Part Twenty   "Answers and Questions"

 
 
Wednesday 28th January
 

Joan and Tammy had spoken for a short while more but it was clear Joan did not have all the answers. They'd hardly spoken in the car on the return journey from the holiday and Tony had been excused classes on Tuesday. A meeting was convened at ten o'clock in Joan's office on Wednesday morning and this time the deputy head was present from the beginning.

Tammy hadn't been invited to this meeting but after half an hour she had been found and brought to them.

"Good morning everyone."

"Hello Miss Smart. Mrs Small asked you to come down, against my better judgement, as Mr Jenkins is not telling us anything."

"Sir, firstly I think it would be better to be informal here given the circumstances and cut the Mr-this Mrs-that crap for the next hour or whatever."

Joan's fact showed a smirk and Tony Jenkins could barely contain a laugh at Tammy's rudeness to a senior master.

"I should discipline you Miss Smart for that remark."

"But, why? You've called me down here because Tony is probably intimidated by you and Joan feels she can't do her job effectively because she'll have to play safe. Then you expect me to be all prim and proper with the appropriate respect, I'm not surprised Tony hasn't said anything worthwhile."

Tammy looked at Tony, he shook his head.

"Are you frightened?"

He nodded.

"Have you been re-assured that anything said here, unless it's against the school rules, stays in this room?"

"No."

"Then let's start with that. Sir, can we give Tony that promise?"

"I don't know."

"Then we've achieved nothing and Tony may as well go back to his classes."

"That may not be possible."

"Why not, is Tony guilty of any offence?"

"No. But he may tell us that he is."

Tammy, and Joan, laughed.

"Do you really expect him to self-incriminate?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Yes, his brother admitted it."

"We had suspicion and evidence. There is nothing at all to suggest Tony has done anything wrong. Perhaps you could come back in an hour and see where we've got to?"

Deputy Head Mr Thompson stood and left, firmly closing the door.

"Joan, I'm sorry if I just made things difficult for you, and sorry for being bolshy."

"That's okay, you just said what I wanted to say, and couldn't. Don't forget I'm on a three month probationary and this post is officially a trial that could end when you and Angela finish your exams."

"I didn't know."

There was an awkward silence, broken by Tony Jenkins.

"Tammy, I'm sorry I was rude in class last week, I'm finding it harder to be one of the boys."

Tammy looked at Joan, who nodded her approval, before shuffling herself along the sofa and taking Tony's hands.

"Are you Lori?"

"Yes."

"It's a lovely name, where did it come from?"

"I found out two or three years ago that the name mum and dad would have called me if I'd been born a girl was Lorraine. I shortened it and thought it was my secret name."

"How did Ryan find out?"

"I don't know, I mean I don't have any clothes or girly stuff at all. The only thing I've done is to write a diary and Lori's thoughts are in there. The thing is, more recently, her thoughts and Tony's thoughts have been the same."

"They were different?"

"Yes, Tony would think in one way and Lori would disagree."

"So who's speaking now?"

"Lori."

"Not Tony?"

"No, I mean it's not that simple and I don't have a split personality."

"It started to sound like that."

"Sorry, what I meant was that I, as Tony, was expected to behave like a typical boy even when I knew I shouldn't."

"Where's this diary, Lori?"

"On my laptop. Oh." Lori's hands went to her head.

"What is it?"

"Ryan borrowed my laptop over Christmas because he left his one here. He must have found my diary."

Lori held her head in her hands.

"Oh bugger."

She started to cry, Tammy pulled a couple of tissues out of a nearby box and handed them to Lori, noting how she dabbed her eyes instead of roughly wiping across them.

"If he tells mum, I'm ruined."

"I think Ryan's got other things to worry about."

"No, I wrote an entry a few months ago about how it would be great for Lori to have a little sister instead of my annoying brother. How much did he read?"

"Lori, we'll have to assume that he read the whole diary. Is there anything in there that might explain his actions?"

"Apart from him trying to please me by becoming my sister? Just imagine what he could have done if I'd given him his full allowance!"

Joan intervened. "Why did you only give him a few pounds?"

"He's always been awful with money, so I'm trying to teach him financial management. This year he gets fifteen pounds a week and I get twenty. If he spends three pounds then I put twelve pounds aside. Since September his pot has grown to about one hundred and fifty pounds."

"If he needed this money he could have it?"

"Yes, and if I refuse he can speak to mum or dad and they'd tell me to release it."

"They know what you're doing?"

"Yes, we agreed it last summer."

"What about your allowance?"

"I've hardly spent any of it, I figured that I would eventually want to build a female wardrobe, even if it's just me in my own flat that sees it. That money would be outside of my normal budget."

"Do you have cash in your room?"

"Not much, just some one and two pound coins for Ryan. Everything else is in a variety of accounts that I manage online. If Ryan needed more than a tenner then I'd transfer it to his card."

Joan didn't ask another question so Tammy tried something.

"Lori, what size are you?"

She blushed.

"I don't know."

"Joan, do you have a tape measure?"

"Yes, in my emergency sewing kit." She went to a filing cabinet and pulled open the bottom drawer, removing first a small wicker basket and then a kettle, three cups and a jar of coffee.

"Hot drink?"

Joan handed over the clothing measure then went back to fill the kettle from a water jug and switch it on. Tammy asked Lori to stand and remove her blazer.

"Arms up!"

She has done ten seconds later, Lori sat back down.

"Right, thirty six, thirty two, thirty four. That's about a size sixteen, perhaps you could get away with a fourteen in some things. Joan, what size were the clothes that were found in Ryan's room?"

"Tens and twelves."

"So none would have fitted Lori? We can therefore exclude Ryan stealing anything for his big sister?"

"Correct.

There was a knock on the door, Tammy stood to open it.

"Hello Mrs Adams."

"Tammy, Julianne found a mug in the conference room on Monday and put it on our tea tray, here it is. I guess you'll be in here long enough to need coffee too, has Joan put the kettle on yet?"

"Yes she's just done that, thanks for finding it."

"I knew whose it was when I saw it, Julianne had no clue. Apparently you saw her sister yesterday, she's telling everyone."

"That bitch! Oops, sorry."

"Mr Thompson walked in on her so she's on a warning. Don't worry, she hasn't said anything really personal yet."

"What do you mean by 'really personal'?"

"Well, like why you went to the doctor?"

"That does sound personal to me."

There was a cough from behind Tammy, she turned around to see Joan putting coffee cups on the coffee table.

"Sorry Janet, got to go."

"Hold on a mo...." Janet dashed to her office and was back in under a minute. Tammy stepped outside the office and closed the door behind her as the bell had just rung. As if on cue a horde of students came past, ever curious as to why the red 'occupied' light was on.

Janet returned with a familiar orange packet.

"Hob Nobs, thank you!"

"It's for the sugar boost, you'll need it if you're spending too long in there!"

"Thanks, must get back in there."

"I'll do some digging into where she got her information as I don't think her sister would break a confidence."

"I would hope not. Bye."

Tammy returned to the sofa, putting her own mug and the biscuits on the table before picking up the coffee Joan had just made. It didn't take long for the packet to be opened and a few biccies dunked. Conversation was put on hold temporarily.

"Mrs Small?"

"You can call me Joan, Lori, while we're in my office."

"Thank you Joan, what will you say to Mr Thompson?"

"That depends on you. I think it's fair enough to say that you could be transgendered but you don't want to transition yet?"

"Yes."

"So no special facilities have to be arranged. What we do need to do, however, is make certain that you're healthy; that includes your mental health."

"So I'm nuts?"

"No, as Tammy and my daughter Angela will tell you, seeing a psychologist is an important first step, even if you choose to go no further."

"Joan's right. Do you have a doctor?"

"Just the one the school arranges."

"That would be Dr Hoskins then. I think you need to see Dr Sutherland and get a referral to see Jill Davison."

"Tammy, is it fair to let Jill loose on Lori?"

Tammy put her coffee down.

"Don't worry Joan, I'll tell her not to bite!"

"Tammy, you're worrying me."

"Sorry, Lori, Jill and I don't always agree. Anyway, we are being serious when we suggest that you see her, but it has to be as a referral from the GP under normal circumstances."

"Normal circumstances?"

"In my case she saw me in the shop and told me she'd arrange an appointment. Dr Hoskins was most upset when he found out I'd bypassed him, and it wasn't even my fault."

Tammy thought back to how Angela was introduced to Jill, not long after she'd thrown herself out of a window. Perhaps that shouldn't be mentioned just now. She picked up her coffee to finish it.

"Tammy, Lori and I can discuss the rest without your help, but thank you for helping."

"That's okay, I'm glad to help."

Tammy was already on her feet, Lori now stood and gave Tammy a hug.

"Thank you." There was a kiss on Tammy's cheek.

Tammy stepped out of the office, holding her personal mug. It was morning break so there were a few boys around but voices were kept low, just above whispering level. The most common phrase Tammy heard was "hello Miss" as they walked by, they earned a smile in response.

She made her way to the sixth form common room just as it was clearing at the end of break. Tammy had a study period next but doubted if she would have made it to a class either because she was emotionally drained. Tammy made a coffee and found a seat, sinking into it.

Tony Jenkins found Tammy there twenty minutes later, fast asleep with a full mug of cold coffee nearby. Tony went to make himself a drink and made enough noise for Tammy to stir.

"Hi Lori, she let you out?"

"Hi Tammy, yes, but it'll have to be Tony here, right?"

"Sure. Did I fall off?"

"Snoring like a beauty when I came in."

"I don't snore!"

"Yes you do!"

Angela had come into the room as this exchange started to collect her bag.

"She does snore, I have first hand experience."

***

Tammy had a business studies class just before lunch and looked likely to stay awake throughout the lesson thanks to the freshly made coffee that she had finished, this time.

Mr Carmichael was taking the lesson as usual.

"Miss Smart, as you weren't here yesterday you won't know about the homework."

"No sir, I don't believe anyone emailed me about it."

"I'll give you an extra day to complete it so you have until Friday, come and collect it from me at the end of the lesson. Everyone else, the deadline of tomorrow morning stands."

The lesson continued, continuing the theme that had started a few weeks earlier; revision. In practice this meant going back over topics that had been covered the previous year, especially if these topics were guaranteed to be in the exams.

"A reminder, just before half term and again before Easter we will be taking mock exams under full exam conditions using previous years' papers."

There was a very audible groan from the students, which now included perhaps two girls. Most now shuffled out of the room, on their way to lunch. Tammy approached the master's desk to receive her homework.

"There is no homework for you, but I didn't want another incident alleging one rule for the boys and another for the girls."

"I can't see that happening again, Sir." Not considering which wag had suggested it last time. "But why don't I have any work?"

"I had a request from Mr Thompson to give you a couple of easy days, other masters have apparently been given the same request. I don't understand why, however."

"I think I do Sir, and it may be connected to my Doctor's appointment yesterday."

"I see. Normal homework for the weekend though, you don't get away with that one."

"Of course not, Sir."

Tammy now followed the rest of the crowd to the refectory and joined a lengthening queue. She'd decided that a salad was sufficient seeing how there would be an evening dinner, as usual, plus the queue was going so slow she might not have chance to eat a full plate.

As it was, she'd barely sat down when her attention was caught by Mr Thompson.

"Thank you for your help this morning and I won't be disciplining you for your little outburst."

"I apologise regardless, Sir, but once everything was calm we were able to talk freely."

"So Mrs Small explained. She also told be that you have a medical issue at the moment that's affecting you. I've asked the teaching staff to give you a couple of days of light work."

"Thank you Sir, hopefully my new tablets will kick in by the weekend."

"Ah, yes. I caught Julianne Sutherland telling everyone that you had a prescription yesterday."

"Her family own the pharmacy on Traill Street."

"You might like to deal with that yourself, Miss Sutherland is on a warning."

"Thank you Sir."

"Go back to your salad, before it warms up."