Oh My God! My characters and muse have highjacked this story again. I really didn’t plan to take it to where it is going, but you know how stubborn Characters can be sometimes when they wish to write.

“Why are you denying it?” Victoria hissed as she approached.

“I want to do this on my terms.” Erika stated. “Not because a bitter bitch like Taylor or Strange Stephanie forces it.”

“I still think it’s better to just come out with the truth.” Victoria shook her head.

“I will and you can run your article.” Erika told her friend, “But not today.”

“Remember.” Samantha told her for the hundredth time. “You can not let them see you weaken. Let it roll off like water on a duck.

The analogy brought back memories of Liberty the black duckling from Camp Kumoni Erika nodded.

“You are a smart, sexy woman.” Tricia squeezed Erika’s hand. Her physical assurance was comforting. “Worse case scenario, you can just lift your dress and show them your gaffe. No one will know enough to question you after that.” She giggled.

“You are so vulgar sometimes.” Victoria frowned at Tricia. She turned to Erika. “She has a point though.”

“Remember.” Samantha told her. “Put it back on them to decide.”

The four friends entered the school building. The talking that filled the front hall silenced. Students all looked and stared at the four, especially Erika.

“Seriously?” Samantha said loudly. She started forward as if nothing was wrong, Erika and the others joining her.

The students started talking again but softer.

“Is it true?” a guy’s voice called.

Erika ignored him for a few steps, her heart raced. She hoped that she wasn’t blushing. She stopped, the others stopping as well. “What do you think?” She called out to no one in particular. She flipped her long curls and continued.

“Good job.” Samantha whispered for her ears only.

“Fucking Tranny.” Taylor called as she and a few others in her posse walked by.

“Immature Bitch.” Tricia called back.

“You got yourself kicked off Rally, Taylor. “Stop trying to smear Erika because of your choice.” Jorge added.

“You’re doing good.” Samantha whispered. “Keep cool.”

Erika stuttered a step or two when she saw her locker. It too had been spray painted with derogatory words and terms. Even rough crude images of penises had been scrawled onto the outside. A janitor was working with a spray bottle and a rag to try and clean it off.

“Is this your locker?” he asked as they approached.

Erika nodded. ‘The plague’ was running around in her head. She took a few deep breaths to suppress not only the tears but to keep her from falling apart in memories of last year.

“I’m sorry, Miss. I’ll have this filth cleaned up soon. Looks like I may have to paint over it.” He said. “Do you need anything out of it?”

“A few books.” Erika nodded.

He stepped away. For Erika to open her locker. She took a deep breath and hesitantly opened it anticipating the worse. She was almost disappointed when nothing happened, nothing was rigged, and nothing filled her locker except her on school books and personal items.

“That’s a relief.” Krystal sighed. Tricia and Victoria agreed with nods.

“Tranny!” another voice called but it was lost down the hall amongst the other students like a coward.

“You will burn in hell, you perverted filth.” Strange Stephanie sneered as she skittered by.

That, Erika was expecting. That she didn’t have to pretend to handle. She had made her piece with Strange Stephanie’s betrayal after the fight with Tricia.

One of the cheerleaders approached, nervously. “Is it true?” She asked Erika although her eyes took in all of them. Are you a… a…. you know?”

“What do you think?” Erika scoffed.

“Taylor is just retaliating after being asked to leave the Rally squad.” Samantha told her cheer team mate.

The Cheerleader didn’t look satisfied with the answer but gave Erika a smile and walked on.

“This is going to get old, quick.” Victoria sighed.

“Just for now.” Erika turned to Victoria. “My terms, not theirs.”

Victoria put up her hands. “Fine. I’m just saying.”

“I know.” Erika nodded. “Just not yet.”

“We have to get to class.” Jorge took Krystal’s hand. “See you later.”

Samantha, Tricia and Erika walked into homeroom. A silence fell over the room like it did in the front hall. All eyes were on her as she walked to her seat. Jake looked at her and without a smile. He didn’t even make a smart-ass remark as she passed him to her seat. She dropped her books on her desk loudly then swept a hand over the back of her dress, smoothing it under her bottom as she sat.

Jake looked at her and opened his mouth to say something then shut it. He licked his lips and tried it again. “So, Erika.” He was nervous. “That rumor going around… is there… any truth to it?” he managed.

Erika’s heart was pounding. “Why Jake.” She added a lilt to her voice and batted her eyes at him. “You of all people would know the truth, right?” She then lowered it back to normal and glanced at everyone staring at them in the classroom. “What do you seriously think?”

A smile slowly slid across Jake’s face. He chuckled, then laughed. The tension in the classroom began to relax. But people still whispered.

“Erika?” Mrs. Anderson entered the class. “The office would like you to head down there.”

“What for?” Erika asked. “I haven’t done anything wrong.”

The instructor shrugged. “I was just told to send you down.”

Erika stood and practically calmly walked out of class even though her heart was anything but calm.

The halls were quiet now, everyone having made it to class for first bell. What could the office want with her? She was the one who’s reputation was being quite literally smeared all over town. She entered the office and was told to have a seat.

She sat there her anxiety building, her heart speeding up only for her to control her breathing and slow it back down. Whatever happened, she could deal with it. She had too.

“Erika? The principal finally called from the door. Erika got up and walked in and took a seat.

“Hello, Erika.” The principal greeted as she slid around her desk. “It’s good to see you feeling more comfortable in your own skin.” She smiled. “at the beginning of the year, I wasn’t so sure you’d make it this long.”

“It was a bit rough.” Erika agreed. “I’m sure lots of teenagers go through things similar.”

The principal nodded. “You do cause quite a bit of drama though.” She went on. “Last year, problems with the football team, being harassed and bullied.” She looked through pages in her file. “This year, enrolling under a false name, changing your gender without your parents even knowing. A brain tumor and surgery… how is that going by the way?”

“Fine, I guess.” Erika’s heart was pounding louder and louder. She wished the principal would just get to the point.

“Your unfortunate seizures, that must be a hard one to deal with… Then your issues with the Rally squad and the subsequent fall out.” She looked back up at Erika. “The town let along my school is being vandalized.”

“I…I didn’t’ do it.” Erika defended. “I woke up this morning and was told about it. It’s horrible. Whoever is doing it, even defaced my locker.”

“I know. The janitor informed me that he’d have to repaint it”

“I’m sorry.” Erika crossed her arms in front of her protectively. “but It isn’t my fault.”

“Our phones are ringing off the hook because parents are concerned that you are peaking at their daughters in the bathrooms or while changing in the locker room or at Cheer. Thankfully we already spoke about delaying your taking gym and your changing outside the locker room at Cheer. However, several concerned parents have pulled their daughters out of school and many more want you transferred.” She explained. “The School super-intendent however has advised me that I can’t transfer you or take any action. I am only to reassure those concerned parents that no such behavior is happening at our school.”

“This, constant drama that surrounds you needs to stop.” She told Erika. “Parents are even talking about taking their concerns to the city council.”

“It isn’t my fault.” Erika reiterated. “Someone doesn’t like me for who I am and is causing this.” Her heart was pounding so hard she thought her chest would explode. She could even hear it in her ears. She sat forward in her seat. “I just want to be treated like everyone else.” She put strength into her voice. She could hardly believe that she had such strength. Even a few months ago, she’d have been cowering and crying in this chair. “It is no one’s business what bathroom I use, or how I dress, who I like or… or anything.” She was shocked at what she was saying. The Principal seemed just as shocked. “I just want to be left alone and treated like every other student in the school.” She stood up.

“I’m not responsible for the vandalization of the school, or of the signs and billboards around town. That is the responsibility of whom ever did it. So, if you have nothing else for me. I wish to return to class. I still have to catch up from my business trip.” Erika without looking at the Principal or caring what would happen next, walked out of the office and to the nearest bathroom, her heart racing, her blood boiling and her mind racing.

“Holy shit… holy shit… holy shit.” She told her reflection in the mirror. She wet a few paper towels and tossed her hair to one side and placed the cool towels on the back of her neck. “I can’t believe I just did that.” She told herself. “Oh my God, I’m going to get kicked out of school for sure now… holy shit.”

“You probably should.” A voice sounded from one of the stalls causing Erika to stifle a squeak and turn, big eyed to face Melinda. “I’m surprised the school has bent the rules for you this long.”

Erika just stared at her former Cheer leader.

“You haven’t really broken any rules, just bent them a lot.” Melinda washed her hands. “Look, Erika.” She turned off the water and captured Erika’s gaze. “I don’t have any problem with you personally. I even kind of like you, but rules are in place for a reason and when people like you come along and think that they should have special treatment, that’s when I start to have an issue.”

“I just want to be treated like everyone else.” Erika protested.

“Do you think everyone else can miss as much school and cheer practice and stay on the Cheer squad?” Melinda shook her head. “I was told that because of your brain tumor that I should make allowances. Rally squad had to take up a lot of slack while you were out, it put stress on the team.”

“I did what I could.” Erika protested again. “I drew up all of the posters to help make up for it.”

Melinda dried her hands. “That was nice, and it did help, but it still caused a lot of undue stress on the Cheer and Rally squads. As I said, I don’t have any personal issues with you, Erika. I can’t even start to understand what you have gone through But I am glad that you decided to quit. I just wish I didn’t have to lose another good Rally girl.”

Erika’s already fragile mood was seemed like it was about to break. She steadied herself and took a deep breath to cleanse Melinda’s negativity. “Do you know who is defacing my billboards?”

Melinda thought for a moment. She shook her head “I’m sorry, I don’t. It’s horrible what they have done to our town and school. My guess would be Taylor, but I have nothing to prove that it was her.” She paused before opening the door. “Good luck with finding the vandal that did. If I find anything out, I’ll let you know.” Melinda left Erika alone in the bathroom.

Her heart wasn’t beating as horribly as it was when she entered but she still felt fragile and a bit horrible. She fixed a few errant curls and made sure that her eyeliner wasn’t going to run before going back to class.

“What happened?” Samantha asked after class.

“The principal wanted to blame me for creating ‘drama’ in her school.” Erika growled.

“Seriously? You aren’t the one spray painting the town with nastiness.” Samantha was surprised. “What did you do?”

“I told her to stick it and walked out.” Erika confided.

“You?” Tricia inquired. “You. Erika, stood up to a person of authority?”

Erika bit her lip and nodded.

“Oh my God, I wish I could have been there.” Tricia squeezed her girlfriend. “I want details.”

“At lunch.” Erika promised. “If I don’t get suspended or expelled first.” Erika squeezed her hand before she took off for her next class.

“Did you really tell her to stick it?” Samantha asked as they moved on.

“Not those words, but I told her pretty much to stop singling me out and that I was in no way responsible for the vandalizing.”

“Girl, you’ve got balls.” Samantha smiled, then gave her a knowing wink.

“Look there’s the Tranny.” Someone in a group called as they passed in the halls.

Erika felt her body tense.

“Breathe.” Samantha whispered. “Smile and breathe.”

“Hey Erika.” Julian and Stan approached. “You doing alright?”

Erika nodded. “Yes.”

“Sorry to see someone defaced your billboards.” Stan apologized.

“Are you catching grief here?” Julian asked.

“Just from jealous losers.” Samantha nearly growled.

“I’m just trying to ignore it all.” Erika shrugged. “How are you doing?”

“Good.” Julian smiled. “Listen, if you need anything, a ride home, an escort through the halls? Just let us know.” He glanced at Stan who nodded.

“Thanks, but I’m sure I’ll be fine.” Erika gave them both a smile.

--o0o—

Erika was sitting in class just before lunch when her phone vibrated. She slid it out of her purse and glanced at it. It was her mother. Erika opened the text.

Mom: I think you should come home. My phone is ringing off the hook. The tabloids have pictures of you and Hunter kissing on the beach in Santa Monica. I’m calling Mr. Winters right now.

If her heart could have stopped it would have. The world faded for just a moment. She groaned and hit her head against her desk. Could this day get any worse?