Chapter 12

Meanwhile, back at the ranch (yeah, yeah I know – but the writer of this fine story has always wanted to say that) Fran, Jessica, Sandy and Mary were all sitting at the kitchen table discussing the ‘Em Situation’.

“I’m sorry everyone, but Em’s completely violated my trust in her and I don’t want her in this house, after what she’s done…”

“Sandy, we all know that Em’s actions have not been exactly, um, ‘above reproach’ but are you sure this is necessary? Yes, this is serious stuff and action will be taken against both Em and Maddy, but can’t you put up with her for a few more days?”

“Are you kidding me, Jessica? Let me ask you this. If she and Maddy had managed to out Gaby, would we even be having this conversation? No! We wouldn’t … but because she is saying it was just a few pranks and Gaby didn’t get outed, that makes it okay and we should all just let it go. That’s just Bullshit!

We all know Gaby was extremely lucky. At the very least she would have been beaten to a bloody pulp. You seem to forget that I’ve personal experience with these kids, so I think in this case, I have the more in-depth understanding of the mentality of these kids ... or lack thereof. I went to school with a lot of their brothers and sisters. I KNOW what could have happened … so, as far as I’m concerned, she goes … tonight. If you agree with Jessica and you think Em should stay, then tell me now Mom, so I can pack a bag and go stay somewhere else.”

Mary sighed. Sandy couldn’t be moved when she was like this. What’s more, Mary found that she agreed with her daughter despite having mixed feelings about losing Em.

“Fran … Jessica, I’m afraid I have to agree with Sandy. I think it best for all, that Em leaves with you…” Mary quietly voiced. Jessica started to say something, but Fran laid a hand on her arm.

“They’re right, Jess. This is their home and quite frankly, Em has overstayed her welcome.

Sandy, Mary … on behalf of the exchange program and Warsop College, you have my heartfelt apology for the behavior of my two students. I truly had not thought them capable of something like this.

Well … we should be off. Calling it ‘Damage Control’ is an understatement, but we’ve got a lot more that has to be done tonight. I’ll go inform Em to pack her things. Since Maddy’s not at your place tonight, can we put her up for the night and deal with the rest in the morning?”

“Of course, Fran.”

With that Fran headed to the stairs to go and find Em.

“Sandy? Mary? Can I count on your discretion to not talk about this until we’ve dealt with the situation? We don’t want to make this any worse than it already is.”

“Of course, Jessica. We won’t say anything until you give us the all clear.”

“Oh, and Sandy?”

“Yes, Jessica.”

“I know that you want to keep your status quiet, but if it was necessary would you object to us telling Drew’s doctors? I know Maggie is the soul of discretion, and the doctor she brought in is a Dr. Page I believe. And they would be covered by their doctor/patient confidentiality as well.”

“Dr. Page? Dr. Karen Page? From UV in Charlottesville?”

“Well, I’m sure it is Karen, but I’m not entirely sure where she’s from.”

“Well, if it is Dr. Karen Page from Charlottesville, I definitely have no problem.”

Jessica looked at her quizzically.

Sandy chuckled “If it’s the same Karen, she’s my gender therapist. So there would be no problem there.”

“All right Sandy. And thank you. I won’t discuss it unless it’s necessary.”

Em looked up as she heard someone on the stairs, she hoped it was Sandy so she could apologize to her. She was quite startled to see Miss Cowlishaw standing there and from the look on her face, she was not particularly happy.

“Miss?”

“You have ten minutes to pack your bags, Em. It’s been decided that the best thing for you is to come with Miss Bell and I and stay at her house tonight. Any further decisions will be made tomorrow.”

“But, but….”

“No buts, Em. You brought this upon yourself. Sandy and her mother have asked us to take you with us tonight.”

Em slumped to the floor and began to cry.

“But it was just a few practical jokes! Just some pranks among mates!”

“C’mon, dear … let’s get you packed and out of here. We can talk about that later tonight. Now hurry up!” A reluctant Em and Fran then left the main house and walked across the courtyard to Sandy’s apartment to get her things.

“This is so unfair! Pull a few pranks and now it’s the bum’s rush? It’s not like anything would have really happened if Drew had been found out, anyways. Everyone would’ve gotten a good laugh and that would have been the end of it.

This was all Mad’s doing. I may’ve started one or two small pranks, but Mad was the brains. No way am I taking all the blame. If I go down … I’m taking her with me!”

Now packed, Em lugged her suitcase out of her bedroom and towards the stairs, where Miss Cowlishaw was patiently waiting.

“Make sure you have everything because once we go, we won’t be back,” Fran softly cautioned. When all was said and done, she was still dealing with a 13 year old and not a hardened criminal. “I’ll take your case, you go and get your coat and shoes.”

Em hung her head and shuffled over to the closet where she left her coat and shoes.

“Can I say good-bye to Sandy and Mary?” Em weakly asked as she returned to stand and face her teacher.

“No, dear … I don’t think that’d be a good idea.” Miss Cowlishaw quietly replied. When Em started to cry, Fran knelt down and held her close. “Em ... listen to me. Even if you don’t appreciate the seriousness of what you did … they do. Right now, feelings are running very high and they both feel you betrayed them. They’re hurting.”

“But…”

“C’mon, Em. We’ll talk about this when we get to Miss Bell’s … okay? Maybe there’ll be a chance for you to talk to Sandy before you go home.”

After taking a last look around, both Em and Fran descended the staircase that led up to Sandy’s apartment. Once outside the carriage house, they saw that Jessica had pulled the car around and was waiting for them.

As Fran loaded the teenager’s bags into the trunk of the Jetta, Em sighed heavily and choked back a sob as she slid onto the back seat of the car.

Fran and Jessica looked at each other and knew it was going to be a long night. After they talked with Em, they planned to go and talk to Maddy and then Fran was going to have to make that call to Mr. Woods and give him a summary of the situation, as well as some recommendations. God only knew where that was going to lead.

Carol and Maddy really had no idea what was going on, as they had found themselves isolated either at the hotel or speaking with Dr. Page at the hospital. Adding to whatever either one of them may have felt, Karen hadn’t told them anything more about Drew’s condition.

At their latest session with Dr. Page, Maddy had openly talked about her sexual orientation and why she was so afraid to discuss it, while Carol sat there, silently.

“You’ve been awfully quiet, Carol. Mind if I ask you a question?” Karen quietly asked.

“No. What would you like to know?”

“You’ve heard Maddy say she likes girls. How do you feel about that?” At first Maddy glared at the doctor and then, slowly realized that Karen was only trying to get her mum to express her feelings about her daughter, given what had been revealed.

“No matter who she chooses to love, she’s still my child and I’ll always love her. I know her father would say the same thing if he were here.” When Carol turned to look at her daughter, Maddy leaned over from her place on the couch and hugged her mum while openly crying on her shoulder.

Karen found it interesting that the name ‘Drew’ or ‘Gaby’ was never mentioned during the entire session, given that she knew how Gaby felt about Maddy and as much as she wished she could’ve forced the issue, Doctor/patient confidentiality prevented her from doing just that, since Gaby was also one of her patients.

Privately she was sure that it had nothing to do with ‘Drew’ being in the hospital. Her observations during the interview convinced her that it was very clear that Maddy was still hiding something from her mother. She’d been more open with her about Drew, when Carol wasn’t there. As she sat at her desk, looking at Maddy, a plan began to form that just may bring down the wall that she appeared to have erected around her.

At the close of their session, Karen looked over at Carol.

“Carol, I think there’s still a lot of issues you and Maddy have to work through and we may not have time to get into them before you head home. Therefore, I suggest that I get a hold of some colleagues nearer home to find someone that you two can talk with and once you have decided on a doctor, I’ll send copies of my notes over to them.

“That’s fine, doctor…” Carol agreed.

Oh … before you go … if you recall our very first discussion, there is one area which needs to be looked at early on.”

Carol looked at Karen strangely for a moment or two, then the light bulb went on.

“You’re right. We’ll be dealing with that very soon.”

“Before we call it a day ladies, are there any other questions you have for me?”

Maddy and Carol looked at each other for a moment, then Maddy turned back to Karen.

“One reason I was scared to admit I like girls is because of the kids around here. Back ‘ome, it seems to make little difference, but here … I dunno. They all say it’s ‘unnatural’ and people like that deserve whatever they get. Is that true?”

“The word ‘unnatural’, literally means that it doesn’t occur in nature.” Karen put down her pen and rose from her chair. After she walked around her desk and sat on the arm of the couch closest to Maddy, Karen smiled and in a soft voice, tried to answer Maddy’s question.

“Here’s a news flash, Maddy … by the definition of the word … you are not ‘unnatural’! Homosexuality occurs in nature, in all species, everywhere … including humans. In fact, we see proof of that in all levels of society, all over the globe. Unfortunately, the word has become to be more of a label that certain groups use to try and justify their hatred for those that do not fit within their narrow preconceptions of life.

It’s my personal belief that by living your life honestly and fully ... embracing all of who you are … is perhaps the most fulfilling thing any of us can do. I’m not saying that it’s easy. Just the opposite … it’s probably the toughest thing a person can do. It can often seem like life is turned against you at every turn and that’s where the support of family and good friends is so important. They can make a huge difference in your life.”

You also have to be willing to trust and confide in these people, as well as trust in their friendship and love that they won’t put you in danger or in any situations that would take away your dignity … but always remember … trust and respect are two way streets, Maddy. You have to show it to get it. It means that sometimes, you’ll have to put your life into someone else’s hands or … if you don’t want to do that, you can always trust no one and form no lasting relationships. Basically live your life alone and in constant fear.

There will always people around who are willing to give advice, if you ask … or not. You may even find a few people willing to give you the benefit of their experiences, but in the end … only you can make a decision for yourself. It’s just a part of growing up.

Think about what I’ve said Maddy, and continue to think about all the things the three of us have discussed over the last couple of days.”

“Ermm, I will Dr. Karen. Thank you.”

Sensing their cue to leave, Carol and Maddy then got up and headed out of Karen’s temporary office.

“God! That was close! If she’d have brought up Gabs, she might just as well handed me a gun with one bullet! I can’t lie to mum and I doubt that Karen would’ve let me skate around it knowing what I told her and Dr. Maggie the other day.

I’ve got to talk to Em and Brit so we can get our stories straight. If mum, Timber or Uncle Dave and Aunt Jenny find out what I’ve been doing to Drew, I’ll be lucky if I just get excluded from school. Heaven help me if Drew ever finds out. How can I let him know that I don’t really love him and that it’s Gaby that I’m in love with? I’ll lose both of them!”

“Mum, I’m hungry. Can we go get something to eat?

~~~~~~~~
Fran, Jessica and Em had been sitting around Jessica’s kitchen table for more than an hour. No matter how they tried to put it to her, Em could just not see how her pranks could’ve hurt Drew. With the frustration beginning to show, Fran decided to try something a little different.

“Em … Rhod’s one of the smartest students in Level 3’s at Warsop College. You know that, and I know that … and I think I know why you can’t accept that what you did may have been disastrous for Drew.”

Oh?” Em muttered as she raised her head to look at Miss Cowlishaw.

“You can’t see it, because if it’s true for Gaby, then it’s also true for you, too and if you admit that, then logically, you know you’re not safe either.” She knew her next comment might get a wee bit of a rise from Em.

“Rhod knows I’m right … but Em … she strikes me as a little slower and needs to be shown proof.” Fran smiled inside as Em visibly winced with the comparison. She decided to bury the knife a little deeper. “Well, if it’s proof she wants … proof she’ll get.”

Miss Cowlishaw then rose from the chair she was sitting on and grabbed two cold sodas from the fridge. Returning to her seat, she put one of the cans in front of Em.

“Jessica? Do you have your laptop handy? I need you to show Em something.”

“Just give me a minute to get it set up and booted,” Jessica allowed. “What web site you want me to call up?”

“The one you said Sandy gave to you. Now, Em, when we get to this site I want to show you, you WILL read what is there … understand?”

“Yes, Miss…” Em meekly answered.

Jessica brought the laptop back to the kitchen table and turned it on. As the little computer began to boot up, Fran looked at Em.

“Em dear … if I can’t explain to you … then perhaps I can show you.”

Turning to the computer, she brought up the internet and typed in the following web address:

http://www.transgenderdor.org

“This, Em … is a website dedicated to the Transgender Day of Remembrance. It’s kind of like Remembrance Day, except instead of fallen soldiers, the site remembers all the transgendered souls, like you and Sandy, who were murdered for simply being different.

Keep in mind that these are only the known murders. This doesn’t include the suicides, or the murders that could not be directly attributed to the person’s gender orientation or perceived orientation. These were people were killed by intolerant people, simply because they were transgendered. The same kind of people we’ve been trying to tell you about.

Now I want you to read about this and when you’re finished reading everything, I want you to click on this link here.” Fran pointed out the statistics link to EM and then sat back to watch her young student read.

Em started to look at what was on the website and the more she got into it, the more horrified she became.

“These people were actually killed because they were transgendered? Why?”

When she finished looking at the main page, Em dutifully clicked on a link to those that had been memorialized at the last Transgendered Day of Remembrance.

“Murdered. Murdered. Shot through the head. Beaten to death. Stabbed multiple times. Murdered. Set on fire. Murdered. Multiple gunshot wounds. Lookit their ages!”

As she was looking at the link, Fran observed tear tracks running down Em’s face, ruining the little make-up she had on.

“We didn’t know … honest, we didn’t know … we didn’t know…” Em sobbed as she turned away in her seat and nudged the laptop as far away from her as she could reach. As soon as Fran gently touched the teen on her shoulders, Em desperately reached out and was immediately swept up into a tight hug. Fran continued to hold Em until she cried herself out.

“Em … I’m sorry. I know it was a bit of a shock, but the ‘real world’ isn’t always what you want it to be and we didn’t know any other way to convince you that your pranks could’ve gotten Drew killed and I know you didn’t want that … did you?”

“Why?” Em managed to get out between sobs.

“There’s no good answer for that … there never is for any senseless crime. Unfortunately, this is very real and very prevalent everywhere in the world. I didn’t show you this to hurt you, only to teach you that the rest of the world isn’t like Warsop College. Real people get hurt and killed just because someone doesn’t like what they are,” Fran softly explained as they pulled themselves apart.

Em just stared at Fran in mute horror.

“You’ve gotta keep Gabs from the Valentine’s dance!”

Jessica and Fran both froze. Almost as one their heads swiveled with laser-like precision to face Em.

“I’d love to see her up and around by then, but I really don’t know if she’d even be discharged from the hospital in time to go,” Jessica quietly explained.

“What do you know about the dance, Em?” Miss Cowlishaw implored.

“Ummm, word’s out at school that some of the boys are going to do something to Gabs. I heard they plan to ‘convert the lezzie’ and teach her to like boys,” Em timidly replied.

“Go on…” Fran urged.

“Until I saw this, I didn’t know what they meant. I just thought it might be embarrassing her in some way, so I didn’t say anything. Now, after reading this, I think they’re gonna hurt Gabs.”

Fran knelt down beside Em and enfolded her in a hug while Em cried.

“Shhhhh, Em. If Gaby’s out of the hospital … she won’t be going to the dance. We won’t let her. Shhhh now … it’ll be okay ... I promise.”

Releasing Em from her hug, Fran looked back at her and said:

“But, Em … we need to know who is involved and to put a stop to it. You have to tell us everything you know … okay?”

“Okay, but please don’t let anything happen to Gaby!”

“You have our word!” Jessica affirmed.

As Em’s tale began to unfold, the horror grew in the minds of the two adults.

When asked how she came to know about the plan, the teachers learned that Em had been told by Maddy, who seemed to think that it would all be really funny when they discovered that Gaby wasn’t a girl.

“How did Maddy know?” Jessica firmly asked.

“I guess some of the hosts can’t keep a secret.”

“Did Ally and Bernie, know what was planned for the dance?” Fran pointedly inquired.
“I don’t think so. I don’t think any of us were supposed to know,” Em admitted.

After they took Em upstairs to Maddy’s vacant room and got her to promise to get some sleep, the two women adjourned back downstairs to the living room where they discussed all that they’d learned and they still had much to do.

“What next?” Fran wondered with a yawn.

“Well, I think we need to call Jocelyn Walters and start there. At least there I know I have full authority and Mrs. Walters will back me. I think I have no option but to recommend Britney’s immediate suspension for her role in all this.

“For how long?”

“No idea. What’s the going lockup for betraying a friend and conspiracy?” Jessica replied as she tried to add a little levity to the doom n’ gloom that had coloured the exchange visit.

“What about Debbie?”

“Her only crime is keeping quiet about Drew’s gender. I’ll think of something. As far as I can tell, and as far as anyone else has told us, it was all Brit, Maddy and Em, up until this dance thing – and that really only involves Brit.”

“Okay! We know that if Gaby did attend the dance on Thursday, things were supposed to happen. True, it may only be a false alarm and Maddy was only leading Em on, but we should be able to get some sort of confirmation or denial out of Britney. Unfortunately, given the attitude of a lot of this town, this whole thing may well be an exercise in futility.” Jessica voiced with more than a touch of cynicism.

“I think Em’s asleep. Are you ready?” Fran asked.

“Let me check on her, then we can go.”

“You know Michael will be simply beside himself with this, don’t you? I’m no solicitor either, but I bet Mr. Bond’s got more than a few legal legs to stand on … at least enough to make a few heads roll,” Fran speculated as Jessica stepped off the bottom step.

“On both sides of the Atlantic,” Jessica fatally added.

“When students can do things like this behind my back … maybe I should grab the first single man I can find who can support me in the posh manner I can easily become accustomed too and retire.” Fran managed a smile as she pondered her future.

“Won’t work. First … you’re too damned young to retire. You’ll be bored with the Royal family within a month! Second, from all accounts … it appears Maddy’s somewhat of a pro when it comes to manipulating people and events … and third my dear Fran … Gaby likes you too much to blame you for the actions of those three,” Jessica returned, with her own smile.
“Oh … Em’s finally out like a light.”

“I guess we should get a bite to eat and then tell Em what we’re doing … but, first things first … sit down and drink your wine for a few minutes. I’ll see what I’ve got in the fridge and then call Jocelyn.”

“This is not going to be an easy evening. But we have all been warning Brit for years that someday she was going to go too far. I just hope Drew comes out of this whole.”

Jessica punched out the numbers for the Walter’s home and waited for someone to pick up.

*Ring*

*Ring*

“Hello?”

“Hi, Jocelyn … it’s Jessica Bell. Do you have a minute?”

“Of course, Jessica. What can I do for you?”

“Fran and I need to come over and talk everyone about Gaby … especially Britney and Debbie. Given what we have learned so far today, there are some things that need to be dealt with.”

“When do you think you’ll be here?”

“We need to have a quick bite to eat, first and then we’ll be over … if that’s all right with you.”

“Why not eat here! There’s plenty of food and you can kill two birds with one stone.”

“Hang on a minute Jocelyn, I’ll check with Fran”. Mrs. Walters heard Jessica put the phone down as well as two faint voices. A few seconds later, Jessica came back on the line.

“That sounds great, thank you. Fran and I have a long night ahead of us, so at this point, we’ll accept any suggestion to make our lives easier. When would you like us over?”

“In about a half an hour? Donald should be home in a few minutes.”

“Thanks, again … see you soon ... bye.”