The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 2301 by Angharad Copyright© 2014 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

Arriving home Danni snatched up the envelope with her name on and tore it open. “It’s my contract,” she said with glee.

“I’d like Jason to look at it before we sign anything.”

“What for, it’s only so I can play football for them.”

“I think you’ll find it’s a bit more involved than that.”

“But that’s all I want to do.”

“Danielle, sweetheart, we’ll have a look through it in a moment—now why don’t you go and change into your old clothes and I’ll get a cuppa and we’ll read through it together.”

She reluctantly agreed and trotted upstairs in her school uniform. At least she hadn’t complained about having to wear a skirt and tights as I thought she would. I had just settled in my study with a cuppa and her contract when she came and sat beside me.

Being a minor, it’s either Simon or I who have to sign it on her behalf. That miffed her immediately. I spotted several paragraphs that concerned me, including the fact that she can’t play for any other team without their consent and that means any team. So if she wishes to play for the school, or was chosen at county or international level, the club would have to agree to it. However, I couldn’t get her to see how encompassing that could be.

There were other things about gagging clauses and advertising sponsorship which concerned me as well, seeing as they won’t actually be paying her anything unless she makes the senior team.

Then when I told her I wasn’t signing any of it until Jason had seen it she flipped completely.

“You don’t love me, you’ve never loved me. All I’ve ever wanted to do is play soccer, but you never came to see me. It’s all your fault that I’m having to live as a stupid girl, you and all the other fuckin’ queers in this house.”

To say I was upset was a bit of an understatement and was grateful that Stella happened by as Danielle was in mid tirade.”

“Danielle, that’s enough, I think you’d better go up to your room and think about how you’re going to apologise to your mother.”

“My name’s Daniel, I’m not a fuckin’ girl, an’ she’s not my mother,” she screamed at Stella.

I stared in disbelief at Danielle. Then Stella slapped her. The shock shut her up before she gasped, “You hit me.”

“I know I hit you, you were hysterical. Now apologise to your mother and go up to your room.”

“You hit me.”

“I’m well aware of what I was doing, now unless you’d like me to hit you again apologise to your mother and go up to your room.” Danni just stood and stared at her rubbing her cheek. “NOW, young lady.”

“I’m sorry,” she said and went to walk away.

Stella was having none of it. “Apologise to your mother properly.”

Danni went absolutely scarlet and I wasn’t sure if it was temper or embarrassment. “I’m sorry, Mummy, I shouldn’t have shouted at you.”

I nodded my acceptance of the apology and she fled the room and ran up the stairs where her bedroom door was heard to slam a moment later.

“Did I miss something?” asked Stella as she closed the study door and sat next to me. I explained about the contract and my refusal to sign it before Jason had seen it. She agreed with me and told me that she’d seen nurses and medical staff tied up in contracts which shouldn’t have been allowed and which took a great deal of time, effort and money to resolve.

When I’d calmed down I went up to speak with Danielle, and no matter how much she might deny what she now was, she was a girl for the foreseeable future. If you remember I said she needed to do six months and if she was still unhappy, I’d see what we could do to reverse things—not that I felt we could really but I had made her a promise and would stand by it.

I knocked and entered her room, she was lying on the bed with mascara in rings round her eyes like someone from a silent film. I sat beside her. “I’m sorry if I disappointed you, but I’m trying to protect your interests not damage them.”

“I know,” she said very quietly.

“Also, I don’t feel it’s my fault that you have to live as a girl, or anyone else’s here. It’s just the way things turned out.”

“I know,” she said quietly again.

“I want you to be happy and I know how important football is to you, and I’m glad for you that you have this interest and I’d like you to play for a good team which enable you to develop your skills and potential to their optimum—but not at any price. All I want is for a legally trained person to look at the contract and advise us on whether or not we sign it or try to negotiate a better one.”

“Okay.”

“You’re agreeable to me doing that?”

“Yes.”

“Danielle, look me in the eye and say that.”

She remained lying prone on the bed. I had a very strange feeling about her. I touched her and knew immediately that she’d taken something. “How about some dinner?” I said moving away from the bed.

“Yeah,” she replied.

“I’ll go on ahead,” I said then dashed down the stairs. I found Stella and said what I thought had happened.

“What could she have taken?”

“I have no idea, the only thing she has is her oestrogen.”

“How many?”

“She has a month’s supply at a time.”

“If she took all of those they could kill her.”

“Really?”

“Oh yes. Get her sitting up and grab a bucket, I’ll bring up some salty water.” I ran into the kitchen grabbed one of the plastic buckets and dashed upstairs, Danni was lying as I’d left her.

“C’mon, kiddo, sit up for me,” I said as I manhandled her into a sitting position, Stella arrived a moment or two later and between us we forced her to drink the saline solution whereupon a minute or two later she threw up into the bucket—mostly. Floating among the food particles were a pile of pills, which being enteric coated, hadn’t dissolved.

For the next half an hour we stayed with her as she cried and vomited, but we saved her life, much to her apparent disgust. When we’d all calmed down I held her as she wept in my arms. I’d keep her home tomorrow and get Stephanie to see her as soon as she could. I told her she could stay home the next day and she began crying again.

“What’s the problem?”

“I don’t wanna stay home tomorrow.”

“Why not?”

“I’ve got soccer practice after school.”

“Very well, but I’m coming with you.”

“Okay,” she agreed.

“C’mon, dinner’s ready.”

“I’m not very hungry, Mummy.”

“Neither am I, kiddo, but David has spent hours cooking it so the least we can do is eat it. C’mon, have a try.”

She ate more than I did, but I did fax the contract through to Jason who replied an hour later and told me not to sign anything. He redrafted it and sent it back to me. It looked very similar but was far less constraining than the original. I signed it and told Danni I’d give it to them tomorrow, she cheered up visibly. I didn’t have the heart to tell her we'd altered it.

Tomorrow, the animal waste product would make contact with the atmospheric oscillator. I certainly can’t complain that my life is boring.