Chapter 8 (Revised)   Simon Jones is Eve Jones. But she didn't know.

 
 
Previously:

Eve Jones, formerly Simon, has been outed at her school, for the wrong reasons. She faces a wait before finding out if chemotherapy is needed because pf the tumour.

Now the story continues.

 
 
Eve Chapter 8
 

I woke on Tuesday at 7am as usual and lingered long enough to hear the radio news before dashing to the bathroom. Somewhat refreshed I walked downstairs where mum was filling the coffee pot.

"Good morning, how did you sleep?"

After a giving mum a kiss, I mentioned I'd had a dream but otherwise it was a good night. She picked up my dream diary and handed it to me, "now write about the dream" she said, emphasising the words, as if it was an order.

I wrote quickly and in as much detail as I could manage. Again I was surprised how much I had written, including the nasty ending. Mum took the diary back but said nothing after scanning my writing.

We had some breakfast, cereal and yoghurt today; I was still on a healthy diet, apparently. Mum said she'd make an internet grocery order for delivery tomorrow afternoon or thursday to restock then I was sent up to the shower. First I checked in the mirror, I still didn't need a shave. I was also only a little sore when I had a pee, obviously the antibiotics were working. After my shower I walked into my bedroom wearing a towel round my waist, as I'd always done.

"Eve, thats not the way to wear a towel."

She pulled it off me and then wrapped it again, covering my chest as well. Once again I felt my chest itch against the towel, but didn't mention it. Why should I?

"That's better. Remember that for next time. Now take the towel off and get dressed.

On my bed was a long skirt and long-sleeved blouse.

"Mum, do I have to? I'm not sore now, Can't I put some underwear on?"

"Eve, you are to follow doctor's orders. No underwear before Friday."

Resigned to my fate I put on a half-slip, chemise and then the blouse and skirt she'd selected. I wondered silently why she hadn't included a bra, given all the other female clothing. She put a little makeup on me, my bruise was clearing up now. The wig went on last, then a spray of perfume. I couldn't remember any doctor or hospital appointments today and asked mum why this was all necessary.

"Your tutor will be here in two hours and you have to finish your assignments. Mr Dixon will be here after dinner and we can expect to see the girls again."

I sat at the PC in my room, smoothing my skirt, before I first wrote my summary of the news presentation and then read the local newspaper. As I'd guessed the day before, I was one of the main topics. This time I had been named as Eve without reference to Simon. The journalist had tried to get a quote from the school or LEA without success and only managed to quote an 'unamed source' who got it mostly wrong. Question was, they shouldn't have named me at all.

I wrote my report as best I could and by 11am I had printed the two pieces, also saved to the memory stick.

I made myself a coffee, only my second of the day. Mum had a packet of oat cookies out and I wanted to pig myself but was told to only have two as I'd have to watch my figure. Figure?

Miss Scott arrived shortly after and took two more trips to her car to get my text books. She also had my coursework folders that had been submitted in June for the GCSE examinations. We sat down and she read through my assignments.

"What do you think of the way this newspaper story is written?"

"I didn't like it. The journalism was poor. The so-called facts were mostly lies or heresay."

"How do you know this?"

"IT WAS ABOUT ME!"

My tutor rose from her chair.

"Don't get angry with me young lady, otherwise I'm leaving. Now, I'm not sure I would accept your opinion without evidence."

Mum intervened. "I'm sorry, Miss Scott, but these stories are about my daughter and are subject to ongoing legal action. You can either take Eve's report as it stands or allocate something different. Either way, anything you learn here regarding Eve's personal circumstances remains confidential. I can provide my solicitor's name and number."

"I'm sorry Eve, Mrs Jones, I hadn't realised. Mrs Jones, all I was told was that your daughter was recuperating after a stay in hospital but no other details. There was a strange look on the faces of the office staff at the school however when I collected Eve's folders yesterday. The head of sixth form wouldn't see me and the bursar was unavailable."

Mum shook her head, Miss Bates continued.

"I finally spoke to the Parent & Teacher Liaison Officer who had no access to Eve's academic records and simply handed me these folders, sealed in an envelope, and a book list. I even had to go to Waterstones to get your text books, I'll add them to my bill. I haven't even been able to get copies of Eve's GCSE exam results. The LEA won't give me any further information, citing a new policy. This is most unusual."

I looked at the coursework folders. Where my name had been originally printed was a new sticker marked Eve L.S. Jones. Any trace of Simon had been covered. My former life was being erased one little bit at a time.

I walked upstairs and retrieved my exam results from a folder, the ones that had started this whole problem. Using my scanner I duplicated the clips, saving them onto the memory stick, and took the copies back down. She filed them after noting the grades.

Miss Scott then got back to business and we talked about how we would structure my work. As my access to the online learning would take a week to organise I was to start reading the text books and complete chapter one in the first book for each subject by Friday, when there would be a Q&A session. In the meantime I was to write a short story, 1500-2000 words. I considered using my life over the past few weeks as the basis but there was nothing short about it, or believable for that matter.

She gathered up my file and heading out the door, leaving me to start my work, although I put my pen down straight away as lunch was slightly more important. Mum, in the meantime, had been onto the Tesco website and booked a delivery for tomorrow afternoon.

After lunch I worked for three hours before checking my emails. I'd forgotten to check them for a few days. The email address was still down as Simon Jones of course and several friends had emailed me asking when I'd be back at school. One however, from a [email protected] threatened to out me to the local and national newspapers unless I put a video on Youtube and confessed all, outing myself. I wasn't entirely sure what I was supposed to confess, but I wouldn't have done it anyway. I didn't have a webcam.

I printed off the email twice and took it downstairs. Mum and I weren't surprised about this, it seemed to tie into the anonymous phone call and the rumours the girls had heard at school. Couldn't prove it though, not yet. I suppose this wouldn't be the last silly comment.

We didn't see the girls before we ate but at 7pm the girls, their mum Sharon and came to the kitchen door just after Mr Dixon arrived. Claire was carrying a carrier bag.

Mr Dixon queried why the others were present and I explained they had information he should hear. I also was happy for them to hear the legal stuff as they knew most of it already. He wasn't convinced but I was the client.

He went back through my statement that I'd given the previous lunchtime and asked me and mum to sign it. He tucked that away and then queried what had been said at school and what had happened at the hospital.

Mum and I recounted the events the previous morning at the hospital and included the fact that I needed a CT scan, and the possiblility of chemotherapy. We explained quickly that I was in a skirt because of doctor's advice and that with the wig covering my wound it was safer to dress completely female than to appear as a male in a frock. I added that the hospital had recorded me incorrectly as transgendered when I'd been admitted so the sight of me as a female would not cause any problems, in fact, the reverse, appearing as a male, would no doubt create questions. This was, I emphasised, a temporary situation.

My shrink and I would have an interesting chat on Thursday, I thought.

Of course while I said all of this I was dressed perfectly in a skirt and blouse, sat with my knees together and my hands on my lap. Very natural, for a girl.

Mr Dixon then asked Annie and Claire to describe what they had heard, and to name names. He promised that as they were minors their identities would be protected. He then asked their mum, Sharon, if he could visit her and the twins after school tomorrow to sign the printed statements.

He then discussed with mum and me how we'd proceed. First step was to wait for the outcome of the governors meeting when it was fully expected that the head would be dismissed. That would admit the required guilt, he claimed. He would then write once again to the school governors and the Local Education Authority to explain how they had failed me, both before the accident and since.

However, he did caution one thing. All of the legal letters had been issued under my full name. Any financial agreement would also be in favour of me as Eve, not Simon. I would therefore have to open a bank account as Eve. I had to remain as Eve for now, changing my name to remove Eve Lynn was simply not possible until the legal side was finished, however long that took. Mum confirmed that she would accept this, it wasn't my decision.

Life just became even more difficult. Every time I thought we were sorting things out, some other complication got in the way.

He also talked about how the school had permitted my character to be damaged by allowing the release of confidential information to the press and other third parties. He was somewhat concerned about the email, my tutor's comments and the anonymous phone call. There could be a link. Mum gave him one copy of the email and Miss Scott's contact details. After some pleasantries, he left.

Claire, who had been sat quietly, now bounced across the room to where I was sat, told me how brave I was and kissed me full on the lips, her tongue teasing me. When she let me go, I could see Sharon sat there not knowing what to think. Annie just giggled, as did my mum. Obviously Sharon hadn't been told we might be lovers or that Claire could possibly be a lesbian.

Claire reached down the side of the couch and picked up the carrier bag, she pulled out the few bits that I'd left in my locker at the end of the previous year. I was supposed to have emptied it, but was in too much of a hurry to worry, knowing I'd be back in September.

Mum asked Claire if she'd had any problems.

"No, I went to the bursar, Ms Holts, and she came with me to open the locker. I had the key you'd given me but did as you asked."

"Did she have any questions?"

"Only if I was a good friend of Eve."

"Not Simon?"

"No, Eve. Definitely."

Mum then took Sharon into the kitchen, poured them both a glass of wine (medicinal) and started explaining some of the background. Obviously the girls had been good to their word and hadn't told their mum a great deal.

In the meantime I finally worked up the courage to tell Claire I loved her.

"I know."

"I think we need to be careful."

"No argument there girlfriend'

All three of us girls collapsed into giggles. Hang on, us girls? What am I thinking.

Mum and Sharon eventually took nearly 45 minutes to finish whatever they were discussing and by the time the door opened at half-eight the wine bottle was also finished. Claire's face and neck, by now, were covered in lipstick marks, she didn't care.

"Come on girls, let's get home and have a chat."

Sharon took her daughters and gave me a kiss as she left. Claire walked away then turned quickly and sneaked another kiss, or two, from me.

Mum and I sat there quietly before she spoke.

"I think you've fallen in love with Claire. Have you told her?"

"Yes."

"Who does she love? Simon or Eve?"

"Eve." I said without pausing.

"I thought so."

With that, the subject was dropped.