The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 2744 by Angharad Copyright© 2015 Angharad

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This is a work of fiction any mention of real people, places or institutions is purely coincidental and does not imply that they are as suggested in the story.
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When I got to the school, Trish told me the headmistress wanted to see me. Hoping I wasn’t going to be suckered into anything else, I went along feeling quite apprehensive. “Sister Maria,” I said as she opened her office door and I caught a glimpse of Danni with the others.

“Lady Catherine, perhaps we could take a little walk a moment.”

“What’s happened?”

“It’s complicated.”

“But it involves one or more of my children?”

“Yes.”

“Please don’t beat about the bush, just tell me.”

“Okay, we had the press here looking for the boy who plays for England schoolgirls.”

I felt like I’d just stepped over a hole in the ground and fallen down it. “Danni?”

“We suspect one of girl’s brothers recognised her from her previous incarnation.”

“Who was the journalist—local?”

“No, a national tabloid.”

“She’s a minor so revelation of any details would be seen as against the law, but they have other ways of allowing people to find out.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why is it even newsworthy? The rules are that any person who has had surgery or hormones for more than a year is eligible to play their sport in their chosen gender as they’re not seen as having any physical advantage—at least that’s the gist of it. So she’s not been doing anything illegal. The club know it, the FA know it, so what’s the problem?”

“It is somewhat unusual, you have to admit that.”

“So what? The girl has a natural talent at soccer and at the next women’s world cup I want to see her help England win it.”

“That would be wonderful.”

“Unless scumbags like this tabloid sleaze bag make her life so uncomfortable that she stops playing. Remember she didn’t choose to become female it sort of got chosen for her.”

“A little like the rest of us eh, Lady Cameron?”

“Indeed,” well I didn’t choose to be female, I was born that way, it just took a little longer to make it official than most women.

“I might have to keep her home for a few days until this blows over. The school is still happy to have my children here?”

“You have to ask?”

“Yes, I don’t know how rough this is going to get.”

“I think I speak for the school when I say you have our total support. If I don’t, they’re going to need a new headmistress, plus I suspect a certain bank will find a reason to stop supporting the hardship fund.”

“Thank you, Maria, it’s much appreciated.”

“You and your family have done so much to help this school and me personally that it’s only fair we reciprocate. As for me, I like you and all your girls even if they pose different challenges, plus we have the best school soccer team in the girl’s league and that’s all due to two of your girls.”

“I might send her up to her grandparents for a few days.”

“You must do what you think is best.”

“I’ll try and speak with Henry see what he can do to squash it.”

“I’ve prepared a statement from the school saying that we are fully in support of all our students and encourage them to participate in sport and other activities at the highest level they are able.”

“Thanks, I’d best go and see the girls, especially Danielle.”

As I expected she was very upset asking why she was being treated like a criminal when she’d done nothing wrong. I knew the feeling but seemed unable to comfort her. I brought the car into the school grounds and watched while all the girls got in. As far as I could tell no one was watching.

Sister Maria apparently went round every class and spoke with the girls asking them for their support as one of their colleagues was under threat by unscrupulous journalists and she had done nothing wrong or illegal except resolve a birth defect. Every girl agreed to help by saying nothing to anyone outside the school.

Some of the girls had worked out what was going on and even guessed who it was but they all promised to keep quiet. I was most impressed by the degree of loyalty amongst the students—mind you no one had been offered money yet. Sister Maria pre-empted that as well by suggesting anyone who was found to have taken money for information given would be suspended and probably expelled for failing to meet the moral standards expected of the school. If their parents entered into any deal with the media, the children would still be asked to leave. It was heavy stuff.

We got home via a circuitous route to make sure we weren’t followed. I left a message for Jason to call me back. I did the same with Henry. I just hoped that everyone in an editorial capacity realised it wasn’t good policy to mess with the Camerons.

At the same time as all this preparation was going on, part of me felt like telling the world what they wanted to know and asking what was all the fuss about, then asking what they’d do if it was their daughter who was involved. Of course bigots and hypocrites always take the moral high ground even though their personal behaviour tends to suggest they’re not even fit to live in a cess pit. Unfortunately, we’re all capable of doing it at times but some make it a way of life.

Look at all this fuss about same sex marriage and how the religious bigots make so much fuss. What business is it of anyone else but the two people seeking to marry and their family and friends to a lesser extent. This woman in the States who’s been in prison for refusing to sign marriage licences, she’s a total humbug. She claims it offends her religious beliefs—she’s been married several times—shouldn’t that offend her religion as well, or is it only other people who require judgement. If ever she meets her god, an albeit unlikely scenario, but if it happens I suspect she might get something of a surprise and it won’t be a pleasant one. It’s absurd but she’s an elected officer of the local administration and can’t be sacked very easily. Perhaps someone needs to call for an election.

I went see Danielle who was sitting on her bed with rings of mascara round her reddened eyes where she’d been crying. I told her to go and wash.

“What for?”

“Because you look a mess.”

“I feel a mess.”

“Like it or not, you are one of my daughters and we Cameron women try to look a cut above the ordinary because we are.”

She laughed at me, “Have you heard yourself? I’m not even a fucking woman, am I?”

“You are, so you’d better shape up.”

“I didn’t ask to be one, did I unlike the rest of you?”

“Danielle, none of us asked to be female and certainly none of us asked to follow the path some of us had to. Even the NHS website suggests it’s biological probably arising in the womb or early childhood. So none of us had a choice did we?”

“Okay, I’ll wash my face.” She stood up and went to go to the bathroom where she paused, “Thanks for being there, Mummy—an’ I’m glad I’m your daughter.”

I hugged her and said quietly, “We’re going to get through this, I promise.”

“Will I have to give up my soccer?”

“Not if I can help it.”