."

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“Not as bad as I think?” Tommy groaned into the mirror, his words muffled slightly by his huge, inflated lips. “I look ridiculous!” He averted his gaze momentarily to catch the reflection of Russell the bear, whose ever-smiling face offered no consolation. Turning back to his feminized image, he took a few deep breaths through his nose, exhaling slowly through his puffed-up pink lips. The lip gloss, matching the colour of the coat he had borrowed from Monica for the trip to the clinic, shimmered under the light. The coat had kept him warm - necessary given that the rest of his outfit consisted of extremely short jean shorts, a silky white low-cut top, and sheer nude-coloured pantyhose. However, when closed, the bright, girly puffer coat made it look as though he was wearing nothing underneath. Monica had chosen his outfit, and he had let her, still feeling guilty about the previous evening's altercation. However, he had regretted that decision from the moment he first stepped out of the house that morning.

Lost in a trance, Tommy's Bee stung lips hung open in horror as he took in his new look. Back at the clinic, he hadn’t really had a chance to see the full extent of the transformation; he had barely glanced in the mirror when it was held up to his face, eager to leave as soon as possible. He had certainly noticed the difference - a tight, pulling sensation, as if someone had attached an invisible thread to his lips and was tugging outward. He could also see them sticking out from his face when he looked down, especially after Monica decided to add a layer of sticky gloss on the bus to cover the puncture marks. All the way home, he had hoped the effect wouldn’t be as noticeable as he feared, but now, staring at his two plump, pillowy lips - swollen and more than twice their normal size - he felt like crying.

(See image 12)

Unable to bear the sight of his girlified image any longer, Tommy angrily stamped his blocky-heeled boot, sending a jolt of pain up his tired legs. He had allowed his sisters to turn him into a girl - and an attractive one at that. There was no denying it anymore. If he saw a girl who looked like the big-lipped bimbo in the mirror walking down the street with long, lean legs, silky blonde hair, and ample cleavage, he would definitely stop to stare.

Tearing off his coat and flinging it to the ground, Tommy wobbled over to his bed, unzipped his uncomfortable boots from his aching feet, and tossed them aside. He then crawled under the covers, where he remained for the rest of the afternoon.

During dinner a few days later, Tommy was still upset about his lips, but his initial frown had settled into a cute pout - something Sarah couldn’t help but point out. Instead of snapping back, Tommy smiled at her and pulled out his phone. Opening Tammy’s social media account, he was shocked to see it had exploded with new followers over the past few days. Flicking through to the photo he had posted on Monday - his first makeup look with his new lips - he was stunned by the number of likes and comments. Eighty-six likes and twenty-seven comments, all praising how sexy and fierce he looked.

He still wasn't sure how to feel about the overwhelming positivity. At first, he had been ashamed of looking so feminine. But as the number of followers grew, that shame began to shift into a strange sense of pride. With plenty of time on his hands and a determination not to look like a boy in makeup, he had spent hours perfecting his makeup looks. And as long as he didn’t have to meet these people in person, the positive attention felt strangely satisfying.

“So, any offers today, Tam?” Monica asked between mouthfuls of the low-calorie salad the siblings were eating.

Startled, Tommy shook his head, causing his long blonde locks to bounce around his perfectly made-up face. “No, Claire hasn’t been in touch since I turned down the offer on Monday,” he replied, setting his phone down next to his plate.

“And why did you turn down the offer again?” Sarah asked, raising an eyebrow.

“It was too far to travel each day,” Tommy lied, knowing he had really turned it down as he was feeling sorry for himself and didn’t want to be seen.

“I see,” Sarah replied, clearly sceptical. “Well, you’d better take the next one she offers you, or she might not ask again.”

Tommy gulped and forced his plump lips into a smile. “Yeah,” he said, nodding, suddenly worried she might be right.

On Friday, a job offer finally came through. Although Tommy wasn’t thrilled about the duties, he agreed to take it since it sounded like easy work. However, that was the highlight of his day, because later that evening, he faced yet another challenging decision: 'Wear blue-coloured contact lenses' or 'Get acrylic nail extensions.'