Previously

We caught our bus and both got off outside my school because Susan's school was only half a block away.

She gave me a hug and said, “I will see you at the bookshop this afternoon Je–ason be careful.” I walked through the main gates and to the office of Mr Green the school counsellor.

Tuesday

I was greeted by some of the students that were in the locker hall when Justin and Dave were literally trying to kill me and they patted me on the back and said “Wow Jason, where did you get the strength from to lift Justin off the floor like that?”

I replied the best way I could and said, “It must have been a spur of the moment thing I guess. Just as well because I would be dead now if I hadn't done it.”

One kid said, “Thank God he's gone because he was taking all my lunch money every day. I hope they both go to jail for a long time.”

I replied, “I don’t think that Justin or his stupid brother will be back here anyway because they have been charged with attempted murder.”

Another kid said, “Jason can you show us how you did that lift? That was so cool watching Justin dangling there.”

I said, “Look I have to go and see Mr Green about something so I’ll see you all later.”

The kid replied, “Ok see ya.” I was wondering when the questions were going to stop, so I had to finish the conversation if I was going to see Mr Green before class started.

I arrived at his office, his door was open and he was on the phone to someone and motioned to me to take a seat, which I did. I sort of listened in on the conversation and it seemed like he was talking about me but I couldn't be sure. There might be another Jason at this school that he was talking about.

As it worked out it was me. He was talking to my Mum and when he hung up the phone he looked at me and said, “Jason I think we had better ask the principal to come here and hear what you have to tell us don't you?”

I replied, “Yes that would be best I think.”

While we were waiting Mr Green said, “Jason I would not have guessed about you, you have hidden it well, but you can't go through life hiding from yourself and who you are. By the way there is another student that is in transition as well but you wouldn’t know she was ever a boy to look at her so don’t worry, this school has a policy about transgendered students.”

While we were waiting for the principal to turn up Terry Brady poked his head in the door and said, “Hi Jason I have a bit more information on the two criminals if you're interested?”

I replied, “Only if it's about them going to jail sir.”

“Well there was enough evidence on the tapes to charge them with attempted murder so you won't even have to go to court to give any evidence, but I must say they did a lot of asking about how on earth you could have picked Justin up like that. I told them you did a lot of marshal arts training and it was a new technique.

I replied, “I have never done nor will ever do any marshal arts training but if that satisfies their curiosity so be it.”

Terry said, “I know that, but I had to tell them something. How was I going to tell them it was your dead uncle that gives you that sort of strength?”

“Yeah, well sir, there is something else that I am going to have to tell you now which you may not believe either.” I came straight out with it and said, “I am transgendered.”

He replied, “Well Jason I sort of guessed you were either gay or transgendered a while ago when another student was talking to me about a personal matter and your name came up.”

I thought 'Great, some people seem to know already without me saying anything. I wonder why Mum rang Mr Green,unless Uncle Albert told her to do it to make it easier for me.'

My teacher said, “Jason I’ll see you in class shortly, but I want to have a talk with you at lunch time ok?”

As he left the principal Mr Blake walked into Mr Green's office and said, “Ok what seems to be the problem?” and when he saw it was me he said, “Oh not you again, we don’t want the media coming back again so I hope you haven't been doing strange things again have you?”

“No sir, but I think you might have to change some of my school records after today.”

He looked at me and at Mr Green and said, “Jack what is going on? Don’t tell me we have another trans kid?”

Mr Green said, “Yes George you are looking at her.”

The principal replied “I don’t see a girl in here Jack.”

Mr green said, “She might be wearing boys clothing at the moment but I can assure you that after talking with Jessica's mother a while ago you have a girl sitting in front of you.”

Mr Blake replied, “Shit Jack, before long we will be called the tranny school if this keeps up.”

Mr Green said, “George you had better get used to it and you know the school policy on this.”

“Ok Jason err Jessica, come to my office at morning break and I will start sorting out the necessary paper work to register you as a transgendered student.”

I went straight to my class room from there and the class was just starting to be seated and Terry said “Alright, settle down class.”

The morning went by pretty fast and when the morning break bell went I waited for the rest of the class to be out of the room before I got up to go to the principal's office. As I started to go to the door Terry said, “Do you want me to come with you to give you some support with our bigoted principal Jason um Jesssy err what do you want me to call you now?”

I replied, “Well sir, just till everything gets sorted I think it would be easier if you just kept on calling me Jason, and thanks for accepting who I am so readily.”

Terry said, “It's ok Jason. If you must know I’m gay so I'm not too shocked, but George is a bit of a homophobic person so you will have to watch your step with him. He has no choice but to accept you because the school board has two gay people on it and they are both prominent lawyers so he has to abide by the school policy if he wants to keep his job.”

“Well sir if you don’t mind I would like you to come with me because you have helped me a lot over the last year. If you want I will introduce you to my dead uncle.”

Terry replied, “Yeah I’d like that. It fascinates me the way he protects you from danger.”

We walked to the principal's office and Mr Green was outside in the hall talking to my Mum.

I said, “Mum what are you doing here?”

She replied, “Jack rang me and said it would be a good idea if I was present while things get sorted out paper-wise Jessica.”

I said Mum, “I'm still Jason till things get sorted.”

“Jessica, that’s who you are and that is what I am going to call you. If anyone has a problem with it they will end up in a court room with Albert looking on.”

“Yes Mum.”

'Wow' I thought 'She is right behind me in this. Maybe I shouldn’t have waited so long to come out to her'.

We all walked into Mr Blake's office. He looked up from what he was reading with a surprised look on his face and said, “What's all this then? I only wanted to talk to Jason not the whole school and his Mother as well.”

Mum replied, “Mr Blake I am here to see that Jessy gets a fair hearing and all the school policies are followed to the letter.”

Blake replied, “What makes you think that I won't follow school policy Mrs Smith?”

Mum replied, “Well I heard that when that criminal Bradford and his idiot brother were abusing students at the main gate you didn't want to intervene because it was not on school property.”

Blake was getting angry and said, “Mrs Smith if you don’t stop your verbal abuse of me than I will call security and have you removed from the school.”

Mum replied, “Go ahead you cowardly man.” Blake went to pick up the phone when Terry and Mr Green intervened and told him to put the phone back down.

Blake refused and said “I will have you both sacked for this.” He then started to punch some numbers onto the phone but froze when he couldn't get his fingers to push the numbers down. The next thing that happened was funny to watch - the hand piece he was holding up to his ear started to have smoke come out of the speaker part.

He tried to put the phone down but every time he put it into the cradle it stuck to his hand.

Mum said, “Alright Albert you have had your bit of fun, now let him put the phone down.”

Blake just stared at the phone and said, “Ok ok, I know that Jas-err Jess has a connection with hi--her uncle's spirit and I will do as I am asked and get the paperwork done, but I don't agree with kids changing sex. It is not normal and I will be writing to the school board to try and have it changed.”

Terry said “After today you may not be principal any more because I am going to put in a complaint to the anti-discrimination people, so you had better apologise to Jessy's Mum if you want to stay in your job.”

Blake did just that but I didn’t think he would last much longer in the job now that he had been exposed as a bigot. Terry and Jack Green went back to their jobs while Mum and I stayed in Blake’s office. Mum was not leaving till all the relevant papers were signed and put in an envelope to be posted to the correct departments.

When that was done Mum said “Jess dear you might as well go to your class. I will have a few more details to sort out with Mr Blake. Don’t worry dear, Albert is right here with me, and I will see you at home tonight after you have gone to the book shop, and by the way Susan and her Mum are coming to dinner so we can sort out some of you clothes, ok?”

“Yes Mum.” I kissed her on the cheek and went to my class which had only another twenty minutes to go and it was lunch time.

I quietly walked into the classroom and sat down in my seat but could not concentrate on anything that Terry was teaching, so I just started to sort out my brain to try and get my head around what had happened in the last week or so.

I thought to myself 'Wow I am actually going to be able to live my life like it was intended, as a teenage girl with a girl friend there to help me along the way.'

The bell went and it was lunch time. I went out with the rest of the students to the school cafeteria. At least all the kids had money to buy their lunch if they wanted to. Without a criminal there to stand over them, but I guess there will be others eventually to do the same thing again.

I sat down in the cafeteria in one of the seats by myself and started to eat my salad roll. I got a few funny looks but no one was game to say too much to me because I was the freak that had a dead uncle to protect me from any harm. I really wasn't in any mood to talk to anyone at that moment. What would I say, 'Oh by the way I’m really a girl but have been pretending to be a boy.' And then it struck me 'Hey!! that’s a brilliant idea and would probably work quite well.'

I was sitting there patting myself on the back when a pretty girl walked up to my table and said, “ Hello I’m Jane, may I sit down or are you not talking to anyone today?”

I was taken aback for a moment at the big blue eyes that were looking at me and said, “Sure take a seat Jane,---I would tell you my name but it will only confuse you.”

She replied, “Oh I don’t think so Jessica.”

I was dumbfounded and said, “Wow news travels fast. How on earth did you know about me.?”

She said “Well I am in your class, not that you have noticed because you seem to always keep to yourself, but you made your public debut when you sorted out Justin didn't you?”

I replied, “Yeah I guess I did.”

I then asked how she knew about my little problem.

She said, “Well our teacher, Terry is gay and he has helped me on the way to being who I am in the last couple of years.”

I replied, “So you are a lesbian than?”

“No silly!! I’m like you only a bit further down the track.”

“Oh well that's alright then.”

“What do you mean 'That's alright then' Jessy?”

“I don’t know Jane, I’m getting a little confused, sorry.” I continued, “Jane, if I get to look half as good as you I'll be very happy.”

She replied, “Jessy I’ll be there if you want any help.”

I replied, “Jane there is already someone like you who is my friend. I would be happy to have you meet her if you want.”

She said, “Yeah I’d love to Jess.”

I said, “Well when school is finished this afternoon Susan is going to be outside the main gates waiting for me. We go home on the same bus and she lives just down the road from me.”

The bell went and we walked back to the class room chatting as though we had known each other all our lives.

To be continued.

Next time Susan meets Jane and trouble on the way home!!!

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