The Princess and the Plague Part 45 By Anistasia Allread “Oooh, are you going to kiss too?” Greg commented. “Come on, I could use some good lesbian fantasies about now.” “Go to hell, Greg.” Samantha growled.

---

Erika washed the breakfast plates and placed them in the dishwasher. “What time is mom coming home?”

“Her plane comes in this evening.” Mr. Martin sipped at his coffee. “Do you want to meet her at the airport?”

“I — I don't know.” Erika bit her lower lip with uncertainty.

“That's fair.”

“Do you think she'll accept me now?” Erika twisted her hands behind her back.

“I don't know. She says she is ready to.” he shook his head. “I sure hope she is. . . I miss her.”

Erika couldn't help agreeing. It had been two weeks since her father had come home. The wreckage from the argument that followed her dad's arrival from his business trip was still visible in the house physically, as well as in her father's face. Erika could tell that he loved her mother very much, but was having a hard time with her not accepting their child as she wished to be accepted.

While her mother was gone, Erika tried to fill some of her mother's shoes. She made sure that the dishes were washed each evening and vacuumed the house every other day. On top of her homework and cheer practice, it made for very long days. Laundry, she found, was a major chore.
“When do you need to know if I'm going?”

“After school is fine.”

“Okay. Are you going to work today?”

“Working from home.”

“Could you rotate laundry for me?” Erika asked.

“Uh. . . I guess so. I'm not very good at that kind of thing. Your mother won't let me do laundry, cuz I've ruined a few of her blouses.”

“Oh.” Erika sighed, “I guess I can do it after I get home.”

“Just tell me what to do.” Mr. Martin said seeing her disappointment.

“Could you just hang everything up?”

“Wet?”

“Yes.” I'll take care of the rest of it when I get home.”

“Okay, I don't think I can mess that up too badly.”

A horn honked out in the driveway.

Erika kissed her father on forehead, grabbed her duffel and went out to climb into Samantha's car.

“How are you feeling?” Samantha yelled over the Lady Gaga song “Your mom comes home today, doesn't she?”

“Yes.”

Samantha was quiet as she concentrated on pulling out of the driveway. “So what do you think is going to happen between your dad and her?”

“I don't know.” Erika yelled over the music and shrugged her shoulders.

She still wasn't sure how she felt about her mother coming back. Part of her longed for her mom, another part dreaded the awkwardness and tension that had built up between all three of them. It seemed that her family was being ripped apart by this whole thing. She liked being Erika, but was her family's sadness worth it? She could switch schools, cut off her hair and pull out her old wardrobe and go back to being Eric. If she did that her mother wouldn't have anything to complain about, her father and her mother could stop fighting and there wouldn't be anymore resentment anywhere. Or would there. As Eric, she would resent her mother, her father, her life. . . her self.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Samantha said between songs.

“Just trying to figure out my purpose in life.”

“That's easy.” Samantha smiled. “Have babies and pass on your knowledge to them. That's all there is to it.”

Erika rolled her eyes as they pulled up in front of Tricia's house.

Tricia climbed into the back and fastened her seat belt. “I'm glad you came to school today.” she told Erika.

“Why wouldn't she?” Samantha asked.

“Because of all of the stuff going on today with her mom coming home and stuff.”

“I'd think she would want to be anywhere but home.” Samantha stated. She turned to Erika. “If you would like, you can hide out at my place tonight.”

“Uh, thanks.” Erika didn't know what to think of that.

“Anyone know what they are doing for Thanksgiving?” Tricia inquired.

“My family goes up to their cabin every year and either play in the snow or hang out by the fireplace.” Samantha explained.

“Erika?” Tricia prompted.

Erika shrugged. “I don't know yet.” She didn't even know if they were still planning on having a thanksgiving this year. Would her family still be intact? Or would she and her father be eating Thanksgiving dinner at the Diner?

Samantha parked the car and the three got out into the semi frozen world and carefully made their way across the slick parking lot to the warmth and security of the school.

“Hey Erika.”

“Hi Julian.” Erika greeted absently.

“Swim season is starting up pretty soon. You said that you were a pretty good swimmer, I was hoping you would try out.”

“I'll have to think about it.”

“What about the dive team?” Tricia asked.

“Yeah, they are going to start tryouts as soon as we get back from Thanksgiving break.”

“Cool. Where do I get the info on that?” Tricia asked.

“Stop by the pool. Stan has already started working out and getting ready. You any good?”

“I hold my own.” Tricia smiled.

“She's got an aerodynamic hair cut for it.” Pete smiled as he walked by.

“Hey!” Tricia stuck her tongue out at him.

“I like your hair.” Erika told her.

“Thank you.”

--o0o--

Mrs. Anderson had the class reading Midsummers Night dream. She picked random students to read different parts during different scenes. After certain lines were read, she would stop reading and have the class discuss the stanzas, what they meant and why Shakespeare chose certain words or terms. She however, was lost in her own thoughts.

This whole brain tumor thing seemed to be the root of everyone's issues. Her mom felt it was why she wanted to be a girl. Her principal wouldn't let her participate in Cheer. All of her friends seemed paranoid of her slipping, tripping or falling, let alone getting hit in the head in case something might happen — as if the tumor would burst. If she were to go along with the surgery and get it taken out, then maybe she could then convince her mother that it wasn't the tumor all along. The down side would be that she'd have to take hormone blockers and later replacements. Tricia had suggested that she call Leeza and talk to her. She could do that tonight or tomorrow. See if the drugs were as bad as she was making them out to be in her head. First things first, she had to see her mother and see if she still had a family.

The bell rang ending class.

“Ms. Summers?” Mrs. Anderson called.

“Yes?” Erika looked up from gathering her books.

Mrs. Anderson beckoned her to the front of the class. “Erika are you okay?” she asked. “You've seemed a bit distracted lately.”

“I have a lot of stuff going on at home and stuff.” Erika sighed.

“What kind of stuff?” her teacher seemed genuinely concerned.

“My parent's aren't getting along and I have to try and resolve what I'm going to do about this. . . . “ She tapped at her skull with a long manicured finger nail, “tumor.”

“Do you need someone to talk too?” Mrs. Anderson asked.

“I've already been speaking to my shrink, my Endocrinologist, my dad, and my friends.” she gave her a weak smile. “I just have to work it out myself.”

“I understand that you are going through a lot right now, but I want you to try to spend a little more time in my class paying attention to what we are studying.”

“Yes, Mrs. Anderson.”

“We have a test on the first act in three days. It's important that you do well.”

“Okay.”

“Alright, I'm done torturing you. Have a better rest of the day.”

“Thanks Mrs. Anderson.” Erika picked up her purse and headed to the commons for lunch.

“What did Mrs. Anderson want?” Krystal asked stepping in beside her as they walked.

“Just checking to see if I'm all right. Apparently I've been distracted lately.”

“Just a little.” Krystal's words dripped with sarcasm.

“Sorry.”

“What for?” Krystal asked.

“For seeming distant and needy.”

“Uh, Erika. You are going through a lot of shit right now. You have the right to seem distant and needy.”

Erika stopped in the middle of the hall and threw her arms around her friend giving her a big hug. “Thank you she whispered in her ear. You are the best.”

Krystal was a bit shocked by the sudden movement, but then wrapped her arms around her friend and gave her a long hard squeeze. Erika unwrapped her self and straightened he top, and continued their walk to lunch.

“You're late.” Samantha told them.

“Mrs. Anderson wanted to see me.”

“What about?” Victoria inquired.

“My not paying attention in class.”

“Oh.”

“I got you a salad.” Tricia pointed at the plate next to hers.

“Thank you, love.” Erika smiled. She put her books down on the edge of the table. “I've got an announcement.”

The table gathered with her friends all looked at her expectantly.

“I've decided to go ahead with the surgery.”

“Woohoo!” Tricia smiled.

“Thank God.” Samantha sighed. “Maybe we can get you back on the squad before we go to completion.”

“Why did you decide that now?” Victoria inquired.

“I figure it would be one less thing for my mother to fight with me about. Once it's out; she won't be able to use it as an excuse - “ She looked around the table spotting friends who didn't know her secret. “ - for me. . . acting strangely.” Would that be enough for the others not to guess what was going on?

Tricia was out of her seat and wrapping her arms around Erika, hugging her so tight it almost hurt, but it felt so good.

“Oooh, are you going to kiss too?” Greg commented. “Come on, I could use some good lesbian fantasies about now.”

“Go to hell, Greg.” Samantha growled.

Tricia's hands found Erika's face and guided their lips to meet in a long, loving embrace. She pulled back and smiled at Erika, “I love you.” she then turned to Greg. “Go jerk off to that, inbred swine.”

--o0o--

Erika waved goodbye to Samantha and entered her house. “Dad?”

“In here.”

Erika dropped her duffel and stood in her father's dens doorway.

“How was your day?”

“Exhausting.”

Her dad looked up from his computer to meet her eyes.

“Dad, I've decided to go through with the surgery.”

“Are you sure?” he asked.

Erika nodded. Her dark curls bounced around her face.

“Absolutely positive?”

“Yes. It's causing too many problems for too many people. I figure it I get it out it will solve a whole lot of issues.”

Her father stood up and came to the door. He put his hands lightly on her shoulders. “Are you sure this is what You want to do?”

Erika nodded, “Yes.”

Her father pulled her to his chest and gave her a hug. “I'll call Dr. Lipdick right now.”

“It can wait until tomorrow.” Erika shrugged.

“Nope. This is important. I'll start the ball rolling now.” he said sitting down and picking up his phone.

Erika went into the kitchen, grabbed a banana, picked up her duffel and went up to her bedroom. Inside, she dropped her duffel and plopped down on her bed to relax and contemplate the evening's plans.

A knock at her door woke her.

“You have an appointment tomorrow with the surgeon.”

“Already?”

Her father nodded. “Dr. Lipdick and the surgeon both felt that this was an immediate concern.”

“Okay.” Erika sighed.

“Have you decided what you wanted to do tonight?”

“Would you want me there? Or would you rather have some alone time with mom, first?” Erika asked.

“I think it would be good for you to be there.” he smiled.

“Then I'll start getting ready.”

“I'm really glad that you decided to go ahead with the surgery.” he said from the doorway.

“Even if it means that I might have to go back to being a boy?”

“I don't care what you decide that you are. I love you and I want you to be happy. You can't be too happy if you have a tumor in your head that prevents you from leading a full and healthy life.”

Erika thought on that.

“Son or daughter, you are mine, and I'm proud of what you have accomplished.” her father smiled and closed the door behind him.

Tears flowed from Erika's eyes. That was the sweetest thing he had said to her in a very long time. Erika quickened her steps into her bathroom to grab a tissue to daub at her eyes before her makeup was ruined any further.

To be continued. . .