Cyndi meets her lawyer on the third floor, who asks, “Why aren’t you dressed as Cynthia as we agreed?”

Cyndi says, “I was not given a choice. I wasn’t even allowed to call my mother about the changes of time or the courtroom.”

The lawyer says, “I’m sorry, do your best to collect yourself. Address the Judge as your Honor. After the charges are read, you will be asked to plead innocent or guilty. Simply stated, ‘I’m innocent your Honor.’

There are delays, we were to be before the Judge at 8:30 a.m. Our courtroom is switched to the fourth floor, and my family will be going to the wrong spot. Judge Bradley Oliver is presiding and the charges are read. They now include rape, assault, and attempted murder, the last charge surprises and shocks me.

“Your Honor, I too am a victim. I’m a Good Samaritan and I plead innocent to the charges.”

Judge Oliver says, “You are certainly not here to be judged as a Good Samaritan nor as a victim. The charges of rape, brutality, and attempted murder should not be taken lightly as you seem to do. You are to be held for trial. Because of your attitude, I set the bail at $60,000 cash bond. Is there anyone to post your bond?”

Ms. Maggie says, “Your Honor, my client did not mean to be disrespectful and we apologize for any offense. Because of what has happened to Chad, we ask that my client is treated as a woman and not be held in a cell with men. I expect that once I meet with my family that bail arrangements will be made yet today.”

“Ms. Rush, the apology is accepted, and as long as jail space allows we will respect your request. Chad will be treated as Cynthia but the prosecution will probably insist that by them he will continue to be Chad Brock for the length of the trial as charged.”

A woman guard comes to take Chad, “Don’t worry Cynthia you will be changing to our basic orange jumper. I expect if your bail is paid soon enough, you will be able to remain in your own cell.”

Maggie Rush had gone looking and phoning for the Brock family. They had been setting up bail for the presumed amount of $25- 30,000. And then came to the courthouse. Here they feared they had missed the arraignment or had bad information.

Mrs. Brock was devastated by the charges against Chad and shocked in disbelief that her son’s bail was set so high. It would take until 3:00 pm to get the higher bail arranged and paid.” She and her daughter Sage did have an outfit Cynthia could wear as she was released. Reporters were waiting to interview Chad, but they did not recognize Cynthia, her mom, or her sister.

They first went back to the hotel where mother Brock insisted, “Cyndi, you need to take a shower and lose your body hair. We have located three places where we can get you fitted for breast forms.”

“Mom slowdown. I’m not ready for those changes.”

They soon go to Macy’s where Cynthia was treated to a makeover by a woman demonstrating a new line of makeup. Chad/Cynthia was anxious throughout this time She heard the oohs and aahs of others as she was kept from seeing the work in process. Sage did ask Cyndi to note how small the dots of the foundation were. Cynthia knew they had used a dot of something to cover some blemishes. But once a light makeup was applied her mother says, “You now have the complexion of an attractive young woman, my daughter.”

The cosmetician took the freedom to pull stray hairs and to shape Cynthia’s eyebrows before she started to use eye makeup. She used a green eyeshadow as she remarked about Cynthia’s hazel eyes. She used the same eye pencil to trace around her eyes and on her eyebrows. A mascara wand was used to separate and enhance her eyelashes.

By this time Cyndi was saying “enough, enough,” but Aria doing the makeup had the agreement of the on watchers. Blush was used to define her cheekbones and to shape the look of her face. Aria now outlined Cyndi’s lips and used a luscious red lip gloss to fill the lips out.

The makeup was done, but Sage had presented Aria with two sets of earrings. She asked Cyndi, “Do you agree that these are attractive? …Which do you think would capture the attention of other women?”

She wisely pointed to the green jade earrings. She had not paid attention to the fact that Aria had marked her earlobes with dots. Then Aria used a gun to put in the first earring and then confirmed the left ear was properly marked.

Her mom proclaims, “Cynthia, you have officially become a young woman.”

There was a voice from the back of the crowd, “It surprises me, but I tend to agree.” It was Kimberly, “One of my friends followed you from your hotel and called me. I decided to come and check for myself.” She said, “Others thought you had little choice, but none of us thought you’d accept your fate so soon.”

Sage speaks up with anger in her voice, “My broth… she’s innocent, but she’s accepted our suggestion and her lawyer that she accept things for now. I wish you were as forthright in accepting that she did not hurt you but saved you from the attack continuing.”

Kim says, “It was the assistant attorney that charged Chad with the crime, not me. He took my best recollections as the truth. My friends assured me that was the correct thing to do.”

Ma Brock says, “But they have an invested interest hoping it is true. Less they acknowledge they over-reacted and that this dramatic change compounded the tragedy of all that happened. We don’t want them charged with any crimes, but for them somehow take responsibility.”

Kim sat down on the corner of a display, noticeably shaken. Cyndi’s Mom says, “Cynthia said she thought you have a caring heart. She even said, "She thought the motives of your group weren’t bad, just too zealous for anyone’s good.”

Cyndi speaks up, “Mom, I thank you, but enough said for now. I want to see how bad I look.”

Kim mutters, but Cyndi still heard her, “You could be my sister.”

Sage stares at Kim and then Cyndi and back again. Then says, “It’s true, but that would be haunting for my sister.”

Aria turns Cynthia in her chair allowing her to look into a mirror close to her. Cynthia gazes at the image in front of her. It’s the image of a person she’s never seen. She pauses and looks toward Kim. She is not certain at first that it is not Kimberly. She notices that Kim’s hair is longer and has more curl. The outfits do not match either.

Cynthia says, “It won’t be haunting unless I can’t adjust to being the new me. I am more attractive than I dared hope.” Cynthia got up from the makeup chair and went to hug her mother and sister.

The small crowd had dispersed except for a young girl, Deedee, and her mother. Dee says, “Why don’t you know what you looked like?” Her mother grabbed her saying, “Dee that wasn’t polite. It is none of your business, tell her that you’re sorry.”

Cyndi knelt to look at Dee eye to eye. “It’s complicated; we big people aren’t even in agreement. But I indeed look very different than I did before. …I’m going to need to purchase some makeup. Do you think this makeup looks good on me?” Dee and her mother both said, “Yes.”

Dee’s Mom is thinking something and then finally asks, “I’m getting nosy where I shouldn’t, but my interest has been peaked. Were you and Kim, two of the people reported in the Central Park incident last week?” Before I could answer she says, “I thought you’d have been placed in a crappy spot if you had indeed been a Good Samaritan like you claim.”

Cyndi says, “Yes, we’re those two and it is nice that someone appreciates the predicament I’m in.”

Mom and Sage excuse us. They have picked out the makeup needed to duplicate this look and several other pieces of makeup they say Cyndi could use. Sage speaks up, “I’m going to help pick out some of the clothes you need. We can’t take all day. Plus I am going to be much too hungry if wait around here talking.”

We get back to our hotel room and my phone rings. I can tell it’s my father, so I answer quickly, “Hi dad, we’ve had a hectic and troubling day, has Mom told you about it?”

My father’s surprised because Cynthia is using her voice and dad’s expecting Chad. “Sorry Dad, but this is who I’m going to be for a while. We both need to adjust and get used to it?”

Dad says, “I hope that doesn’t mean you’re going to roll over and let them walk all over you. I’m sorry for you but you already were too much of a wimp.”

I ask, “Why would you think that. Mom’s here, she can tell you. We’re not giving up, we even think we have a good lawyer to help with my case. Her name is Maggie Rush and she’s kind of a veteran in their public defender’s office. She even requested to take my case.”

Dad says, “Isn’t there any man who’d be willing to take your case. No offense, but you’re going to go up against a city attorney in the biggest city in America. Let me talk to your Mom again, I’m sure you can do better.”

“Dad, unless you’re paying for the lawyer, I have the lawyer I want. Here you can talk to Mom now.”

During the night, Cynthia became disturbed and woke up and calling out for help. The strange hotel room and being a woman had Cyndi troubled. When Mom came, it was Chad’s voice speaking. “Mom, who did this?” The possibilities in his mind ranged from aliens, a sick gang to a horrible nightmare. It took over a half-hour for him to wake up and to remember what had happened. The nightgown was stretched and well soaked with sweat.

They took an hour to watch television. Cynthia was finally relaxed and sleepy again. Sage agreed to sleep in Cynthia’s room on the floor. But it was Cyndi who started on the floor. But, sometime between 3:00 a.m. and 7:30 Cyndi had moved into the bed and snuggled with her sister.”

Once they were awake, Sage delighted in helping her new sister. Cyndi did not understand Sage at first using a cotton swab and alcohol on her pierced ears. But Chad had finally remembered watching his sister put her earrings in and then Sage had her ears pierced. Their older sister complained that Sage was able to get her ears pierced at a younger age. That is not the case with Cynthia.

Mom says, “Other than our appointment with Maggie, this is a day for you to relax. Hopefully, we can do some things like shopping together. I do have the address and names of some appliance places for women. Are you open to that?”

Cynthia is puzzled, “Mom, I think it is a bit early to go buy some appliances and set up a house.”

Sage giggles to the point of sitting down less she falls. “Mom wasn’t talking about that kind of appliances clueless. We both think you could use some breasts. Hopefully, you’ll grow your own, but that will take time and you might still need some help. It would be interesting if we could get you to lactate after you mature a little.”

“I am not going to some apartment store and look at breast forms in front of a bunch of strangers,” Cyndi says. Her Mom explains how the places will be discretely placed on the second or third floor of a larger building and secluded. Some being near a women’s clinic or cancer treatment centers.

They found one such place in upper Manhattan, by 9:30 that morning. Truth be told the people knew Cynthia was coming. “Well young woman, you are fortunate. We just happen to have an opening where we can go over things with you. Maybe you’d even be open to trying some forms, it is the best way to see how good our products are, and the difference they can make for you.”

Sage and their mother encouraged Cyndi to put on a B+ cup bra. Connie the representative they worked with, placed a basic breast form into the cups. Cyndi looked okay if she had a bra and top that fully covered her. “I like the difference it makes in my overall appearance, but not how they feel nor how they look. I shouldn’t be having breasts.”

It was the third set of forms that looked realistic and as Sage noted they move like the real thing. Without thinking about the time of her meeting with Maggie she agreed to try wearing them and come back in mid-afternoon. Connie did such a great job in gluing them on and blending in the seams with her own body. She was a little embarrassed when Maggie commented, “I would suggest you not be sporting any cleavage when we go to court or if you need to give a deposition.”

The Assistant Attorney for Manhattan who had this case and Cynthia waived the jury trial with Maggie’s agreement. It would bring the case to trial earlier, June 12. Hopefully, it would shorten its length by at least a day. Attorney Adam Miller made insinuations that Chad was at an LGBT-friendly establishment and possibly drunk. However, the only witness who thought he recognized Chad, contradicted his own testimony under cross-examination…

To be continued