Chapter 5 (Revised)   Simon Jones is Eve Jones. But she didn't know.

 
 
Previously:
 
Simon Jones aka Eve has returned home from hospital but gained an infection. His best friends are there to help him adapt.
 
Now the story continues.
 
 
Eve Chapter 5
 
I stared at the blonde wig that Claire was holding, "Let's see how it looks on you."

"Whoa!" I exclaimed.

"Simon, let Claire check it," said mum, who was plainly in on this.

"I would like some say in this, I won't be bullied!" I said as strongly as I could, regretting the exertion and sagging back into the chair.

"Simon, we know you'll be upset tomorrow if anyone laughs at your head. The girls have been kind enough to try and help you."

I knew when I was beaten. Claire lifted the wig onto my head and brushed it out. It was shoulder length and a dirty blonde. Claire held my hand and walked me into the hallway to look in the big mirror there.

"Simon, have a look at yourself now. That looks better, doesn't it?"

I looked in the mirror then we walked back into the kitchen where I fell onto a chair. The image in the mirror was not me, but then I hadn't seen the original, genuine, me for over two weeks. I must admit however that the image was not comical or otherwise awful, it just wasn't me. It was however much better than my impersonation of the Borg Queen. My smile must have been seen.

"Told you she'd like it," Annie said.

"She?" I asked.

"Oh, sorry Simon, but you should call yourself Eve with that wig, it suits you."

"But Annie, I now know my name is Eve but I am Simon, that's how everyone else knows me."

Mum answered for her, "Simon, you are Eve and Simon, but you have limited options here. This wig will hide your head and the dressing but you won't look like Simon. So we have to use Eve or choose another girl's name. After all, you could hardly be a boy like this. Without the wig you've been mistaken as a girl already. What's the alternative?"

I heard what she said but was having trouble coming to terms with it. I wanted to be strong but just couldn't manage it. My head dropped and I started to cry. I felt hands around me, my head was pressed against something. When I opened my eyes I could see Claire's bust, I then closed my eyes again. I could smell her perfume, and it was lovely. I just wish I could tell her everything that I was thinking right now. Maybe she could guess.

As I lifted my head I could see I'd soaked Claire's thin top. I pulled her towards me and gave her a kiss. I was so pleased she was there for me. I looked into her eyes and not her bust.

"Put her down," mum said, not really meaning it. I couldn't tell which of us she was talking to. She handed me a tissue from her everlasting supply so I could dry my eyes, again. Claire, now released, sat back, Annie was wearing a look of fake disgust but then burst into laughter, "Just like two lesbians!"

Claire burst into laughter, as did mum. I was the puzzled one but then I was still in shock. I had wanted to be close to Claire since puberty hit us but I never had the nerve. Trouble was we had been friends, and neighbours, since we were eleven years old. But now, wearing a blonde wig and I suddenly had enough confidence to kiss her. I was delirious and confused. What an interesting state.

Mum put a pizza in the oven and asked the girls if they would stay for lunch. They made a quick phone call and said they'd love to. When the pizza came out of the oven there was some garlic bread there as well. I didn't see that going into the oven. We ate noisily, with lots of chatter. Norrmaly mum insisted on quiet while we ate but not today. Mum handed me two antibiotic tablets.

We went into the lounge and Claire sat with me, hugging me whenever it looked like I needed to.

Mum got some papers out and asked if I was OK to go through them. I asked what they were.

"This one is from the Chairman of the school governors. He wants to meet you and to get your statement before they make a decision about the Head. Our solicitor is not content for you to do this, and frankly, neither am I."

"Can I leave that for now?" I suggested. She put that letter down.

The next one she picked up made me laugh, "To Eve Jones for first class exam results. The Beauty Spot Salon has awarded a pamper day. Valid for three months."

We all laughed at that one, would I ever use it? Would they have made the same offer if they knew I was a boy?

The phone rang and mum answered it. "Yes, he's here. Yes, awake, no, OK. Yes, if you want to," Mum handed me the phone, "it's your cousin," warning me not to be too long. she also asked Annie and Claire to keep quiet for a minute, not an easy task.

"Hi Jenny?" I enquired.

"You're alive?" asked my cousin.

"No, of course I'm not."

"Is that meant to me a joke, shall I send you to Stovokor for that?"

"I'm the one who's been in hospital, take it easy on me."

"Maybe if you'd had some Ghaarg for breakfast you'd feel better."

"Hey, I can't take Klingon jokes right now."

"I thought you were a Star Trek nerd?"

I started sobbing and refused to say another word to my cousin. Mum grabbed the phone from me and had a few sharp words with Jenny followed by a swift chat with my aunt.

"Your aunt says hi and Jenny says she's sorry," she reported.

I wasn't impressed, Jenny was a year older than me and always acted like she was the boss. Every time I tried to get the upper hand she swiped me down. Life wasn't fair.

"They were coming to visit this afternoon but I told your aunt that you're not well enough to receive visitors. I don't think you would appreciate Jenny here, right now."

I regained my composure, thanked mum and took advantage of the glass of OJ that was in front of me. It was obvious to those present that I had got used to the wig. I had been sweeping it away when it fell over my eyes, even whilst on the phone. The wig was comfortable and I couldn't feel if it was rubbing my dressing. I wasn't sweating either. By 3pm I'd been wearing it for over 4 hours, mum felt it best for me to take it off, to see if it had caused any problems to my bare head or the dressing.

The girls had to get home so mum left me to doze on the couch. I woke to the smell of lamb laced with rosemary and garlic. Dinner was, as ever, lovely, although again my appetite was not fully back. I did keep awake at the table though. Mum sometimes allowed herself a glass of red wine with Sunday dinner but out of deference to me just had water.

I slid back to the lounge and sat in front of the Simon Callow Show, or is it the XY Factor? I was more interested in the dancing show that the Beeb showed, but it wouldn't start for another week.

Mum went upstairs and came back down twenty minutes later with a satisfied look on her face. She said nothing however and I didn't enquire. She settled down to watch the remainder of the talentless victims perform. At 9pm she handed me two antibiotics, two painkillers and a sleeping pill. At this rate I would be rattling within a few days.

I made it upstairs on my own and spent some time in the bathroom. I was no longer sore and the discomfort below my waist was now minimal.

My forehead bruise, which was still a visible purple, looked slightly better after I washed it and splashed it several times with cold water, as I did to the rest of my face. I had a thought; I normally only shaved every three or four days but my face was still smooth, smoother than normal even. I'd last shaved my face the day before the accident and that was over two weeks ago. Had they shaved me in the hospital? No-one had said anything.

I can't have worried too much about that as I fell asleep just after my head hit the pillow.