It had been a hectic and unusual time lately, temporarily becoming ‘Miss Campbell’, and The Wicked Queen, and my time with Sara and Mam over Christmas. I just hoped that the next term in the New Year would be a little more routine.
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The new term started as normal, I was back to being Mr Campbell, much to the disappointment of most of the girls, who had got used to me being Miss Campbell.

‘ Oh Sir, you were a much better teacher when you were Miss Campbell, we could talk to you a lot more easily, will we see her again, please?” asked Kirsty Scott, one of my year 8 pupils with her pleading puppy-dog eyes.

“Don’t be silly Kirsty, you all know that I just dressed like that because of the panto, you are old enough to know that men do not normally dress in women’s clothes.”

“ It’s not fair is it Sir, when I want I can wear trousers or jeans and anoraks or jackets and stuff, why should men not be allowed to wear dresses and skirts?”

“It’s just the way it is Kirsty, let’s drop it and get on with the lessons.”

“ Like I said, a lot off us would like you to turn into Miss Campbell again, it was much nicer.”

“ Kirsty, I said drop it, instead of turning into Miss Campbell, I could turn into the Wicked Queen, and cast spells on you all or poison you to put you to sleep for a long time, at least that would give me some peace and quiet.” That seemed to stop the conversation from the girls, although I was still getting some strange questioning looks from many of them.

Nobody said anything like that in the staff common room, but the atmosphere and the way I was being treated changed, suddenly as a man in a room full of women I was an outsider. Whilst everyone was polite and civil, the friendliness of being in the group with the women had stopped. Before all the dressing-up had started I had not particularly felt excluded, but now I definitely noticed the difference in the way I was looked upon.

Things settled down for the next few weeks until I got the call from Maggie Thomas.

“Hi Robin, just a reminder about the class reunion next Saturday at the Majestic Hotel, you are still coming aren’t you, you did promise as part of my deal to keep quiet.”

‘I was hoping you would not keep me to it, but a promise is a promise, I’ll be there. What time is it and what sort of do is it.”

“7:00 for 7:30 in the small function room, there will be a notice board in the hotel lobby. Normally there are only about 20 of us, but I spread the word that you would be coming and the numbers have doubled. All the girls from the hockey team will be there as well as those in our class, and they are all looking forward to meeting you again, it has been a long time since anyone has seen you. It is not a formal do with fancy long dresses or anything like that, just a smart cocktail dress will do, the girls normally glam it up a bit, but no need to go too wild.”

“Look Maggie, you know my situation, I am a bit worried about this, I am not sure if I will get through the night without being discovered.”

“You’ll be fine Robin, honestly. When we met on the bus, I recognised you as the girl I had been to school with, and until I talked to the headmistress after the show and she told me you were her sports MASTER, I would never have guessed, even during the performance you came across totally as female. If it will be more comfortable for you I will meet you in the car park and we can go in together.”

“Don’t forget that, as far as anyone else is concerned, I am not teaching at Abbey High, I am at a school in the next county. the less people who know about me the better.”

When I told Sara that I really had to go to the reunion, she took charge of getting me prepared. For the next few days at home, I lived and dressed as a woman. Sara constantly watched how I was behaving and speaking, correcting me when I did or said something not quite right. I needed a decent cocktail dress which meant going to the next town with decent clothes shops, en femme, looking at and trying on clothes with Sara advising what suited and what didn’t. I ended up with a knee length Sapphire-blue silk-blend dress with a scoop neck and half sleeves with embroidery in silver thread around the hem, cuffs and neckline with matching 4”-heeled shoes. I thought that it was a bit expensive for one night out, but Sara insisted that despite what Maggie had said, that I would be expected to be in a good-quality outfit.

My hair was long enough to be cut into a pixie style, but Sara thought that I needed to appear ultra-feminine. She had a friend who ran a beauty salon who owed her a big favour, so on the Saturday morning I was fitted with a mid-length natural hair wig, and my own hair was drawn through the mesh base and woven into the wig , all dyed to blend in, and styled in a formal up-do with hanging side curls. I was also subjected to a full beauty treatment, waxing, masks, eyebrows nails, the whole works. I was glad that this was being done as a favour, I shuddered to think what it would all have cost.

After finishing my make-up at home I put on my new dress and shoes, and wearing a coat borrowed from Sara and carrying one of her clutch bags, I was feeling ever so glamorous but extremely nervous as she drove me to the Majestic.

I met Maggie in the car park as arranged and she linked arms with me for moral support and led me into the hotel. We handed in our coats, freshened up in the Ladies, and I braced myself to walk in and meet the others.

“Just relax Robin, you are looking gorgeous, you will put most of us to shame, just be natural and you will have no trouble. Remember how you fitted in when we were at school, just treat everybody as old school friends and they will treat you exactly the same.”

“ Right Maggie, I’m ready, let’s go into the lions den.”

I drew a lot of looks when we entered the room, mainly questioning who I was, but that was all cleared up when a blur in red came rushing over towards me and gave me a massive hug,

“Oh Robin, it’s so good to see you again, it must be two years since we last met. I’ll never forget how you stopped my bullying torment and gave me the confidence to get on with life. After you have said your hellos, we must sit down and catch up.”

“We must Josie, I’m sorry we’ve neglected you recently, but I have been so busy with all my work.”

That broke the ice and most of the girls came over to welcome me back into their social circle. Many were still recognisable although it had been 10 years or so since we had last seen each other, some I would never have recognised if I passed them in the street. Instead of the gangly young girls I had known, most of them were now sophisticated self-assured young women.

Over dinner and drinks I had opportunities to catch up with what had happened in their careers and personal lives, many were married with children, many were in solid professional careers, but in their own way they all seemed to be happy and successful.

Maggie and Josie did excellent work looking after me and steering me away when conversations about what I was doing became difficult, and I really enjoyed the evening, meeting old friends again and reliving much of the fun time we had all had together. Towards the end of the evening I was stunned when my headmistress, Carol Cummings, came into the room. She was in the hotel with friends, had seen the notice about the reunion, and decided to call in to say hello to some of the former pupils that she had previously met.

“Well, well, well, Robin, I didn’t expect to see you here. Are you enjoying yourself reliving old times with your friends?”
“Please Carol, don’t say anything, as far as they are all concerned I’m just another friend from schooldays, one of the girls here for a good night out.”

“Don’t worry Robin, your secret is safe with me. However I need to have a conversation with you about a school matter, and didn’t know how to approach you with it, but seeing you here tonight makes it a lot easier for me. Can I come round to see you tomorrow, it may be easier to have the conversation at your home, rather than in school.”

Carol soon went back to her friends, leaving me with a mixture of worry and intrigue, and the night out with the girls continued. I had never particularly kept in contact with the people I had been at college and university with, they were good friends at the time but I never related to them as closely as I did to the girls I was with that night, and I decided that I would keep in touch and attend future reunions.

At the end of the evening, I said my goodbyes to them all, particularly to Maggie who had drawn me back into their social circle, with a special hug and kiss and an invitation for her to call round to my house, meet Sara again and get to know each other better. Josie came back in the car with Sara and I, they knew each other very well from our younger days as Sara had helped make me into a believable girl to attend school and help Josie, and at the time they had become very good friends.

When we got home, Sara, now heavily pregnant, was feeling tired and went to bed leaving Josie and me to have a drink and a chat.

“Robin, if you don’t mind me asking, do you dress as a woman often or is tonight a one-off just to see how people have turned out?”

“Josie, I haven’t seriously dressed since leaving Abbey High after my year there, although I won’t deny that it is not unknown. However recent events have come together to bring Robin, the girl, back to life again.”

I told her about the pantomime, and the problems with the breast forms, and teaching for a few days wearing a skirt and blouse, and how Maggie had talked me into attending the reunion.

“I’m glad that it is not my fault, I’ve been worrying all evening that you helping me all those years ago has affected you and it is because of me that you dress as a woman. You seemed to enjoy yourself with the girls tonight and fitted in with us all, you appeared just so natural, and if I may say so, one of the most attractive girls in the crowd.”

“Josie, it’s nobody’s fault that I like to wear women’s clothes or that my genes make me passable, it is just the way it is.”

“ What about Sara, is she ok with it all.”

“She doesn’t mind me dressing occasionally as long as I am discreet, but she loves her husband and I live my life as any other man, and as far as I am aware, nobody else knows. although recently Maggie and Carol have become aware of my situation, and you have always known.”

“ You know that I owe you a lot Robin, if ever you need a friend to talk to I will always be there for you.”

The next morning I had to prepare myself for the visit from Carol. Although my hair was still in place from the night out and just brushed out of the up-do to hang to my shoulders, my nails remained a brilliant blue to match the dress I had worn, and my skin still bloomed from the facials I had received, otherwise I dressed in casual men’s clothes and was looking fairly androgynous when Carol arrived.

“I wasn’t sure how I would find you this morning Robin, but even in those clothes, you still look like a woman to me.”

“Carol, if you think that I could be an embarrassment to the school or cause a scandal I am willing to resign, as long as you give me a good reference I should easily be able to get a new post elsewhere.”

“No need for that, it is not why I am here, although I can assure you that your career at Abbey High is perfectly secure. How you conduct your personal life is your affair, but if you want to carry this over into your life at school, you need to decide whether it is to be as ‘Mr Campbell’ or ‘Miss Campbell’, I know which the girls and staff would prefer, but I will not force you in either direction.”

It will be as ‘Mr Campbell’, but thanks for the offer.”

“Why I wanted to see you is that we have a situation arising that you will have a special insight into. I have previously been contacted by one of your old classmates that was at the reunion last night, no names at this stage, and she reminded me last night that I had not replied to her. Her nephew has said that he wants to attend our school as a girl, he feels he has always been a girl, and wants to grow up amongst girls. I know that you, a boy, attended the school, but at the time nobody knew or had the chance to object. Times are changing and these things are becoming more common and even acceptable. What do you think, can we overcome any difficulties that may arise?”

“ Wow, that is a strange one to throw at me, I don’t consider myself as an expert on gender problems, I just know how I feel and how it affects me. I would suggest that if it was known that you were letting a boy attend the school that you would attract a lot of negative attention from the press and parents of other pupils and that it may be best to keep it all secret. I got through a year at school without any major problems and without being discovered, and I did not have such strong feelings of wanting to be a girl. Have you met yet, do you know how passable the child is?”

“I haven’t met them yet and need to do so, would you be willing to carry out the interview alongside me? Of course, as you are known to your ex-schoolfriend as a female that is how I would prefer you to appear when we meet them.”

“I can see the benefit in that, it would be less intimidating than if I was there as a man. Can I also suggest that you involve Gerald Browne, he is a former chair of the governors, and also happens to be my wife’s father. He knew about me at the time and was heavily involved with getting me admitted as a pupil, and I am sure that he was also involved with you taking me on as the school’s first male teacher.”

“Thank you so much Robin, you will be a big help in this. I’ll arrange something tomorrow and let you know what is happening. By the way, your hair was looking lovely last night, it would be a shame to cut it all off, If you want to leave it long like that it’s fine with me as long as it is neat and tidy.”

I had a long chat afterwards with Sara and told her all that had been said. She loved my hair longer and was happy for me to keep it that way, which was just as well as her friend had no appointments the next week to strip it all back anyway, and the only other option would be to cut and destroy a beautiful and expensive wig. As long as I remained her husband, and father to our forthcoming baby, she said that she was not too bothered how I dressed or looked.

Monday morning with my hair tied back at the neck, but looking more like a full-bodied woman’s style rather than a thin male ponytail, but otherwise dressed in my normal jacket and trousers I arrived at school and headed for the staff room. With my full head of hair, trimmed eyebrows and softer skin, i was quickly accepted back into the group again, even in men’s clothes with no make-up I was just seen as another female member of staff.

As expected, the girls quickly adapted to calling me Miss Campbell again and the atmosphere in the classroom changed for the better. the girls responded to my questions a lot more easily and didn’t seem as wary or intimidated as the had recently been with me as Mr Campbell. On her way out to lunch, Kirsty Scott, who seemed to be the mouthpiece for the other pupils, suggested that I untie my hair and brush it out properly. I did that during lunch and looking at myself in the mirror, all I saw was an attractive woman.

“That’s so much better.” Kirsty said when I passed her in the corridor, “It really suits you like that.”

After school I popped along to see Carol to ask if she had made any arrangements yet for the interview.

“Yes, Friday afternoon at 4 o’clock after classes. We will be meeting Tracey Jones, who you know, with her nephew Michael, who prefers to be known as Fiona. On another matter, I have had lots of comments from the other teachers and from some of the girls about how you are looking today, all of them very complimentary. You will have to be in full female mode for Friday anyway, why not just complete your image and wear skirts or dresses for the rest of the week and come to school as a woman. you fit in so much better.

Tuesday morning, I fixed on my breast forms and put on a matching set of underwear, applied a little make up, brushed out and sprayed my hair, dressed in a a plain belted red sleeved dress and made my way to school. Everyone was delighted to see ‘Miss Campbell’ back again and after the initial flurry of compliments about my looks it was just another day and everybody soon forgot that there was anything out of the ordinary in the way I was dressed.

Wednesday was one of my hockey coaching days and I left the changing rooms wearing my usual track suit to go out onto the field.

“ That will never do.” said Kirsty, “you are Miss Campbell now, you should be wearing a games skirt and school top like the rest of us.” I was getting a bit fed up with her, it always seemed to be Kirsty encouraging my road to femininity. However she did have a point, and I went back inside and changed and tied my hair in a high ponytail before going out again.

The standard of hockey had improved a lot since I had started coaching the team, and the girls really appreciated it when I joined in the game, showing them the techniques on the pitch rather than shouting instructions from the sideline, Running up the field with my skirt swirling and my ponytail, and my breasts, bouncing about, brought back a lot of happy memories, and I promised myself that I would try to get the girls up to a decent level and give them the same memories. There were a couple of them, Kirsty especially, who showed a bit of promise that could be developed.

After the games session when the rest went in to get showered and changed, I held back Kirsty and Caroline, another of the girls that had a bit of talent, and suggested that they would benefit from some extra coaching and asked if they were interested.

‘Oh yes please Miss, I would really like that, I love hockey, and would like to help the team back to the success they had many years ago.” Kirsty was always the first one to speak and so full of confidence that also carried over into how she played on the hockey field and I knew she had the potential to be exceptionally good. “That goes for you as well Caroline, doesn’t it?”

“Ok Caroline, I will let you know when I have arranged something, go in now and get changed. Kirsty can you hang on a minute, there is something that I want to ask you. Kirsty, you are always the first to make comments about my being ‘Miss Campbell’ and how I look, you seem to have a special interest in my dressing as a woman, are you just being a bit cheeky or is there more to it than that?”

“I’m not being cheeky, I am not like that Miss, it is just that I have a friend, a boy who lives near me, who has always liked dressing as a girl, and we often play together or go out together shopping for clothes and things. He really would like to be a girl and when I have told him that I know of a man who sometimes dresses as a woman his eyes have lit up and he’s glad that he is not the only one like himself.”

“Kirsty, there are many people out there who would find men or boys dressing in women’s clothes as offensive. You really must keep this to yourselves. I would also appreciate it if you did not tell him who I am or tell anyone else about me either, if it became common knowledge that the school had a male teacher who dressed as a woman, it could be very embarrassing for us all. You need to tell your friend to be very careful when you are out and not to get into any situations where he could be discovered.”

“Fiona and I are always careful, and she really looks like a girl, nobody has ever said anything to us.” My mind was racing could this be the same Fiona that I would be interviewing later in the week?

I checked out the home address for Kirsty and asked Carol for the details of Michael/Fiona Jones, and they lived just around the corner from each other, it was obviously the same person. Before the interview on Friday, I told Carol and Gerald about Fiona being a friend of Kirsty, so that they were not caught unawares, and we met with Tracey and Michael/Fiona.

When Fiona came into the room, she looked no different to the other 13 year-olds that I taught, wearing a smart blouse and grey skirt and with her hair tied in bunches. she stood there very demurely until we invited them to sit down which she did very gracefully.

“Before we start,Tracey,”, asked Carol, “why are you here with Fiona, where are her parents, are we doing this behind their backs?”

“Not at all, my sister is a single-parent working as a senior nurse at the hospital and she couldn’t get time off, because of sickness of her normal cover, I can assure you that she is fully supportive of Fiona. Also as I was here at Abbey High for 7 years and know how the place works, we felt that it would be more comfortable and less embarrassing if I came with Fiona. It’s good to see a friendly face with Robin being here too, I feel a lot more calm now.”

“Ok Fiona, tell us about yourself and why you want to come to this school.”, asked Gerald

“ I do not like the school I am at now, I get bullied a lot by the boys, who call me a sissy, and pull my hair and push me around. The girls are ok with me, I usually spend my time with them, and feel that I belong with them. I like the things they do and the things they talk about and being in their company. I have a friend who is a pupil here and she tells me what a wonderful place it is, and being away from the boys, in classes with just girls, I think I could just be myself.”

“When did you start feeling like you belonged with the girls Fiona?” I asked.

“ I’ve always felt like this as along as I can remember, I’ve always played with the girls when I was younger, Barbie, My Little Pony, doll’s tea parties, dressing up with them like princesses, skipping, playing hopscotch. I was always with the other girls, until I started school I hardly ever met boys, the girls always said boys were horrid. When I started school my mum told me I had to be like all the other boys, wearing trousers, and cut off my lovely long hair. But the boys knew straight away that I was different and they teased me and made me play with the girls, and I just went along with it as I preferred the girls’ company anyway. I have a special friend, Kirsty who just accepts me as I am, she lets me borrow her clothes and we go shopping or play in the park together.”

“When I started senior school, things got worse, the boys were even nastier and bullied me, calling me names, and one time even took my clothes from the gym changing room and left me with a set of girls clothes, which I had to wear until the end of the day when I went home. It was awful, everyone picked on me and called me names after that. The school did not understand what was going on and treated it as if it was just a joke, but it was more than that, the boys knew better than the teachers.”

“And what makes you think it will be different here, do you not think that the girls will soon find out about you and that you will be bullied here just as much, some girls can be just as nasty as boys.” I said, I seemed to be taking the lead in this discussion, Carol and Gerald were happy to let me ask the questions.”

‘Kirsty has told me about how friendly everyone is here, and I will be just another girl amongst the others, she and her friends will help me to get to know everyone and what I am expected to do, and I know that I will fit in. Because of all the bullying I am not comfortable in classes and my learning is suffering, i am sure that if I was here that my grades would all improve again.”

“ You do realise, don’t you Fiona, that it is not just a matter of wearing prettier clothes but it will be a different way of life? People will treat you differently and expect you to behave differently. It will be difficult for you, especially at first until you settle in.”

“ I know, but it is how I want to live my life, if you will let me, and I’ll have Kirsty to help me.”

“ That’s all for now Fiona, I asked Kirsty to stay behind tonight. I’ll go and get her and whilst we are discussing things with your Aunt Tracey, Kirsty will show you around and you can see if you like the place.”

Carol, Gerald, and I talked through with Tracey all the problems that Fiona would face, I obviously had a lot of first-hand knowledge from my time at the school, fitting in socially and emotionally with the girls, but eventually we all agreed to give it a try and transfer Fiona over into Abbey High. However it was emphasised that this was a trial and if it did not work then she would have to leave, and keep details of her time here confidential. Tracey told us that she ran a successful dress-hire business and that she would help out to cover the school fees and the cost of the uniform, so that would not be a problem for Fiona’s single-mum.

On the following Monday I took Kirsty aside for a chat.

“You know that Fiona will be joining us in a few weeks when things get sorted out. I will be getting her put into my home class with you so that I can keep an eye on how she is settling in, but I can’t watch over her when she is in classes with other teachers, so I am relying on you to let me know if there are any problems. Everyone knows that I am giving you and Caroline special hockey coaching, so you have a good excuse to come to talk to me without anyone suspecting anything. We also need you to help her settle in, sit next to her in classes, have lunch with her, until both of you feel comfortable with her mixing with the others more often. Is any of that a problem?”

“No Miss, it’s all what I would have wanted to do anyway, and thank you for helping to get her transferred here, she was ever so much happier over the weekend.”

Easter was very early that year so Fiona would be joining us for the Summer term in a couple of weeks.

By now I was ‘Miss Campbell’ full-time at school, any comments from the girls and staff had died down and I was just being treated by all exactly the same as all the other teachers. I was myself becoming more comfortable in my new persona, doing my hair and make-up in the morning was becoming automatic and routine, I didn’t even think about it anymore. It had been an exciting few months for me with lots of changes, I was looking forward to the summer term and what it might bring.

To be continued