Richard woke up with a sudden burst of energy. Today, he had decided, would be different. Tired of his usual routine of rushing out the door in jeans and a hoodie, he wanted to go to school dressed in his mother's apparel. Richard had been a practical joker, and this would be the practical joke to end all practical jokes. Technically it wasn't his idea, his friend Glenn had suggested the prank.

Richard's phone rang. It was Glenn.

"Are you going through with it?"

"Damn straight."

"Have you gotten dressed?"

"No not yet, I had to wait until my mom left for work, but I am going to take a shower now and get started soon."

"I can't wait to see you."

"It'll be EPIC!"

He started by carefully selecting his outfit from his mother's closet. After rummaging through her closet, Richard chose a chic floral dress that his mother had been saving for a special occasion. It was a soft, pastel shade that complemented his complexion, not that he was thinking such things. He paired it with a delicate necklace and a pair of comfortable yet stylish pastel ballet flats.

Next, he turned his attention to his hair. Usually, Richard could pull it into a quick ponytail. He had many times before. But today he decided to let it loose. He spent extra time curling his long auburn locks into soft waves, using an excessive of hairspray to ensure that it would stay in place. The effort paid off; his hair looked voluminous and shiny in a way it had never been before.

Richard then moved to his makeup. He applied a light foundation to even out his skin tone, followed by a touch of blush to give his cheeks a healthy glow. He took his time to get the look just right. This would be the prank of the century. He carefully lined his eyes with a subtle flick of eyeliner and added a few coats of mascara to make his eyes pop. Finally, he chose a soft pink lipstick that tied the whole look together. It looked good, but not perfect. Richard was sure that if he tried it again he could pass for a woman. He started over.

Not forgetting his nails, Richard quickly painted them a matching shade of pink. He blew on them gently to speed up the drying process, careful not to smudge the fresh polish. On a lark, he put heart-shaped decals on his freshly painted nails. They looked fabulous.

With his look almost complete, Richard stood in front of his mirror and admired the transformation. He looked like a woman, even with a flat chest. He couldn't believe it. He removed his dress, found a padded bra, and stuffed it with pantyhose to give the illusion of breasts. He decided that since he was going to stuff the cups, he should wear some hose on his legs too.

No one would believe it was really him when Richard showed up for class. They'll be talking about this prank for years. He felt a surge of confidence and excitement. All of his preparations took time. As he glanced at the clock, his heart skipped a beat. He was running late! It would be harder to pass the security guard when he was the only one entering the school.

In his hurry, Richard grabbed the purse from the hall table, he had prepared it with Glenn the night before. He dashed out of the house, his mind preoccupied with thoughts of how his new look would be received at school. He looked like a real co-ed.

When he arrived at the school entrance, he was met by Mr. Hargrove, the ever-vigilant security guard. He eyed him warily as he approached. Richard reached into the purse for his ID. He knew that Mr. Hargrove didn't really check the picture on such things. He just waited for the computer to beep the green light.

"Hold on there, miss," he said, blocking his path. "Can I see your student ID?"