The following day was really just your average day. Notes where taken in most of the classes, homework was handed in. The roll was taken, and the school's rumor mill started to turn more and more about who was doing what and who was seeing who and who was going to fight who after school. You know, your average southern day. Not that any of that concerned me, I had to keep my shoulders hunched over an open notebook and my nose buried in a textbook. The daily drama did not concern me... And the only time I ever tuned into the rumor mill was when I was the subject of the rumor. There was still some rumors that surrounded me, one was too close to the truth. It seems some classmates had noticed me using the staff bathroom and changing in there too for gym class.

The rumor was I was just really body shy or had some kind of scar or something. The UFO/Area 51 coots thought I was a body-snatched come down from the Plant XI and was employed by the Federal Government to root out anyone getting too close to the ‘Truth’. These people also thought I was an android and my charging station was located in the staff bathroom. The fact that I was transgender had been lost on many of them. The girls for the most part, just put down my lack of breast as me being a “Late Bloomer”.

All in all, things could have been worst for me. They could also be better. But I’ll take what I can get at this stage. After all, I still have three more years in this place to go before I can secure my Diploma and then I’m University-bound. But as the day drew to a close a gray cloud appeared above my head. I still had to talk to Mrs. Arnold about sighing of the charity slime thing. I had been giving a lot of thought to that, and after much consideration and some time in quite a reflection, I decided the best way to stick my middle finger to the Benton PTA was to be the first to sign up for the thing. The only thing standing my way was Mrs. Arnold, aka the “Keeper of Morals”.

Mrs. Arnold was one of the few remaining hardcore Southern Baptist. She believed in the King James Bible only as the one true translation in the sense that the almighty hand of God had touched all those who had been commissioned to work on it. She the local Southern Baptist preacher the Rev. John Mark was a true prophet, one who had been anointed by God himself to bring Benton back to the right path and lead the few chosen to those high lofty peaks of salvation.

Being true the core beliefs of the Southern Baptist sect, she mistrusted everything that even sounded Catholic, viewed people like me a threat to her way of living and was the author of the scolding letter my sister had received from the Benton PTA. The one that hinted I needed to be sent away to Whitfield or Chamberlin-Hunt Military Academy. She even offered to have Benton Baptist church sponsor me... But not before the Rev. John Mark prayed the devil out of me and saved my soul from the fires of hell.

And this was the women I needed to talk too about sighing up for the event. Something I dreaded more than the yearly flu shot. So there I stood, standing before the door in my best outfit. A white blouse, a blue vest, a matching navy blue pleated skirt, white stocking, and brown penny loafers. Before I had a chance to knock, the door flew open and in the doorway where she stood. Ms. Arnold.

Her bleach blonde hair had been piled high and layered in a beehive style. She reeked of cheap perfume that reminded me of an overflowing outhouse on a hot summers day. A smear of pink lipstick crossed her face and she wore a floral print sundress that looked more like a tent than a dress. Each of her big, meaty hands held the ring and behind her, I could see a row of books. Slowly she shifted her eyes at me and in a nasty, conceding tone of voice said.

“Hello..” She paused and as she brought her lips over her teeth said. “Hello there Mark Jonathan Brewer.” She said making a point to say each of my former names as a slowly as possible. “What can I do you for? Come to finally take me up on that offer, Whitfield or Chamberlin-Hunt?” She sneered.

I felt the blood in my start to boil and for a minute I thought about turning upon my heel and walking off. But I knew if I did that she would have won the game. I gathered my courage and in a polite, ladylike tone of voice, I said to her.

“Please,” I said. “Its Madeline,” I said slowly. “And no, I have some business we need to talk too, may I please come in.”

Mrs. Arnold peered down at me and slowly she stepped aside and showed me into her office. The office reeked of the same perfume she was wearing. A scent that caused me to gag in the dusty heat, it seems to dust off the furnace was the last thing on the janitor's mind before firing the thing up again. The office was decorated in the proud tradition of the old South. A polished wooden desk sat in the center. Behind the desk, there could be seen a tall leather back chair. Behind the chair sat three framed diplomas. Beside the framed diplomas there could be seen, hanging from a braid of leather cord a paddle.

An open King James Bible could be seen in the center of the desk. In front of the desk where two small plastic chairs. Hanging on the side of the wall, was a plague that read. “Spare the Rod and thee will spoil the Child.” and hanging beside that one was one of a paddle and above the paddle in old English script where the words ‘ Bored of Reform’.

“Now Mark, the only bit of business we have is this. Either you drop this whole being a girl business that been going around way too long for my liking and accepts my offer to send you, at the expense of the Benton PTA to Chamberlin-Hunt Academy. Or you please don’t bother me again.” She said sighing.

I raised an eyebrow and peered toward her. I knew this was going to hard, but this was like pulling teeth. “How long have you known and no, let's drop the Chamberlin-Hunt idea right now. I’m not going and as I can recall, my sister already told you lot can shove that idea.” I said taking a deep breath.

“Oh, I’ve known since summer. Remember that dunking booth event you did for ‘Discover Benton’ the Benton PTA sponsored some of that. And that form you filled out. We ran the birthday on it. It did not belong to a ‘Madeline Brewer’ but to a ‘Mark Jonathan Brewer’ also your student records and your society are tied to that name. And yes even though you prance around pretending to be a girl, your really not one.” She said firing back on me

I paused and took a deep breath. Mentally I counted back from ten to one before I slowly opened my eyes and looking the women dead in the eyes I said.

“Those records have been changed. My uncle William Bell, a lawyer and part owner of ‘Bell & Walker’ a law firm based in Vicksburg as already pushed the paperwork through to legally change my name. The Mississippi Department of vital records has already issued me with me a new birth certificate and the Federal Department of Social Security has also issued me a new number. So legally, I am Madeline.”

The women peered toward me. And finally in a calm tone of voice said.

“So, why are you here then? If you're not here to take me up on my offer... And you’ve done all this work... Then surely there must be a reason to come to a calling at my door.” She said sitting down in that big leather chair of hers and peering straight out me.

“I would like to sign up for the charity event,” I told her as I eased down in one of the hard plastic chairs. “Rumors growing on the vine say you don’t have anybody yet.”

The women raised an eyebrow at me and slowly started to nod her head. She then reached into her desk and pulled out a form. She placed the form on the desk and slid it toward me.

“I don’t like you. I’ll be honest with you. I think your whole lifestyle is wrong. But I need a willing volunteer and it seems you’re the first one. This changes nothing between us. And if it was not for charity, I would kick you out right now. But I’m up hole creek without a paddle.” She said.

I took the form and blinked. “Take the form, fill it out and get back to me.” She said shaking her head. “I’ll approve it and we can finally move. Thank you for your time..” there was a long pause. “Madeline.”

I smiled a little as I pushed open the door and exited the classroom. Life is always full of surprises.