Chapter 2: Returning Home

I hated leaving Aunt Penny. She was the best thing that ever happened to me. Except for that hornet's sting which I was convinced that changed me. If that bullfrog had not eaten the insect, I would gladly kissed it if I ever saw it again. Aunt Penny and I were in tears hugging and kissing each other on the cheek when my flight was called.

"Here darling," she shoved an envelope into my hand. "Cash this check when you get back home."

"But Auntie, you've given me so much," I protested. I did not want to take anymore of her money.

"It's for your freshman year in college."

"Are you sure? I don't want your money. I just want your love."

"You have that too," she responded. "Now go get that boyfriend of your dreams," she challenged me.

"I hope he can make me happy like you made me! And look after Greg, he loves you. If you marry him I want to be part of the wedding party."

That caused her to break into more tears. Aunt Penny gave me a gentle shove to the boarding area.

"I love you," I called to her over my right shoulder. My red hair had grown to the bottom portion of my neck.

"I love you too, and kiss my brother for me."

"I will, I promise."

Then I boarded the flight back home. I was placed in the first class section still in tears. I sat down and assured the worried flight attendant that I was okay. I just didn't want to leave my aunt behind. The flight took even less time than flying to Portland. The pilot stated that we caught a strong tailwind which made our trip in less than three hours. It landed smoothly in Cincinnati. I felt anxious to see my parents.

Once on the ground, I checked my face a second time to see if my makeup needed repairing. I touched it up just a little. Aunt Penny taught me that less was more and she was certainly right. I was one of the first off the plane. I saw my Father and Mother looking frantically for their little girl. I talked to them several times a week but didn't tell them anything about my change. I deliberately walked passed them a few feet then stood right behind them. They kept looking and looking. Finally I cut them a little slack.

"Is this the way you treat your daughter after being gone three months," I joked. They turned in amazement. They didn't see a scrawny little girl with thick glasses, acne all over her face, crooked teeth, awful looking hair, in plain clothes. They were looking at a beautiful redhead, sparkling green eyes without glasses, smooth as a baby's bottom for a complexion, taller than Mom, fully figured attractive young lady. They saw the new me.

"Sara?" Mom sputtered.

"Guilty as charged," I laughed, leaning forward to kiss my parents on their cheeks. "I'm your Sara. A little change here and there but still your daughter." I was wearing a beige satiny one piece pantsuit with matching sandals. Without heels, I'd grown several inches taller than my mother.

"Oh my, what happened?" Mom asked, not believing her eyes.

"I'll tell you later, let's get my bags. I have lots so we'll have to rent a cart to take it to our car."

"I can't believe it is you," Daddy stammered, just as amazed as Mom.

I gave him a long loving kiss on the cheek that caught a little of his earlobe. "That's from Aunt Penny. She told me to give you a nice kiss for her big brother."

We talked about my changes while going down the concourse to get my baggage. I didn't tell them too much. I was hungry so decided to explain everything over lunch. I disliked airline food and only ate the fruit cup.

I told them the whole story. The hornet's sting, the gradual changes then things turned rapidly in the last three weeks. About Aunt Penny's generosity and her new boyfriend. Molly and Millie. Telling them I wanted one of those sheepdogs for my very own. They hardly commented, hanging onto my every word. I described his sister's house, the beach, my first experience in a bikini, the guys staring at me. Where we sat in the restaurant as we ate, I could feel eyes on me. Undressing me, lusting after me, women envying me. If these ladies knew what I had been through these first fifteen years of my life, now almost sixteen, they wouldn't be so jealous of me. I had to admit to myself I looked much older than fifteen.

"So a hornet stung you?" Daddy asked.

"At least six times, maybe more," I added. "It hurt like the dickens."

"We're going to have a mother-daughter talk," Mom said seriously.

"Aunt Penny and me had those talks many times," I told her, giggling.

"I think we should get you home," Daddy suggested, still frustrated by not knowing what happened to his little princess. I was his big princess now and I felt like one.

After arriving at the old house I grew up in, we dragged all twelve suitcases of clothes up the stairs to my room. There wasn't any room in my closet for me to hang everything up. I tossed all my old garments onto the floor including everything in my chest of drawers. I noticed Mom had dusted everything in my room. I set about hanging up everything I would need for school which started next week. I managed to squeeze in some of my fancier clothes but I had over four suitcases after filling up my three chest of drawers with all my intimate attire from plain panties to sexy satin and lace ones. My bras, teddies, stockings, sensual sleepwear and all the other things. I then organized my suitcases to know what was in them then slid those under the bed which I aptly named "My cellar". I looked at my new watch and saw that is was almost four. I laid out a new bra and panty set, a blue halter top and khaki colored shorts. I jumped in the shower. Shampooed my hair, conditioned it then scrubbed myself thoroughly. I dried my flaming red hair, put on makeup, slipped out of my silky robe and proceeded to dress. Finished, I went downstairs. It was a warm day and heard Mom talking on the phone about me with someone. I poured myself a lemonade and went onto the porch to leaf through the new edition of Cosmopolitan magazine. Making special note of makeup and hairstyle tips.

I had to wait almost an hour until a car pulled up on the curb and Johnny got out, thanked the driver I never got to see. He opened the back door of the sedan and pulled out his football equipment. I decided to play it cool. I watched him walk wearily up the stairs until he reached the door. He was about to go in when I called to him. My heart was beating a thousand times a minute.

"Hi Johnny," I called cheerfully. He turned and looked around until his eyes fell upon me. I felt goose bumps all up and down my body.

"Who are you?" he asked, looking stumped.

"Do you mean that you forgotten your promise to marry me when we were four? I'm hurt," I pouted.

He stared at me for a moment then spoke, "Sara?"

"Bingo, you've won the prize," I stood up and walked down my steps. He walked back down his and was over by me in a flash.

"What happened to you?" he was surprised that the closer he came to me, the better I looked to him.

"Nothing bad, I hope."

"No, no, not at all," he was tongue-tied.

"I grew up during the summer."

"And how!" he looked me over, stopping for a moment to stare at my breasts. Something Aunt Penny had told me all males did. Except for gays she pointed out. "I can't believe it."