Lately I had actually enjoyed going to school. It had started when a group of documentary filmers had chosen our school to do a documentary about every-day high school life. This would be their fifth week here. The first week everyone tried to get their attention. They strongly discouraged that. Their goal was to be as unnoticeable as possible. Blending in into the background while filming with their carefully disguised cameras, as well as some fixed cameras. By the fourth week they had succeeded quite well. The students didn’t take more notice of them than they did of the poster for the Chess club’s next game in the state championships. Quite a pity, I had spent quite a lot of time making that poster.

So given that the film team wasn’t interested in any drama queens why did my best friend Phil come to school dressed as a girl?

I wouldn’t say that he was beautiful. He really didn’t have the basics for that. 5'8", a bit pudgy, rather rugged face. However, someone had gone to great lengths to make him pretty and done a good job. He WAS pretty. You might even say very pretty, but then I may be biased.

Usually it was I who was bullied for being girly. To begin with I’m named Andrea. My parents come from Italy. I’ll tell you a secret: not ALL Italians are 6' tall, blond and have blue eyes. I’m 5'1", 5' ¾" according to school records but that’s not true. I am 5'1"! Long black hair that my mother loves to brush every evening (that’s the first thing to go when I go to college), fine feature, doe eyes, skinny and then add “Freshman”. What’s not to like for a bully? It didn’t really help that I did all I could to hide my “cuteness”; tussling my hair before coming to school, wearing baggy and dirty clothes. I didn’t slouch. Not when you are 5'1" (NOT 5' ¾"!).

This was one reason I liked the film team. Since they came the bullies had been a bit more careful. The team had chosen well. Our high school was very average in many ways. Average sized town, average number of students, academically a bit below average. The only things that stuck out were the baseball team and cheerleading team. Both were there at the top of the state. I almost forgot, the chess team had got a shot at the state championship as well since we had strong team that year, but who cared? Baseball and Cheer got more than their fair share of the schools limited resources. As for the team members? Have you heard the word entitled? The girls’ coach was a good one both professionally and as a person and kept the girls reasonably reined in. As for the baseball team - Nothing was too good for them, nothing they did could be wrong. I knew!

We had a Principal that acted very promptly to any complaint about bullying by the baseball players. Immediate dismissal of the complaint and detention for “slander” for the poor stupid schmuck who complained. Of course this was followed up by a beating by the entire baseball team afterwards. They had a favorite secluded spot in the school area. I may be intelligent but I’m not very smart. It took me three times before I learned.

So what was Phil thinking coming to school dressed as a girl and not as an obvious joke either? Pretty in the girl next door way and not bad at all in girlish manners. I sighed and met him. He may be really stupid to do this but he IS my best friend..

The first two periods were OK. Verbal abuse but nothing physical (I don’t count the shove I got in the boys’ room when I guarded Phil’s stall). Third period was PE and the baseball team had PE second period which meant that we shared the locker room. Not good!

That removed their inhibitions. The rest of the day the team harried us, well really Phil but I couldn’t just stay on the side, could I? As long as none of the 2 teachers in 5 that they weren’t sure would look the other way was near – we got it! I tried to shield Phil as much as possible but at 5'1" (NOT 5' ¾"!) I wasn’t really much of an obstacle.

The school ended by a visit to the baseball team’s favorite spot. The less said about what happened the better. At least it was rather brief. Chuck from the film team turned up just as the team had left and he called an ambulance. He followed us to the hospital and insisted that everything and he meant EVERYTHING was documented. He also called the police. The sergeant was inclined to walk away when he heard that the “alleged” perpetrators were in the baseball team. Then Lucy from the film team turned up and showed him something she had recorded and had a quiet conversation with him. I only heard a few words: media and scandal were among them. After that the Police changed their attitude.

Phil and Chuck told me to come to school early next day despite my broken ribs.

The next morning we went to see the Principal. It took him a while to realize that Lucy was filming the meeting. At first he dismissed our accusations. Trying to make light of it. It took almost 15 minutes for him to realize that Chuck and Lucy had a combined 2 hours 34 minutes and 36 seconds (counting all cameras) of footage with the baseball team verbally and physically abusing Phil and me. To my surprise Phil also told him that the entire baseball team had been interrogated by the police and that four of them were in jail. While released the others were not cleared. The investigation was ongoing. The Principal did not take this very well.

When the other students heard about the fall of the baseball team scores of them came forward with tales of bullying they had been subjected to or witnessed. By noon the Principal had resigned.

Later that day Lucy interviewed Phil and me.

Lucy: Phil, this was all your idea. Please tell us about it.
Phil: I knew that the baseball team’s bullying had to stop. The question was only how. The powers that be kept protecting them. Then you came. While they became more careful I was sure that if I baited them enough they would become careless and it would be caught on camera.
Lucy: So that’s why you contacted us and came to school dressed as a girl. You were the bait?
Phil (smiling): Well, you could call me “jail bait”

What! Phil had arranged all this and not told me?!

Lucy: Chuck and I are very sorry we couldn’t reach you sooner at that last beating. The observation spot we had found was a bit away and it took some time for Chuck to get there. Sorry!

Phil became serious and a bit concerned

Phil: It worked. Maybe coming to school dressed as girl worked a bit TOO well.
Lucy: How come?
Phil: Do you know Andrew Dupont?
Lucy: Student council president, very handsome, all-round nice guy? The uncontested alpha male in school now that the baseball team is history?
Phil: That’s him. Well, both he and Andrea have asked me for a date on Saturday. Who shall I go with?

I was furious. How could the rat tell Lucy about me asking him out? I had done it in light tone so he could take it as a joke if he wanted but by the third period beating I had realized that what I up till that day had thought was just feelings of deep friendship was something much more serious. Now he hanged me out and in front of the camera!

Phil: As you said Andrew is quite a catch while Andrea is only someone I share a lot with. The choice really is quite simple.

I was terribly hurt by what he or is it she or whatever was saying. How could he do this with me sitting there. Cruelty thy name is woman!

Phil: It’s Andrea I like. I mean really LIKE. And he was my knight in not so shining armor today. And – have a closer look at him. He could clean up quite well and become quite good-looking. Don’t you agree Lucy?
Lucy (mumbling): Those eyes, the hair, a face like that.
Lucy (speaking): No I don’t agree. Give my sister an afternoon and he will be absolutely stunningly BEAUTIFUL!

I was a bit conflicted about that but then I looked at them. Both had radiant smiles, one admiring, the other – something much dearer to me.

With two beautiful women looking at me like that – Well, I felt like I was almost 5'8"!