The final part of Vol. 2 in which we see what happens to Teresa and Vonda.

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. None of the characters, places, or anything else is meant to be represented by anything in reality. Duh! Fiction, get it? I the author reserve the rights, so please don't go posting this anyplace else without my permission. A very special thanks goes out to Cathy and all the others out there in BCTS land who have encouraged and inspired me to write and keep writing. Another round of thanks goes out to djkauf who is the fastest proofer I've ever encountered. Any remaining mistakes are all mine.

Teresa hugged her knees to herself looking up at the stars. Sitting on the roof of her house, she had a good view of the of July night sky. A breeze that was almost cooling gently ruffled her hair. For just a few moments she could forget what was going on inside below her.

The sound of her Dad’s drunken cussing as he yelled at her long suffering Mom about something inconsequential. Her Mom wasn’t much better as she screamed back just as drunk.

Okay, maybe not that bad since Teresa thought half the reason her mother drank as heavy as she did was because of her poor excuse for a father.

Her friend, Lee, had it right when she called him, nothing more than a big bully power tripping on pushing around his own family. Never mind that he was abusing those he should be treating with the most kindness. It was more important to demean his own family to push up his own minuscule ego a few impossible to discern notches. It wasn’t a big pond, but by Gawd it was his pond. He was the boss. May he find the joy of it when he found himself all alone.

Teresa could hardly bear waiting for that to happen. She loved her mother, but the sooner she could slam the door behind her the better. She was out of here. There was no telling how poor Mom would take the truth that her son Hal was her daughter Teresa. However, there was no doubt how the Ogre would. If she could, she would try and get her Mom out of this hell, but her own necessities came first.

She rested her head in her arms, only two years. Just two more eternities, that was all, before she could finally be free of this body that imprisoned her. Free to be the person she’d always been, but was afraid to reveal to the world.

A rustle in the tree between her and Vonda’s house alerted her company was coming.

“Hi,” her friend whispered stepping onto the roof with her. “I thought you would be up here,” she said cutting her eyes towards the drunken row going on beneath them.

Teresa shrugged. It wasn’t as if this was the first time she’d sought peace out here.

Then gently touching her arm Vonda asked, “How are you?”

“Not too bad, I guess.” Teresa shrugged again. “I’ve been able to stay out his way. He must’ve started drinking as soon as he got home. That’s why I came out here.” Then trying to change the subject, she asked, “You ever think about Lee being a Wildcard?”

It was Vonda’s turn to give a tired sigh. “All the time. Everyone sees just how fast she can run and thinks that’s it.” She shook head. “But that isn’t it at all. Even all the other things like the martial arts and the Parkour stuff not that scary.

“It’s how fast she can learn things. I mean, I’ve taken dancing lessons for ages, but she didn’t start really trying until the start of the summer. Now two months later she’s dancing like my teacher who’s been doing this her whole life.” She said.

“I know,” Teresa agreed. “All the physical things she can do is a real trip. I know she started this Parkour thing because of us, and that showdown with Chris last month, but look what she’s done. None of us, not even she, really knew a whole lot about it. She ordered those books and when that wasn’t enough, she writing her own while teaching us.

“It’s like watching one of those geniuses you read about in person. Lee is never mean or stuck-up about it, but like when she’s working out a new Parkour move she is so far ahead of us when working out a solution it’s not funny.” Teresa explained, but asked, “However why do you call it scary? I admit it‘s kinda amazing, but frightening?”

Her friend Vonda got quiet, letting them hear the drunken fight inside all too well.

“It’s because she’s so far beyond us, beyond me,” she said in a small voice. “What’s going to happen in college when Lee can really stretch her wings? You know how crazy for outer-space she is. I’m just afraid I won’t be able to keep up with her.”

Teresa gave her friend a hug.

“You know it’s like that song says, ‘Que Sera, Sera, What will be, will be.’

“I know.” Vonda sadly sighed, “The future not ours to see.”

“You know,” Teresa pointed out. “You might be the one to leave her. After all, once you get to medical school you’ll have a huge selection of guys to choose from.” Then explaining, she added, “I know you rather find a man you were attracted to instead of a woman. Besides it’s not as if you have a lot of choices stuck out here in the Boondocks.”

Vonda turned her head away.

“I don’t want to be a lesbian, but when I’m with Lee it’s as if the whole world is singing and it’s just the two of us dancing to the song. This is all so confusing.” she choked out near tears.

“I know.” Teresa held her friend. “The church we go to, says how I feel is all wrong. It’s the Devil making us want perverted things. However, the doctors are saying that there’s real biological reasons why we’re different. Yes, even you,” she said, “I understand that using the scanners, they’ve found gay people’s brains are put together differently too. Like mine is more like a girl’s than a boy’s, parts of yours are probably more like a male. That’s why you like Lee the way you do.”

“I’ve read that too.” Vonda gave her a playful push. “My Dad is a doctor, remember? There’s a big argument among the experts about it. Some say it’s a deformity and should be fixed, while others like my Dad says, once a person goes through puberty, it’s too late. Changing the brain at that late date would mean changing who the person is. Like with bad head trauma, you could mess up their entire personality doing more harm than good.”

They stopped speaking as something loud crashed inside.

More stomping and creaking echoed from within.

“Do you hear my Mom at all?” Teresa asked, growing worried.

Vonda shook her head no in the pale moonlight.

Almost afraid to say it, Teresa looked at each her friend. “I think I need to check on what’s going on down there.” She said worrying about her Mom.

“Where are you, Boy? I’m going to make a man out of you even if it kills me!” Her Father drunkenly bellowed.

That was all they needed to hear. Both of them slipped off the second story roof landing lithely like acrobats on the soft green lawn. Slipping the spare house key from it’s hiding place Teresa carefully peeked in.

“Don’t make me come get you, Boy! Git yer butt here!” Her Father slurred voice came from upstairs making both of them jump.

Teresa’s heart jumped in her chest as she saw her poor dumpy Mom laying on the kitchen floor. Blood was all over the place from a gash on her head.

Vonda knelt next to her checking the fallen woman’s pulse.

“She’s still breathing and her pulse seems strong.” Then seeing her friend staring at all the blood, Vonda added, “Head wounds always bleed heavy.”

Making herself think, Teresa whispered, “Let’s call the ambulance from your place before he hears us.”

“You downstairs, Boy? I told you not to run from me!” The Ogre hollered again.

“Too late!” Vonda grabbed her hand pulling her to the door.

They heard him banging down the stairs, as the two of them flew out the door.

“You tell your Dad what’s happening,” Teresa said. “I’ll stay out here just in case he tries to follow.”

Reading the indecision on her friend’s face, she added, “It’s Okay. No way is he going to run me down after all of Lee’s obstacle course training. Better I keep him busy, instead of him starting a fight with your folks.”

Nodding, Vonda turned and ran the short distance to her home while Teresa watched. No one could have a better friend.

Wham! Teresa winced as her liquored up Father slammed open the front door of his house.

Silently, she reminded herself, she had to be him now, Hal. Her mental cheat sheet how to be a boy appeared before her mind’s eye. Like an ill fitting set of clothes, he slouched, but stayed loose in case he had to run.

“There you are, Boy! Git over here!” The Ogre commanded.

No, he shook his head not daring to speak. Well, it was an Ogre after all.

Staggering down the porch stairs, his Father snarled, “You will do what I say!”

Just like he and Vonda had planned if anything like this happened, Hal vaulted the neighbor’s wisteria covered fence. Unlike the plan, he waited for his Father to catch up. After all he wanted to draw the Ogre away from hurting anyone else.

Overweight with a beer belly badly overhanging his belt, there was just no way the older man was getting over that fence.

Red faced his eyes gleamed red in alcoholic fueled anger. “You’re going to pay for making me chase you! I’m going to teach you real good!”

His Father realizing couldn’t go over the fence had to go around. The older man hadn’t reached the end before he kneeled over red faced and throwing up.

This was such a strange moment for Teresa. All her life, this man had terrified her. Mostly he kept his hands off of her, but the few times he had stuck her, had made her carefully keep her distance whenever she could. Even now he was much bigger than she, although some of that was fat, too much was muscle too.

Like Lee said, for small people like them, letting a goon get their hands on you was a big, no-no. Size after all did matter. However, so did using what you had to your best advantage. Being smaller, younger and more flexible, they were much faster and could go places someone like the Ogre couldn’t dream of.

Even when she was pretending to be Hal. It’d gotten so much harder as she’d grown older to put on that disguise. Although every piece of it existed only inside her head, that pretend person pulled and constrained her every second she had it on. The tightness wrapped around her heart stole her identity as it took her very breath away, even as it gave some measure of protection.

A defense she’d long learned was an absolute necessity. Chris Sawyer’s prosecution of Lee proved that. Even as much as she was so envious of the girl who was able to transition before her, it’d demonstrated that although a girl in every single way it still wasn’t good enough for some idiots. That was what Lee called them. Act like a girl, sound like a girl, look like a girl must be a girl, you morons!

Looking down at the sad scene in front of her, Teresa had to agree. It didn’t matter what things really were, only what they wanted. Everything else was just justification for their stupidity. She didn’t decide to be this way, it was the way Gawd had made her, the way she was born. And just like there was nothing wrong with the doctors fixing a hare-lip or other birth defect, there was nothing wrong with repairing her problem either. The only thing that stopped her was the fear. Fear of this man who was so pathetically puking his guts out.

Lee’s Dad had warned that this might happened. Teresa did feel guilty her Mom had been caught in this, but the fight they’d been having sounded like so many others that kept the whole neighborhood up at night. This time just maybe, he’d finally crossed a line.

Glancing up she saw, Vonda and her Dad sprinting across their yard to her house.

“You’re going to learn to do what you’re told,” the Ogre grated out, spitting out a mouth full of something unspeakable. Slowly he pulled himself to his feet using the fence.

Then again perhaps not. This was a small town, and it certainly wasn’t the first time a woman had ended up in the hospital because of a man. The Sheriff and the Preacher would come by and smooth everything over, but nothing would change.

Change. Lee always said if they wanted something to change they had to make it. ‘Words,’ she said, ‘were powerful of tools for those wanting things to be different, to change the world for the better.’

She backed away from the drunk weaving towards her. No, a woman getting beat up here wouldn’t change anything. Her Mom wouldn’t do anything. She like everyone else around here accepted this was just the way things were.

Teresa sighed. Mr. Younger opened her eyes. Lee’s Dad simply didn’t put up with BS in any shape or form. He’d shown her that the Ogre, the man she’d been frightened of all her life was nothing more than a bully as petty as any out on the schoolyard.

That thought gave her an impulsive desire to go over and kick the poor excuse for a man in front of her. However the unmistakable bubblegum machine shape turning the corner convinced her it wasn’t wise.

It was the Sheriff himself, and for him to make here so fast he would’ve had to been already on his way. That wouldn’t be unusual given the ruckus her drunken father had been making nor was it the first time. Most the deputies kept away, but the Sheriff had enough authority to make even the Ogre behave himself.

Looking down at her father, he’d managed to stand with the help of the fence post.

“Get over here, boy!” He slurred. “I’ll teach you what it means not to mind me.”

Silently, she shook her head. He’d no idea the Sheriff was pulling up right behind him. Glancing at her house, she saw Vonda worriedly looking for her.

The Sheriff got out of his cruiser, sighing, while putting on his cowboy style hat.

“Ray, what do you think you’re doing?” He said, showing his displeasure. “I hear Mildred is unconscious and bleeding, while you go chasing your son down the street at one in the morning.”

Not waiting for a reply, the lawman looked at her. Remembering her cheat sheet, she told herself, “I’m Hal.”

“Go on home, Hal.” He said. “The ambulance will be here directly and Doc will give you a ride to the hospital.”

“Yes sir.” He made an extra wide detour around his father. Boy, I’m a boy, walk like one.

All the while, his father’s eyes were locked on him.

He must not have done it right, because his father shouted and lunged.

“Ain’t no boy of mine going to be no hippy faggot!”

Hal didn’t need any directions; he took off running towards Vonda, his friend.

“Ray,” the Sheriff said, “I’m warning you, stop this right now.”

“Nobody can tell my boy what to do excepting me!” Hal heard from behind him, and then a meaty smack.

Glancing back, the Sheriff was sprawled on the ground, and his father was lurching his way.

Wondering if he should lure the Ogre away again, Hal blinked when the Sheriff got up.

“Go on home, son. You don’t need to see this.” He said pulling out his nightstick. “Ray, you really, really shouldn’t have done that.”

“That was striking a law enforcement officer in the performance of his duties. This is resisting arrest, and if you don’t want any more just lay there. I’m sure I can think of a few more like drunk and disorderly.”

Hal didn’t stick around for any more although he was tempted. It should’ve been satisfying to see the person who’d hit him often enough get some of their own medicine. It bothered him that all he felt was a kind of sadness. If only just once his father could’ve been happy about something, any thing Hal had ever done. However not even one single time had that ever happened. He’d even wondered if he was adopted, but it wasn’t that either.

He was just another belonging whose only purpose was to reflect positive vibes back to his owner. His mother, the house, and everything father ever brought were to make the old bastard feel good. Not one single bit was selfless or without some other motivation. If Hal wasn’t very manly then in the Ogre’s eyes that said he wasn’t much of a man either.

Personally, the teen rather agreed with those sentiments. However as much as he really hated to admit it, the bastard was still his father. Hal couldn’t help the way he felt, but that didn’t mean he was going let his father hurt him or ruin his life. The jury was still out regarding Mom.

In a flash Teresa was back. Putting that boy disguise aside, she ran for all she was worth to her mother, Mom.

“Dad thinks she’s going to be okay,” Vonda said meeting her at the door.

Even still seeing her Mom laying there with the all that blood, nearly tore her apart. Maybe that woman there hadn’t accepted the truth that Hal was really nothing more than a handy screen to hide behind, but she was still the mother who’d held her when she’d hurt herself or needed comforting. And despite pressure from the man she married, she’d still had supported letting her child explore their own interests, like art.

“I know it looks bad” Vonda’s father said not looking up at her. “But I have the bleeding under control and her vital signs are strong. We need to check for a concussion, but since it’s likely an assault was involved I think we can push for Med-scanner treatment. Often in criminal cases, the scanner can provide a lot more detail for the police investigation as well as catch things even the best doctors can miss,” he explained.

Hugging herself Teresa just hugged herself and waited what seemed liked forever for the ambulance to arrive. The ride to the hospital, as well as the nerve-wracking time in the waiting room was nearly unbearable. However, Vonda and her Mom was right there with her.

She felt like swooning when Vonda’s Dad finally came out to give them news.

“She’s going to be fine, Hal.” He said, smiling. “We took care of some others problems while we had her under the Scanner. She’ll probably be feeling better than ever before and sure you can go see her.” He said answering her other unasked question.

With him guiding her though the hospital’s labyrinth, she paused a moment to put Hal’s face on again. Sighing, she breathed out. How could doing such a simple thing take so much out of her. It was like an enormous burden that weighted her down her very spirit. She did know this pretending was becoming harder and more difficult.

That didn’t even touch on his feelings for Ricky. The hum that swept though him made her know beyond a shadow of a doubt this was not the time. Like everything else in his life it was complicated.

Opening the door, there was Mom lying on the bed. He repeated to himself. I’m Hal. He’s a boy. I’m Hal. He’s me. I’m a boy.

She looked pale and tired, but that was much better than the bleeding body on the kitchen floor

Holding out her arm, Mom beckoned for her.

That was all it took for Hal to vanish, as she threw herself into her Mom’s arms.

Time passed as they simply hugged their love as mother and child a balm to the problems that faced them. Reluctantly, there were difficulties that had to be faced.

“Where’s your Father,” she asked, holding Teresa’s hand.

She didn’t need to look to Vonda’s dad to know he didn’t want Mom upset. However, she didn’t know how to say this without it causing a problem.

“I think he got into trouble with the Sheriff, Mom.”

“Do you know what we were fighting about?” Her Mother asked after a moment.

Teresa shook her head, no.

“It was about you.” Her Mother said looking at her. “He wanted you to quit that job although you were doing well there. All he could say was he wanted to make you become a man.”

Silence passed between them.

“You were never really my son were you?” Mom softly squeezed her hand.

Shaking her head, Teresa didn’t dare speak.

“I suppose I’ve always known you were at heart, my daughter. Maybe that’s why I’ve tried to protect you. Why didn’t that machine fix you like it did your friend Lee?

“I think it picked up on how afraid I was at the time. Remember it showed me pictures of myself in different careers. Lee says it records our reaction to each one narrowing down the field until it reaches the ones we like and fits us the best.

“So yes, it knew from my brain that I should’ve been a girl, but it also read the fear I felt seeing the pictures of me and knowing how Dad would react.” She hugged her mother still feeling trapped between the rock of the fright and that cold hard place that stole her very soul and identity from her. She had to hold on. This story would have a happy ending. Vonda and Lee was there to help, and perhaps even more importantly, Ricky was too. He reassured her that she was more than what she pretended. That Teresa deserved to be who she was, and was loved. Not as a classmate or friend, but as a woman.

Her Mother sighed.

“It seems wrong that a machine should be so smart.” She waved her hands about in distress. “This is all unnatural, boys changing into girls and girls into boys. But you’re my baby, and I love you. I may not understand it, but I can see how unhappy you are.”

“I heard it called, Future Shock, Mom.” Teresa explained. “That’s what they call it when science and technology advances so fast people don’t have time to adapt to all the changes.”

“Is that something your friends Vonda or Lee came up with?” Her Mother asked.

“Mom!” She giggled, “No, Orson Welles. He made a documentary about it a couple of years ago.”

“So it’s not enough to overwhelm a soul, but they have to give even that a name too.” Mom just shook her, but she did laugh.

Then a long moment passed where neither said anything.

“So what do we do now?” Teresa asked, at last.

“I don’t know, baby.” Mom replied, sighing. “It felt so good to be in someone’s arms who really wanted me. I always knew your father had a mean spot, but I guess I thought I could change him.

“That hasn’t worked out any too good.” The older woman admitted holding her child. “He’s done nothing, but get worse.”

They didn’t have to say anything else. Both of them knew of his temper and how he was when drunk, which was happening more and more often.

“I vowed before Gawd to love and comfort your Father.” Her Mom sighed. “Not this,” she said meaning being in the hospital. “And now you tell me that he got in trouble with the Sheriff too.” Then after a pause she asked softly, “Did he hurt you?”

“No, he was so drunk, it was easy to run away.” Teresa said. “Then the Sheriff showed up.”

“Pastor James will say your father deserves the chance to change, but I’m not that much of fool. If he hasn’t done so for the better in the last 17 years it’s real unlikely he’ll start now.” Her mother sighed again.

“Well, staying with your grandparents is out. They worship the ground he walks on. Granddad is cut from the same cloth although I know for certain he never struck her or any of us kids. Your granny would’ve castrated him for even thinking that. So it looks like we might be staying with your aunt Sadie in Columbia. Besides they’ll have doctors that can explain what’s going on with you. That might mean you having to quit that summer job of yours.” Mom said.

“I don’t know what we will do if I have to divorce him.” Her Mom looked so pale and worn. “Try and find work I guess, but I don’t know how I could keep you in that private school then.”

Teresa thought about the problems that would cause. There was the books, and lot of work still left to do on the illustrations. Even more important was her friends and how completing school where she was would help her get into the university of her choice. Weighting her choices it seemed like the least bad.

“Mom,” she began. “You know how you’ve said my art stuff was good enough to sell. Well, you were right ….”