In this chapter, our hero runs into some trouble while trying to help his friends, does some gender revelation, loses his temper, then finds himself in *very* deep trouble.
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Copyright 2020 by Heather Rose Brown

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I finished reading Dr Korvin's gender list while the Self Identified Gender League discussed points of order, then sliced off a chunk of meatloaf, and popped it in my mouth. It was chewy, and the mild spices did a decent job of hiding the not-meat taste. Feeling braver after facing the scariest item on my plate, I tried the peas, which were mushy, and the mashed potatoes, which were on the soggy side of fluffy.

I was calculating how many stars I'd give for my first lunch at Saint Milton's Middle School, when Richie nudged my arm, and said, "Hey ... soñadora."

I took a sip from my juice carton, then asked, "Señor who?"

Richie grinned and said, "I was calling you a ... ummm ... never mind." Her face and ears reddened as she looked away, then she pointed a fork at Chrissy while saying, "Madame Secretary was trying to tell ya something."

I decided learning more Spanish would be the next thing I'd do when I finished reading Dr Korvin's pronoun list, then looked at Chrissy and said, "Sorry 'bout that. What was ya saying?"

Chrissy bubbled with excitement as she said, "I just realized, with Jessi and Tanya thumb-signing our petition, we're only a signature shy of being able to submit it to the school board."

"That sounds great!"

"Definitely!" Chrissy said, then held her hands in a pleading gesture. "I know this is asking a lot, but would ya mind adding your signature to the petition?"

While I'd never been interested in getting involved with school politics before, the puppy-dog eyes she was giving me vetoed every excuse I could think of for saying no. "Sure," I said as I woke my tablet out of sleep mode.

"Thank you!" she said as she swiped a finger across the face of her device.

I looked down at my tablet when it chimed. A long window opened, with a header that said, [Self Identified Gender Petition]. I scrolled through a couple screenfulls of text, then asked, "Is this saying you're trying to get rid of bathroom rules, and uniform rules?"

"Don't forget grooming rules," Vic said as he squished a couple of peas with a finger.

"Actually, we ain't tryin' to get rid of the rules," Chrissy said as she put away her tablet. "We just want 'em to be better."

I slurped up a warm spoonful of mashed potatoes while looking through the petition again. "It says something here about freedom of gender expression. Does that mean people ain't allowed to express their genders here?"

"Not exactly," Richie said. "You're free to express your gender, so long as it's boy or girl." She set her fork down with a metallic clink. "Mrs McCrudger's been working with the school board, and was able to get some rules changed for transboys and transgirls."

"Other genders are sorta unofficially recognized by most students and teachers," Chrissy said, "but not by the school board."

Vic sighed, then said, "But no matter what gender ya identify as, if ya can't get your parents to sign a form, confirming you're whatcha say you are, you're outta bloomin' luck."

"So all this," I said as I pointed to the petition, "is saying we want the right to say what gender we are?"

Chrissy grinned and nodded. "You got it!"

"That sounds fair," I said as I pressed my thumb against the thumbprint image at the bottom of the window. My tablet buzzed, and a small orange window popped up, which said, [ERROR: Thumb signature recognition pending school record confirmation.]

Richie looked over my arm, then asked, "Something happen with your school records?"

I nodded and sighed. "Sorta, yeah."

One of Vic's eyebrows rose. "What happened?"

"It seems like a comma went missing when my records was transferred here from my old school. That's how my first and last name got swapped around. I ain't figured out how my gender got messed up yet."

"So, you're not ... not a transgirl?" Richie's mouth opened and closed a couple of times. "Sorry, I just kinda ... I mean ... with your pretty hair, and your body language ..." She was quiet for a second, then said, "I know a delicate can be like that, but your card said you're Tracy Thomas, so I just thought ..."

I wasn't sure how to process most of what she said, especially the 'pretty' comment, so I latched on to the last thing I heard as I said, "My school ID got messed up too. My name's really Thomas Tracy."

"Oh wow ... I had no idea I'd been calling you the wrong name, Tr-Thomas."

"Actually, I usually go by Tommy."

Richie grinned at me as she said, "Tommy's a cute name."

While I was trying to figure out what anyone could find cute about my name, Chrissy frowned and tilted her head as she said, "I'm a little lost. Are ya saying ... you're a transboy?"

"I dunno," I said as I searched through Dr Kovin's gender list. "What's a transboy?"

"I ain't sure what the official definition is," Vic said, "but I'm pretty certain it means someone who identifies as a boy, but was born with girl bits."

I thought about Vic's answer, then blushed when I realized what he'd meant by 'bits'. "Ermmm ... no, definitely not a transboy. More just a regular boy." I looked down at what I was wearing, then said, "Well, maybe not *regular* regular, but something close to that."

Chrissy gasped. "They made a boy wear a girl's uniform?" When I nodded, she frowned and said, "That's awful!"

"Actually," I said, "It ain't been all that bad."

Chrissy blinked a few times. "So, ya don't mind wearing girl clothes?"

I thought about the past few hours, then said, "To be honest, it's mostly been ... kinda nice."

Vic gave me a long, steady look. "So," he said as a smile sneaked out of the side of his mouth, "you're a delicate ... like me?"

I chewed on my lip while thinking about the genders on the list Dr Korvin had sent to me. "I dunno about being a delicate, but I've thinking I may be a delicate boy."

Richie nodded and said, "Whatever he -- do you mind he?" she asked as she touched my arm. When I nodded and smiled, she said, "Whatever he identifies as, or even if he don't identify with any gender, shouldn't matter. People aughta be able to wear what they want, when they want."

"And go where they feel okay going," Vic said.

"Like it says in our petition," Chrissy added.

I groaned as I shoved my tablet into my backpack. "Sorry I couldn't help with the votes."

Richie smiled and said. "It's okay."

I snorted, then said, "No, it ain't okay. Not if it means some of us gotta wear skirts, no matter how cold it is, or others gotta get their hair chopped off, 'cause of forms or .... bits."

"You're absolutely right," Richie said.

"But what can we do about it?" Chrissy asked.

"We take it to the principal," I said as I stood.

"I like that idea," Richie said as she stood beside me.

"I'm in," Vic said as he pulled his bag onto his shoulder.

Chrissy grinned and said, "Me too!"

I reached under the table and grabbed my backpack as I said, "Then let's do it!"

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"Where's the principal?" I asked as I swung open the office door. I stepped out of the doorway, so my friends could follow behind me, then said, "We need to see her right away."

Ms Etcherson stopped typing and glanced at the four of us, then continued as she said, "She's in a conference at the moment, and can't be disturbed."

I growled with frustration. "Again?"

"She's a very busy woman."

I looked at the far end of the room, and saw the door to the bathroom where the craziest thing I'd ever done happened. I swung around and looked at the door beside me. It had a sign which said 'Margaret McCrugder - Principal'.

"Well," I said as I grabbed the handle to the nearer door, "she's gonna be busy with us now."

"Wait!" Ms Etcherson shouted. "You can't go in there now. She's in the middle of very sensitive negotiations with an important board member."

"I don't care how important they think they are," I said as I yanked open the door. "We're going in."

"I realize the board already agreed to several of my proposals," Mrs McCrudger said as we marched into her office, "but the new policies only cover the needs of some-" she looked up when Vic cleared his throat, then said, "Mr Director, something's come up. ... Yes ... yes, I understand your time is ... of course ... I'll ask my assistant to contact your staff. ... Thank you."

The principal pressed a key on her keyboard, pulled off her headset, set it down in the middle of her desk, then said in a level voice, "That was a ... a *very* important call."

"This is important too." Richie said.

Chrissy nodded and said, "We wouldn't be here if it wasn't."

My heart thudded against my ribs as I stepped forward. "There's some stuff in this school that needs changing."

Mrs McCrudger steepled her fingers as she asked, "What would you like to see changed?"

"There's like ... lotsa stuff."

"Such as?"

I took a deep breath, waited for my anger to cool, gave up, and blurted out, "Dammit! Just ... all kinds of crazy crap is going on, and it needs to change. Now!"

The principal gave me a single, slow nod, then said, "I see."

"NO!" I shouted as I slammed a fist on her desk. "Ya *don't* see!" Rage and pain welled up as I thought of what Griff had done. "If ya did, none of the goddam shit that's been goin' on woulda happened!"

Even though her face was a study in calmness, Mrs McCrudger had a dark look in her eyes as she said, "Very well. I will give your concerns my undivided attention."

Relief washed through me as I asked, "Really?"

"Yes. This afternoon."

A chill ran up my back as I said, "Wait. When?"

She rested her forearms on her desk and leaned forward. "After school."

A frosty ball of dread dropped into my stomach as I whispered, "After school?"

The principal's brows lowered as she said, "In detention."