Chapter 26

Mr Weston smiled as he spoke.

“Well young lady, how has your first day gone?”

Ellie smiled as she replied.

“Okay so far. Billy’s been really good but the rest of the class are still undecided.”

“Good for Billy. And I hear you’re still prepared to run track.”

Ellie nodded and the gym master beamed happily. Then he adopted a more serious note.

“Uuhm, will you be uuhm, you know, taking hormones and stuff.”

“Ellie pulled a wry smile.

“Not yet, Doctor Williams and the specialist may put me on hormone blockers for a couple of years to arrest puberty but she says I should still have my athleticism for a couple of years up until about seventeen. Then the boys will leave me behind. There’s no certainty exactly when that will be.”

“And what about the cycling?”

“Don’t know yet, if I keep my weight down that can still be an advantage on the bike. I have to go for tests after school on Thursday and I should have some better answers after that.”

Ellie actually felt a little sorry for the man who had once been her main tormentor but who was now one of her main allies. Bizarrely, now he had proven to be almost human, Ellie actually felt she was betraying him; letting him down. Tom Weston’s gentle sigh said it all. For a sports teacher to have a real athletic prospect pass through one’s hands and then have it all destroyed because of far more important life issues had brought home the message of gender and sexuality to Tom Weston in no uncertain terms. He was a changed man. He touched again on the cycling more hopefully.

“So sport has not completely lost you then.”

“Not yet. I’ll be down on the athletics track after school this afternoon cos the evenings are lighter now and it’s safe to ride home quite late.”

Tom Weston smiled happily. The school would have at least one and possibly two more years of winning ways at County meets if Ellie continued with her current progress in the hundred and two-hundred metres. He bid her good morning and Ellie was left alone in the library. She opened her lap-top and went online to occupy her time. She became so engrossed in an article about transitioning that she failed to hear Marjorie Spencer enter the library.

“What choo reading?” Asked Marjorie as Ellie started with surprise at the sound of her voice.

“Transitioning stuff.”

“Is that about being a girl?”

Ellie wasn’t going to try to elaborate so she just nodded as she quickly opened a different page regarding the law. She had closed the page about hormones and drug treatments because she knew it would be way above Marjorie’s head. By opening the page about the legal aspects she was deliberately drawing Marjorie in so as to at least make Marjorie aware of stuff like toilets and transphobic bullying. As the page dropped down Ellie deliberately clicked on ‘lavatorial visits’ and transgendered rights while Marjorie leaned in to get a better look. Ellie felt her reading over her shoulder so she just rested her head in her hands as Marjorie leaned in closer to read the article. When she finished there was a silent pause as Marjorie digested the facts then she asked.

“Is that really true; when you’re dressed as a woman you are supposed to use the women’s toilets?”

“That’s what it says. In fact I could be accused of breaking the law by disturbing the peace if I went in the men’s toilets.”

“Even though you’ve still got your di- ... you have still got it haven’t you?”

“For now, yes.”

“When you going for the op then?”

Ellie toyed with Marjorie a bit.

“Dunno’ yet. Doctors say I’ve got to live like a girl for at least two years, even then they might not say yes.”

“But you look like a girl ... even now already, an’ quite a pretty one too.”

Ellie was quite surprised by this admission from the prettiest girl in their year, if not the whole school.

“Why thanks Marjorie, that’s really nice. D’you really think so?”

Marjorie was nothing if not a good judge of female beauty and male responses. She let out a snort before repeating.

“Shit yes Ellie! Just wait until lunch time when the boys see you in the yard. Stick by me and I’ll tell you which ones fancy you. Didn’t you notice during assembly this morning? The whole of years twelve and thirteen boys were bug eyed trying to clock you”

“No not really, but anyway, they didn’t know who I was then. By lunch time it’ll be all around the school.”

“Are you afraid then?”

Ellie nodded.

“Yes, a bit. Not sure I’ll be out and about during lunch break. Miss Postlethwaite has acquired a special consent for me to work in the library during breaks.”

Marjorie shrugged.

“You gorra’ go out sometime; may as well be sooner rather than later. At least if you stick with me you’ll get some protection.”

“Billy says he’ll stick by me.”

“Yeah, he’s kinda’ nice like that but he won’t be able to protect you from the girls.”

“Will you? How would you protect me from years twelve and thirteen?”

Marjorie swaggered.

“Hey! This bitch is queen bee okay!”

Ellie smiled but she wasn’t convinced.

“Why are you doing this Marge’? I mean you’ve got nothing to gain. As you say, you’re queen bee so why would you want to be associated with a freak like me?”

Marjorie settled her butt on the table and leaned forward as she lowered her voice. Her action inevitably drew Ellie in closer and as the two leaned in Marjorie spoke softly.

“Listen Ellie, I’ve got a younger sister two years below us.”

“Yeah, Francine, I know her. Looks like she’s going to be as pretty as you someday. You’ve got competition there.”
Marjorie frowned and replied.

“Well that’s where you’re wrong Ellie, I haven’t.”

“I don’t follow you.” Ellie replied.

Marjorie sighed impatiently.

“God you can be thick sometimes. I’m saying Francine is no competition to me. Can’t you get it?”

For a second Ellie failed to grasp the implication then it filtered through like the sun in a cloudy dawn. Ellie’s eyes widened as uncertainty fought with understanding. She grasped the meaning of Marjorie’s words but not the exact circumstance as she realised Marjorie was talking about LGBT issues.

“Oh shit! You mean ... you mean she's Trans as well.”

“No you crazy, bloody Muppet; she’s gay.”

“Oh.”

“Is that all you’ve got to say; oh?”

“So what else d’you expect me to say? She’s gay, so what. Most of the kids in the Literature society are gay. It’s no big deal. People are over gay, it’s ‘trans’ that’s the big issue these days.”

“Yeah,” Marjorie nodded. “I know that just as well as you do. Francine joined the literature club just before the end of last term. Everybody knows it’s the surrogate gay club.”

Ellie shrugged; she felt there was little more to be said but Marjorie had a further agenda. She spoke again.

“I won’t be here after next year.”

“Oh, why not, you’re good academically.”

“Yeah that’s as maybe. I’m not like you or Billy or Charlotte. I’m not cut out for university. I’ve got on a training course for a bank. The banks are moving away from graduate entry for the mainstream training, they are going back to the old system like apprenticeships. It means I’ll be paid while I’m training and if I prove good enough, I join their graduate entrants two years down the road. It means they pay for me to go to uni instead of running up huge debts.”

“Good for you,” Ellie observed, “but what’s this got to do with me and you’re protecting this freaky tee-girl?” Ellie raised her arms and pointed her two forefingers inwards to her own artificial boobs to emphasise ‘tee-girl’.

“I would like you to mentor Francine.” Marjorie replied. “Oh, and protect her a bit when I’ve gone. You’ll be here for another two years so by then Francine will be able to fend for herself.”

The light popped in Ellie’s brain.

“Aahh! I see now. You protect me this term and next year and then I protect Francine for the remainder of the time I’m at this school; that’s two years after you’ve left while I only get your protection for a term and a year.”

“Yeah but after I’m gone, you’ll be in year twelve with all the privileges. Besides, seventeen-year-old girls don’t tend to fight, leastways the intelligent ones don’t. You’ll be safe next year at just sixteen and by then your Trans thing will be old hat.”

Ellie squinted at Marjorie as she re-evaluated her opinion of the stunningly beautiful blond.

‘She was not such a bimbo after all!’ Ellie realised. ‘The deal Marjorie was offering was a fair one. Besides, the gay kids did not get much hassle, well the lesbians didn’t. There were the occasional ructions when a boy was attracted to one of the ‘lipstick lesbians’ and tried to press his case a little too ardently.’

Ellie was summing up the deal and concluded that Francine could well need protection or more correctly support when she turned out as pretty as Marjorie. The boys would be flocking around like bees at a honey pot and that could be more than just irritating to a lesbian girl still finding her way. Ellie concluded that Marjorie’s offer was a fair deal so she nodded agreement.

“Okay then, but I can’t promise full time protection and stuff. I mean we’re in different classes.”

“That’s okay,” Marjorie grinned, “it’s not like this place is the world’s toughest prison. Anyway you should start hanging around
with the literary club; you’ll garnish some sort of protection from that quarter as well.”

Ellie smirked.

“You mean like ‘All queers together.’? Can’t say I fancy that idea. I’m not gay and I’ve got my own row to hoe.”

“Yeah, but it’s a lonely row; I don’t know of any other trans pupils. Better if you keep friendly with the gays, I think you’ll get more sympathy in that quarter. The words are LGBT not just LGB! You’re the missing Tee.”

“Not sure I need sympathy,” Ellie protested mildly. “All I want is to be left alone and not bothered.”

“Yeah but that’s just it isn’t it; they won’t leave alone will they; cos your different.”

Marjorie frowned as she searched for a more suitable expression.

“Alright then, maybe empathy’s a better word. The gays will at least have a better understand of where you’re coming from. Come on, let’s go and get lunch. If we’re early, we can grab a small table and nobody can hassle us.”

They arrived at the canteen before classes had finished and took a window seat in one corner. It was several minutes before other classes arrived and the rush began. In the middle of the rush Billy appeared and hesitated questioningly. Marjorie nodded consent so he pulled up a seat from another empty table.

“Hello you two,” he observed uncertainly, “didn’t expect you two to be best of friends.”

Ellie leaned back nervously as she anticipated an explosion from Marjorie but none came. Instead Marjorie just smiled and replied.
“We had stuff to discuss Billy, girl stuff as it happens.”

Ellie was impressed. Marjorie’s smile was just about the most beautiful thing Ellie had seen for a long time and it totally won Billy over. He blushed with embarrassment then shrank back into his seat with his back to the rest of the canteen. It was Marjorie’s turn to wonder as she asked Billy a similar question.

“Aren’t you afraid to be seen with the freak?”

Billy shrugged and gave as good as he got.

“No less afraid than you Marje.”

Marjorie grinned as she agreed.

“Touché’, Elle’ said you had agreed to stand by her.”

Billy grinned again.

“Glad you’re using the correct pronouns Marge’ and yes; I am standing by her. She’s still on the team and still faster than any other boy in the lower school.”

At these words Billy turned to Ellie and asked.

“That’s what I’m here for. Mr Weston says you’re coming to Athletics after school. Is that right?”

Ellie nodded, said ‘yes’, then smiled as sweetly as she knew how. Billy started to blush slightly and quickly left to join the food queue. As he stepped away Marjorie stared to giggle.

“My god you’re a tart. That was a brilliant smile. You learn quickly girl! Jus’ look at him, he’s still fidgeting with his trousers.”

Ellie joined in the giggle as they shared the girlie delight and Marjorie added.

“We can twist them around our little fingers you know.”

“Yeah! Welcome to girlie-hood Ellie Thomas.” Ellie spluttered as they shared their amusement and pleasure.

They were still giggling when Billy returned from the food queue but he put it down to girls always giggling.After they had finished their lunch-time snack, and while Billy was still eating the huge portion he had acquired for himself, the girls vacated their table. Dozens of male eyes followed them as they stepped into the corridor. Marge turned to Ellie.

“Jus’ look at them, like puppy dogs watching food; and all because two pretty girls walk past.”

Ellie found it hard to get over the attention and hesitated by the corridor. Marjorie tugged her arm impatiently.

“Get used to it girl, are you comin’ to the loo? Now’s as good as any time. Everybody’s in the dining room.”

Ellie frowned then conceded.

“Yeah. May as well, you can teach me some toilet etiquette.”

Marjorie snorted again.

“Huh. There’s no etiquette in these loos girl. It all hangs out here. No secrets and lots of sharing. If you’re gonna’ get girlie hassle, this’ll be the place.”

They stepped boldly inside and Marjorie explained the basics.

“Firstly sister, we always go in pairs or more. That prevents any bullying. Secondly girl’s loos are used more for socialising than bodily stuff. Jus’ look at the mirrors. That tells you what it’s really about.”

As she explained, Marjorie leant into one of the mirrors and touched up her make-up. Ellie looked slightly askance.

“I thought the school rule said no make-up.”

Marjorie grinned.

“Take a close look sister. D’you see any make-up.”

At a distance Marjorie appeared to be clear of make-up but when Ellie leaned close in she could just discern the faintest traces. Ellie had to admire Marjorie’s subtlety. It was almost invisible. Marjorie smiled.

“We all do it. The male teachers don’t notice and most of the female teachers are sympathetic. Only the dragon lady occasionally spots it but she deals mainly with the years twelve and thirteen. Besides, she’s over sixty and her eyesight isn’t that good.”

Marjorie turned to Ellie.

“Have you got any make-up with you?”

Ellie wagged her head and Marjorie’s eyebrows lifted in mild appreciation.

“Gosh, then you’re even prettier that I thought. You’ve got nice colouring. How come we missed that when you were a boy?”

“I don’t suppose you were looking. I was just one of the geeky nerds who travelled below the radar.”

“Yeah, until the exam results came out.”

Their chat was interrupted as some other girls entered. They were year seven girls who were not yet aware of Ellie’s circumstances so the older pair ignored the younger girls and left for the yard. Marjorie unthinkingly took her favourite spot overlooking the main yard and the sports field and the pair settle down to chat. Marjorie grinned.

“You can see everything that’s going on from here and you’re in full view. Nobody’s gonna’ make trouble for you here. It’s too public.”

Ellie took station beside Marjorie and they chatted easily until other girls started to filter from the dining hall. Eventually Ellie spotted some of their contemporaries emerging and she shifted uncertainly. Marjorie had also spotted them and she squeezed Ellie’s shoulder.

“Just act like it’s normal to be sitting by me. Look they’re coming over.”

Ellie looked nervously and her glance encompassed several girls from her year and several from years twelve and thirteen. She recognised them as a gang of trouble-makers so she turned to Marjorie and asked.

“Will you watch my back?”

Marjorie smiled again.

“Hey, Ellie. These aren’t boys, they’re girls, if there’s any aggro it’ll be words not punches.”

“Well just stick by me, please.”

Marjorie grinned.

“Just pretend we’re busy talking while I give Billy a call on my mobile.”

Marjorie had recognised that Ellie was trying to avoid confrontation by avoiding eye contact so she suggested they take out their homework books under the pretence of addressing some issue. The books would hide her texting Billy.

Eventually the gaggle of girls arrived at the low wall and Ellie realised that Marjorie had picked her spot well. The other girls could not surround them because of the wall and the two cherry trees that formed the sides of the bower. They could only occupy the space in front of the pair. Ellie realised that she and Marjorie were virtually sat like monarchs receiving petitioners. This position gave her some confidence because any commentators would have to face her as they spoke.

Marjorie had finished ‘texting’ Billy and pointedly looked up from the exercise book as she spoke easily.

“Hi girls. You’re late.”

“What choo’ doin talking to her?” Asked a girl from the higher form.

“Sorting out a maths problem, why?”

She casually lowered the book to reveal the page with a trigonometry problem.

This simple answer disarmed the questioner for it had already reset the agenda. If the girl wanted to re-open the gender issue she would have to bring the conversation back to Ellie and her gender. That would leave her open to the charge of transphobia and she felt uncertain about progressing the argument on her own. She glanced around at her cronies looking for support.

While Ellie squirmed inwardly, Marjorie exuded total confidence as she leaned back comfortably against the tree on her side and raised her legs to lounge easily with one knee up and the other along the wall. It was her demonstration to reinforce her queenship. Eventually, after some uncertain shuffling, another girl ventured.

“Why d’you stick around with that weirdo?”

Marjorie replied easily.

“Why do you stick around with the ugly sisters?”

The girl although quite pretty herself, glared at Marjorie for it was true, several of the gang were reckoned to be the worst lookers in the school. She snapped back at her.

“You’re a bitch; some girls can’t help their looks,”

“Nor can this girl help her gender.”

This brutally simple logic was not lost on some of the gang and the logic started to form fissures in their unity. Marjorie pressed her argument.

“So who’s being the bitch? Me for protecting Ellie or you for making her condition an issue?”

“She’s still a freak an’ always will be.”

“Yeah, and some of you will always be ugly but at least Ellie tries to make something of what she’s got. When you lot crossed the yard jus’ now I thought it was a herd of hippo approaching.”

Ellie sensed that Marjorie might have overstepped the mark by introducing ‘looks and beauty’ into the argument. The mood started turning nasty for some of the gang were real ‘bruisers’ with unfortunate countenances. Looking for an escape route, Ellie cautiously glanced behind the wall to estimate the drop. The distance was not too far and the landing was grass so she tried to catch Marjorie’s eye. Only then did she notice that Marjorie was looking across the yard. She followed Marjorie’s gaze and to Ellie’s intense relief, Billy and a couple of the more intelligent members of the rugby team were approaching. Marjorie had cut it a bit fine.

~~ooo000ooo~~