Becoming A High School Girl - Chapter 7 (Patreon)

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I was just getting in the door when the phone rang. Mom answered, and I could hear her tell the person that I'd just got in.

"Hi, honey, Caroline is on the phone,"

"Thanks, Mom," I said as I took the phone from her. "Hi, Caroline, how are you doing?"

"Better, thanks. I appreciate your concern, and thanks for talking to Ms. B. She already has helped me."

"Hey, that's what friends are for," I answered. "So, what else is on your mind?"

"Well. I guess I can trust you. Ms. B. is arranging with my mom for me to see a therapist so that I can start my official transition."

"What do you mean?" I asked. Caroline's words were starting to sink in.

"I'm transsexual. I finally stopped fighting it, and I plan to live the rest of my life as a female."

I was initially speechless. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I knew deep down that I entered the competition not for the scholarship but because of the chance to be myself. I mean that I'd love to get the scholarship, but I have never felt so free and at ease as I have this year. My aunt is totally accepting, and if my dad doesn't come around, that's his loss. Ms. B says that to stay in the competition, I won't start hormones until spring. But I can wait."

"Wow! Well, you can count on my support, Caroline."

"Thanks. Look, I'd appreciate it if you'd keep this quiet for now."

"No problem," I answered.

Caroline's revelation had me thinking. Until the competition, I had never thought about dressing in women's clothes. But I had to admit that I was becoming more and more at ease with it.

I also knew that it was deeper than that. I was happy being Erika. I felt a sense of excitement knowing that Caroline was staying in the contest. That meant that I could stay with Erika until the end of the school year. I know it was a bit selfish, but I didn't care.

The sense of excitement in school on Friday was electrifying. I drifted through my classes and was clock-watching the whole day. Whatever Laura had was apparently contagious, and I was almost as dizzy as she was.

To be honest, I remember very little about the day. I know I was in school, but I cannot remember a single detail between homeroom and 2:30 in the afternoon.

I arrived at Mrs. Robert's room and joined the other three girls. They had to get us ready by 4:30 for the start of the parade.

As they styled my hair and did my makeup, I smiled, thinking about what my friends in my old school would think. I was very curious about what I'd look like. They wouldn't let me see myself until they were finished.

They finally turned me around, and I was speechless. I couldn't believe that it was me in the reflection. I thanked them for their wonderful work.

Next came the dress. Kristen was already dressed. She was having her crown adjusted and pinned down. She looked so beautiful. Mrs. Lincoln waved me over and directed me to the dressing area. I needed some help with the stockings and garters. I couldn't seem to line them upright. Mrs. Lincoln had one of her assistants come over and help me.

The dress fit like a glove. I stood there looking at myself in the mirror and was mesmerized. Mrs. Lincoln came up and helped me put my earrings and necklace on. She then set a small tiara on my head and pinned it down.

She leaned over and whispered in my ear, "You look lovely, dear, soak it all in. You will remember this night your whole life."

I slowly walked over to Laura and Tracey. They also both looked incredible. Although combined, we looked like the backup singers for a '50s girl singing group. Mrs. Lincoln was right. Our school colors looked much better on sports uniforms. Still, it did nothing to diminish the joy I was feeling.

We walked down with Kristen to the float. Only two of the guys would be on the float. The game was too important. Alex and Mike would join us at halftime in their uniforms. I was actually surprised that Kristen was skipping the game. The guys were dressed in James Bond tuxedos. Alex and Mike would change into theirs after the game and join us at the dance.

While we waited on the float, Laura and I joked about practicing our royal waves to the masses. Finally, the parade started. We waited for a while. We were the last float, and we had to follow the band, cars, other floats, etc.

I started to shiver a little as our float started down the street. I wasn't cold, so it had to be nerves. I had a momentary thought that this was some cruel joke, but it quickly faded. We had been told to smile a lot and to wave to everyone. I had no idea how tiring that could be. I searched the crowd for Mom, Cat, and Paul. I finally saw Mom; she was standing up front taking pictures. Terri was standing next to her and was videotaping us.

I saw Paul and Cat a few blocks down. I nudged Laura, and she looked over and blew a kiss to Cat. What really surprised me was seeing Paul's parents in the crowd. I was stunned to see that his dad was also videotaping us.

We rode the float into the stadium and were escorted to seats near the field.

"I guess we're a little overdressed for the Pit tonight," joked Tracey.

Laura, Kristen, and I looked at each other, "Oh, my God! This is a red-letter day; Tracey actually told a joke!" exclaimed Kristen.

We all laughed, as Tracey rarely even spoke. As vocal and emotional as she was while leading cheers, she was equally shy elsewhere else.

We watched as Willi ran across the field with our 6-0 Wolfhounds following close behind.

Mike and Alex came over for a couple of photographs; then, they ran back to the team.

We were provided wraps to keep us warm until halftime. The game was another blowout. The Glendale Knights were a .500 team, and we had little trouble with them. At halftime, we were joined by Alex and Mike and paired up to walk out to the 50-yard-line.

Of course, Alex walked with Kristen. Mike followed with Tracey. Bill Fry escorted Laura, and Chris Taylor took my arm. Chris was pretty cool. He kidded me that the girl's cross-country team was the only sport that drew a smaller crowd than soccer. It was true. Football was king at this school, and all other sports combined were a distant second.

I was looking forward to hearing my name called out on the PA, but I was too busy concentrating on not falling on my face as we walked to the center of the field. High heels and turf don't mix. The guys were doing a great job supporting us.

The ceremony only lasted a few minutes, but, as Mrs. Lincoln had advised me, I took in every second and savored it. I wanted to remember this night for the rest of my life.

The Wolfhounds continued the beating in the second half. At the end of the 3rd quarter, the coach pulled Alex and Mike and sent them early to change. They joined us a few minutes before the end of the game.

The plan was for us to be taken over to the dance. Our last official duties were to walk in to open the dance. Then Kristen and Alex would get the first dance solo. Then we would join them for the second dance. After that, we were on our own. The only rule was that we had to drop off the dresses, jewelry, and shoes before we left.

The entrance into the dance was pretty cool. It was completely dark except for the spotlight that focused on us as we walked in. Again, the King and Queen entered first. I was very nervous before the first dance. I was as talented a dancer as I was a singer. The only thing that made me feel better was when Chris whispered to me that he "sucked at dancing."

Luckily, it was a slow dance, and we stumbled our way through it. After the dance, Chris thanked me and excused himself. I remembered that Cat had told me that he was dating a junior. I was about to look for Paul when I looked out and saw Laura dancing with Cat. They were getting a few looks, but otherwise, everyone seemed okay with it.

Just then, I felt someone take my hand. I turned to see Paul, and he led me out into the mass of dancers.

"I must tell you that I'm a horrible dancer," I whispered as I leaned close to him.

"Don't worry about it; you more than makeup for it by the way you look," he replied.

I smiled and did my best. The combination of my lack of dancing ability and the dress limited my movements. I debated going up to Mrs. Robert's room and changing, but I was enjoying the way I looked too much. Okay, I was a little vain, but I think I'd earned the right to be.

In addition to stepping on Paul's feet, I also tried to dance with several other guys. Because of my "mascot" status with the team, I must have danced with half the football team, including Alex and Mike. Paul didn't mind; in fact, he seemed to be taking great pleasure in my suffering.

I ran into Caroline, and she was with her date. He was a boy from our photography class. She looked very much at ease with her life now. I was so happy for her.

I saw most of the other contestants. Attendance was mandatory, and failure to attend could lead to being dropped. In between dances, I ran into Ms. B.

"You seem to having a wonderful time, Erika."

"I really am, even though I can't dance!"

"I think you're doing fine."

Just then, one of the photographers walked by. Ms. B waved him over.

"I would really appreciate a photo with you, Erika," she asked.

"Sure, sounds great," I replied. I had posed with several other people that night, including Paul. Laura had given me instructions on how to pose correctly.

After the shot was taken, Ms. B thanked me, saying she wanted a memento of this evening as a sign of the program's success.

I spent the rest of the evening hanging out with Paul, Laura, and Cat. Before I knew it, it was time to leave. I danced the last dance with Paul. It was, of course, a slow dance, and it felt very romantic.

Laura and I walked up together to Mrs. Roberts's room. Mrs. Lincoln was there to ensure we turned in everything. I carefully took off the gown and placed it on the hanger. The shoes were a bit scuffed from the dance, but I guess that was to be expected. I took off the necklace, tiara, and earrings and placed them in their boxes. It was funny, but I had totally forgotten I was wearing the tiara. It was only after I looked in the mirror that I saw it. It really looked out of place with my denim skirt and white blouse. I didn't bother changing my lingerie. I liked the feel of it against my body.

As I handed my stuff into Mrs. Lincoln, I felt a bit down. I was sorry the night was over.

"Cheer up now, dear; you'll have other evenings to look forward to. I am very proud of you," she smiled, handing me her card. "When the prom comes around, call me. I have some things that would look lovely on you."

"Thank you very much, Mrs. Lincoln." I threw caution to the wind and leaned over, and gave her a hug. To my genuine surprise, she returned my display of emotion and wrapped her arms around me.

I walked back to the gym with Laura; she was also sorry the night was over. We found Cat and Paul talking to Alex, Kristen, and a group of other couples.

"Hey, girls, my parents are throwing a little post-party party in the barn; you want to join us?" asked Alex.

"Absolutely!" exclaimed Laura, perking up.

I rode over to the party with Paul. "So, did I tell you how great you looked tonight?"

"Not in the past ten minutes," I replied.

"I don't know how this will turn out, but it's been worth it so far!"

"I agree!"

After being at the party for an hour, I hit the wall. I suddenly felt very tired, and Paul took me home. He parked his Bug in our driveway.

"Erika, I really had a great time tonight, and I'm happy I got to share it with you!"

He smiled and took me in his arms. I offered no resistance as he started to kiss me. Suddenly, this all felt so normal and natural. We kissed for several minutes.

"I think I'd better go in." I then leaned over and gave him a short kiss on the lips, and walked into the house. I didn't fully understand what was happening, but there was no sense in denying that I was now Paul's girlfriend.

Early November brought in the first taste of winter, and I was totally miserable. It wasn't just cold, but windy and rainy too. For the first time in a while, I missed San Diego. To make matters worse, the competition rules still required us to wear skirts or dresses four out of five days a week. Cat was truly enjoying my discomfort. Even with tights on, I was freezing.

The cross-country team had finished first in the league, and our last meet was the area championship. This would be our last meet as a team. Two of our runners, including Rachael Patton, were going to the state finals. So the area championship would be my last meet. I was looking forward to the meet, but sad at the same time. Being on the team had been a great source of joy to me. Coach Chambers told me that I was more than welcome to try out for the spring track team. She said that I would be a welcome addition. I told her I would be happy to try out if I was still eligible.

"District rules state that anyone earning a letter in a sport is eligible to try out for other sports. Look, Erika, I know we got you on our team initially through a loophole, but that no longer matters. You also helped this team win a championship, and I fully expect you to help us compete tomorrow. Now, I know there is the issue of the scholarship contest. But is it still an issue for you?"

I smiled and shrugged my shoulders. "To be honest, I'm not sure anymore. I am very comfortable with myself right now."

"I suspected as much. Well, be ready for tomorrow's meet, and we'll talk about track later."

Paul was waiting for me after practice. I climbed into his VW Bug. I leaned over, and he kissed me. I was growing more and more comfortable about dating him. I was now fully accepted in his home and had been to dinner several times since my first combat dinner back in October.

"If you're unhappy now, you're really going to hate it when it gets cold," quipped Paul.

"Ugh, I don't even want to think about it. I wish they'd ease up on the dresses and skirts soon. Even the real girls have stopped wearing skirts and dresses!"

"They're trying to weed your group down some more. After all, they can't afford twenty-two scholarships," explained Paul as he drove me home.

"Twenty-two? So we must have lost a couple more!"

"Hey, don't worry about it. Everything happens for a reason," replied Paul.

Paul dropped me off, and we kissed goodbye. I walked quickly to the front door and entered.

"Hi, I'm home," I yelled as I hung up my coat.

"How was practice?" asked Mom as she cut up some chicken breast.

I went into the kitchen, and as I helped her prepare dinner, I told her about school and practice.

We sat down and talked while dinner was cooking. It was a chicken and rice casserole. I was excited about the meet and the last regular-season football game Friday evening. We were undefeated and could clinch the league championship against Red Hill, our rival. I began to notice that something was bothering Mom.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked.

"We got a notice in the mail today. Mrs. Martin's assault trial is starting Monday, and they've subpoenaed you as a witness."

The memories of being attacked after the first home game were still fresh.

"I thought she was going to plea-bargain or something?" I exclaimed angrily. I just wanted this whole mess over.

"Apparently, she's claiming self-defense. The DA thinks that she's bluffing and hoping that you and the other witnesses don't show up. He told me that if you show up, she'll probably plead guilty."

"I'll do it. Besides, being in a courtroom can be used as extra credit in my Civics class!"

After dinner, I called Cat and told her about my chance to be a witness. She agreed with my decision to testify, but she warned me to be careful.

"Why? What do you know that I don't?" I asked.

"Jason is very vindictive. He might seek revenge against you. Did you know that he attends Red Hill now?"

"No, I didn't know that. Do you think he'd be stupid enough to show his face around here?" I asked.

"You're right; he's not that stupid. But if we win Friday, we'll play Red Hill again in the first round of the playoffs. The game will be at a neutral site, Pine Valley High. He's not banned from there. If you help put his mom away, he may try something."

"I'll have to tell my mom this!"

"She knows. My mom just told her," confessed Cat.

Naturally, Mom was worried, and I had to beg to go to the game. She said that she would call the police in the morning and see if anything could be done.

It didn't seem as cold the next morning; maybe I was getting used to the weather. Then again, I wasn't in a skirt today. It was the day of a meet; I could wear my warm-up sweats just like the rest of the team. I was really going to miss cross-country! Paul picked me up and drove me to school. I told him about the trial and the potential problem with Jason. He said that this meant that he would have to drive me everywhere to ensure my safety. I punched him lightly in the shoulder, and then I gave him a kiss.

School always flew by on the days of meets. Because the area championships were being held at the college, we got out of school early that day. It was pretty exciting to see all the top teams from the area. There were several teams from private schools, and they put much more emphasis on the sport. We knew that winning would be difficult. Coach Chambers told us to go out and run our best and that we'd be winners in her eyes.

As we got in place for the start of the race, we were all pretty amazed by the size of the crowds. We were used to 20-30 students and family at best, and there were several hundred people there.

The team ran a great race. No, we didn't win. We finished fifth overall, which wasn't too bad as there were 21 teams entered. Rachael finished second overall, and that was a great victory in itself. I had a good run but was definitely outclassed by many of the runners. I was just happy that I helped us as a team.

After a team photograph, we headed to Guido's for our traditional post-meet pizza party. Emotions were running a little high, as this was our last meet as a team. Coach Chambers stood up and thanked us for our great effort all season. She then named the letter winners. I felt a great sense of pride when my name was called off.

I rode home with Cat and Laura. Unfortunately, Paul couldn't be there as he was starting a new job. Because of his work on the student paper, he'd been selected for a special internship with the local newspaper. He was pretty excited, and I was very happy for him, even though I was a bit disappointed that he wasn't at the meet.

With the meet behind us, we were now focused on the football game. My personal historian, Cat, told me that this week was usually filled with pranks. But in recent years, some of the pranks had turned nasty. Students were warned that they would be suspended and possibly face criminal charges for any vandalism.

"The police used to turn a blind eye to the pranks, but they got out of hand," Cat informed me.

"Did the retaliation by the team a few years ago have anything to do with it?" I asked. I was referring to an incident in which some Red Hill students assaulted a couple of contestants, and the football team went up there and got revenge by beating up the assailants.

"No, the bad blood had started long before that. Last year, a bunch of cars got vandalized during the game up at Red Hill - slashed tires, sugar in the gas tank, stuff like that. It almost caused a riot. Both schools were told to stop it," added Laura.

"And I thought everything was nice and happy out here in the country," I said with a laugh.

"At least we don't have gang wars and drug dealers on campus like California," said Cat.

"You forgot about earthquakes and riots, too," added Laura.

"Yes, but at least it's warm there!" I replied.

"Cold? This isn't cold! Wait until January, and then it will be cold!" explained Cat.

"I hope they relax the dress code for us by then. The point has been made: skirts and cold and wind don't mix. I get it. I mean, I haven't seen either of you two wear one in the last couple of weeks."

"Poor baby," sniffed Cat, with a smile, "but you look so cute in them!"

That was it. I resorted to my secret weapon and starting tickling Cat. I soon had her pleading for mercy and forgiveness.

The highlight of the school day was the pep rally during the 6th period. The school was smart to cancel classes, as everyone was distracted. In terms of the schedule and the playoffs, the game had little meaning. We knew that we would be playing them again next week. But in terms of pride, the game meant a lot. Alex told us that their goal was to win without giving too much away for next week. But he hinted that they would try a few plays to plant the seed for next week.