Synopsis: Allison finally reveals herself to Stephanie, but how will she react?

“Before we have the pinning ceremony,” Remy said, walking to the front of the row. The pledges were facing eachother just as we had during our pinning ceremony. It was a moment that would be seared into my mind for the rest of my life. “There’s a point that I really want to go over first. As you know, Alpha Gamma is an extremely diverse sorority and we believe strongly in furthering the cause of equality. As such, we’re proud to claim the organization’s first transgender pledge.”

Once again, as I should have expected, there was a lot of murmuring, just like before. I cringed a little bit; there was always the chance that at least one person wouldn’t like it, and then what? It was doubtful that one single person could jeopardize my position here. Then again, I didn’t really have a position here; I was just a pledge.

“Wait, what does that mean exactly?” Someone asked. I looked over, it was Stephanie. Stephanie Williams, the girl I’d grown up next to for practically my entire life. “You mean we’d be living with…a guy?”

“She’s not considered to be a guy,” Remy explained. “She’ll be undergoing hormone treatments soon and over the past three weeks she’s proven herself—”

“Wait, no,” Stephanie said, suddenly stepping out of line. “I wanted to join a sorority, not a co-ed frat. I can’t do this.”

“Stephanie,” Laura said, stepping forward. “Maybe if you just meet her you’ll see that—”

“What’s there to see?” Stephanie demanded. “You’re a sorority and you let a GUY in. That’s just…that’s wrong!”

“Allison,” Remy beckoned to me. “Come over here please.”

I was frozen in place. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t speak. My stomach was starting to feel light, numb, like I was about to collapse and literally eat the floor. My mother had literally just warned me that something like this could happen. Where was she now? Where was Brianna? They were in the house right?

“Hey Allison?” Laura said, walking over to me. “We need you over here, hon.”

“This is Allison,” Remy introduced me to Stephanie as Laura walked me over. I must have looked like a mental patient, honestly. I couldn’t even walk under my own power. “As you can see, she’s just like any other girl here.”

“I don’t get it,” Stephanie said, looking me over. “You’re telling me this is a guy?”

Remy looked at me expectantly and raised an eyebrow, almost as if to tell me it was time to start speaking up for myself. She was right.

“I…I’m a girl,” I said timidly. “My name is…my name is Allison.”

“But you have a penis, right?” She demanded.

“I mean I…yeah…but –“

“Um there’s no BUT here,” Stephanie crossed her arms, glaring at me. “If you have a penis you’re a guy. What happens when you move into the house and you start molesting people? You’re a guy, you can’t help it.”

“Stephanie,” Michelle said, stepping forward. “Allison has lived in the house for more than a month and she’s been perfectly well behaved. We don’t view her any differently than any other girl here. Sometimes we even forget that she’s trans.”

“Oh so you FORGET you have a guy living in the house,” Stephanie suddenly sneered. “That’s super irresponsible and you’re putting all of the girls here in danger. You know what? I can’t do this. I’m not staying in a house where you just don’t care about our safety. This is flat out disgusting.”

With that, Stephanie turned on her heel and stormed toward the front door, her heels making a clacking sound against the marble tile as she went. The event suddenly registered in my mind, and I have no idea what possessed me to do it, but I began to follow her.

“Stephanie!” I called out after her as I walked though the threshold and tore out onto the porch. She was already halfway down the walk.

“Leave me alone,” She shouted back. “If you start following me I’ll scream, then you can live out your deluded little fantasy in jail, would you like that? Maybe you’d get it in the butt!”

“Stephanie!” I shouted, this time I dropped the female façade, I screamed it out in my very, very recognizable male voice. She suddenly stopped and turned toward me, glaring at me through squinted eyes.

“Miles?” She demanded. “Is that you?”

I nodded.

“Yeah, it’s me,” I took another step toward her and I was expecting her to warm up to me at least a little, but instead she took another step back and shook her head.

“What…what are you even doing?” She demanded. “Why are you dressed like this? You’re some kind of pervert aren’t you? You could never get laid so you decided to start perving on all the sorority girls. SUCH a typical guy thing.”

“Stephanie, that’s not…why are you talking to me like this? We were really close when we were younger. We did things together, we went to movies, walked around the mall…you came over to play video games. I mean, you know I’m not a bad person. You know I wouldn’t—”

“What am I supposed to know?” Stephanie walked toward me angrily. To be honest I thought she was doing to hit me but she stopped short, maybe a foot from me. “You were always leering at me like you wanted something. Do you know how nervous you made me sometimes? And now this? You’re disgusting. Be careful girls, he probably watches you in the shower!”

It didn’t occur to me that she had yelled that last part at anyone in particular, I was too busy concentrating on her.

“Stephanie I…I wasn’t…I wasn’t leering at you. It’s just…I…”

“What?” She demanded. “What were you doing?”

“I was looking at your clothes,” I finally managed to force it out. “I liked…the way you looked in them. I guess…I was kind of jealous that I couldn’t look like that. Okay, I mean I was really jealous. It’s like…I mean…I wanted to be like you, but I couldn’t. At least I thought I couldn’t. I mean if I’d been a little more honest about my feelings with the people around me—”

“Just shut up,” She snarled. “I know what you are. You’re like half a step from raping everyone in this house. I swear to god if I ever catch you in the same bathroom as me I’ll cut your throat.”

“HEY!” I suddenly heard a voice from behind me. I spun around to see that virtually the entire house was standing on the front porch. My mother and sister were tearing down the steps in our direction. Brianna looked like she was about to murder someone. The only time I’d ever seen that look on her face was when I borrowed her iPad without permission that one time. “You presumptuous little slut! Who the HELL do you think you are?!”

I started to say something, but suddenly my mother and Remy were at my side. Mom gently placed a hand on my shoulder and Remy grabbed my left hand, squeezing it.

“Who are you to talk?” Stephanie spat at my sister. “Calling me a slut when you slept with every guy in—”

Before she could finish her sentence, Brianna literally slapped her. She just slammed a hand across her face, knocking her to the ground and sending her rolling across the lawn. She quickly scrambled to her feet, tearing off the heels that she was wearing and charged at my sister. I wanted to step forward but I felt Remy’s hand squeeze mine even harder. What was happening? WHY was this happening? Oh my god, what had I done? Before Stephanie could reach her, Brianna simply reached a hand out, placed it on her forehead and literally stuck her in place as she tried to take a swing, which missed my sister by like a mile. Remy finally let go of my hand and stepped forward, shoving Stephanie back.

“Get off our property,” She said firmly, but calmly. “Or I’ll call the police and you can live out your deluded fantasy in a jail cell. Maybe you’ll get it in the butt.”

“You haven’t heard the end of this!” Stephanie shouted as she stormed off into the night. “I swear to god you’ll regret this, especially you, you little pervert!”

“I think that’s definitely the last of it,” Remy said as she returned to me.

“Sweetie are you okay?” My mom asked, wrapping me in a hug. I wasn’t okay.

“Yeah,” I said, my voice cracking and kind of switching between male and female.

My mother gently guided me back toward the porch where the other sisters and pledges were waiting for us.

“Hey,” One of the new pledges said, stepping toward me as we walked up. “One of my best friends came out as trans last year, I totally support you and I think everyone else here does too.”

That elicited nods of approval and agreement all around.

“You’re…you’re not afraid of me?” I asked shakily. “I mean, what she said…”

“Who cares about what she said?” One of the other new pledges said. “You look like any other girl here, and you act like a girl. I’ve known you for…what, ten minutes? You’re practically dripping in femme. The way you talk, the way you carry yourself, it’s beyond obvious that you’re a girl. I feel safe with you.”

“We all feel safe with you,” Laura said as she stepped forward. “We love you, you’re one of us, okay?”

There were hugs all around, I felt safe, for the moment but I wouldn’t help this nagging feeling that was sitting at the back of my mind. After the pinning ceremony mom came over to me again.

“Hey sweetie,” She said. “I have to fly back to Washington state, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call, okay?”

“Already?” I said, confused. “You just got here.”

“I just came out to see you honey,” She said. “I wanted you to know how proud I am of you and how happy I am that you’ve finally found yourself. Please, don’t listen to what anyone says. Listen to Brianna, listen to your sisters, they love you. But please, don’t let anyone discourage you. You’re my daughter, and you’re special.”

I nodded slowly. I was trying to believe it. She kissed me on the forehead and just like that, she was gone.

“Hey you,” Brianna said as she joined me in front of the stairs. “I think it’s time you get to bed, it’s been a long day.”

“It’s like nine,” I said. “I think I can stay up for a while longer.”

“Allison,” My sister said sternly. “You’ve had a day. Seriously, you’ve had a day and tomorrow is probably going to be more of the same – well, hopefully not more of that crap, but still, pretty busy. Get some sleep so I can wake you up early, okay?”

“Okay,” I finally agreed.

“Remember you have to shower in the morning and it’s probably about time we thought about getting you waxed.”

I hadn’t notice any hair coming in but as always, she probably knew best.

“Okay,” I said as I hugged her and made my way up the stairs. She’d been right: I was exhausted. I changed into a silk nightgown that Remy had given me and washed my makeup off. I climbed under my covers. As I often did, I kind of ran the bottoms of my feet along the satin sheets as I laid under the comforter and allowed it to envelop me. Before I knew it, I was fast asleep, but it didn’t last long, at least not from my perspective.

“Allison,” I hear Brianna’s voice and her hand shaking me. “Allison, come on, wake up.”

I slowly opened my eyes and smiled a little. The light was on, but it was pitch black outside the bedroom window.

“What’s going on? What time is it?” I turned my head and looked at the bedside clock. 3:13 in the morning. I noticed that Remy and Laura were moving around quickly behind her, going through my closet.

“Allison honey, we have to get you out of the house right now.”