Understanding Rachel Part 6

Rachel bounced into her living room, finding herself giggling at every turn. Bit by bit, it was really coming together. Soon, she would be totally “out” with the last person who mattered in her life - her daughter Sally.

She’d been carefully broaching the subject of gender with her daughter, slowly building up the idea that some people are born in the wrong body, and need to get that fixed, and that Sally’s dad was one of those.

That Rachel was her true self.

Rachel thought she’d done as well as could be expected at building up the foundation, and very soon it would be time to do the “big reveal”, but for once, Rachel wasnt really stressing about it.

Bouncing over to the phone, she figured she’d share her good mood with her best friend Tanya, hoping to cheer her up.

“She’s really been feeling down lately. Maybe I can help.”

Ring, ring!

"Hey Rachel!"

"Hey my girly girlfriend" Rachel sings.
.
"Nope I'm a Manly Man Martin. Guess what? I won the lottery but there is one condition I have to be a man to claim it."

“Well, in that case, dont take it, they’re cheating you out of you.”

“Rachel ... I ... I cant do this anymore. I just had a fight with my dad, and .. I got to put Tanya to bed, for good. I ... I’m cleaning out my closet of everything girly.”

“which should leave you just about naked, as I recall. Come on. You’ve done this before, how well did it work for you? Didnt you end up spending a year where you couldnt even force yourself to wear pants?”

“It ... It doesnt matter. I ..have to be a boy... I have to be.”

“Okay then. But there are some things you should know about boys. One is that they dont spend hours on the phone talking to another boy.”

“A...another?”

“Yes MARTIN. If you do this, then so do I. I’ll put Rachel in the closet. Be a lot easier for me, since I actually have boy clothes I can wear. And then I wont have to worry about my daughter freaking out, or people calling me names, or anything. Plus, unlike you, I actually pass as a boy.”

“But you tried that, and almost died from high blood pressure. It’ll kill you.”

“A chance I’m willing to take. The fact is, I envied you. You didnt have to try to be girly, you just are. Even in boy clothes people thought you were a tomboy, called you miss and everything. I had to WORK to look or act even slightly feminine. So maybe I’m not really a girl at all, and the best thing for it would be to put the whole thing away and grow up. I mean, if someone as girly like you cant make it, what make me think I can?”

The was a long silence, and then Tayna said, “Rachel?”

“No Rachel’s here. Just some stupid boy.”

“I... I’m sorry. I wont let you do this. Promise me you wont give up?”

“Only if you do the same. Look, you need professional help to work through what happened to you. The fight with your dad is just topping. Its the rape that’s holding you back.”

“O....Okay.”

“Okay what?”

“I.... I wont give up. You dont either, right?”

“Promise, my girly BFF.”

“Thanks Rachel.”

“Anytime. That’s what girlfriends do for each other, right?”

Tayna sniffed, and then said, “Right.”

“Talk soon?”

“Kay. Bye.”

“Bye.”