Becoming A High School Girl - Chapter 25

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Friday afternoon, I was working with Coach Chambers. We had a home track meet that afternoon, so I was kept busy. As much as I wanted to have been competing, I knew that I was in the right place. I really couldn't devote the time to practice, and besides, these girls were really good. With my talent, at best, I'd be struggling in the middle of the pack. I still ran to stay in shape, and I enjoyed it as a way of relaxing. I sometimes ran with the team just for fun.

After the meet, I was helping Coach enter data into the computer. I knew that Coach appreciated my help. She preferred coaching to all the administration that went with the job.

"I will definitely miss you while you are away next week," smiled Coach. Even though it was a break, the team would still be practicing.

"Well, I'll catch up on data entry when I get back."

"I didn't mean it that way. I think it is wonderful that you are going there, especially in style. The first time I went, there was in college. We were there for a winter track meet. We were crammed four girls to a room," reminisced Coach.

"Was Jenny with you on that trip?" I asked.

"Yes, we still laugh about how small the room was. There was a double bed and two cots. You could barely walk in the room," she remembered with a laugh, "the rush to use the bathroom was comical."

"Have you been back there since?" I asked.

"Yes, a few times. Jenny was in the marathon a few years ago, and I went up there with her. We stayed in much nicer accommodations, but not a suite."

"Jenny was in the New York Marathon? Wow!" I exclaimed.

"She's done more than just that one. She was in the Boston Marathon last year and several others over the years, and she even finished in the top 20 once," bragged Coach. I hear the pride in her voice as she rattled off Jenny's accomplishments. She mentioned that Jenny was debating sending in an entry for the Ironman Triathlon as soon as she improved in her swimming.

I knew that Jenny was a pretty good athlete. When we ran during my recovery time, I could tell that she was just keeping the pace slow for my sake. I also wondered if they were just friends or was it something deeper. Not that it made any difference. It's just that I thought that they'd make a good couple.

"Have you ever been in a marathon?" I asked.

"No, I blew out my knee during college. It prevents me from getting into the kind of shape you need to run that distance."

"Sorry to hear that."

"Well, if it hadn't happened, I never would have gone into teaching. I was training for the Olympic trials when it happened. I had an outside shot at making the team, and I was training really hard when I got hurt. The prognosis after the surgery wasn't good. I went through a long rehab, and I knew that my real competitive days were over. My recovery forced me to reevaluate my life. I was able to get back in good enough shape to teach and coach, but not good enough to compete at a high level."

I sat there silent. I was searching for the right words.

"Don't get me wrong, I don't live in the past. I love teaching and coaching. I can't imagine doing anything else. Sometimes it takes time to know that you took the right path."

"Good advice," I replied quietly, thinking about the decisions that I was dealing with

"Look, Erika, I know that you've got some big things to deal with; you'll get through them. You are a great competitor and stronger than you think."

"Laura said that you were good to talk to," I replied, smiling at her.

"You two are good for each other." She then looked at the clock. "It's nearly six. Can I give you a ride home?" she asked.

"No, that's okay. Laura is meeting me, and we're going down to Spencer's."

"Nice place," she smiled. "Try their key lime pie the next time they have it; it's worth it, even if you have to run off its calories."

I said goodbye, and she wished me a good trip to the city.

Sitting in our usual spot in Spencer's, I told Laura about my conversation with Coach Chambers. She was surprised that she had once been in training for the Olympics, but she wasn't surprised at the encouragement that I'd gotten from her.

"I told you that she was good."

Laura and I had the night to ourselves. Her parents had gone out with Mom and Sam. They wanted to have an adults-only night, and we didn't mind.

"I still can't get over your father the other night." I took a forkful of the key lime pie. The coach was right; it was delightful.

"I'm still waiting for the aliens to return him and take away the double who's been living with us," laughed Laura. "Seriously, I am so happy that he is willing to try to accept me for who I am. He and Mom have actually contacted PFLAG about getting some literature!"

"I'm so happy for you." I offered her a taste of my pie.

"Oooh! That's good! I may have to go get some for myself."

"I'll miss you while I'm away," I sighed.

"I am so envious of you! I've always wanted to go to New York City."

"We can go together someday," I proposed.

We were both aware that soon after graduation, we would be separated. We knew that it would be difficult to maintain a long-distance relationship. But neither of us was willing to bring the topic up. It's true that we'd only be a five-hour drive away from each other, but even that was too long. So we made the most of the present.

"I hope that Cat's new boyfriend is still here when I get back. I really want to meet him," I remarked, changing the subject.

"So, are they really getting serious?" asked Laura.

"Yes, they trade e-mails daily. She seems to like him a lot."

"What does her mom think?" asked Laura.

"Cat said that she is supportive but doesn't want Cat to get too involved until she is ready. I think it has something to do with her father. She told me that they got married in college and divorced two years later."

"Does Cat ever see her dad?" asked Laura as she finished the last of my pie.

"She told me that she hasn't seen him since she was six - which is more than I can say."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to open old wounds," apologized Laura.

"You didn't. The man who fathered me wanted nothing to do with me or my mom. That's his loss," I explained.

"Do you think that Sam will ask your mom to get married?" asked Laura. She moved closer and put her arm around me.

"I hope so. I want Mom to be happy, and I really like Sam. At first, it was because he was my white knight riding to my protection. But now, he already seems like one of the family. I wouldn't mind him being around all the time." We kissed, and I tasted the lime on her lips.

Just then, Laura's cell phone rang. It was Cat, and she asked if we could meet her and Matt at Guido's. We agreed and said that we would be there in twenty minutes.

We caught up with them at the restaurant. Cat had told him all about both of us. He'd told her that he was anxious to meet us.

Matt was everything Cat had said that he was. He was 6-1, brown hair, blue eyes, and had a charming smile. He was intelligent, well-spoken, but not at all stuffy. In some ways, he reminded me of a younger version of Sam. He was pretty cool about hanging out with three high school seniors.

After talking with him, I could see why Cat was so taken with him. In addition to the chemistry between them, they were also intellectual equals. Cat could talk to him about science and law, and he treated her as an equal when he responded. He also had a great sense of humor and could tell a great story. By the end of the evening, we were all friends.

After dinner, we split up. Cat said that she would be at the fashion show on Sunday with Terri and Mom. I told her that I'd see her then. We hugged and then Laura and I went back to her house.

We had hoped to be alone for a while. Laura kidded me that she wanted to check the progress of my four-day-old boobs! Unfortunately, when we got to her home, we saw Sam's car parked next to her parents' car in the driveway. The lights were on, and it was obvious that they were all back from dinner.

"We can keep driving and go to my house," I laughed.

We debated it for a second and then went in. They were, of course, happy to see us. Judging by the way they were acting, you'd have thought they had known each other for years. It was a little surreal. I rode back home with Mom and Sam. Mom told me that they'd had a wonderful time. She also said that we had them over Sunday evening along with Terri, Cat, and Matt. That was cool, as I wanted to see everyone before my little trip.

Caroline picked me up in the morning and gave me a ride to the group. She wanted to explore the campus area while she waited for me. We had a good session. I was beginning to feel that I no longer needed it. I knew that I would have to check with Jenny first. I felt that it had served its purpose, and I was ready to move on. But I had a terrible track record when it came to making these decisions.

I was happy to share some time with Caroline. She and Paul were still deeply in love. I was happy for both of them.

We talked about hormones and transition and a little bit about the other four. She also wasn't sure about who the third might be. We both found it a bit strange that she hadn't come out like we had. For the most part, we were totally accepted in school. Since I outed myself during the lecture, I'd had a lot of support from my classmates. I caught more grief for being in a lesbian relationship with Laura than being TS. I found that kind of ironic.

Oh, there were classmates who were apathetic towards the other contestants and me, but they didn't bother us. Some felt that there was too much attention given to the contestants, and some felt that it was a distraction. Others didn't like the grief that they got from friends in other schools. In some ways, I sympathized with them; still, they were getting a lesson in diversity. Thankfully, the school's code of conduct was strictly enforced, and the only harassment had been from Jason and his cronies.

Caroline asked me if we were going to the prom together, and I said absolutely. Thankfully, she didn't make the tux crack that others had made. She also told me that Paul's and her cartoon had been selected as a finalist in a national student competition. If they win, it would mean a $2,000.00 scholarship prize. Of course, they'd have to share it, but it would be a great honor and a nice thing to have on a resume. I wished her good luck.

We arrived at the Civic Center and parked. We were nearly an hour early, and we decided to go in anyway.

The early bird may get the worm, but the early arrival gets her nails done before everyone else! We were each given a complete manicure while we waited for the others to arrive. They had two stations set up, and the others would have to wait until later. I must admit that I really love being pampered! In addition, they had a small buffet set up for us.

The practice was pretty simple. We were shown how to walk up and down the ramp. The hard part for some of the contestants was doing it in heels. Thankfully, I'd a lot of practice due to work. They even had me show some of the others how to walk in them. Amazingly, Denise was also a natural! This was almost unbelievable due to her size. She was surprisingly graceful.

After we practiced, they broke us up. Ann and Claire were next to get their nails done, and the rest of us were taken away to try on our outfits. Originally, we were only going to model three outfits, but due to our decreased numbers, that was increased to five outfits each. My first two were nothing special. I guess that the outfits I wore at work spoiled me. Don't get me wrong, they were nice, but they were not up to Mrs. Lincoln's standards. The first was a summer suit, and the other was a fall suit. The summer one was a light tan dress and matching jacket. The fall outfit was a dark navy skirt and matching jacket with a silk blouse.

The next one was more interesting. It was pink and had a floral design done in sequins. It was very flowing and feminine. I loved the way it felt.

In between outfits, Ms. B came up to me with an older woman.

"Erika, this is Mrs. Craig. She is in charge of this fashion show," introduced Ms. B.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Erika." She smiled as she shook my hand. "I've been waiting for years to run this event with contestants."

"It's has been fun so far."

"Well, young lady, you have been selected to wear the main outfit for the show. Before you say anything, it is due to your measurements that you were selected for this honor," she explained.

I wondered what she was talking about. Then I saw it. It was a wedding gown. It was exquisite. The dress was all silk and lace and had all sorts of embroidery on it. There were hundreds of pearls sewn into the gown. There was also a long train. I was almost afraid to touch it.

"This was just acquired by our historical society. I have wanted to show it off, and I figured that the show was as good a moment as any. We will need to put you in a corset, but it shouldn't be that bad. Because of the care necessary to get you into it, you will only be wearing four outfits."

"How old is it?" I asked. It was so beautiful.

"It was used in a wedding back in 1898. The bride was the daughter of the owner of the steel mill. Back then, there was a big steel mill over in Red Hill. It closed back in the 1940s when the railroad closed the line that connected it to the coal mines. The mill's operations were moved to Pittsburgh. It had a devastating effect on the local economy. I'm sorry, I kind of get caught up in telling our area's history."

"I don't mind. I find history very fascinating, especially local history." I couldn't take my eyes off the dress. I couldn't believe that I'd get to wear it. It was pretty cool to be able to model something so old.

"Now we need to see how it fits," she said.

I had to strip, and they tightened me into the corset. Only the dress was old. Everything else was modern but selected to match the dress. The corset was an experience. I was the right height, but my waist was several inches too big. The corset took care of that. The woman tightening it told me how to relax and breathe as she laced me up. In addition to the corset, there were several layers of petticoats. The dress itself was very tight in the waist, hence the need for the corset. The only thing more painful than the corset was the boots. They were laced-up replicas of period boots. I found that I could barely walk in them. They would limit me to small steps. At least the discomfort of the corset passed; the shoes hurt the whole time I wore them!

Even with the discomfort, I loved wearing the dress. Maybe it was because of the historical nature of the outfit, or maybe it was because I was singled out. Either way, it was pretty cool. It took them a long time to get me dressed and even longer to get me undressed. Because of the age of the dress, they had to be very careful. I was very grateful when I shed off the boots and the corset.

Mrs. Craig told me that in addition to the dress, they'd fit me with a wig and give me period makeup. It was pretty exciting.

After we all changed, they met with us one last time. We were reminded to be here by 10:00 to be ready for the show starting at 12:00. Only Caroline saw the wedding dress. She told me that I was lucky that the original bride was the same height as me. Mrs. Craig requested that we keep quiet about the bride's dress, as she wanted it to be a surprise.

I was at the Civic Center around 9:30. I was really excited about the show. Caroline met me there and was getting her hair styled. Mrs. Craig came up and showed us the schedule. I would be the first one up in the first three groups. I would then get into the dress and be transformed into a 19th Century bride. I would be the last one on the runway.

I was happy to see everyone show up. Only Lisa looked a bit down. I wondered how much longer she would last.

They soon had us all ready to go. Denise looked pretty good when she was normal-looking. They'd made sure that she had outfits with long sleeves to hide her tattoos.

I was nervous because I had so many friends in the audience. In addition to Mom, Laura, Cat, and Terri, Mrs. Lincoln had said that she would attend. She usually skipped these events, but she wanted to see one of her girls being shown off. Cat said that Kristen and Tracey might also show up.

Of course, Ms. B was there. She gave us all a pep talk and had her picture taken with all of us.

The show started at noon, and we were more than ready. We could hear Mrs. Craig introducing everyone. We peeked out and could see that it was very full, maybe 150-200 people. We could hear Mrs. Craig making several announcements, and then the music kicked off.

I did feel a bit nervous as I stepped out on my cue. I walked and smiled as they had told me. It's difficult to concentrate on not tripping and trying to look natural at the same time. The addition of spotlights and flashes going off made it a bit more difficult. It was also not hard to slip into a fantasy of being a model. Hey, I'm not fooling myself. I'm considered cute, but I am not a model. Still, it was fun to fantasize. It was also cool hearing the announcer describe the outfit.

Caroline followed me. As soon as I stepped behind the curtains, I was dragged away to be changed into my next outfit. It was sort of like a big assembly line. They did a quick check on my makeup and pointed me back into the line. Denise was the last person in the first group. She was wearing a lovely spring dress and jacket. Just before she went out, she turned back and winked at me. I had to laugh.

Before I went out the second time, Mrs. Craig made a few more announcements. Then the music started up again, and I was back on the walk. I was in the fall outfit this time. I was more relaxed, wanting to remember the moment for the rest of my life.

Like before, as soon as I was off the stage, I was rushed back to change into my third dress. I really liked the pink dress, although I couldn't think of a single place I could wear it. I saw Ms. B watching it all, and she looked so happy. I guess it was from the pride in seeing us survive this latest challenge.

I watched as Ann came off the stage. She had a huge grin on her face. Unfortunately, I never got to see Claire due to the order in which we were going on stage. Too bad, I imagined that she would look great.

I really soaked it in on my third walk. I knew that my last time out, I would have to be prim and proper. However, I had a bit of fun with the pink dress. I really strutted down the walk. Cat commented later that I was having way too much fun.

When I got behind the curtain, it was time to be helped into the antique wedding dress. I stripped down and was helped into the corset. I felt my waist being contracted with each pull of the laces. Then came everything else. There were stockings, petticoats, a camisole, and then the boots. The dress was lifted onto me. They adjusted it and ensured that everything was in place. Next, they put a wig on my head. The style was late 19th Century. They carefully redid my makeup and added some period earrings. The last step was the veil. It wasn't the original one, but it was from the same time period. I couldn't help but think about what it must have been like for a girl back then. She'd have had limited options in her life, and I wondered if she'd ever loved the man she was marrying.

I was assisted over to the stage and waited behind the curtains until I was introduced. Ms. B almost didn't recognize me. I know that I surprised the other girls. Just before I went out, I was handed a bouquet of flowers. I was instructed to walk slowly out to the end of the stage, then wait for 30 seconds before slowly turning around and walking back.

I could hear Mrs. Craig tell the crowd about the special treat she had for all of them. She explained the background of the dress and how it would be put on display at the county's historical society. Then I got my cue, and I started out on the stage. Of course, they played the wedding march. I carefully walked down the walk to the end. I knew that if I tripped or fell that I'd never heard the end of it.

I was almost blinded by the flashes going off. There was also a lot of applause. I reached the end and slowly counted out my 30 seconds to myself. I heard Mrs. Craig describing the dress and its significance. As I turned around to head back, I was suddenly hit by a wild thought. In the act of total spontaneity, I tossed the bouquet of flowers into the crowd. I got a shocked look from Mrs. Craig, but everyone else seemed to enjoy it.

By the time I reached the curtains, everyone else was out on the stage. Mrs. Craig walked out and introduced each of us, one by one. By the time she got to me, she had recovered from my tossing the flowers and was all smiles. Apparently, the ovation I got from the crowd had won her over.

Then the lights came up. We got to pose with various people, most of whom I didn't know. I did get to pose with Mom and most of my friends. Even Mrs. Lincoln posed with me! I also saw Mrs. Lee there.

Mrs. Craig hovered by me the whole time I was out there to ensure no one brought any food or drink near the dress. We stayed out there for nearly an hour before we were allowed to go change. She then escorted me back to the changing area. My feet were really killing me, but the corset didn't feel that bad.

I posed for several more photos before I was allowed to change. They carefully undressed me and packed up the dress. Thankfully, the makeup artist changed me back into a modern girl.

It felt good to be back in the modern world, but I was also sad that the show was over. I went out and rejoined Mom and my friends. The funny thing was that most of the women there didn't recognize me as the bride they had just been talking to.

Ms. B was talking to Mom when I found them. They all applauded me as I walked up.

Ms. B shook her head and laughed, "I thought Mrs. Craig was going to have a fit when you tossed the bouquet into the crowd."

"Who caught it?" I asked.

"I couldn't tell, but it was the highlight of the show," exclaimed Mom.

We stayed there for almost an hour. I got to meet the parents of the other contestants. Denise's parents were completely normal-looking, while I had been expecting the Osbornes or something like that. Claire slipped out before I could meet her parents. Caroline's mom and aunt were really nice too. I also met Ann's mother and older sisters.

Right before we left, Ms. B called us all together, "Mrs. Craig has a few words for you."

"Girls, I want to thank you for making this the most successful show we have ever done. We more than doubled the amount of money pledged and donated from last year. I want to tell you that you each will be receiving a $500.00 donation to your individual college funds. Again, thank you very much for your time and effort."

We each went up and thanked her. So now I had $1,500.00 for college. It wasn't a fortune, but it was a good start.