Becoming A High School Girl - Chapter 43

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Cat, Laura, and I arrived at school, and we really couldn't believe that this was the last week of classes. The school year seemed to have flown by. When we walked into school, there was a large table set up to hand out yearbooks. They had lines set up by the last name. I went down to the T through Z line and picked up my book. I flipped the pages until I saw my photo. As the entries had been finalized after my decision to go full-time, they had my name as Erika. It was another one of those real moments. I stared at my name and photo and just let it soak in. I read through my short bio and found that everything was accurate.

I also paged through the book and saw that they had used several photos that I had submitted. I wasn't on the staff, but I was a 'contributing photographer.' It was cool seeing shots that I'd taken in print.

The teachers absolutely hated the fact that the books had been given out before school. Mr. Grant thought it was 'completely idiotic' that they'd handed them out in the morning. The books were, of course, a real distraction, as people wanted to look through them and pass them around to be signed. We passed them around in homeroom, and it was a real task to keep track of whose book you were signing.

The rest of the day was a battle between students and faculty over the books. Mr. Kline was pretty cool, and he allowed us to have the last fifteen minutes of class to get signatures. I signed a lot of books, even those of people I barely knew. Cat had told me earlier that contestants were treated like celebrities, and everyone wanted to get their book signed by them, so I figured I'd have writer's cramp by the end of the week!

I also wanted to get my teachers to sign my book. Yes, this was a bit geeky, but I didn't care. I especially wanted Mrs. Lee, Coach, Mr. Kline, Mrs. Roberts, and of course, Ms. B. I doubt I'd have made it through the year without their help.

Lunch was just a big book signing party. I doubt anyone was really eating. I held off getting my closest friends, such as Laura, Cat, and Kristen, as we were going to sign each other's books Wednesday evening over at Guido's. Kristen and Laura had set up a small signing party.

I really didn't get a chance to look at the book until the sixth period. Mr. Kline didn't have any work for me, so I was able to enjoy mine in a leisurely manner. I was pleased to see that they had a good picture of The Pit taken during one of the games. I could make myself out in the middle of it all, or at least I thought I could! I went to the cross-country page and was pleasantly surprised to see that I was in one of the action shots. It was the one race that I'd won, and they had a shot of me just before I crossed the finish line. I didn't even know that anyone had taken that one. They also had a great picture of Rachael running at the State Finals. I could just about make out my initials on her shoes.

The football section was really good. They had some great photos of Alex and Mike. They even had a shot of Mike on the sideline waving my torn t-shirt. I wanted him to sign that page!

I then saw the homecoming photos. The event seemed like it had happened years ago. I smiled while musing about how much fun that evening had been. I was pleased to see there was no mention that I was a scholarship contestant. I wasn't ashamed of being the first contestant to be elected to the homecoming court; I just didn't want it to be the main focal point.

Next, I turned to the section for the scholarship competition and saw that they had all our initial photos with our names. There were some photos of various events. I was surprised that they had photos from the fashion show, including one of me tossing the bouquet. They must have just got them in before printing. I then saw something that caught me off guard. I must have skipped it when I first looked at the initial photos of the contestants. They had a photo of Jason as Jan. I stared at it in silence. I could feel my anger rising, as I felt he had forfeited any right to be in the yearbook.

I debated what I should do about it. I finally solved the problem for myself, and I took out a black sharpie and very carefully blacked out his photo and name. I debated just drawing prison bars but decided that he needed to be totally blacked out. I was very precise and avoided damaging other photos or the book itself; I even used a ruler to ensure the edges were straight. I was very pleased with the job I had done. I looked in the index in the back of the book and was relieved to see that his name wasn't listed anywhere else. I then blacked his name out of the index.

The blackening out of Jason's photo was a nice exercise, and it calmed me down. I figured that it was just a mistake that he'd been left in. I paged through the candid shots and smiled when I saw one of me when I was 'with child' - someone had gotten a shot of me standing outside during the evacuation of the school. I noticed that Alex's brother, Nick, was standing next to me in the photo. I showed him the picture and asked him to sign the page. He was shocked and pleased that a senior would ask him to sign their yearbook. I liked him a lot. While he wasn't as good an athlete like his brother, he was just as charming and friendly. He also was happy to just be himself and not try to live up to his brother's legacy.

I was also able to get Mr. Kline to sign my book. He wrote a really nice paragraph for me. He hoped that I'd become a teacher and maybe someday we could be colleagues.

I swung by Ms. B's office, and she reminded me about the scholarship meeting after school. I then told her about Jason/Jan's picture in the yearbook. She instantly had a look of horror on her face. She looked in the yearbook on her desk and shook her head.

"I'm so sorry. I had no idea that they'd kept his picture in it," Ms. B apologized.

"Nothing can be done about it now. I used a marker and deleted him." I showed her my book.

"Still, I'd better go let Mrs. Lee know about this, just in case we get any phone calls from irate parents."

I walked over to Mrs. Lee's office with her. "Who else will really get upset about this? I'm sure that my parents won't be."

Ms. B smiled at me. "I'm sure they won't. But there are other parents who will get worked up about it. By the way, I noticed you said 'my parents'. That has a nice ring to it."

I had to think about it for a moment. She was right on both counts. We entered Mrs. Lee's office, and Ms. B showed the picture to Mrs. Lee, who just sat there shaking her head.

"Every year, something slips through; however, this is inexcusable. I'm very sorry, Erika," apologized Mrs. Lee.

"Thank you. I'm not that upset anymore. I sort of took care of the problem in my book." I showed her the blacked-out picture.

"I suppose that's one way to solve the problem," smiled Mrs. Lee.

I asked her if she'd sign my book, and she gladly accepted. I looked at the clock and saw that I needed to get going.

"Can you sign my book tomorrow, Ms. B?" I asked.

"Absolutely. Stop by anytime," she offered.

I excused myself and left. Cat and Laura were waiting for me out by the car. I told them what had happened, and they immediately opened up their yearbooks. Without a word, they began to cover up his photo.

"I think that solves that problem!" announced Cat.

"What problem?" asked Laura, tongue firmly in cheek.

"Exactly." Cat smiled.

I just stood there and smiled.

Work was fun that evening. Cindy kept me busy, which was how I liked it. Sales for weddings were still strong, and we were beginning to get customers wanting dresses for the mid-summer ball at the country club. I didn't do a lot of actual sales work. It was more to do with my age than anything else. Many of the women who shopped in the store didn't want a 17-year-old girl helping them select a dress for a wedding party. I didn't mind that much, even though I knew more about fashion than many of them! Mrs. Lincoln ensured that we all kept up with the latest fashion trends and what accessories went best with each outfit.

That was another of the little ironies about my transition. A year ago, my fashion sense had consisted of ensuring my t-shirt matched my shorts. Now I even knew how to dress properly for the theater. I was also very good at selecting the correct accessories for my own outfits. Mrs. Lincoln was very demanding about our appearance both at work and away from work. She'd given me 'constructive criticism' several times about the way I'd been dressed when I arrived at work. While she might have sounded overly formal and harsh to an outsider, we all knew that she did it because she cared about us. She never corrected us in public either; it was always done privately. Looking back, I owe so much to Mrs. Lincoln. I learned so much from her, from fashion to how to deal with people politely and diplomatically. I was very lucky that I was one of her girls.

After work, I drove my car home. I love saying that, MY CAR! I arrived home and glanced over at the bush. It was doing well and seemed to be adapting to its new home. Sam was working on some briefs for work, and the kitchen table was covered in paperwork. As usual, when he got into a case, he lost all track of time.

"Hi, Dad. I take it you haven't eaten yet," I asked.

"Hi, Erika. No, I haven't eaten," he replied. He barely lifted his head from his paperwork.

I looked in the fridge. I knew that Sam really wouldn't care what was for dinner, as his mind was deep in the case. I made some pasta and a salad. Mom came in just as I was finishing.

"Hello, everyone," greeted Mom. "Hmm that smells good."

"Hi, Mom." She came over and hugged me.

Sam never lifted his head, but he did say hi. Mom looked at me and smiled, and shrugged her shoulders. We both admired the dedication that he put into preparing his cases. He did, however, clear away most of his papers so we could eat. We also knew NOT to touch his papers!

"Sorry. This case is very important, plus I really want to get this guy."

I could understand Sam's desire to get a conviction in this particular case. The defendant had been charged with stalking and beating up his ex-girlfriend. The guy had been served a restraining order to stay away from her. Within hours after the court order, he'd kicked down her door and beaten her up badly. Sam figured the guy had gone from the courtroom to a bar and then to her apartment. They'd caught him a block away after he'd crashed his car into a utility pole. He was found passed out in the front seat.

Sam took all cases seriously, but he really disliked guys like that defendant. Sam really took his duty as a protector of society seriously. I also think the reason why Sam wanted this guy so badly was because he'd thumbed his nose at the legal system so quickly and deliberately violating the restraining order.

"We have a strong case, but I want to make sure he gets the maximum sentence," added Sam.

"How's the woman doing?" asked Mom.

"Good, considering the circumstances. She's also seeing Jenny. She can't get better help than that," he replied.

"I agree!" I concurred. I was pleased that Sam thought so highly of Jenny.

"Erika, you don't mind us talking about this?" asked Sam; there was a slight tone of concern in his voice.

"No, not at all; I'm glad you are there to put these jerks away." I put a strong emphasis on the word 'jerks.'

"Jerks?" Sam smiled. "You pick that up from Tom Bell?"

"Yes, he said 'jerk' was the proper legal term," I replied with a smile. I knew Sam had his eye on Tom. He saw a lot of potential in him.

Sam nodded and smiled and then went back to work, so we left him alone. Mom told me about the phone call from Mrs. Lee, apologizing for the picture of Jason/Jan in the yearbook. I told her of my solution. She seemed to approve. I retrieved my yearbook from my room and showed it to Mom. I fixed us each a mug of tea, and we looked through it together. I could tell that Sam was deep in thought, as he never made a crack about us both drinking tea!

Tuesday was a busy day. First, it was the last day of classes for seniors. Second, it would be the last official meeting of the Fab Four. Then there'd be the meeting with next year's contestants. I was really looking forward to that!

The morning consisted of reviews for finals and getting yearbooks signed. The flap over Jason's photo had seemed to pass. Many people just blanked his picture out. I was pleased that it didn't become a huge issue.

At lunch, Caroline and I arrived first for the meeting. We traded yearbooks to write our sentiments. Denise showed up a few minutes later. I was a bit surprised that she had a yearbook, as it seemed out of character for her. But I should have learned never to make an assumption about Denise. We passed our books around.

Ms. B walked into the meeting along with Lisa. I noticed that Lisa's eyes were red as if she'd been crying. She also looked very relieved.

"Good afternoon, everyone," greeted Ms. B. She was standing there with her arm around Lisa. They looked at each other, and Ms. B nodded.

"I need to say a few things to all of you. First, I consider all of you my friends, and I wouldn't have gotten this far without your support. I have decided to drop out," announced Lisa.

We all sat there in silence. Lisa was holding back tears. We all waited for her to finish.

"I want to graduate as Glenn. This is very important to me, and the more I thought about it, the less important the scholarship seemed. My own well-being is more important than money, and I finally see that after many sleepless nights," explained Lisa.

I stood up and walked over and hugged her and was quickly joined by Caroline and Denise. I could understand her/his need to feel at ease.

"So, you aren't going to try and talk me out of this?" asked Lisa/Glenn.

"No, it's your decision, and as your friend, I fully support you," stated Caroline.

"I agree with Caroline," I added. I had mixed feelings, but I knew what could happen when you ignored your personal well-being.

"Same here," chorused Denise.

Ms. B stood back and watched us. She seemed very pleased with all of our reactions and responses. I figured that Glenn and Ms. B had had a long talk about this issue. I also knew that Ms. B would keep it private.

"Glenn, you're welcome to stay, but I need to talk to the remaining contestants," she explained.

He nodded and sat there and signed our yearbooks.

"Now, I know all of you have volunteered to speak this afternoon, and I appreciate it. It will be similar to the meeting that you attended last year. As you weren't here last year, Erika, I'll tell you what will happen. First, I'll present the rules and regulations of the contest, and then there will be a question and answer period. In addition to you three, there will be several of the contestants who dropped out. Now you don't have to answer any question that you feel is too personal."

"Sounds good," I stated. "Who are the other speakers?"

"Andrew/Anne, Charlie/Claire, and I also have one of the boys who only lasted a few weeks. His name is Bill Abbott," replied Ms. B.

I knew Bill and had forgotten that he'd once been a contestant. I actually had to look in the yearbook to remember what he'd looked like as a girl. I also figured that it would probably be too emotional for Glenn to speak at that point.

I was happy that Glenn was happy. Having had more than my share of emotional stress this year, I fully understood his decision. I would still miss Lisa. It then hit me that Denise had to be the third! Still, I'd wait until she said something about it.

During 6th period, I looked through my yearbook and started to look through the main section. I saw that Caroline also had had her profile updated to show her as female. Glenn's profile didn't, and there was no mention of the contest in his bio. Lisa was, of course, in the scholarship pages. I then flipped to find Denise's profile. I saw that she'd had her profile updated and didn't mention her male name. Denise had pulled off a stealth transition!

The meeting for next year's competition was held in the auditorium after school. I showed Caroline the yearbook entry for Denise, and we both smiled. Denise walked over to us and saw that we were looking at her profile. She broke out in a smile. "I was wondering when someone would make the connection," said Denise.

"When did you know?" I asked. "Oh, by the way, congratulations!"

"Thanks, Erika. I've always known. My sisters used to let me dress in their clothes when I was growing up. They thought it was cool that I wanted to be a girl," explained Denise.

"Why didn't you tell us?" asked Caroline. "It would have been nice to know we weren't alone, and we could have helped each other."

"I figured if I came out, no one would take me seriously anyway. If I'd declared that I was TS, it might have hurt you two by association, so I just kept it to myself and Ms. B," explained Denise. "I know that I'm a bit of a flake and that most here at school don't take me seriously. However, in the band, I'm taken very seriously as both a musician and a girl."

"I think it's wonderful. I'm happy to be your friend," I stated.

"Erika, you are one of the exceptions here; you've always been cool with me. Maybe it's because you were new here this year, and you have no prior knowledge of me. I appreciate that you've been one of my friends all year. Caroline, I also appreciate that you've changed your opinion of me. I know that you initially thought of me as the strange kid in a bad garage band, and I always thought you were a bit stuck up. But I'm happy that we're now friends. I guess we've all changed some this year."

We both stood there speechless. Caroline broke the silence. "Well, I'm glad that is water under the bridge." All three of us hugged again.

Ms. B walked over and looked at us. "So, the secret is out?"

We all nodded.

Well, this definitely will be a year to remember!" exclaimed Ms. B with a smile. "This is also only the second year that a TS student has won the scholarship. Sandra was the only previous winner, and she didn't come out until after school was over."

I smiled, thinking how we had smashed that record, but at the same time, it would have been nice to share with a non-TS contestant.

We sat down on the edge of the stage and watched as the various contestants entered the gym. I recognized a few of them from my classes. There were several from the history class where I'd been a TA. I was pleasantly surprised to see Alex's brother Nick sit down. He smiled at me, and I gave him the thumbs-up sign.

The rest of the ex-contestants entered and joined us on the edge of the stage. I also noticed nine or ten girls walk in and sit down with the rest of the contestants. Ms. B just smiled and winked at us. A few more people walked in and sat down. I did a quick headcount and determined that there were forty-two boys and sixteen girls.

Once everyone was there, Ms. B began to speak. "I want to welcome you all to this informational meeting for those interested in next year's senior scholarship contest. I'm Ms. Bell, and I am the coordinator for the contest. First off, I want to say that this is strictly an informational meeting. You don't need to decide one way or the other if you want to participate. Additionally, if you have friends interested and they couldn't be here today, they're not disqualified."

No one got up and left, so I guess that was a good sign.

"Okay, first let me tell you that as always there will be some changes in the contest from this year, so please read the handbook carefully. Now the first big change is that there will be two contests. For the first time, we are having a contest open to girls. Of course, they will be held to the same strict rules as the boys. Like the boys who will live 24/7 as girls, they'll have to do the same and live 24/7 as boys. It won't be just put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and collect a full scholarship. It will require appropriate haircuts and following a very rigid set of grooming rules. For example, you will not shave your legs, etc."

One girl got up and walked out. Another girl raised her hand. "Some boys wear their hair long, so why can't we keep our hair long?"

"That's true, but they usually don't have it styled with bangs like yours. If you're in doubt on what is appropriate, then see me before the start of school," explained Ms. B.

There were a few laughs following the bangs remark, but no one else left.

"Now, specific grooming and clothing standards are in your handbooks, so please read them carefully. Next, the scholarship money will be staggered. In the event of a tie next year, we will take other things into account. Of course, for a tie to occur, two or more will have to make it to graduation. If everyone quits at the same time in the middle of the year, then a committee will decide the winner. Boys and girls are not competing against each other. There will be winners in each gender group. First place in each group will receive a full four-year scholarship plus expenses; second place will receive 90 percent and third 80 percent. Of course, that's only in the case of a tie. 75 percent will be the lowest amount anyone will receive who ties at the end of the year."

A boy in the front row raised his hand. "Ms. B, what sort of things are you talking about in breaking a tie?"

"Things like participation in school events, clubs, jobs, etc. Additionally, there will be some optional challenges next year, in addition to the mandatory challenges. At the end of the year, we will evaluate the contestant's records and then make a decision. The possibility exists for a real tie, but don't count on it. Also, there will be a job fair this fall for anyone interested. The companies at the fair want to support the contest and will offer gender-specific jobs to contestants."

"What were the mandatory challenges this year?" asked another boy.

"There was a fashion show, working as a waitress at the big charity dinner, taking child development, and a few others. I do want to make one thing very clear. The challenges are not designed to embarrass or humiliate you. They are to give you insight into the gender you are experiencing."

I looked at Nick, and he smiled and extended his belly when Ms. B mentioned the child development class. I had to hold back from laughing.

"Now, at some point next year, the scholarship committee will determine a date at which all remaining contestants will receive some money. These dates are determined by the committee and are not announced. However, the school has agreed that anyone who makes it through the first semester will get extra academic credit for a course in 'Cultural Differences.'

One of the girls raised her hand and asked a question. "Excuse me, but what will be some of the challenges for the girls?"

"You will be required to take shop. The choices are wood, metal, or auto. You will also be waiters and busboys for dinner and caddies for a golf tournament. There will be a few others that we are still arranging."

She then turned around and introduced us to the audience. She said that we were here to answer any questions related to our experience in the competition. Ms. B also reminded them to keep the questions relevant and appropriate.

"I have a question," asked a red-headed boy in the back. "What would be the best advice you could give us?"

Bill Abbott answered that one. "Follow the rules. If Ms. B says something, don't try to find a way around the rules. Not everyone quits from the contest. During the first few weeks, many are kicked out for rules violations. That's what happened to me."

"What did you do?" asked another boy.

"It's more along the lines of what I didn't do. We were supposed to wear skirts or dresses at least three days of the week, and I figured that no one would be keeping track. I figured wrong!" His response was followed by lots of laughter.

"I'd like to add that if you have problems or issues, always let Ms. B know. They have help available," I added.

"Use the discount card!" added Caroline. "It'll save you a boatload of money, especially if the contests last as long as ours did."

"I'd suggest that you should find a close friend or relative to help you with the day-to-day things, especially in the first couple of weeks," stated Andrew.

Charlie looked around and then spoke. "Keep an open mind and accept help when it's offered. Don't try to do this alone. I also agree with Erika; see Ms. B when you need help or have questions."

There was a lot of nodding in agreement, and a few were taking notes. Another hand went up. "When did you start dressing for the contest?" asked a blond-haired boy.

I started this one. "I started around two weeks before school began. It was a big help, especially when it came to getting dressed and doing my makeup. It made me feel much more at ease. You don't want your first day in a dress to be the first day of school."

"I started around the same time, and I agree with Erika. Looking back, I wish I'd started sooner," commented Denise. Caroline and I were amazed she said that with a straight face. We both had to hold in laughs.

The next few questions concerned classes and schedules. Then we got into the more serious questions. We were asked if there were any problems with our families over the contest. The answers included problems during the holidays and things like that. Caroline didn't answer, and I didn't blame her. Ms. B stated that sometimes family issues did occur, and they should be addressed as soon as possible. She went on to tell them that counseling would be available for anyone who wanted it.

I got an even more personal question from one of the boys. I think he was trying to impress his friends by being funny or controversial, but he ended up looking like a total jackass. He asked me if I considered the contest safe, whether I was warned sufficiently about potential problems, and whether I thought the contest was responsible for what happened to me. He had a stupid-looking grin on his face as he waited for me to respond. There was a deafening silence in the auditorium after he asked it. People were staring at him speechless. Ms. B was about to step in, but I waved her off.

"The contest wasn't responsible for what happened to me. For those who don't know what he's talking about, I was sexually assaulted back in the fall. The person who attacked me was a student here and had been expelled for attacking me earlier in the year. He was the problem, not the contest. I'll say that the school provided me with great support and assistance. Did I answer your question?"

I smiled a very sweet smile at him that bordered on psychotic. It was designed to make him feel three inches tall, and I think it worked. I had been studying Sam's smile for this sort of emergency. My answer was greeted by appl, use, and he got up and slinked out. Ms. B looked at me and smiled while shaking her head.

"That does remind me of one important thing. If you are teased, harassed, or bothered in any way because of your participation, you should contact me immediately. The school's code of conduct protects you, just as it would any other student," reminded Ms. B. "We will also attempt to help you with any such problems outside of school."

Another boy asked about the length of the contest.

"The length is strictly determined by the students who enter the contest. This year's group had the correct mixture of participants to make it last this long. Last year's contest barely made it to winter break, so it's all up to you!" explained Ms. B

There were a few more questions, but nothing controversial.

"I want you all to read the rule book very carefully. There is a phone number and an e-mail address inside the front cover that you can use to ask questions over the summer. This is a great opportunity to learn about the opposite gender and a chance to get some money for college," reiterated Ms. B. She then dismissed everyone.

After the juniors, left Ms. B walked over to me. "I'm sorry about that question, Erika, but you handled it well."

"Thanks. So, when did they make the decision to start an FtM branch of the contest?" I asked.

"They wanted to wait until a contestant went the whole year. I'll tell you more next week during our dinner. By the way, I've invited Caroline and Denise to join; Is, I didn't think you'd mind."

"No, not at all, that sounds great! So will we get our secret decoder rings that night?" I asked.

Ms. B just smiled.

I looked at my watch and said goodbye as I had to head to therapy.

Laura gave me a lift to see Jenny. Although she had a bit heavier schedule than I did, Laura wasn't worried about her final exams. She didn't talk about it much, but her GPA was almost as high as Cat's. Laura said that she loved coming here because it gave her a chance to catch up on the scandal sheets.

Jenny and I focused a lot of our session on my emotions and adapting to them. Jenny was obviously still concerned about my reoccurring posttraumatic stress, especially with the increased emotional flow due to the hormones. She also told me to be aware of getting depressed following the surgery.

"It's very common for patients having surgery to get depressed. You're especially at risk due to the nature of your surgery. You know that you'll initially look pretty bad afterward. It may bring back memories of your attack."

"I've thought of that. Dr. Ayres also told me that I might feel regret. I promise to call you if I have problems," I replied.

"I've already called up Dr. Ayres and briefed him on your status. Your mom insisted that I do this, and she gave me permission to talk to him," explained Jenny.

I smiled. It was nice to know that I had so many people looking out for me.

On the way out, I told her about Sam and his dedication to his latest case. "I just wanted you to know that he thinks very highly of you."

"The feeling is mutual. It's wonderful having a DA who is so dedicated, especially when it comes to abuse and sexual assault cases. He's gaining a great reputation."

I felt a sense of pride as she praised my dad!

Laura stood up when we came out and handed me one of the papers. "Hi, Jenny. Erika, you have to read this one!"

Jenny said goodbye and left us alone.

I looked at the article. It was about one of the chimps at the San Diego Zoo. "Hey, this is about Pearl. She was the one Kristen, and I did our science project on. She was on the Chimp Cam," I explained.

Laura smiled. "Wait until you read the rest of it!"

It went on to describe how a pet psychic claimed that the chimp used to be a human! The psychic went on to say that the chimp claims that it has memories of being in the navy, but that was all it could recall. Unfortunately, the chimp couldn't prove this to other people since it couldn't read or write. The psychic also claimed that the process that was used to transform the man into the chimp apparently erased most of his memory.

I handed it back to her. "You know, for someone who has such a high IQ, you sure read some garbage. This was worse than that magic slot machine!"

We headed over to Spencer's and some post-therapy cappuccinos. I gave up on the fruit smoothie for the evening. I desperately needed the caffeine. I also got a slice of key lime pie.

I told her about the changes in the contest and how there would be a category for girls next year.

"So, would you do it?" I asked.

"No way. I like dressing up too much. So would you?"

We both started laughing.

"Alex's brother was at the meeting," I added.

"Maybe he was there to see you. The kid has a real crush on you."

"What?" I exclaimed. I took a sip of my cappuccino.

"Oh, Erika! It was so obvious at the Memorial Day barbecue. He kept staring at you like a little puppy. I think it's cute."

I thought back to the party at Alex's house. Nick had hung out around me a lot that day.

"He'll get over me," I smiled. I thought about his having felt so honored that I'd ask him to sign my yearbook. I guessed I should feel honored. "Well, this is a first! I never thought I'd be the object of a high school crush."

Laura smiled and leaned over and kissed me. "Actually, I was first. I wanted you from the first day we met!" She had a twinkle in her eye and a big smile on her face.

It was very difficult for both of us to go home, but there were finals in the morning. School can be very inconvenient at times!