Chapter 14

When I went into my apartment, I looked around at the mess. My early morning breakfast things were still on the table. In my bedroom I picked the expensive dress off the floor, found a hanger for it, then smoothed my bed. I found a new pillowcase to replace the smeared one.

Aayla Farstrayer listened as the Master droned about an obscure ancient prophecy. According to the prophecy, "A chosen one would bring balance to the Force," the Master said. "It was thought that a young Jedi student, Anakin Skywalker, might be that chosen one. Instead, young Anakin was seduced by the Dark Side, became Sith Apprentice Darth Vader, and helped Sith Master Darth Sidious destroy the Jedi Order."

Emily Plays Dotty
A “How I Spent My Summer Vacation: I became a Girl!” Gaiden
by
Rebecca Coleman

-2-
The Manchester Commons

Nailed to Change

Timothy slumped in the passenger seat, defeated. Bethany, his best friend since kindergarten, was practically glowing with barely concealed amusement. "So," she chirped, her voice laced with mischief, "ready to become the world's first male connoisseur of nano-gel nail enhancements?"

Bethany, a whirlwind of confidence in a neon green sundress, cackled. "Relax, drama llama. It's the hippest salon in Nashville. They do this new nano-whatever thing that makes your nails invincible."

This is a sequel to “Leading Lady”.

I’m quite happy to be back in the safety of my room in the all-girl boarding school I attend.

I have to admit that all the glitz of an Oscar gala can be intoxicating. It’s not everyone that has a mother that gets nominated for an Oscar but now I really need to rest and wind down.

The last year and a half have been crazy, absolutely crazy.

A Successful Family

The possession of a small number of cows, pigs, sheep and goats in addition to ducks, hens and geese was to the older family members the currency by which they measured true wealth. That the hundreds of doves that lived in the centuries old dovecote and the fish in the lake were a readily available food source was a wonder to them. When they added a couple of hives of bees and a dozen rabbits to keep in a barn they couldn’t imagine a better life.

Cherry blossom journey to womanhood

the rouge tasted like cherries, a forbidden sweetness on alan's four-
year-old tongue. His mother's vanity table, a glittering land of
forgotten treasures, had captivated him. He'd slipped on her silky robe,
the feel a stark contrast to his usual rough-and-tumble clothes. The
lipstick, a bright, unapologetic red, felt foreign on his lips, yet
oddly comforting. His mother's gasp shattered the moment. Tears streamed
down his face, not from her anger, but from a dawning realization - he
was different.

I was making a fresh start. My marriage had ended the year before and I felt uncomfortable in the old family home where we had raised our daughter and I had noticed how old friends were less inclined to call now I was on my own. I was becoming isolated. When my employers had offered me early retirement I almost shouted yes before they had finished the sentence.

Chapter 12

David and C.J. left, leaving the six of us. I asked Cecil if he could give it a simple edit and gave him my email address, then got Jeff and Eric to give him their email addresses. I asked the sound man to keep quiet about what he had just seen.

“Don’t you worry, Julia. I could stand in the street and shout that their favourite country copper is really an actor who could rival Olivier, and nobody would believe me.”

They packed up the gear, leaving the four of us. I looked at Jim, who was smiling broadly.

“What’s so funny, Jim?”

On the 13th of January, Dorothy Colleen posted “Orientation Day. ” It’s a short little tale (less than 500 words) regarding a speech by the headmistress of a special school, in which she corrects some misinformation about the school. I was impressed with the idea of such a school and could see a much larger story about that school. I contacted Dorothy and told her there was a story yet to be told and ask if she wasn’t going to write would she mind if I did. She graciously granted me permission.

What follows is that story. In it we get inside the head of one of the incoming students listening to that speech.

Blair, while he admits that he’s not and “average” boy, appears on the outside to be just that. He’s been a good student through elementary school. But in middle school his interactions with the other boys in school serve to highlight just how far he is from “average.” His inability to relate to their attitude and refusal to join in with the banter regard the girls in the school isolate him and open him up to verbal abuse. Being a gentle boy he finds that the old saying, “Sticks and Stone can break you bones, but words can never hurt you,” simply isn’t true. Words do hurt and the hurt Blair deeply; to the point that he dreads going to school. As a result, his grades suffer badly.

In an effort to solve this problem his parents seek alternatives to public education. Join Blair as he navigates the troubled waters of Secure Haven; A School for Gentle Boys.

If Elara listened carefully enough, she could hear her own heartbeat.

Thump. Thump.

She felt a tightness in her chest that she'd never experienced before. She finally knew what it felt like to be in mortal danger, and she didn't like the feeling.

Chapter 11

When she said that, I knew what the part was. There was a lower rank police officer who is friendly with my daughter, and he learns enough to be needed to be killed. It would have him, on set, until fairly late in the shooting, and will be in a lot of scenes with Kurt. As an unknown, he would have to be good. The screenplay has his death the trigger for the unravelling of the coven.

“That’s a big part, Kym, for very little money.”

“You have read the screenplay, haven’t you? What would you think he’s worth if he passes the test?”

The coins were indeed all gone when I returned to bed for the next night. Oh well.

Chapter 10

So, we had our first viewing of the complete film as the orchestra played along with it. I don’t know about the others, as my eyes never left the screen, but I was entranced with the music adding a whole new level of atmosphere. We were professional enough not to make a sound until the recording engineer put his hand up, and then we all stood and applauded the orchestra. David, with Irene beside him, looked totally washed out, with this being the culmination of nearly a year for him.

Charles is now at Jane's Winsome Girls' School for Wayward Boys. He has volunteered to become one of Jane's girls to help Jane not only clear his name but to help Francis. He has a lot to learn about being a girl in a short amount of time, as Toby Camber is arriving at the school in a weeks time. Something else occurs that Charles wasn't expecting, he learns something else about himself while being Charlotte.

“That actually explains a lot.” Tracy said as she saw me pour the vial into my drink. “Just a tip, you can drink it straight. It keeps people out of your business.”

“It's not that big of a deal is it?”

“Technically, you're now on the market for marriage proposals.”

“I'm only eleven.”

“It's an archaic law, but it's still in place.”

I placed the empty vial in one of my robe pockets and scanned the room to see if anyone else had noticed.

Oh my, Tommy thought upon awakening. What did I do last night? I kind of remember getting up and walking around, and yet, it didn’t seem like I was doing it.

While getting dressed, he saw the note next to his computer. Wow, Tommy thought. The amulet really works! Or more likely, Sarah’s gained control of her powers but just needed to be encouraged to visit other places, which was what I hoped for by lying to her about the amulet.