One of the girls, a Native American, walked past our room. A couple moments letter, she walked back and looked in our room.

“Hello. Who are you?” she asked. Her voice was the second voice I had heard when the girls entered the house.

I pointed at my chest. “I’m Amber. That’s Kim.”

Kimmy waved her hand. “Hi. We’re new here.”

“Yeah, I kind of figured that one out,” said the girl with a giggle. “I’m Jessica. My friends call me Jessie for short.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said. Kim simply nodded in agreement.

“Likewise,” said Jessica. “So, when did you two get here?”

 

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Author's note: I've decided to start releasing one part a week. I haven't had the time to work on my other story as I had originally intended. So don't worry, "System" will continue on, albeit with a new part released every Monday instead of twice a week (or more). I want to thank everyone for reading. I hope you all continue enjoying "That's How the System Works".
Hugs, Danielle
 

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That’s How the System Works — Part 4
By Danielle Rose

Chapter 8

The ride to Palm House was made in complete silence. Kim and I sat in the back seat of Steve’s old Dodge Colt, while Juanita sat in the front. About fifteen or twenty minutes later, we pulled up to a house in a decent looking neighborhood. Helping us with our bags, Steve escorted us into the house.

The first thing I noticed was, besides a payphone hanging on the dining room wall, the house looked like any other ordinary house. There was a large dining room on your left with a large window when you first walked in the house. Beyond that as you continued looking left there was a door, which presumably led to the garage. Then there was a decent sized “L” shaped kitchen that kept going beyond the dining room wall. Looking straight from the front door, you could see a living room, with a larger family room beyond that. To the right of the dining room was the hallway that led to the bedrooms and bathroom.

Steve walked into the hall, and then looked in the first bedroom on the right. Waving Kim and I over, he told us that this would be our room. After setting our bags down in the room, we went back into the hallway to see Steve looking into the second bedroom on the right before closing the door. There was a left turn by the bathroom that I hadn’t been able to see from the dining room. In this part of the hallway were two more bedroom doors. The one on the left was open, and I could see two beds, one with sheets and the other a bare mattress.

“Juanita, you’ll be in this bedroom with…” Steve began while looking around to figure out who was currently occupying the room. “Sorry, they shuffled the girls around this morning. Angelina will be your roommate.” Steve finished.

“Okay,” she said, carrying her bags and setting them on the available bed before returning to the hallway.

“Where are the other girls?” I asked

“They are at the computer lab tonight. They’ll be back about 7:30,” said Steve. “I’ll explain more about the activities in a bit.” Then he pointed to the last door at the end of the hallway. “That’s the office. Once you’re all done unpacking, I’d like you to meet me in there, please.”

“Sure thing,” Kim and I replied in unison.

Juanita simply nodded, then returned to her room. Kim and I turned back down the hall and walked into our new room. Much like our rooms in Orangewood, there were two beds on opposite walls. Instead of two nightstands, there was now only one situated between the beds under the only window in the room. This meant that we would have to share it, but there were also now two small dressers. Kim and I engaged in a quick game of rock paper scissors to determine who would get which of the two drawers in the nightstand. After Kim won and determined which drawer she wanted, I started placing my bras and underwear in the bottom drawer. Since all children were required to wear clothes provided by Orangewood while staying there, I was still unaware of the clothes that I had in my overnight bag the night I became Amber.

“Ooh, that’s cute,” Kim said as I unpacked a top from the small bag. “Where did you get it?”

“This is the first time I’m seeing any of this stuff, Kimmy,” I responded. I lowered my voice to barely above a whisper before continuing. “I didn’t even know I had any clothes the night I went into Orangewood.”

“Oh, that makes sense,” said Kim. “I at least got a quick look in my bag while I was in the social worker’s car. Apparently, there were a couple weeks worth of clothes.”

As I continued looking through the bag, I saw a white cotton bra, two tops, a pair of jeans, a pair of denim shorts, and the sports bra and pajamas I was wearing the night I arrived at Orangewood. Shaking my head, I turned and looked at Kim. “It doesn’t look like I have much,” I said. “What am I going to do with only two outfits?”

Steve knocked on the door. “Sorry for interrupting you girls. I was walking by and I overheard you. The three of you are actually going to be taken by the new house manager to Target tomorrow morning to get you some new clothes. That was something I was going to mention when you came to the office.”

******

Twenty minutes later, Juanita, Kim, and I were sitting in the office. Steve was sitting behind one of the two desks. The office was nothing more than another bedroom, albeit filled with desks and filing cabinets rather than a bed and dresser.

“Alright girls, lets get down to the nitty-gritty,” said Steve. He handed each of us a small stack of papers. “This is the client contract. Each of you will be required to sign it. It represents that you understand the rules and that you will obey them. Physical violence and mental abuse will not be tolerated. Any such occurrence can lead to expulsion from the house.”

I looked mine over. I didn’t see anything in it that I would have a problem with. Taking the pen from Steve, I signed my contract. Handing the pen to Kim, she signed hers as well. It became evident Juanita was having a hard time understanding some of the wording when she asked Steve what conspicuous meant. After receiving clarification on a few other words, Juanita signed her contract as well. After all contracts had been signed, Steve got up walked over to a file cabinet and put them away.

“You three are going to be enrolled in the local public high school. School starts on Monday,” said Steve, returning to his chair behind the desk. “Now, before we go any further, I need to admit something to you girls. I actually know about the three of you.”

Did he just say three? “Excuse me?” I asked.

“I was made aware of your circumstances by David. While I do not directly work for him or the group he works with, I have, on occasion, been asked to place others who are in a similar situation to you.” Steve looked at the clock on the wall. “The other girls are going to be back in about thirty minutes, so I wanted to get this out in the open before they do.”

“What did you mean when you said you know about the three of us?” Kim asked, apparently having the same thought as I.

Steve looked between Juanita, Kim, and I. “What I mean is I know that all three of you used to be male.”

I was floored. I looked over at Juanita. “You’re like us?” I asked.

Juanita remained quiet. After several moments, she nodded. “Yeah, I was pretty surprised to find out you were like me too.”

“How long have you known about us?” Kim asked.

“Just since this afternoon,” Juanita said.

“How did you find out?” I asked.

“Stephanie told while you were having your party,” replied Juanita. “She said you two had a lot more in common with me than I thought and that we could help each other.”

“That’s not all, girls,” interrupted Steve. “I have more to tell you. Currently, all the other girls in this house are like you too.”

“What?” Kim and I asked in unison.

Steve nodded. “This is the first time that this house is made up entirely of girls like you.”

Kim and I sat there stunned. We were going to be living with three other girls that had also once been boys.

“Angelina and Jessica came to the house six months ago, and Michelle came a little over three months ago. Prior to them, I had only known about one other in Olive Crest and that was a little over five years ago. Apparently, she was the first who experienced a transformation.”

There was a knock at the office door. Kim and I turned around to see Stephanie standing there.

“Come on in,” said Steve. “I was just telling them about you.”

Kim and I looked at each other with shocked expressions. Stephanie was like us? Kim and I both turned back to look at Stephanie.

“I wanted to tell the three of you,” she said. “I was just waiting for the right time. When Steve called this afternoon, I told him to go ahead and tell you because I knew I’d be here today to answer any questions you had.”

“Is that why you’re here?” asked Kim. “So you could answer questions? Because, you know, I have a lot of them.”

“That’s not the only reason I’m here,” Stephanie said.

Steve cleared his throat, and our attention shifted back to him. “I asked Stephanie to be the new house manager. You all are going to need more help than the regular staff can give. You three coming here just happened to coincide with my former house manager having a baby and quitting. So, I offered the position to Stephanie.”

Kim and I sat there letting it all sink in. This was definitely going to be an interesting place to live.

“The other three don’t know about you yet,” said Steve. “I’m going to sit everyone down tonight, including staff, and tell them.”

“Why don’t you three go explore the house,” Stephanie said. “Steve and I have some business to go over. We can talk later, and I can answer any questions you have.”

Chapter 9

Kim and I explored the house together, while Juanita simply returned to her room. Walking into the kitchen, I noticed there was a small bathroom on the other side of the dining room wall. Excusing myself, I quickly went in to relieve my bladder. When I came out of the bathroom, Kim was standing at the open door that led to part of the back yard.

“Are you okay?” I asked as I walked up behind her.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” replied Kim. "Just thinking."

“Come on, let’s go check out the rest of the house,” I said.

Kim and I walked to the dining room, and opened the door beside the large dining room table that led to the garage. From the doorway, we could see a washing machine and clothes dryer. Closing the door, we walked through the dinning room into the living room. In the center of the living room was a pool table. There wasn’t much else in the living room besides a couch and a small coat closet. I would find out later that evening that the closet was actually where the cleaning supplies were kept. There was a two-sided fireplace between the living room and family room. The large family room was furnished with two full sized couches and a La-Z-Boy recliner. A thirty-two inch TV sat on an entertainment center beside the fireplace. There were plants hanging from the ceiling and framed paintings hung on the red brick walls, all of which made this room feel very cozy. A large sliding glass door led out to a patio in a different part of the backyard.

Kim and I walked back to our room and sat on our beds. Lying back on my bed, I asked Kim what she thought.

“It’s not bad.” Kim said. “I could imagine being in a lot worse places.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” I said. “My grandfather’s house was a complete disaster. The ceiling was caving in throughout a lot of the house.”

“What do you think about everyone in this house being like us?” Kim asked.

“I don’t know,” I replied. “I think I was more surprised to find out Stephanie used to be a boy.”

Kim and I laid there for another five minutes talking before I heard the sound of a vehicle pulling up in the driveway. A few moments later, I heard the front door open and several female voices.

“I was not!” said one of the voices.

“You were too!” said another. “You were so flirting with that new boy. What was his name?”

“Aaron Philips.”

“See, you wouldn’t have known his name if you weren't flirting,” said a third voice.

“I know his name because we were talking. About basketball,” said the first voice.

“Angie’s got a crush!” sang two of the voices together.

“Whatever.”

One of the girls, a Native American, walked past our room. A couple moments letter, she walked back and looked in our room.

“Hello. Who are you?” she asked. Her voice was the second voice I had heard when the girls entered the house.

I pointed at my chest. “I’m Amber. That’s Kim.”

Kimmy waved her hand. “Hi. We’re new here.”

“Yeah, I kind of figured that one out,” said the girl with a giggle. “I’m Jessica. My friends call me Jessie for short.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said. Kim simply nodded in agreement.

“Likewise,” said Jessica. “So, when did you two get here?”

“Actually,” I began. “There are three of us. The other girl is in that room over there,” I said, waving my hand in the general direction of Juanita’s room. Looking at my watch, I continued. “We’ve been here for a little under two hours, I guess.”

“Oh, okay,” Jessie said. Turning her head towards the dining room, she yelled “Hey! We’ve got new roommates!”

Two more girls suddenly appeared in our doorway. One was a tall white girl with reddish brown hair, and the other was a short and heavy Hispanic girl. Jessica pointed at the tall one, who waved enthusiastically. “That one’s Michelle.” The shorter girl, who was obviously Angie, tried to walk away.

Grabbing the back of Angie’s shirt, Jessica said, “Not so fast, you little sneak.”

“Let go of me.”

“And this one is Angelina, Angel or Angie for short, depending on her mood,” said Jessica. Looking at her two friends, she said, “This is Amber and Kim.”

After Jessica let go of Angie’s shirt, Angie slipped away. Michelle and Jessica walked into our room, sitting on the edge of Kim’s bed. “Don’t mind Angie, she’s not very social,” said Michelle.

“She’ll get along great with her new roommate then,” Kim said.

“Yeah, Juanita’s pretty quiet. All she did all day long back at Orangewood was listen to rap music,” I said.

“Yeah, it sounds like those two will hit it off,” said Jessica.

“They’re like two carrots in a bunch,” said Michelle.

Jessica looked over at Michelle and shook her head. “That’s ‘peas in a pod’, dear.”

“Huh? Oh, whoops.”

Kim and I giggled a little at Michelle’s air-headed comment. Michelle got up and walked out of the room.

“Don’t mind her,” said Jessica. “Half the time, I can’t tell if she’s joking or serious. But she is smarter than she lets on.”

There was a knock on the door. I looked up to see Steve and Stephanie standing in the doorway. “It’s time for a meeting in the family room,” said Steve.

After Steve and Stephanie walked away, Jessica looked back at us. “I wonder what that’s about?” she asked, then got up and left the room.

Giving each other nervous glances, Kim and I stood up and made our way to the family room. Jessica and Juanita were sitting on opposite ends of one of the couches. After we sat down on the other couch, two more adults walked in to the room. One was a middle-aged large man with neatly trimmed brown hair and mustache. The other was a young woman with bleach-blond hair.

“Amber, Kim, this is Jeff and Sonya,” said Steve. “Jeff doesn’t usually work on Fridays, but he’s filling in for Ruben tonight. Sonya is here Thursday through Sunday, and Jeff usually comes in Sunday through Wednesday. Ruben works Thursday through Saturday, Stephanie will be here Monday through Friday, and the two night staff alternate. Their names are Daniel and Parker. Confused yet?” he asked with a grin. Turning to look at Jeff and Sonya, he asked “Can I talk to you two in the Kitchen for a moment please?”

Jeff nodded, and he and Sonya followed Steve to the kitchen. Soon after, Angie walked into the family room and came to a stop in front of Michelle, who was sitting in the recliner. Michelle looked up and saw Angie was staring her down, and got up and moved to the other end of the couch Kim and I were sitting on. Angie sat down in the recliner, pulling the handle which released the foot rest.

“Angie,” said Jessica. “You can’t always get your way. If someone else is sitting there, just find another place to sit.”

“I like this chair. It doesn’t hurt my back like the couches do,” said Angie.

Steve, Jeff, and Sonya walked back into the family room followed by Stephanie, who sat on the arm of the other couch. “Now that everyone is here, I’d like to begin,” said Steve. Pointing at Stephanie, he continued. “This is Stephanie. She is Stacy’s replacement. She is a former client in Palm House. She was here a couple years after I first started working for Olive Crest. Give her the respect she deserves, and she will return in kind. Next, this is Juanita, Kim, and Amber,” he said, pointing at each of us as he called our name. “To put it mildly, you six have more in common than you might think upon first glance.”

Jessica looked at Kim and me. “I knew it!” she said. “I could feel it when I first met you two.”

Michelle had a confused look on her face. “Knew what?” she asked. “I don’t get it.”

Jessica looked over at Michelle and shook her head. “They’re like us.” When Michelle’s confused look still hadn’t gone away, Jessica sighed. “They used to be boys, honey.”

“Ooh. I get it now,” Michelle said, nodding with a smile. Angie and Jessica rolled their eyes.

Stephanie stood up. “I guess that’s where I come in,” she said. “Before I arrived here at Palm house over five years ago, I was lost, confused, and scared. I was a runaway, living on the streets, and I didn’t have anywhere to go. I was afraid of someone finding out I had once been a boy. So, I stayed alone."

Angie and Jessica’s eyes widened. Michelle was lightly rocking side to side to music in her head, obviously not paying attention to the conversation.

“After I changed, I found that I didn't have any family. It wasn’t until I met someone who believed me that I finally began to trust people again,” continued Stephanie. “Some time later, he convinced me to go to Orangewood. From there, I was placed here in Palm House. After I finished college a couple years ago, he asked me to go to work at Orangewood. Having just gotten a bachelor’s in social work, I had no problem getting hired. Then he asked me to keep an eye on any other girls like me who found themselves in Orangewood. I’m here to help you girls in whatever way I can. Since I have gone through what you girls are going through, I may have insight that the other staff do not have.” She turned and looked at Jeff and Sonya. “No offense.”

“None taken,” replied Sonya.

“Well, that’s that, as they say,” said Steve. “I need to get going, but I’ll see you girls bright and early on Monday morning.”

******

After Steve left, Kim and I returned to our room. Juanita and Angie remained in the living room, watching MTV, while Jessica and Michelle returned to their own room.

“Hey, Kim,” I began. “You said you wanted to be a girl before you transformed, right?

“Yeah, why?” she replied.

“How much do you know about girl’s fashion?”

“A bit, why do you ask?”

“Because if we’re going shopping tomorrow, I’m going to need help,” I said.

“Well, whatever I can’t help you with, I’m sure Stephanie can,” said Kim.

“I hadn’t thought about that,” I said. “Thanks for being my best friend, Kimmy.”

“You don’t need to thank me. We’re in this together.”

I closed the door and began stripping off my clothes to change into my pajamas, and Kim did the same. Ten minutes later, we were lying on our beds with the light off making small talk when someone knocked on our door.

“Come in,” Kim called out.

Stephanie opened the door and smiled. You two didn’t think you were going to get out of our nightly chats, did you?” she asked.

I chuckled. “Now that you won’t be working overnights, I hadn’t really thought about it,” I said.

“Well, I’ll still come say goodnight every night,” said Stephanie.

“Thanks Steph,” Kim said.

“You two get a good night sleep, and I’ll see you tomorrow for our little shopping trip.”

“Goodnight, Stephanie,” Kim and I said in unison.