The Girl Most Likely To ... - Part 11
by Barbara Lynn Terry

Back at the house.

Jan and Rachel walked in the house, and Jan went right in to the office and closed the door. "He did what!" Daddy yelled. Then there was low talking that Rachel couldn't make out, and Jan came out of the office.

"Honey, why don't we go upstairs, and see what hairstyles look really good on you."

Rachel followed Jan up to her room, and that, Rachel supposed, was to get her away from the office. Whatever was going on, daddy and Jan didn't want her to know about it. When they got to Rachel's room, Jan told her to sit in her chair, and Jan would fuss with her hair for a bit, and see what kind of style would go with what outfit.

Jan took a curling iron and started separating Rachel's hair in to one inch groups, and rolled each group, until Rachels hair looked like it had springs dangling in front of her ears, and wavy in the back and down to her shoulders. Jan also gave Rachel bangs. See, as long as Rachel was "acting" like a bully, her father didn't care if she had long hair. Rachel kept it clean, but didn't dare ask her mom to set it. Jan was going to uncurl her hair, when Rachel told her that she would like to leave it that way, because she wanted to see what her sisters would say.

Jan then started looking in Jan's closet, to see if she had any clothes, and was surprised to find she had a lot of clothes.

"Rach, honey, where did you get all these clothes from?"

"From my sisters. They said these were clothes they either didn't like any more, or didn't wear, or was too tight. Sharon told me to keep what fit me decently, and the rest we could give to the Goodwill."

"Didn't I tell you, everything would be all right?"

"Yes, Jan, you did."

Jan looked at Rachel's hair color and style, and selected a rose, back buttoned blouse and a light blue jumper. She looked in Rachel's desser, and sure enough found what she was looking for. A pair of knee high socks. Jan looked in Rachel's closet again, and found a pair of brown penny loafers. But Rachel said there was a black pair in there too. Jan shuffled things around a bit and found the black pair of penny loafers.

Jan laid the clothes on Rachel's bed and told her to get out of the clothes she was wearing, and put on the blouse (Jan helped her button it), jumper, socks and shoes. Rachel did just that, and when Rachel looked in the mirror, she saw a younger looking Rachel, maybe eleven or twelve years old. Rachel smiled, because she knew girls and women always wanted to look younger.

"Oh Jan! This is just so perfect. Wait til my sisters see me like this."

"Let's go down and show daddy."

Rachel and Jan went downstairs, to find two uniformed state troopers talking to daddy.

"Here she is now."

"Young lady, will you tell us what happened in the doctor's office?"

"Well, I had to go for tests and a phsyical. When it got to him doing the physical, everythig was fine, until he said he had to check me for hernias. Only he wasn't just checking for hernias, he was actually playing with my private area."

"Did you do anything to make him think he could do that?"

"No, all he was doing was making me angry, and when I called him a pervert he said it would be our little secret. I told him no it won't, because I am going to tell everybody what he did."

"What did he say or do then?"

"He didn't do anything, he just told me to get dressed, and then Jan came to walk me back to the house so I didn't get lost. See, officer, I only came here yesterday."

"All right, we will look in to this. Sir, we will let you know what we find out. Young lady, if this results in an arrest, will you testify against the doctor?"

"Yes, officer, I will."

The two troopers left, and Jan and Jack gave Rachel a big group hug.

"I saw a movie once, where the one girl as telling her friend from another country, that the only man a girl can trust, is her daddy."

"Yes, punkin, I saw that movie too. That was Grease and Didi Conn was saying that to Olivia Newton-John. That also had John Travolta in it."

"Yes, daddy, that was the movie."

"Lunch will be ready in about an hour, so, just go and do whatever until then."

"Alright, daddy, thank you."

Jack and Jan went back in the office, and closed the door. Rachel was so deep in thought that she didn't care to listen at the door. Rachel went in the living room and sat on one of the setees. Jan came out of the office and looked over at Rachel, Rachel was crying, silently, because Jan could hear the sniffles. Jan went over and held Rachel in a hug.

"Jan, why are some men like Dr. Poole?"

"Well, dear, when you find out, you let the rest of us girls know, because very frankly, we have no clue."

"But, all I was doing was following his instructions, and then when he put his under the gown I was wearing, he started playing wi..with..."

"Shhh, it will be all right, sweetie, you'll see. Those officers will take care of the naughty man."

"We actually have a few more questions for the house father. Sir, can we speak with you in the office?"

Jack and the officers went in the office, and closed the door. Jan and Rachel just sat in the living room.

"Rach, you know, sometimes all you have to do is be a pretty girl, and some men take that as being a come on for them."

"Pre...pret...pretty? You...you think...you think I'm pre...pret...pretty?"

"Whose pretty?" Asked a girl whose voice sounded familiar to Rachel.

"Not now, Carla, Rachel is a little upset."

Rachel turned to look at the girl.

"Carla! Carla Rodriguez?! OMG girl, it is you!" If Rachel ever needed cheering up, this was the moment it happened. "Carla, it's me, the one that pretended to be tough."

"Rog..."

"No Carla, we don't talk about that idiot. I'm Rachel Eileen Watkins, now."

"OMG, so you're the new girl everybody was scheming to get even with."

"Yes, Carla, except, see, I'm going to be a girl now, for the rest of my life. This is what I want. It took coming here to find that out, totally."

"OMG Rachel, it is so good to hear you say that. You don't know how many times, when I was at school I wanted hurt that ba..."

"Carla! None of that kind of language."

"Yes, Jan, sorry. So, you came here to do your transition?"

"Well, yes and no. See, Judge Reynolds sent me here until I am eighteen. But when I got here, I started getting all relaxed, and very, very emotional. Everything just kind of hit me at once. When I found out the sisters will help me in what I don't know about being a girl, I decided right then and there, this is how I want to live. You know what else? I want to not only transition here, but graduate from high school here, and have my surgeries before I leave. I have always had these feelings, but because of my dad, I had to keep them hidden."

"That is such a shame, girlfriend. Looking at you, now, I can see that being a girl is the right life for you. I mean, Jan is right, girl, you are pretty."

"You really think so, Carla?"

"Yes, girlfriend, I really think so."

"There was something Sharon Hardesty said yesterday too, that I can do a lot of growing up here. I think that is so true. Sharon is my shadow and room mate."

"Are you listening to yourself? When did you get here?"

"I don't know the exact time, but it was after two o'clock, yesterday."

"Rach, you haven't been here a full day, and look at how much you have grown, already. In less than a day, even."

"You really think I have grown."

"Rachel, I hate to be the bearer of good news, but yes, I think you have grown quite a bit since setting your heels down on Pine Meadows. Question, girlfriend," Carla said, in almost a whisper. "What are the cops doing here?"

Rachel told Carla all about her morning with Dr. Poole and what happened toward the end of the physical examination.

"It's about time that pervert got caught."

"Carla, did he do something to you?"

"Well, Jan, he does it to all the girls. He looks like he is pointing at you, but then his hand accidentally on purpose touches our breasts, or our rears. and we aren't even near him. He makes excuses to be near us. He has done this even while we have been on the grounds too." Nobody saw the officers and Jack come out of the office.

"What is your name, young lady?"

"Carla Rodriguez, officer."

"If we arrest the doctor, will you testify against him?"

"You bet I will," Carla said, with squinted eyes and contempt in her tone.

The officers left the house, but were standing outside. One of them was talking on his hand held radio, and when he was done, the two officers went toward psychiatric. No sooner had they got to the building, than another state trooper pulled up.

Everybody in the house couldn't see what was going on, because psychiatric is kind of on a curve away from the house.

All of the other girls were coming in now, for lunch, and was talking about seeing Dr. Poole in handcuffs. Then it dawned on Rachel what Naomi had said about unwanted advances from boys and men. Now she understood what that meant.

"A penny for your thoughts, sister."

Oh, Sharon, I'm really so happy right now. I have a friend from my school living here. Carla, and I didn't even see her last night at dinner. But then, I wasn't really looking, either."

Rachel explained to Sharon what happened with Dr. Poole, and that daddy had called the cops.

"So, Mr. 'are you getting excited' finally got caught."

"Sharon, how many girls has he molested?"

"All of us, Jan. I hope they force him to get excited in prison." There were giggles from the girls.

The two officers came back to the house, and when they saw all the girls asked a blanket question as to who had been molested by Dr. Poole. All the girls raised their hands.

"This is going to take some time to get all the statements from the girls. We are going to want a house parent in there when we question the girls. That is simply for the protection of everyone concerned. How long has Dr. Poole been working here?"

"Well, let's see. Jack and I have been here going on twelve years, and he was here then."

"Have any of you girls complained about him before now?"

"No, officer, because we felt that being residents here, nobody would believe us."

"Oh, Janice. If a staff member does something to you, you come and tell us. I walked Rachel back from psychiatric, and I told daddy what Rachel told me, and daddy called the police. Since this is a state institution, the state police have the jurisdiction. We are not only staff here, Janice, we are here to protect you, too."

"Daddy?"

"The girls pet name for him, because he acts like a concerned father."

"That is nice. I've been to reform schools, prisons, and other residential treatment centers, but this is the first one I have seen where the girls respect their immediate staff."

"Also, if they have a problem, and they want to talk, we are always available to them. Sometimes we just listen, because we don't really have the answers. Listening helps in more ways than people can imagine."

"I bet it does. Well, This is going to take most of the afternoon. So, is it possible that the girls can be excused from school, while we take their statements?"

"Yes, I will call over there now, and explain what happened."

"Thank you, sir."

"Officers, it is time for the girls lunch. Can we start this after they have eaten?"

"Yes, not a problem. My partner and I will go and get our lunch, and be back here, say, one o'clock."

"That sounds good, officers. Thank you."

"All right, girls, get washed up, and lunch will be on the table. We're having cold cut sandwiches, deluxe. Rachel, if you don't want a sandwich, you can make a salad from the lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, olives, and other vegetables on the table. Scoot, now, and get washed up."

"Jan, may I talk to you?"

"Yes, Marlene."

"Jan, what if Dr. Poole gets out of this? He will get his job back and will hurt us for having him arrested."

"Girls, please listen. You are not the ones that had Dr. Poole arrested. Daddy is the one who called the police. So, you remember this. When it comes time to go to court, and testify against him, just be yourselves. Remember, too, that in the courtroom, he can't hurt you. He can't leave the table he sits at with his attorney, unless it is to go to the witness stand or back to jail. The courtroom is well protected."

"What if he tries to come by us, anyway?"

"June, girls, the bailiff, that is the deputy sheriff that secures the courtroom, will not let him get to us. There have been cases where a defendant has purposely tried and was restrained to his chair with handcuffs. They do this so they can appeal on the grounds they were restrained for purposes of prejudicing the jury. But the Court of Appeals and the state supreme court are not that stupid. One other thing, girls. Because you are all minors, the district attorney will ask that the courtroom be cleared of anyone not involved in the case. That includes his family."

"But, what about you and daddy?"

"That is different, we are your guardians. We have to be there for your protection. When the officers come back, I want you all to sit in the living room, quietly. You can talk, but do it in hushed tones."

"Yes, Jan," all the girls said, in unison.

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