Becoming A High School Girl - Chapter 5

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Monday, I arrived at school a little apprehensive. Other than Cat and Laura, I had not seen anyone else since Friday evening's incident. I was a bit worried about how I would be received.

When I walked into my homeroom, I discovered my fears were baseless. I received a standing ovation from the whole class, including Mr. Grant. It was a bit embarrassing. I smiled and thanked them.

"So, was this your idea?" I asked Cat.

"Nope, that was a popular uprising. Everyone was pretty pissed about what happened at the game, and they're glad you're all right," smiled Cat. "I told you we're protective of the contestants."

It was strange. I felt an odd sense of happiness based on how I was treated by my classmates. I had been attacked and didn't fight back, yet I was warmly received. I wasn't seen as a wimp; rather, I was seen as an innocent victim. Did they see me as a contestant or as an actual girl? No, they knew I was a contestant but did they sense something else? Life had become very complicated!

I made it through the day pretty well, but my mind was on the meeting that afternoon after school. I was hoping that there wouldn't be a need for it, but several parents still insisted that it go down. The remaining contestants in my PE class seemed friendly, well, maybe not more familiar, but they didn't seem as suspicious. There were no more notes.

I told Coach Chambers that I would like to join the team if it was okay. She told me that since there was no boy's cross-country team at Central High, then it was legal. I would still have to earn a position on the team, but she liked my running style and said that I should fit in pretty well. I told her that I wouldn't be able to practice that afternoon because of the meeting. She told me that was fine and to be at tomorrow's practice at 2:30 sharp by the track.

I showered and dressed. I slipped on my dress and reapplied my makeup. I was still a bit nervous. A group of angry parents can do that.

Mom was waiting for me in Ms. B's office. I was glad that they had finally met. Once I arrived, we went to Mrs. Lee's office. She was waiting for us and led us to the meeting. Dr. Franklin joined us before we walked into the auditorium.

I was a bit surprised by the size of the crowd. All the contestants were required to attend, and invitations had been extended to their parents. I saw Caroline and smiled at her, and she waved back. A few faculty members were also there. I noticed Mr. Grant sitting in the back row.

Mrs. Lee walked to the front of the group and addressed them. "Thank you all for showing up. I appreciate your cooperation and that, unlike some other people, you are behaving in a mature manner. As you know, the reason for this meeting is to dispel the rumors that Erika Walters, a transfer student, is violating the rules of the scholarship competition. There have been rumors that Erika is actually female and therefore is in violation of the rules. Dr. Franklin conducted a complete physical on Erika this past weekend. Dr. Franklin, would you please read your report."

Dr. Franklin stepped up to the podium. "There is no doubt that Erika is physically male. I have a signed affidavit in my hand that states this. I will be happy to show you the physical report."

Mrs. Lee again addressed the group. "Now, I fully expect this to end the rumors regarding Erika. I was very disappointed in the actions of several of the students in this room, who sought to discredit Erika by spreading this rumor and by assisting another student in harassment. Any further acts of harassment will result in disqualification from the scholarship contest and include suspension and, depending on the act, expulsion from school. I'm dead serious about this."

There was total silence in the room.

"Are there any questions?" asked Mrs. Lee.

Again the room remained silent. Finally, one parent stood up. "Mrs. Lee, I am Rick Davis, Jessica's father. I want to apologize for the way we have behaved. We should have checked with you before going off half-cocked." Jessica was one of the "girls" from my PE class.

"Thank you, Mr. Davis. Well, that should wrap this up. Thank you again for coming in," Mrs. Lee replied.

I breathed a huge sign of relief. Several of the contestants came up and apologized for their behavior. I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders. I was also impressed with Mrs. Lee. She had defused a huge problem, and now she was socializing with the parents as if nothing had happened. Still, I noticed that a few parents still looked at me as if they were inspecting me. Apparently, they still had some doubts.

Mrs. Lee took Mom and me to her office to brief us on the Martins. When Ms. Bell had given her the note left on my locker, she'd called Jason into her office. Three other threatening notes had been left in other lockers, and the handwriting was the same. When she confronted Jason, he admitted that he had done it but said he was justified because he was telling the truth. The notes, combined with the attempted assault, were too serious to ignore. The district had agreed with her recommendation for expelling him. As for Mrs. Martin, the district attorney had filed papers for a restraining order. It would prevent her from stepping on school property unless she had written permission to do so.

"I want to thank you for the way this was handled," Mom told her.

On the way home, I decided to switch the subject. I told Mom that I was going out for the girls' cross-country team.

"What happens if the contest ends before the season does?" she asked.

"I don't see that happening. I get a strange feeling that I will be Erika the whole school year."

After my exciting first three days of school, things settled down a little. I found that Coach Chambers wasn't kidding when she said that being a boy wouldn't mean that I would have an advantage at cross country. I got smoked in my first couple of training races. It also took me a few weeks to get into better shape. By early October, I was making a contribution to the team and even finished third once. We ran as a team, and part of my job was to help the stars of the squad by setting a fast pace. My willingness to sacrifice myself for the team made me very popular.

The other good thing about being on the team was that it kept me busy, keeping my mind off the competition. By the first week in October, our numbers had dropped to only thirty-one. Most had been caught in rules violations. Only a few just plain quit. It was a bit weird - part of me wanted the list to drop off as fast as possible, but another part missed some of these "girls" when they returned to their old selves.

I found that I was very much at peace with my life as Erika. I had never felt so happy. Cat and I remained great friends; in fact, our friendship got stronger. She was always there for me, and we were becoming as close as sisters. That sucked in some respects since I was still in love with her at the time. She seemed content to be close friends. Thanks to Cat and Laura, I was also becoming very popular at school.

The school was going pretty well. Actually, the school was going fantastic. I was doing great in my classes. I also loved running. For the first time in my life, I felt complete. I wondered if it was due to the move, or was it because I was now Erika.

I even got used to wearing sanitary pads a couple days of the week. It felt strange at first, but like everything else, I accepted it and moved on.

However, Friday evenings were the weekly highlight. The Wolfhounds were really kicking butt. Alex, our QB, was on pace to break every school and conference passing record. Many major colleges and universities were recruiting him. And he wasn't the only one having a great season; Mike Jackson had seven interceptions and had scored four touchdowns. He was also being heavily recruited.

I had a soft spot for Mike. He'd saved me from being attacked by that psycho, Jason Martin. In the next home game, we had seen him waving what looked like a gray rag above his head. It seemed to rally the team, and we came from behind to win. After the game, I found out that the gray rag was my torn t-shirt. Mike had found it on the ground after my assault. For some reason, he felt it would be a good luck charm for the team. Let me say right here that football players can be a bit weird at times! But, for whatever reason, it seemed to work. The shirt became a talisman and was used to spark the team and the crowd. For this reason, I had become a sort of unofficial mascot for the team. I just hoped that it continued to bring them luck.

Cat and I were in homeroom the second week of October when another major event changed my life. The morning announcements were being read. It was the usual batch of sports and club announcements. I usually just tuned them out. Then we heard Laura's voice on the PA.

"Good morning, Central High. Well, it's that time again, and starting today through Thursday morning, we will be accepting nominations for Homecoming King and Queen. The requirements are simple. The nominees must be seniors. A committee of staff, club presidents, and fall team captains will review the list of nominees. On Friday afternoon, we will give you the final list of candidates. The elections will be next Wednesday. The King and Queen, accompanied by their court, will be crowned at halftime of next week's game. Also, here is a reminder to buy your tickets today for the Homecoming Dance following the game!"

I could feel the eyes of everyone in homeroom looking at me. "Oh, no, please, don't waste your nominations on me!"

There was some laughter, and then Paul Brady stood up. "As you know, one of Erika's best traits is her modesty. You have to admire how quickly she was willing to give up this honor to her fellow students. I think this sort of self-sacrifice deserves to be rewarded. So I urge you to nominate our classmate Erika Walters for Homecoming Queen. By the way, I am volunteering to be your campaign manager."

A round of applause followed his speech. Paul was one of the class clowns. I usually appreciated his humor, but not today. "I don't suppose that I have a choice?"

"Nope, none at all!" he answered smugly.

"Cat, have other contestants been nominated for Homecoming Queen?" I asked.

"Yes, it is a tradition to nominate a few. But this could be the first year that one gets into the court. Kristen is in a deadlock to win as Queen. But I hate to tell you this; there is a lot of support in the senior class for you. Alex told me that several members of the team were also going to nominate you," smiled Cat.

"I suppose that withdrawal from the voting would be out of the question?" I asked.

"Absolutely. The only excuses are either religious or pregnant. And there isn't time for you to convert or conceive, so it looks like you're in!"

"You're really enjoying this, aren't you," I replied with a smile.

Cat pointed her finger at her chest. "Me?"

I tried to put it out of my mind. There was nothing I could do about it. Still, there was a part of me that felt pretty good about being nominated.

At lunch, I sat with my usual crowd. Cat always got to the cafeteria before me, and she would save me a seat. I had just sat down when Laura came up. We all gave her applause for her morning announcement. I knew that she was also in the running for Queen. In fact, I had filled out a nomination for her that morning. My nomination for King was Mike Jackson. I would have nominated Cat just to get back at her, but that was too obvious. I would get her back later.

"So, Erika, I'm sure you know that you've been nominated. How do you feel about that?" asked Laura.

"I'd prefer not to be nominated. I think the honor should go to a real girl. But, I appreciate that my friends think I'm worthy."

"If you get elected, I'd fully support it; you would make a wonderful member of the court or even a Queen," explained Laura. "And don't belittle yourself; you are a real girl."

"There are some that would say that she already is a queen," quipped Cat.

Everyone broke out laughing, including me.

Laura was fast becoming one of my best friends. We seemed to have a lot of common interests. There was something about her that was different, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

The rest of the week flew by. On Friday morning, I sat in homeroom waiting for the announcements. Paul was up to something, but I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of getting angry. Actually, I found it impossible to stay mad at him. He was a nice guy. He was 5-11 and had light brown hair and green eyes. He took great joy in kidding me in homeroom. It was never mean-spirited, and I found that I could sometimes get in a good zinger back. Paul was also on the school paper. He had teamed up to create a very funny weekly cartoon that made fun of almost everyone. He did the writing, and Caroline drew the art.

Then came the announcements. First came the scores and club announcements. Then Mrs. Lee came on the PA to announce the ten candidates for the Homecoming King and Queen. The top three runners-up would be in the court. She first announced the boys. As expected, Alex and Mike were on the list. I didn't pay that much attention to the rest of the names. Then came the Queen nominations. Laura and Kristen were the first two names listed. I heard a few more names, and then I heard mine. The class broke out in cheers and applause. I was soon busy receiving congratulations from the rest of the class. Paul began to distribute campaign buttons with a cartoon picture of me on them and the words "Queen Erika I. Why not?"

"What would you have done with these if I hadn't been nominated?" I asked him

"No way, you were a sure thing!" exclaimed Paul. "What do you think of the buttons?"

"They are cute. Did you have to talk Caroline into helping you, or did she volunteer?"

"She was a very willing co-conspirator," replied Paul with a laugh.

"Hmmm, I'll have to thank her when I see her in a photography class this afternoon. Could I have a couple of these buttons? I know my Mom will want one."

"Sure, Erika, here you are," he answered as he handed me a bag of buttons, "You can hand these out to supporters! So, do you mind if I continue to run your campaign?"

"No, not at all. Seriously, I want to thank you for doing this. What can I do for you?" I asked.

As the bell rang, he leaned over to me and said, "You could go to the dance with me."

He left before I could give him a response, not that I was able to think of one. I was stunned. The dance was held after the game, so it was not a huge formal affair. But it was considered the first big social event of the year. I made it to my English class, but I was still in a daze. I had known that it would happen eventually. Several of the other contestants were already dating. There was a rumor that if we turned down more than two dates, we would be disqualified, but I didn't believe it.

Halfway through class, Cat leaned over and asked what was wrong. I told her I'd tell her later. I still needed time for this to sink in.

Fortunately, Paul wasn't in any of my classes, so I didn't have to make a quick decision. I hadn't expected him to ask me out. I knew that Mike liked me, but he had recently started dating one of the cheerleaders. Her name was Tracey Brown, and she was a bit shy but was also really nice. She was also African-American, and there weren't a lot of minorities in the school. Cat told me that this was the second time they were going out. She didn't know the reason why they'd broken up the first time.

By lunch, there were campaign posters up all over the school. I tried to ignore them, but they were everywhere. There were even a few promoting a write-in vote for Willi the Wolfhound. I saw that Paul had got a few up for me. I also saw the buttons everywhere.

"So what's bugging you? It can't be the nomination; you were expecting that," asked Cat, as she sat down next to me.

I looked over at her and saw she was wearing one of the buttons, as was almost everyone at my table. "Paul asked me out to the dance," I whispered to her.

"Really, that's cool, so what did you say?" asked Cat.

"Look, I'd really appreciate it if you kept this a secret. I didn't have time to tell him anything. I'll tell him this afternoon after the meet," I replied. We had a cross-country meet that afternoon, and Paul was usually there. I used to think it was because he was covering it for the school paper. Now I wondered if it was because I was there.

"What are you going to say? You know that he is a pretty nice guy. You could do worse," asked Cat in a much lower voice.

"I will tell him yes. I'm just not used to the idea that I am about to go to a dance with a guy," I answered. "So, who are you going with?"

Cat smiled. "I'll talk to you about that later."

There was a light drizzle coming down that afternoon. It was still warm, as we were experiencing Indian summer. I forced myself to forget about the election and Paul. This meet was very important as we were presently tied for first place with the Grantville Cougars. I saw Cat and Laura standing by the start. They had become my private cheering section. I gave them a small wave.

Surprisingly, I ended up having my best performance of the year. Grantville's runners had set a really fast pace, and, combined with the rain, our runners were having a hard time. With a half-mile to go, their best runner sprinted ahead, and I could tell that I was the only one who had a chance. I ran her down and just beat her at the finish line. While Grantville took second place, we grabbed the next three places!

As I was doing my cool-down stretches, I saw Paul. I waved to him, and he gave me a "thumbs up" with his right hand.

As I walked to the locker room, I asked him if he could wait for me. He said he would meet me out front.

I showered and changed. I ran my fingers through my hair. I decided that it was time for another trip to the salon, especially now that I would be going on my first date. I finished dressing and dried my hair. While I was getting used to wearing skirts and dresses, I still looked forward to my jeans day. Luckily, my team sweats counted as legit women's clothes. I checked myself in the mirror before I walked out, studying the image of the girl standing before me. It was difficult to remember what Eric looked like. To be honest, I was starting to like the person standing before me. Erika was a more complete person. I tried to put these thoughts down to today's events, the election, Paul asking me on a date, etc., but deep down, I knew that this wasn't true. I knew that I had started to debate my true identity the night of the assault. Life was becoming more complicated and simultaneously a lot more interesting.

When I came out, I saw Paul talking to Cat and Laura. "Here she comes. Excuse me, Ms. Walters, can I get a statement for the press on your great victory this afternoon!" asked Paul as he pretended to be extending a microphone towards me.

"I owe it all to my personal fan club and their undying support!" I replied.

"Girlfriend, if you keep winning, you'll need to give better interviews," joked Laura.

"Seriously, I appreciate all of you being at the race. We don't exactly get a huge crowd for the meets, especially when it's raining. The team is meeting for pizza; you want to come along?"

It was a tradition for the team to celebrate after a win and, being we were such a small team, we always brought friends.

"Sure, that sounds good. Laura and I will meet you two there," stated Cat, quickly dragging Laura away.

I was left alone with Paul. He smiled at me, and we walked to his car, a vintage dark green VW Beetle. Somehow it suited him.

I looked at Paul and smiled. "I haven't seen many of these since I moved here."

"I may have the only one in town. It may be old, but it runs great," he replied.

He opened the door for me, and I slipped in. "Thank you." I wasn't used to being treated like this, but I could get used to it!

He smiled back at me. I noticed he was less of a comedian when he wasn't in a crowd.

"Have you made up your mind yet?" he asked.

I smiled. "Yes, I have; I will go to the dance with you. However, I am still a bit uneasy about all this; it's happening pretty fast, so be patient with me."

He looked at me and took my hand. "I understand, Erika. But I just want you to know that I am persistent. I am also a good judge of people, and I have a strong feeling that Erika is going to be around for a while."

We met Cat and Laura outside Guido's. They were both smiling as they watched us walk up. I knew that Cat had told Laura everything. I really didn't mind, as the three of us had become very tight friends.

The rest of the team was already there. They waved us over, and we joined them. The place was much more crowded than usual, as the football team wasn't playing until tomorrow afternoon over at Grantville High.

As the winner of the race, I was required by tradition to stand up and sing the school fight song. It was a take-off of the University of Wisconsin fight song. I am many things, but a singer is not one of them - in either gender! My singing was met by people putting their hands over their ears and making animal noises. I would have felt bad, but that was also part of the tradition.

"Oh, Erika, that was classic," laughed Cat, "classically bad!"

"Now you know why I was able to win today; nobody else wanted to sing," I quipped.

"This would make a great topic for this week's comic strip," added Paul with a laugh.

"Sure, that sounds great, then you'll also have a topic for the following week," I said. "Comic writer sits home, all alone, the night of the homecoming dance!"

"So, you said yes?" asked Laura.

I nodded.

Just then, Rachael Patton stood up and began to tap her glass with a fork. She was one of our Co-Captains and probably our best overall runner. She was tall and wore her blonde hair in a short style, and hadn't run today because of a slightly sprained ankle. She had already been offered a full athletic scholarship by several colleges.

"Excuse me, everyone. As you all know, Erika has had a pretty good day. She is one of the finalists for Homecoming Queen," she announced, pausing to allow applause. "She ran a great race today and helped us to stay in the first place!" There was more applause. I noticed she was smiling at me, "And finally, and maybe most important, she has a date for the dance!"

I must have turned bright red as everyone looked over at us and clapped and made funny comments. I knew that it was being done good-naturedly, but I couldn't help but feel a little correction, make that very embarrassed.

"So much for taking this slowly," whispered Paul.

Later on, Cat pulled me aside, "It's better this way; everyone would know eventually, so why to try to keep it a secret?"

"Don't worry, Erika, we'll make sure you are ready for this," added Laura. "This is so cool!"

I wanted to say that I was just going to one dance with him, but even I couldn't believe that one.

When I got home, I told Mom about my big day. She had heard at work that I was one of the finalists for Homecoming Queen. I gave her a couple of the buttons. She laughed when she saw my likeness on the button.

"That's right! Why not!" she said as she read the slogan on the button. "How do you feel about this?"

"To be honest, I'm filled with mixed emotions. Part of me is honored and excited."

"And what about the other part?"

"I don't know exactly how to describe it. I mean, I'm a guy, yet I'm thrilled by the fact that my class has been nominated to be the Homecoming Queen. I keep telling me that I just doing this because of the scholarship competition."

Mom nodded and let me talk. I suspected that she knew that I had more things to talk to her about.

I next told her of my victory. I was saving the news of my upcoming date for last. I wasn't sure how she would react.

I was very nervous, and it took me a few moments to get up the nerve to tell her about Paul. "I have one more thing to tell you."

"So, tell me all about him," she interrupted.

I was instantly stunned. "You know?"

"From the minute you walked in. I want you to know that I will always support you, no matter what path you choose," she explained. She then put the teakettle on the stove and turned on the burner.

We sat in the kitchen and talked for several hours. She told me that I should invite Paul over for dinner sometime and said that I would probably be invited over by Paul's family. She also seemed to know that I was in a budding identity crisis.