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Editor Note: The images used for this story were purchased and used under royalty-free license* from Istockphoto.com . ~Sephrena

Author Note: Please email me at AngelJediGirl (at) gmail (dot) com before posting this story to any other site. Posting to a pay site is prohibited.

Comments and suggestions are also welcome at the above email address.

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Chapter 13 - Problems with Authority

The next morning really had me in a depression. When I dressed in my boy clothes after being glammed up the night before, I immediately felt the disappointment that Emily and Ethan said came upon me every time I left Megan behind.

Megan was still there. The last few days had shown me just how much of Megan there was in my everyday life. Other people could see her too. But it felt different to me, and I didn’t like it.

“Come home right after school,” Dad was telling me over breakfast. “We need to be at the studio by about 3:45.”

I nodded, finished my breakfast, and headed out the door to meet Emily.

“How was last night?” she asked while we walked towards Ethan’s house.

“It was fun,” I told her truthfully. “But I really missed you. I wish you could be a part of this.”

“Me too,” she said forlornly. “I don’t understand why I can’t.”

She looked at me, and I wished I could tell her the truth. Instead I had to settle for another half-truth.

“I don’t either,” I told her. “Dad thinks that we need to establish my career before I start bringing friends along.”

That news really depressed her. I guess she had some idea of how long that could take.

“So it could be months before I get to go?” she asked.

I could only nod. But the tears in my eyes surprised me. “I’m so sorry, Emily. I want you there so badly!”

She stopped walking and turned to me. We hugged each other, which helped release the emotions we both had pent up.

“I don’t know why my dad wants it this way,” I told her. “He won’t even let my mom come.”

“Are you serious?” she asked. I could only nod. “Wow! That makes me feel better at least. I mean, now I know it’s not just me.”

I smiled back at her. At least we had come to an understanding.

*  *  *

Everyone stared at me again while I walked down the hall to my first period class.

I had come to the conclusion that there was nothing short of dropping my pants that I could do to prove that I was male. Even then, some might wonder.

But the more interesting thing was that I didn’t care anymore. I didn’t care if I was seen by others as a girl. With every passing day, I started to feel more accepting of the feminine taunts and jibes that I was getting. Being female seemed like the right thing. Even at school.

But that all had to change, apparently. It would have been too much to ask to live my life in peace.

Halfway through first period I was summoned to the principal’s office. I knew that I hadn’t done anything wrong, so I guessed he was going to talk about my gender.

I was right too.

“MISTER Campbell,” Principal Hall said after I had taken a seat in front of his desk. His emphasis on Mister didn’t bode well for me. “Care to explain what you are doing?”

“I don’t know what you mean, sir,” I told him. I was pretty sure the innocent card wouldn’t work, but I didn’t know what else to tell him.

“Don’t get smart with me, BOY!” he nearly yelled. “I don’t like disruptions in my school, and you are becoming a big disruption!”

His statement confused me. I didn’t think I had been disrupting anything. Sure everybody was treating me more like a girl, but it’s not like I was using the girl’s restroom or anything. I was pretty sure I hadn’t done anything wrong.

“Why is that, sir?” I asked.

“Because you are a boy, but you are dressing in girl’s clothes!” he replied. “That is against the dress code!”

I had to stifle the laugh that had threatened to come out. “But these are boy’s clothes,” I stated instead. He didn’t seem pleased at my response.

He looked at me, perhaps for the first time. I think he was surprised to see that I was telling the truth. I knew I looked feminine, but other than my underwear, I was wearing all boys’ clothes.

“Perhaps,” he relented. “But that doesn’t explain the hair or the pierced ears. You are deliberately trying to make yourself look female, and I won’t stand for it.”

I guess that answered the question of whether anyone had noticed my earrings. But there was nothing I could do about it. I couldn’t get rid of anything I had done to myself recently, except possibly the French tips. Everything else was meant to help me outside of school. Not to mention the whole Sarah Carerra thing.

I was about to argue against his accusation. I certainly hadn’t deliberately been trying to pass as female at school, for the time being, at least. But before I got the chance, he continued.

“I’m giving you a week’s detention, starting after school,” he stated. Horror filled my face! I had the photo shoot this afternoon, and who knew what else the label would want me to do over the next week!

“I also expect you to cut your hair, your nails, and remove those earrings before school starts on Monday,” he continued.

I most certainly was not going to do any of that! He had no right to decide how I was going to live my life! Mary had been very specific over the last six years about who would make this decision! It certainly wasn’t him!

The smug smile he gave me certainly showed that he felt he had the upper hand. But I had something else on my side. I could only hope it was enough.

“I’m sorry, sir,” I told him in a voice that was a lot calmer than I thought I would have been able to manage. “But I can’t do that.”

“You don’t have a choice, Mr. Campbell.” He still had that smug grin on his face. “Failure to comply will lead to your suspension from this school.”

I don’t know why my circumstances bothered him so much. I knew my parents, my dad especially, would fight what he was doing tooth and nail.

“You are dismissed,” he said, and turned towards some papers on his desk. “I’ll see you after school for detention.”

“I won’t be there,” I said. I made no attempt to move or leave his office. This needed to be resolved now or it would cause problems for my new career.

“What did you say?” he asked incredulously. He stared at me. He tried to intimidate me into changing my decision. But there was more at stake for me here than sitting in a class for an extra hour after school.

“I am contractually obligated to be somewhere this afternoon,” I explained. “I will not be able to attend detention because of these legal requirements.”

I wasn’t completely sure that my contract required me to be there. I did know I was supposed to make every attempt possible to make the events the label asked me to attend. I didn’t know the repercussions for not being there.

“I don’t care about your contractual obligations,” he yelled. “You will be at detention this afternoon.”

I sighed. I knew that there wasn’t anything I could have done to change his mind. I would have to use my secret weapon.

“You’re going to have to talk to my agent about this then,” I told him and reached into my backpack to pull out a business card. “Here’s his number.”

“Your agent?” he asked. He didn’t believe me. He looked at the card and smiled an evil little smile before continuing. “Nice try, Mr. Campbell, but your father can’t talk his way out of this.”

“He doesn’t have to,” I told him. “But, he will be very unhappy if I don’t make my appointment this afternoon.”

The principal stared at the business card for a long moment, deciding if I was telling the truth.

“I’ll wait,” I told him. He sneered but picked up the phone.

He dialed Dad’s number and waited for him to answer.

“Mr. Campbell,” he said a moment later. “I have your son in my office. He’s refusing to attend detention this afternoon or follow the school’s dress code.”

My dad said something I couldn’t make out before the principal continued. “He is violating the dress code by wearing earrings and appearing female.”

I heard my dad’s laugh through the phone, it was that loud.

“I assure you this is no laughing matter, Mr. Campbell,” the principal said. “Failure to comply will lead to suspension.”

They continued to yell back and forth at each other. I sat in my seat, and waited for the conclusion.

Mr. Hall was furious when he hung up the phone. I’m sure his mood didn’t bode well for my future at his school.

“Alright, young man,” he said after he took a moment to calm down. “I will let you out of detention, and your father has convinced me that I cannot make you cut your hair or nails.”

Wow, my dad was good! I would have to thank him later.

“But you are not a female in the eyes of this school, do you understand?” he continued.

“Yes, sir,” I replied. What had my dad told him? “That was never my intention.”

“Good,” he said with that smug smile. “Then you are dismissed.”

*  *  *

“He just let you leave without any punishment?” Ethan asked at lunch. “That doesn’t sound like him.”

“I know!” I said. I couldn’t believe that Dad had talked him out of everything!

“I don’t trust him,” Emily said. I could only agree with her.

*  *  *

“MISTER Brett Campbell?” my teacher asked while taking roll in my first class after lunch. It became painfully obvious at that moment that I wasn’t getting away without a punishment.

“Here,” I mumbled. The rest of the class looked astonished. One of them even gasped.

*  *  *

“MISTER Brett Campbell?” the next teacher repeated. The class had the same reaction.

*  *  *

“MISTER Brett Campbell?” I was ready to die.

*  *  *

“That was the worst school day of my life!” I told Emily and Ethan on our way home. “I thought everyone thinking I was a girl was bad, but this could kill me! Literally!”

“It can’t be that bad,” Emily said. “Nobody did anything, right?”

I nodded. “But they sure looked like they wanted to. I’m scared to go to back on Monday.”

“Maybe the weekend will calm them down,” Ethan said. I could only hope.

“What do you guys want to do tonight?” Emily asked. I frowned when I realized I would have to let her down again.

“I have to go to a photo shoot tonight,” I told them. “I’m sorry.”

Emily’s mood dropped again. “Tomorrow?”

I shook my head.

“This sucks!” she told me. “We never should have taken you to that party!”

Ethan didn’t seem to agree with her. “You don’t mean that,” he told her.

Emily frowned before answering. “No, but it sucks being left out.”

“I’m sorry,” I said again.

“It’s okay, Megan,” Emily said. “I know you want us there, and that’s what counts.”

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