“Do you miss being Eric?” Sasha looked at the pretty young lady across from him. “Not a whole lot.” Erika stated after a pause. “Eric was picked on and teased by everyone, all of the time. He tended to shut himself up in a room with his computer.” “You do realize you’re talking about Eric in third person, don’t you?” Markus grinned. The look of shock donned on Erika’s face. “I ……. I …… Think I’m ….. becoming…. Two different people.” She realized. “Eric is someone who I used to be, someone I look back on and cringe at what he….. I went through.” Camp Kumoni By Anistasia Allread

---

Chapter 29
 
The headlights of the car fell upon him, casting a long shadow before him on the road. The lights intensified as the car neared then disappeared as the car passed him. The car’s brake lights turned bright red as the car quickly slowed to a stop. Eric wiped the tears from his eyes and looked curiously at the car as it began backing up.

“Oh shit.” Eric cursed. The camp woke up and found I was missing. Now they’re going to call my parents…… just as well.

“Erika?” a voice called from the passenger seat. “Erika, what are you doing?” It was Sasha. He was sitting in the passenger seat poking his head out of a Jeep Grand Cherokee

“Trying to make it to a bus station to go home.” Erika admitted.

“Whatever for?” Sasha questioned.

“To avoid a disaster.”

“Climb in the back.” Sasha ordered.

Emotionally drained, Erika didn’t have it in her to argue. She opened the door and slipped into the back seat.

“Erika, this is Markus, my partner. Markus, this is the young lady I was telling you about, Erika.”

The two exchanged brief greetings. Markus looked to Sasha who nodded before starting down the road again towards town.

“Okay honey, spill it.” Sasha ordered.

Erika quickly told the two men everything that had happened since she had left Sasha’s salon two days ago. She told them about Victoria finding out about her from her lap-top. She told them about Samantha going on a date with Josh and treating her like a little sister. About the ultimatum that Victoria gave her and Samantha. She explained that Victoria wielded some power at the school by being the editor in chief of the school newspaper and the possibility of Victoria telling the whole school.

“Wow. You’ve had a busy few days.” Sasha smiled warmly back at her.

“Mom’s?” Markus inquired from Sasha.

“Mom’s.” Sasha affirmed with a nod. He turned back to Erika. “Okay let’s see if I can get some things straight. You like Samantha, right?”

“I’ve liked her ever since I’ve met her.” Erika sighed.

“But she doesn’t know that you like her.”

“No.”

“And you began this whole thing this summer to appease her?”

“Kind of.” Erika admitted.

Markus pulled the Jeep into the parking lot of a diner. Two other cars and a truck were parked there as well. The neon sign over the diner read ‘Mom’s Place’.

“You’re going to have to hold that thought.” Sasha waved a hand out the window. “Mom’s is the best place to wallow in self-pity and to work out problems.” He smiled.

Red bench seats and white tables, dingy from years of use, met them as they entered the greasy spoon. Oldies music played softly over the speakers. A gray-haired man sat on a red barstool at a counter sipping a cup of coffee. Two guys sat at a lone table one was eating eggs and bacon the other pancakes drenched in syrup.

“Hey boys.” A middle aged woman called from behind the counter.

“Hello Helen.” Markus and Sasha greeted.

“I’ll be right with you.” She beamed. “Find your selves a seat.”

Markus led Sasha and Erika through a maze of tables to one off in a corner by its self, affording it with the most privacy.

“We need you to settle a dispute for us.” Sasha took Erika’s hand in his from across the table. “We can’t agree which is better, Mom’s apple pie, or pumpkin pie.”

“I can’t stay too long.” Erika looked for a clock. “I really need to get to the bus station and catch a bus home.”

“You have plenty of time.” Markus stated.

“Besides, this is our treat.” Sasha stroked Erika’s hand.

“Looks like a problem solving session.” Helen greeted them. “Your problem solving regular order?”

“Yes, thanks Helen.” Markus greeted her. He turned to Erika. “Erika, do you like hot chocolate? Helen makes the best, made with real milk, versus hot water, and topped with whipped cream.”

Erika smiled. “Yes, thank you.”

“Aren’t you a cutie?” Helen smiled at Erika. “I love your hair, Erika, did Sasha do it?”

“Yes, thank you. He cut it just the other day.” Erika beamed and ran her fingers through its length.

“Can I have the same here?” Sasha stated. “And could you double the usual?”

“Coming right up.” Helen winked at Erika and quickly disappeared into the kitchen.

“Okay, Honey, start from the beginning. Let’s see if we can help you find a way to fix this before the bus comes.”

Erika began out lining the events leading up to meeting Samantha in the park. Summer’s death, being ‘the plague’.

Helen set down two slices of apple pie and two slices of pumpkin pie down on the table along with two mugs of hot chocolate, topped with whipped cream and a glass of water for Markus.

Sasha pushed an apple pie in front of Erika and slid her a fork before taking a slice of pumpkin pie for himself. Markus took the other apple pie. Erika cut into the gooey slice of pie, allowing a touch of steam escape. She blew on it slightly and slid it into her mouth. Roasted apples, mixed with sugar and cinnamon filled her mouth.

“Oh, that is good.” She closed her eyes briefly to block out extra stimuli so that she could savor the complex tastes.

After another bite and at the urging of the two men treating her, she continued with her tale. She told them about Eric’s parents enrolling him for summer camp without his consent. The challenge issued from Samantha along with her changing his camp application. Samantha’s transforming Eric into Erika, then everything that happened the first week of camp, including the friends that she had made the date with Josh and the fall out afterwards. She told them about Victoria working out clues about who she really was and getting the confirmation off her lap-top. The ultimatum and the situation she currently found herself in, being found out, either direction she took.

Before she realized it, she was savoring the last bite of the pumpkin pie as well. She didn’t even remember finishing the apple pie, but its empty plate stood testimony of her appetite. The pumpkin custard was rich with the layers upon layers of spices, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and mace. Its light texture allowed the spices to ‘breathe’ in her mouth, adding to its goodness.

She looked up to see Markus and Sasha relaxed in their seats and listening with intent to her story.

“Aren’t you tired?” Sasha asked.

“I should be its late.” Erika admitted.

“No, I mean after the emotional rollercoaster that you have been on all week.” Sasha clarified. “I’d be exhausted.”

“Been there, done that.” Markus agreed. He leaned forward on the table. “You’ve really got yourself into a fix don’t you, hon? No one to turn too, except this, Samantha, who only pays attention to you when cute guys aren’t around.”

Erika nodded.

“Let's start with the most important issue first.” Sasha fixed Erika with a penetrating gaze. “Being true to yourself…. Once we figure that out, then we can go about fixing this other stuff.”

Markus nodded agreement.

“Erika, have you ever, before this all happened, dressed as, or wanted to be a girl?” Sasha inquired.

Erika thought about it real hard, going back to Eric’s early adolescents, his time with Summer, his time as a recluse at school. “No.” she shook her head. “No I had never thought about it before Samantha whisked me off and had me dressed in a skirt and bra.”

“How did you feel dressed in a skirt at Samantha’s house?” Sasha inquired.

Erika thought back to that afternoon standing in Samantha’s bedroom trying on woman’s clothes for the first time. With all that had happened in the past couple of weeks, that moment felt like it was ages ago. “Funny….. Scared….. weird.” Erika found words to describe it.

“And how about now?”

How did she feel about it now? The clothes were made of softer materials which felt wonderful against her skin. The T-shirts were a bit more snug fitting, but with the breast forms that Sasha had given her, she was more at ease wearing the more revealing ones. As for skirts? Erika found that she enjoyed the freedom they allowed her, the airiness, and they made her legs look great. “It’s seems a normal part of my life now.” Erika stated. “Although I’ve found that, in a strange way, I like how I look, and I don’t mind wearing skirts.” She blushed a bit at this last admittance.

“You make a very lovely young lady.” Markus smiled. “If I hadn’t known any better, I would never have guessed….. You still have some rough edges, but you’ll smooth those out in time.”

“Do you miss being Eric?” Sasha looked at the pretty young lady across from him.

“Not a whole lot.” Erika stated after a pause. “Eric was picked on and teased by everyone, all of the time. He tended to shut himself up in a room with his computer.”

“You do realize you’re talking about Eric in third person, don’t you?” Markus grinned.

The look of shock donned on Erika’s face. “I ……. I …… Think I’m ….. becoming…. Two different people.” She realized. “Eric is someone who I used to be, someone I look back on and cringe at what he….. what I went through.”

“Do you like being Erika?” Sasha inserted.

Erika thought about the girls she had spent time with in Columbine cabin. She thought about the pranks they pulled on Oak cabin and the encouragement that she felt from her cabin mates as she played volley ball, or kick ball. She felt like she was one of the team, not an outsider watching others have fun and hoping that she wouldn’t screw up when it came to her turn. She thought back on the way they supported her as she worked her way through the rope course. She reflected on the quiet time they spent together, enjoying one another’s company as they walked around the hushed lake in the morning. She enjoyed having someone come to her, and trust her with a secret, or ask her to help solve a problem. For the first time in a very long time, even before she had lost Summer, she felt wanted, felt needed. Like she counted and like she meant something to someone.

She must have been staring off in space for a while, because when she blinked, she was slightly startled to see Markus and Sasha leaning forward looking at her intently.

“Yes, I do like being Erika.” She told them slowly as if sampling each word for the first time. She began to smile. “I do like being Erika.”

---

To Be Continued...
 
End of Chapter Twenty-Nine