I was in my underwear sitting there in my wheelchair when the doorbell rang. We’d been having such a good time, trying on dresses and outfits that I completely forgot about the boys I’d invited over. I rolled myself down the hall and hopped out of the chair to get something on.

I was slowly working my way back to full strength, and it gave me enough endurance to get something on and get back into the seat. A pair of white shorts and a tank top were enough to cover my nudity, and wouldn’t cause any real problems with trying most of the styles.

“You have enough to share with the rest of the class,” Jasmine said with a smile. They were in the latest of my mother’s creations, but I could see how it would help having a couple of guys in the same room with us.

“I have another couple of tank tops, which I’m sure would fit, but I think I might be a little smaller down below.”

Kelly snorted at me, “have you seen yourself recently?”

“Yeah, if anything we’ll likely need to wear a belt to keep them on.”

I blushed a deep red as they giggled at me. I smiled at the two of them and finally joined in.

I grabbed a pair of teal shorts and a pair in yellow and tossed them to the other girls. Then I rolled out and allowed them to shut the door behind me. They’d been changing in front of me, so that wasn’t the problem. I just needed to play the hostess.

I rolled to a stop at the top of the stairs. “Hey guys,” I said with a smile. Sam and Jason smiled up the stairs at me. “Welcome to my home. Come on up.”

“I thought you only had eyes for Shawn,” my dad said from behind them.

“Dad!”

I ushered them into my mom’s studio, and they greeted the other girls. I watch the interactions between them with not a little jealousy. At least I was jealous until Shawn finally arrived. If I’d been capable I’d probably have given myself to him, mom-be-damned.

The problem was, like I’d mentioned to Mr. Riess on Friday… Of course I neglected to mention Friday with Mr. Reiss.

.-.. .. -. .   -... .-. . .- -.-
“So, AJ, tell me about Shawn.”

This was one of the most direct statements that I’d ever heard him make, and it led me into a very direct conversation. “I think I’m in love with him.”

“Not in lust?”

“Sure, I like the way his body looks, I’ll give you that, but it’s more the way he makes me feel.”

“Like a woman.”

“Exactly. I feel so feminine with him. It doesn’t matter what we talk about. I just feel so girly around him.”

“And you want to have sex with him to prove it.”

“Well…” I began, but couldn’t continue. I couldn’t lie to him. Well, I could lie, but it would set a bad precedent. So, I chose not to lie, or even think about lying. The other problem was I really didn’t know why I wanted so badly to have sex with Shawn. “Can’t it just be because I want to have sex?”

“Sure, I’ll accept that answer, as long as it’s your answer and not what you want me to hear.”

“How can I tell what I really want?”

“You are a young woman whose body is being flooded with hormones. Most teen girls are like that. They usually increase your sex drive, since they stimulate those areas of your brain and body. Physical contact can enhance the experience.”

“You mean like…”

“I mean kissing and handholding. It puts you into a false sense of intimacy.”

“But I thought handholding and kissing were intimacy,” I say with a blush.

“They are, and they aren’t. Girls can hold hands without any sexual connotation, and guys will, occasionally, hug without meaning anything by it. It is when you group it with intent that another meaning comes through.”

“Oh.”

“So, you intend to be ‘with’ someone and you kiss them and you start thinking that means they want to be with you, so you want to be with them more. It is a feedback loop.”

“How do I stop it?”

“You shouldn’t want to. It’s part of the reason that even with all the pain associated with it for the woman that the human species still propagates. We love to be loved.”

“Um…”

“Your first time is most likely going to be a little painful. Now you don’t have a hymen, so there’s that at least, but the muscles there will need to stretch a bit to accommodate him.”

I shifted uncomfortably on the seat. It’s not that I was sore still, even if I was a little, but more that I didn’t want to talk to any man about the mechanics of sex. That was really the first time I realized I was a girl inside. Yes, I was a girl physically, but this brought it home that I really was one mentally as well, emotionally speaking at least.

I would have felt a lot more comfortable talking about this with someone whose body was similar to mine.

“So, you want to have sex with Shawn because you feel you are an imposter, and that, to you, is the one true proof of your femininity.”

I just blushed and nodded at him.

“Well, then just have sex with him.”

“What? I can’t do that. I’m still healing, and my parents would never allow it, and I’m too young, and…”

“If it was up to your parents, they’d likely never want you to have sex. You’re their little girl.”

“I’m still too young.”

“He’s how old?”

“Eighteen.”

“Then, depending on a number of factors, yes he is, and no he isn’t too old for you.”

“What?”

“There are a number of factors there, but that’s only if someone finds out what’s going on. As long as your parents don’t report him, if they know, and you don’t, and you don’t get pregnant…” How could he even be suggesting this? It sounded as though he was telling me to have Shawn break the law.

“Ew, this conversation is just too much for me.”

“Don’t like the idea of getting pregnant?”

“Just not right now.”

“Then that answers the question of sex.”

“But, there are c…”

“Nothing is 100% guaranteed to prevent pregnancy except for abstinence. Any time you have sex, you are leaving yourself open to STDs, pregnancy, and everything else related to it.”

I looked down at my feet, blushing furiously, wanting to believe that he was wrong, but knowing he probably wasn’t.

“But I really want to.”

“Then you have to decide where you stand on the issue. It’s not my place to offer advice on this. Talk to your parents. They’re the ones responsible for you.”

.-.. .. -. .   -... .-. . .- -.-
Those words stuck with me and as I looked up into Shawn’s eyes, for a moment, I didn’t really care. Then he smiled and the moment was broken. My heart started beating again, and I could breathe normally.

He wheeled me into my Mom's studio and the real fun began. The three of us, the girls that is, we watched as our guys modeled some of the male clothing designs my Mom had been working on…well and changed clothing as well.

Our guys weren't the male model types, or even weightlifters or jocks, but they were right there with us, and I could tell by the flushed faces of my friends that they enjoyed the show in the same way that I did. At the end of the night all three were happy with their suits, even if they weren't in the normal colors that people associated with men's suits. They complemented the colors of our dresses, and the cut, while being completely masculine, meshed well with the style of our dresses. Mom even got some pictures of us before having us all change out of the clothing.

The other four all went home leaving me alone with Shawn and my parents. We were having a nice dinner when I started feeling a little sick to my stomach. I ignored it. I just pushed aside my plate and continued to enjoy my time with my parents and Shawn.

"Are you alright?" Shawn asked me at one point.

"Fine. Nothing that you can't cure."

He smiled and leaned in for a kiss. I met him halfway when I felt something…off down below. It felt a bit like I had wet sand in my underwear. There was red showing through the white shorts I was still wearing.

"Mom…!" I said just before a massive cramp doubled me over in my chair.

"AJ…" Shawn began before my Dad ushered him out of the room.

I was really scared. What if something had torn? And then mom was there just holding onto me, laughing a little bit.

"It's not funny." I said, trying not to get angry.

"It is very funny. Let's get you cleaned up and get you a pad and a clean change of clothing."

"A…pad? Oh." Suddenly I realized what had happened. And then, even with the cramping and the icky feeling in my panties, I smiled and a warm glow washed over me. I'd likely come to hate this in the future, especially with how I had basically no warning at all, but for right now I felt validated.

Mom helped me upstairs to my bathroom, as I didn't want to get blood on my wheelchair. That would simply be too gross. The idea of sitting in blood and tissue…ew…especially with it squidging around my backside right now.

I got in the shower and let the water run over me, cleansing me, removing the stain that I still felt like a ghost on my nethers.

I scrubbed myself clean, or as clean as I could with my condition still continuing. I got changed into a loose skirt and a nice clean pair of underwear, with a pad this time, and went down to enjoy the rest of my evening with Shawn. He took everything in stride, and spent a good part of the evening just holding me while we all talked.

.-.. .. -. .   -... .-. . .- -.-
I spent Sunday morning in the solarium again doing my morning ablutions, just watching the sunrise as it changed the world outside my window.

I didn't feel like doing much movement, but I knew that Caroline would be here soon for more exercise. She seems to be really blossoming through her regimen. Even if she hadn't lost any visible weight yet, that I could tell, she was happier about herself, and liking the paces I put her through in the pool. All too soon we'd have to move inside, or find a public pool to keep it all up, but in the meantime I wasn't going to pose an obstacle to her self-improvement.

Today, like the rest of the week, I sat out on one of the deck chairs getting some sun in a bikini while watching to make sure Caroline didn't hurt herself.

We had time for an extended session today, and since the sun liked me less than I liked her, after the first couple of hours I got out a terrycloth robe and put it on. I continued to watch Caroline, ensuring her safety.

"Let's go inside," I called out when the sun was high in the sky. She got out and wrapped one of the oversized beach towels around her chest.

She helped me to get my hair done after that, and then she went home. The rest of the day was spent doing my homework.

.-.. .. -. .   -... .-. . .- -.-
The next day was nothing out of the ordinary for me at this point: helping Caroline exercise, getready for school, attend school through the online portal, and then log off. I began to do my homework at that point, lying on my stomach on my bed.

I'd gone with some loose shorts and a fitted tee-shirt for my outfit today as I wasn't feeling my feminine best, even though I was still in the throes of the second most defining female function.

The first, of course, is pregnancy.

I smiled at my own silliness. Mr. Davies knocked on my open door.

"You have a moment, AJ?"

"Everything's fine, I hope."

"Yes, more than fine. I wanted to stop by and see how you were doing, and to tell you the good news in person."

"What good news?"

"They've dropped the case against you. I finally got this in front of a judge who was willing to recognize that the 'old boy's club' as he put it has had enough fun at your expense. He's issued a formal apology for your bad experience and is offering ten thousand dollars for emotional damages."

"Um…okay."

"I turned it down, saying it made a bad precedent to offer money where none was desired."

I giggled at that. Sure, I wouldn't mind the money, but I also didn't really feel that I deserved it.

"Phillip Haskins has been disbarred and is going to a disciplinary hearing later this week to see if criminal charges will be brought against him."

"Can we ask that nothing be done further to him? He's lost his job and reputation. Isn't that enough?"

"It's not up to us…"

"But can I speak on his behalf?"

"It is an open hearing, so you should be able to. Are you sure you want to?"

I lay there and thought about it for a couple of minutes. He'd made me strip in public. It was embarrassing, sure, but a part of me felt vindicated in doing it. Being a girl wasn't some costume I put on, and with my surgery correcting natures little mistake I felt confident in my ability to look like the young woman I am.

On the other hand, he hadn't listened to any opposing viewpoints. Wasn't a judge supposed to be unbiased?

"I don't want to see him go to jail over this. He was just as embarrassed as I was to have me naked there in his court."

"I'll find out when it is, then. I have something I'd like to speak about with your father."

Something about the look on his face frightened me. "Tell me what's going on."

"I didn't want to worry you…but Julian Thoreau is out on bail."

"I'm not worried," I say to him, but a little shiver passes through me.

"I'm going to ask your father to hire a bodyguard for you until he is convicted."

"I don't need a bodyguard."

"Would you allow any of your students to walk around unprotected except for their own skills?"

"No, but I'm not any of my students."

"Your students would never rely on their own abilities. And you'd never let them do so."

I grumbled a bit, but then recognized what he was saying was true. I nodded my acquiescence and he left to speak to my Dad.

.-.. .. -. .   -... .-. . .- -.-
On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday I went to school in my wheelchair with a 'nurse' pushing me from class to class. Her name was Karla and she was my bodyguard in everything but name.

Thursday afternoon we went to the hearing. Karla was there with me, pushing my chair like normal. We sat quietly in the back waiting for the proceedings to start. When Mr. Haskins came in he took one look at me and just glared. I smiled at him. Knowing the type of person he seemed to be, I'm sure that he assumed the worst about me being there. My smile confirmed his suspicions. A fit of giggles threatened to overtake me, which I'm sure wouldn't be properly appreciated at this proceeding.

Three men and a woman filed in and took seats at the front of the room. They explained why everyone was there, and what they hoped to accomplish with all of this.

The woman closed their opening remarks, "based upon the nature of the charge, we have chosen to forgo formal witness statements on this and will simply be offering our decision."

"If I might be permitted to say something," I said raising my hand. I was unsure of the proper procedure here.

"And you are?" one of the men asked.

"Anne-Jeanette Smith, your honors."

They whispered among themselves for a moment and then the woman spoke into her microphone again. "I'm sure that you'll be pleased with our decision in this matter."

"If you haven't asked me, then how do you know?"

"She has a point there, Marjorie. Step forward, Miss, and tell us what you have to say."

Karla rolled me up next to the podium and tilted the mic down so I could speak into it.

"I've only ever met Mr. Haskins once. That was on the unfortunate day on which I was being accused of attempted murder, criminal trespass, and anything else a desperate bailiff could get thrown at me. As this bailiff was a member of the court where I was being charged, I can only assume that Mr. Haskins was a friend with the bailiff Mr. Thoreau.

"While that doesn't excuse his behavior, it does help you explain it a little."

"How do you mean?" stated the man who'd asked me to come forward.

"My actions in, and out, of court previous to my recent transformation are somewhat infamous. You may have heard of me as Aaron Joel Smith, AJ Smith, or possibly even Valkyrie." I blushed as I said the last one.

"You're the Valkyrie?" the woman on the end said in shock. "But you're in a wheelchair."

"Oh, this. It is to make it easier to get around while I recover from a corrective surgery. I should be able to get back to light exercise within the next few days, if my doctor Okays it."

"Continue."

"Do you need me to mention any of the crimes I've been convicted with?"

"No, we're all very familiar with your case, now that you mention your other name…in fact I thought your name sounded familiar, but your simple feminity put me off. I expected…"

"Someone more 'butch?'" I completed for him, air-quotes included.

He had the decency to blush and I giggled.

"When I stopped fighting it all seemed to come naturally to me," I replied with a slight smirk. I got general laughter at that statement.

"So, I went to court fully expecting something to happen. It was embarrassing, yes, and uncalled for. But I can understand Mr. Haskins reasoning. Does that excuse his behavior? Of course it doesn't, but he's already ruined his reputation and lost his livelihood. I know it's not really my place to dictate what you do in this hearing, but I personally feel that he's suffered enough."

"I'm sorry to say that I can't agree with you," the man who'd first asked me to speak replied. "He was in a position of authority over you. As such, his actions fall directly into the category of harassment, and given the nature of said harassment, it could be construed as sexual in nature. As you're a minor, that requires an enhancement from a Class A misdemeanor to a third class felony."

My mouth dropped open at his pronouncement.

"You are a very forgiving young lady with a good sense of empathy. I appreciate that, and hope that you keep that with you on the road ahead. However, I cannot condone this…man's actions. If you were my daughter, I would likely have throttled him on the spot." He smiled to show he was joking, but he was showing way too many teeth. He reminded me of some of the people I'd fought over the years.

"Phillip Haskins, we find enough evidence to hold you over for trial on the charge of Gross Sexual Misconduct with a Minor. Miss Smith's plea will be entered into the record and taken into consideration at such time as sentence is handed down, should you be convicted. Bailiff, take Mr. Haskins into custody."

I was a bit numb afterwards and not even a night with Shawn was able to break me from my funk. I did try to put on a happy face for him, though, and we talked a bit about his plans for the dance the next day. Jasmine, Katie, Sam and Jason all showed up during different points of the evening to pick up their clothing.

We chatted for a bit with each one, but my funk put a damper on any festivities there might have been. I went to sleep later that night, having finally put the decision they'd made behind me. I had only one thing at the forefront of my mind as I drifted off; tomorrow evening was the school dance.