Becoming A High School Girl - Chapter 38

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We arrived first and were given a booth way in the back. The reporter arrived a few minutes later. Cherri Olson looked very pleasant with blonde hair and blue eyes. I guessed she was in her late twenties.

After we all introduced ourselves, she wanted to know about the attack, the trial, my recovery, and my participation in the scholarship program.

"Of course, I'd also like to ask you a few questions about your being transsexual," she stated.

"Sounds good," I replied.

"I promise that I'm not out to sensationalize your story."

She set out a tape recorder, explaining that she primarily wanted the recording to ensure the accuracy of any quotes she used. She promised to supply us with a copy of the tape.

I then described the events leading up to the attack. She said that she'd been unaware that Jason had attacked me earlier at the football game. Then I described the attack in detail. I did as I'd done in the trial l and visualized the attack. It was very emotional, but she wanted the whole story.

I stopped and gave her a chance to ask questions. She just sat there staring at me. "I had no idea that the attack was that brutal!"

"Here's a copy of the police report, with photos," interrupted Marlene, handing her a folder. "The photos are not for publication."

She opened it up and gasped silently when she saw the photos. She looked up at me and compared the photo to what I looked like today.

"Erica's going to have plastic surgery next month on the scar and her nose," added Marlene.

I then talked about my counseling, the trial, and my issues with post-traumatic stress. I didn't leave out a thing. I could tell that Cherri was caught off guard by what I had been through.

"I'm still in counseling, by the way," I reiterated.

"How do you feel about Jason today?" asked Cherri.

"I hate what he did to me, and I'm happy he's in jail. I don't know if I really hate him personally; at times, I still feel a lot of rage towards him. I can say that I have not forgiven him. I don't know if I ever will."

"I need to ask you now about your gender."

I spent another hour going over that part of my life and my progress. She interrupted several times for questions. It was obvious she had done some research on transsexualism, letting me know she was pleased that the scholarship program hadn't pushed me into anything but had counseling resources available for assistance.

We finished a little after ten. I felt very good about the way I'd responded, and I could see that Marlene was pleased. Mom had brought some copies of pictures of me that year, including one from homecoming. She didn't bring one of me as Eric.

"Do you have any questions or comments for me?" asked Cherri.

"It's more of a request. Please don't refer to me as a boy dressed as a girl or use male pronouns. I'm a transsexual, and since I'm transitioning, I'd prefer that you use female pronouns when you write about me," I requested. "Also, as my English teacher has drilled into all of us this year, pronouns refer to perceived gender, not to sex."

"That's fair. I just want to say that I didn't know what to expect this evening when I came here. I guess I thought I'd see a boy in a dress. I was mistaken, you're a lovely young woman, Erika, and I wish you the best in your journey towards becoming whole."

She told us that the article would be in Friday's paper, and she'd to e-mail us a copy as soon as she was done. Marlene gave her some more documents from the trial.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I need to get started on this story. It's been a pleasure meeting all of you, and especially you, Erika," stated Cherri.

We said goodbye and watched her leave. I looked over at Marlene. "How did I do?"

"I think you really wowed her; I'm very pleased, and I think she'll write a very supportive article."

"I was definitely wowed," added Mom.

I was mentally exhausted by the interview, and I was happy to get home and go to bed. I did call Laura and Cat and told them that it had gone well with a promise to tell them more in the morning.

When I got home from school on Thursday, I found a copy of the article in my e-mail. I read through it and was very pleased. It was a very sympathetic view of everything I'd been through and disputed virtually every point the Rev and his group had raised. She even got the pronouns right! I emailed her back and thanked her, and asked if she'd send me an autographed copy of the published article.

I jump ahead to Friday now. I got up early and found that Cherri's article about me was on the first page of the local section. It was virtually identical to the copy that Cherri had sent me. There's something pretty cool about seeing your name in the paper - at least when you're treated fairly and favorably.

There was also an article with an interview with the Rev about his reasons for the rally. He stated that he was just interested in injustice, and he wanted Jason to get a new trial. The Rev said that he thought the defense lawyer had done a poor job in cross-examining the other witnesses and me. He claimed that there were witnesses that could place Jason and me together many times. However, he didn't say who they were. He also went into a rant about my deceiving Jason about my true gender and that only when Jason thought he might get AIDS from me did he get violent. That was a new approach!

The Rev went on saying that Jason was the real victim. He then went on a rant about how the school was transforming males into girls for immoral reasons and that the school needed a change in leadership. The reporter asked what he meant by that, and he said that all you had to do was look at the principal to see why things were so bad at the school. He stated that the school needed a man in charge and not a minority woman. He went on to describe how the contest had damaged the very moral fiber of normal society in town. It went on and on. He was a very disturbing person. I wished that his followers could see that.

"So, anything good in the paper?" asked Sam.

I had been so intent in my reading that I'd never heard him come downstairs.

"I used to think that the Rev was just a little nut, but after reading his interview, he is downright disturbing," I said as I handed the article to Sam. There was also a photo of the Rev next to the article. "He even looks like a wacko."

Sam stood there and began to read the article. "Yes, this is very interesting. Are you done with it?" he asked.

"Sure, I'll get another copy on the way to school."

I watched as Sam read the article and looked at the picture very intently. I had seen him do this only when he was working on a case. "What's up?" I asked.

"I need to check something out," he stated. He immediately got up and put the article in his briefcase, and gave me a hug. "Tell Jill I had to go in early. See you later."

I watched Sam leave and drive off to his office. Mom came down a few minutes later, and I told her about Sam's behavior. "Well, I'm sure he'll tell us about it later. So was your article good?" she asked.

"The article was really good. However, they used my class photo and one from right after the trial. I'd have preferred that they used my homecoming photo."

"I can't wait to read it. I guess I'll have to stop and buy a few copies on the way to work."

I wondered what had caused Sam to run off so early. I finished getting ready for school. I knew that the next twenty-four hours would be very eventful.

At least my drive to school was normal. I rode to school with Cat and Laura. We did make one deviation and stopped to get some copies of the paper. The guy at the counter of the store said that he'd never seen so many kids buy the paper before. I bought three copies just for myself.

We arrived at school and parked in our usual area. I grabbed the local section from one of the papers and left the rest. Cat and Laura each had their own copies.

"I can't believe he declared war on Mrs. Lee! He has no idea what he is doing!" stated Laura.

"I can't believe this guy gave such a bad interview. For a guy who craves media attention, he's certainly very inept around the press," added Cat.

"True, but maybe his crowd doesn't read the paper anyway," I added.

"Maybe they can't even read," joked Laura.

I looked ahead and saw many people wearing what looked like buttons in the school's colors. The background was silver, and the lettering was red. Some had the circle with the line across over the word hate; others had it over bigotry. But the ones that really caught my eye just had the two capital letters EW on them. I turned around and saw Cat and Laura had put them on while I was walking ahead of them.

I stood there and smiled at them. "So, who organized this?"

"We had a little meeting this week. Paul suggested the idea for buttons, and Rachael came up with using your initials like she and the football team did. Kristen suggested the others with no sign over the words. I'd like to take credit for organizing the meeting, but it was a popular uprising, and it really didn't need someone to organize it," stated Laura.

"She's lying, Erika. Laura began calling around to everyone Sunday evening after she found out about the Rev's rally," confessed Cat. Laura gave her a dirty look, and Cat responded by sticking out her tongue at Laura.

"Well, I'm very grateful." I gave them both a big hug, "So, do I get one?"

"Here," said Cat; she handed me a no-hate button. I attached it to the front of my dress.

"Thank you very much!" I wore it like a medal.

It was pretty cool walking in and seeing so many students wearing the buttons. "They're all wearing them voluntarily? The football team didn't threaten or anything?" I asked jokingly.

"That depends on your definition of the term threaten!" quipped Cat. "It's all their decision to wear them."

When we got into homeroom, I went up and hugged Paul. He initially acted as if he didn't know what I was talking about.

"Sorry, Paul, you were informed on. I truly appreciate your support." I gave him a big hug.

"That's what friends are for," he said. "Besides, I need to work on being an activist if I'm going to be a journalism major!"

The rally was fast becoming the main topic in our class. The articles were also a big topic. I got a lot of positive feedback from my friends and from a lot of other students. A few had me sign my name next to the article.

The interesting thing was the reaction of the juniors and sophomores; many of them offered their support to me. I guess they saw this as an attack on the school and the town, and therefore as an attack on themselves. Whatever the reasons, I was pleased to have so much support.

We talked about this at lunch. Kristen agreed that the Rev's attacks had become very personal to many students.

"For many students, this isn't either an anti-transsexual issue or an anti-gay issue; it's an attack on our town and school. I think his article will drive even more people into our camp," explained Kristen.

"Good point. By the way, thank you for your support," I pointed to her button.

She just smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "You wouldn't believe the rejected ideas we had. Alex suggested that everyone crossdress today. We might have done that if we'd had more time to organize it!" smiled Kristen. "I'd have loved to have seen Alex in a skirt."

We all started laughing. It felt good to be joking with friends.

"You know maybe the town could make this an annual event?" suggested Tracey. "A diversity/equality/tolerance festival would be a nice legacy of this event."

Everyone just sat there and thought about Tracey's idea. It was a grand idea.

"I'll write up a petition, and we can have people sign it at the rally tomorrow," volunteered Cat. "I'll get Ms. B's input too."

I thought about Mrs. Fuller, the woman from the scholarship committee, and her comments that our class was being the one that began to achieve the goals set by its founder. Maybe this was part of what she'd meant - that the school and the town have rallied to protect their values of equality and diversity. I hoped that this incident would only strengthen the scholarship program.

The rest of school blew by, and soon we were dismissed. We went back to my house and checked in with Marlene.

"I may be a little delayed getting to the coffeehouse tonight; someone slashed all my tires this afternoon. They also vandalized my Darwin fish! As Bugs Bunny often said, 'Of course you realize that this means war!'" she quipped.

I laughed at her joke, and I felt slightly sorry for the person who'd made Marlene's enemy list. "Did anyone see who did it?" I asked.

"No, it happened while I was in a meeting organizing the rally. I should have the new tires installed soon. Thankfully my organization ensures my rolling office for such an emergency. By the way, your article is getting many compliments, especially compared to the Rev's interview."

"I appreciate the compliments, but a kid in kindergarten could give a better interview than the Rev did. Is he really that dumb, or is he crazy like a fox?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't met him personally. But judging by his actions, I'd say that he isn't very intelligent. The really strange thing is that no one seems to know this guy. I've called all around the country, and it's like he just appeared out of nowhere. Well, I'll be there sometime this afternoon."

"Sounds great, and sorry about your Darwin fish!"

"It wasn't the first one I've lost, and it won't be the last."

I hung up and could tell that Cat and Laura were a little confused about what I'd been talking to Marlene about. I explained what had happened.

Cat shook her head. "I have to give the Rev credit; he and his group must certainly feel very confident by the fact that they're declaring war on so many people at once."

"Yes, but it does make him more dangerous; he might resort to something really violent. So you want to join us at Spencer's?"

"Sure sounds great," said Cat. "I'd love to hang out with the target!"

Bad humor again broke the tension.

We walked around the campus area before we went into Spencer's. We saw many signs up for the rally. There were a few 'Free Jason' stickers on some of the signs. Some of these were in turn vandalized, and a few had graffiti written on them. The funniest one said, 'Free Jason with every 8 gallons of gas!'

As we reached Spencer's, we saw Marlene getting out of a cab. "Hi, girls," she greeted us.

"Your car still being fixed?" I asked.

"They only had three replacement tires, so it's in the shop tonight. Just as well, since it's probably safer there. I also just got a call from Sandra, and she said that she can't make it tonight, but she'll see you in the morning."

"How do you know Sandra?" I asked.

"Nancy Bell had her call me. I've talked to her many times, and she's also one of the speakers tomorrow," replied Marlene. "I'm very impressed with her."

We walked in and ordered our coffee and goodies. I went for the key lime pie, Cat had raspberry cheesecake, and Laura had the cherry cheesecake. Marlene just shook her head at us and ordered biscotti.

"How can you eat those really sweet desserts?" asked Marlene.

"Lots of running," I replied.

"Aerobics and yoga," Cat smiled.

"High metabolism," laughed Laura.

"Enjoy it while you can. By the way, I like the buttons; whose idea was that?"

"It was a group effort," admitted Cat. "Would you like some?"

Marlene nodded, and Cat passed her a couple.

"Cat is also working on a petition to turn this rally into an annual diversity/equality/tolerance festival," announced Laura.

"That's a wonderful idea. You know that I have seen such good come out these sort of things," exclaimed Marlene. "Oh, you'll find this interesting. While I haven't found out a lot about the Rev's past, I have found that he and his group have been very active in raising money around here. Although their fundraising tactics sound a little like mob strong-arm tactics. They often threaten to protest in front of stores unless they get their donation."

"Has anyone called the police on them yet?" I asked.

"No. They just don't want to be 'bothered,'" explained Marlene, emphasizing bothered with her fingers.

"This is getting stranger all the time," added Cat.

I gave Marlene a copy of the short speech that I planned to give to at the festival. As she read it, I watched her reaction.

"This is good. I'm glad you are sticking with the positive aspects of our gathering tomorrow and not using it as an attack on the Rev," complimented Marlene.

"So, what's the schedule for tomorrow?" I asked.

Marlene went over the schedule of speakers. She wanted to keep the speeches light, short, and positive. "Let the Rev's group rant and rave; we'll benefit by contrast to them. I also want people to have a chance to talk and meet each other," said Marlene.

"Will there be a stage or something like that?" asked Cat.

"Yes, we have one being assembled right now in our section of the park. We'll also have two security guards there to protect it overnight," stated Marlene.

"Is that really necessary?" asked Laura.

"Unfortunately, yes. If we leave it alone, it's too tempting a target for vandalism," explained Marlene.

"This whole thing sounds pretty expensive," noted Cat.

"Yes, it is, but we're getting some things donated, and the scholarship defense fund is contributing a lot. Fighting injustice isn't cheap. We've also received a few private donations from anonymous donors. We save money by keeping our salaries low!" she quipped.

I wondered if Mrs. Lincoln was one of the anonymous donors. It seemed like something she would do.

I went up to get a refill of my cappuccino. The guy behind the counter asked me about my button and whether it was connected to the rally downtown tomorrow.

"Yes, it is. You want one?" I asked.

"Sure, if you've got a bunch, you can put them in this bowl, and I'll set it next to the tip jar," he offered.

I waved to Cat, and she brought up the bag of buttons that Paul had given her. He put one of the EW buttons on his shirt.

"Thanks, so are you girls involved in the rally?" he asked.

"You could say that," replied Cat.

"Well, I'll be there tomorrow. I think it's great to see high school kids getting involved in social issues," he stated.

We walked back to the couch. Marlene smiled. "Let me know the cost for those buttons. My group will pay for them. I wish I'd known you were making them; we could have made a lot more."

Marlene asked if we could give her a ride back to her hotel. As we walked out, we saw many patrons wearing the buttons.

"So, will you need a ride to the rally in the morning?" asked Laura.

"No, some coworkers are arriving tonight, and I'll ride over with them. I'd like you thereby 9:00 tomorrow, Erika. The rally won't start until noon, but I have some things I want to go over with you."

"So what should I wear tomorrow? I've never been to a rally like this before," I asked.

"Be yourself, dress for comfort, but don't give anyone reason to doubt you're a woman either," suggested Marlene.

We dropped her off at the hotel and then headed over to Laura's house.

Laura's cell phone rang, and she answered it. The call was from Kristen, and she was calling to tell us that Alex's family was throwing a big party at their house on Monday, and she wanted us to invite our families too. Kristen figured if she got one of us, she'd get the other two Musketeers!

"So we're the Three Musketeers now?" I asked with a laugh.

"I kind of like it," replied Cat.

"Photo time!" announced Laura. She was standing there with her digital camera.

Cat turned to me and smiled. "I think she just likes looking at your boobs."

"That's part of it, but I want to keep up the documentation of growth," stated Laura.

I was taking off my top and bra. "You make it sound like you're recording the building of a national monument."

"Plural, monuments; there are two of them," corrected Cat.

I threw my t-shirt at her.

"I think you've had a growth spurt," noted Laura.

"You think so?" I asked, looking down at them.

"Absolutely," added Laura.

They were getting bigger. They were now noticeable, and my nipples were getting more sensitive all the time.

"If they keep growing like that, you can get rid of those boob pads soon," stated Laura.

She downloaded the photo from the camera and compared it to the first one. There was definitely a change. I was pretty excited about it.

I got dressed, and we sat and talked about the rally in the morning.

"So, how are you going down there tomorrow?" asked Laura.

"Sam is taking me there; you want to ride down with us?" I asked.

Both Cat and Laura said yes, and I made sure they knew to be at my house early. I looked at the clock and saw that it was almost 10:30.

"I've got an idea. Let's go get some coffee and doughnuts and take them down to the security guards at the park!" I suggested.

"That sounds like fun, then we can see the stage too," agreed Laura.

We stopped at a 24-hour doughnut shop near the park. We bought a dozen doughnuts and got two large coffees, along with several sugar bags and creamer containers. Once at the park, we saw the stage with a small camper parked next to it. There was one uniformed security guard walking the perimeter. The other one must have been in the camper.

We got out and walked towards the security guard. He looked at us with suspicion until he recognized Laura.

"Laura, what are you doing out this late? Don't tell me you're involved with the rally?" he asked with a big smile on his face. He was a big man and looked to be in his early twenties.

Laura nodded yes. "We brought you guys a treat." Laura showing him the box. Of course, the box was pink, being that is the international color for doughnut boxes, "These are my friends, Cat and Erika."

"Hi, I'm Laura's cousin Dave." He took the box and opened it up, "Hmm, doughnuts!" in his best Homer Simpson voice.

We all laughed. He picked up his radio and called his partner. Cat then handed him the coffee.

"This is an unexpected treat, so are you all involved in this event?"

"Yes, in fact, Erika here is the guest of honor tomorrow," stated Laura.

"Of course! I thought you looked familiar; I read the article in the paper today. I want to wish you good luck tomorrow. So you are friends with Laura?"

"Yes, you could say that," I said. I cracked a sly smile. Laura then put her arm around my waist.

He looked at the two of us and smiled. "You two make a nice couple! I take it the folks are doing better with accepting you?"

"Much better, thanks," replied Laura.

The other guard came up and gladly accepted the coffee. His name was Bernie.

"Thanks a lot! We don't get relieved until two," Bernie thanked us. He reached into the box for a doughnut.

We didn't want to bother them too long, so we said goodbye and left.

"So, tell us about Dave," I asked.

"He goes to Dewey and is a communication major. I knew he worked security part-time, but I didn't expect to see him here," stated Laura.

"Obviously, he knows you're a lesbian; when did you tell him?" I asked.

"We've always been close, and he was my role model as he came out to his family when he graduated high school. I was impressed by the way he handled everything. He was the first person I said," Laura reminisced.

I could sense that he meant a lot to her.

"Well, I know that the stage will be well guarded tonight," I stated confidently.

I had a restless sleep, more out of excitement than fear, although I was somewhat anxious. I thought about how much my life had changed in the past year. A year ago, I'd been stressing out about moving to some little town in Pennsylvania, and now I was living full-time as a girl and was about to take on a religious wacko.