(Co) Author's note: This is the conclusion of this story. Thanks to all who commented or left kudos. Who knows, maybe there will be a sequel.....

A College Outing, Part 4

"Alice? Listen, please, I am in trouble and there is someone out there who...”

Alice came closer, until she was almost on top of Tracy. The look in her eyes was cold.

“I asked you a question.”

“I don’t have time for your games, my life is in danger!”

“Good. Maybe most of the students are blind to what you doing, but I know. And you don’t belong in a woman’s bathroom”

“Why can’t she be in one? She is a woman, the same as you”

“Oh, thank you, God! Mary!” She rushed into the woman’s arms.

Mary held her, and said “I don’t care about your beliefs, Alice. You can think anything you like. But you don’t have the right to threaten another student. I suggest you go. And maybe you should find another place to live too.”

“Fine with me. Wouldn’t want to hang around ‘HIM’ anyway. Maybe its catching.”

“I couldn’t think of a better thing for someone like you to catch.”

Alice did not respond, but just left.

“Oh, Mary!”

“It is okay. I know her type. She won’t do anything but sneer.”

“It...it isn’t just her. Todd is out there. He must have skipped class when I didn’t show up. And he was right behind me when I came in here.”

‘We have to deal with him right now. I don’t want you having to look over your shoulder the rest of the semester. Just stand with me, and be as brave as I know you are.”

“Me, brave? I am terrified!”

“You, brave, yes. You endured a horrible childhood, and found the strength to come to school, and to start a transition. Yes, you felt fear, but you did it anyway, and that is real courage. Now, you can do this too.”

“I will … I will try. As long as you are with me.”

“Not going anywhere. Now, deep breath, and we deal with Todd.”

The two women stepped out, and Todd was right by the door. He jumped a bit when he realized that Tracy was not alone.

Mary walked up to him, and looked him in the eyes, and said, “Mr. Young. I understand you have been bothering this young lady. That you have been stalking her, and in fact, have attempted to rape her. When that failed, you tried to use her transgender status to get her expelled. Well, as you can see, it has failed, and she is not alone anymore. You now have a choice. You are going to face charges for your actions. But if you show some contrition now, it is possible they will be lenient to you.”

Todd stammered, “It...it is all HIS fault. HE led me on, made me attracted to him.”

Tracy stepped forward and said “I didn’t lead you on, Todd. I wanted to be kind to you, because I saw something in you that... well it reminded me of myself”

He backed up, and shouted “I … I am nothing like you! I … I can’t be, I won’t!” Something in him broke, and he slumped down, and started crying “I...I am not! I am not!”

Tracy looked down at him, and all fear of him was gone. Instead, she found the compassion she had felt for him at the beginning. She bent down, and put a hand on his shoulder.

“I... I forgive you. And I would like to help you.”

But Todd did not respond, and in fact did not seem to be able to see or hear her anymore. He was now rocking and sobbing, repeating “I’m not! I’m not!”

Tracy stood up, and turned to Mary, and said “What can we do?”

“There is an campus police phone right over there. Let them take him. Maybe he can get the help he needs. But I don’t think he is going to be a problem anymore”

“No, I can’t see that he will be either. And... I hope they can help him.”

“You are a kind woman Tracy. And a better human being than either him, or Alice, could ever hope to be.”

Tracy used the phone Mary pointed at to call the campus police. A few minutes later, two men got there to take Todd. They asked Mary and Tracy a few questions. Mary was glad to answer any questions that Tracy tried to sidestep. The officer thanked the girls and followed his partner.

“Thank you, Mary.”

“For what?”

“You stood up for me when I didn’t even have the strength to stand up for myself.”

“I understand that you’ve been put in a very stressful environment these last few days. You can’t blame yourself for not being 100%.”

“Tracy? Mary?” Nancy walked up to them.

“Hey, Nancy,” Mary greeted her.

“I don’t go by Nancy anymore. I go by Shawn. And I’ve been looking all over for you.”

“What for?”

“They want you at the rally.”

“What rally?”

“Just follow me. It’s at the football field. Thousands of students just poured in.”

Tracy followed Shawn with Mary in tow. Tracy didn’t even realize how hard she was holding onto Mary’s hand until they got to the football fields, where there were thousands of eyes on her. Mary started guiding her toward the front, to where David and the dean stood. David was wearing a rather pretty cheer leading outfit, and even the Dean was wearing a housedress. When she got close, the Dean smiled, and went to a microphone, and spoke:

“Ladies and Gentlemen. I am so proud of everyone here, of every student who chose to participate in this event. When I heard about what was happening to Tracy, I was outraged that someone would violate her privacy that way. I was debating what I could do when David asked to hold a rally to speak in support of her. I was very glad that a popular student wanted to step up and take this issue on. Then when the idea of Opposite Day was mentioned, I made sure that all the staff were to tolerate and even encourage it. Ladies and gentlemen, let me say again, I am proud of all of you. But today isn’t about me, so I would like to call Tracy to speak, if she will.”

Tracy was very nervous, but Mary nodded, and she went up to the mike and spoke, looking at Mary as she did. “I... I am so honored by all the support I have gotten today. Many of you may not have known what a transgender person is, much less known one personally, and yet you came out here to say that I had the right to attend this school. For those who may be watching who do not yet understand what this is like, let me try and explain. I was in pain, every second of every day I had to pretend I was male.

For you guys, imagine having your privates in a vice, and that might be the only pain that comes close. Before I came out, I had reached the point where I was laying in a hospital bed after a suicide attempt, and I was just waiting to die. But someone understood me, accepted me, and helped me let out my true self.

Then, when someone tried to assault me, and found out the truth, I thought i was going to be rejected, driven away, again. I was at the lowest point since the day I laid in that hospital bed. But once again, people helped me, accepted me, and made my case for me, so that all of you would want to stand with me.

I cannot stress how important that acceptance is for people like me. Many people who are like me spend most of their lives hating themselves, hating how they feel, accepting hate from others as no more than what they are due. And the hate they receive feeds that self-hate, and the self-hate feeds the hate of others, and around and around the cycle of hatred goes. Today, I have witnessed where that self-hate can lead, as my own attacker is now locked in a cycle of pain within his own mind, and may never get out.

But acceptance and understanding breaks the cycle. It allows a person to breathe, to see past their self-hate, to see themselves as worthy and wonderful creations. Today, with the help of a wonderful friend, I have seen what difference just a touch of belief in myself can make when facing hate. I have found strength, all because someone took the time to see past hatred, to see me as worth knowing. And I am not the only one, at this school, there are others who were like me now coming forward to live truly.

But the situation we faced at this school is far from unique. Around the country, and everywhere in the world, people like us are fighting for the right to simply be themselves, without fear. We can do something about that, just like we have done something about it here. We can lobby for better protections in law. We can work with groups around the country, and around the world. We can spread a message of acceptance from this school to every one who is like me.

We can change the world, together.

I.... I thank you all.”

The crowd erupted with applause.

She stepped back, blushing, and David stepped forward, and said “Well, after a speech like that, I am glad Tracy isn’t running against me for student President.”

The crowd laughed.

“I just want to add my thanks to everyone who took the time and showed the courage to come out today, and especially for those who came dressed up as the opposite gender. I rather hope we can make Opposite Day an annual tradition here, so we never forget the lessons we have learned from this. Thank you all for coming.”

Mary reached for Tracy’s hand. “Come on, let’s go home.”

Tracy took Mary’s hand in a daze. She wasn’t sure she could really believe what had just happened. Not only had she put aside an extreme phobia of public speaking, she had done so to a crowd of thousands of people who actually wanted to hear what she said. She didn’t notice when Mary helped her into the car, or when she climbed out of it at home. She was running the amazing day in her head over and over.

When she finally pulled herself back to reality, she was standing in the living room of the house with Mary. “Well, it’s official. Alice left. I just peaked in to ask if she’d had a change of attitude and her stuff is gone.”

“I am sorry she left”

“It was her choice. If she wants to have a closed mind and a hard heart, she can do it somewhere else. Think of it this way, one less person to hog the bathroom.” Mary grinned at Tracy who couldn’t help but giggle. “Now I’ve just got to wait for you, since lord knows the boys don’t spend enough time in there getting all pretty.”

She paused for a moment, then in a much more serious tone, “Can I talk to you, Tracy?”

Tracy sat down on the couch and looked up at Mary. “Of course you can. You can talk to me about anything.”

Mary walked over and sat on the couch next to Tracy. “I’m very confused right now.”

“What’s confusing you?”

“I want to do something, but the person who makes me want to do it might not feel the same way.”

“What is it that you want to do?”

Mary lifted her hand and placed it on Tracy’s cheek. “This..” she whispered.

Tracy melted as Mary’s lips touched hers. It was a feeling unlike any she’d ever felt, and even more amazing than the occasional touches they had shared. When Mary finally pulled away and looked Tracy in the eyes, it took Tracy a second to be able to speak. “I was confused too, but I don’t think I’m confused anymore.”

“Good.”

That was the beginning of the rest of their lives....

Shared.

Together.