Chapters 32 - 33. The continuing story of Jason, a young boy that is coming to terms with his transgender nature, and his mostly supportive family.

Authors Note: Thanks to Joni W for editing this section for me!

Chapter 32

Kathy, Steve, Sue and John were having dinner at the food court before their movie started.

"So guys, have you thanked Jason yet." Kathy asked.

Steve looked at John and said, "Thanked him for what?"

"For getting us together, silly." Sue replied.

"Well… Not exactly, though I guess we should. I never would have believed that you and I would get together. You, Julie and Sue are all so pretty, and popular, you could be with any of the guys, but here you are with us … not that I'm complaining!" John said.

"You know guys, if we hadn't started hanging out together, because Julie wanted to be with Jason, we would not have gotten to know you. It's funny how that works, but I know we are both glad it did. I guess we all owe Jason's cousin Kelly, a thank you."

"Kelly? Jason doesn't have a cousin Kelly." Steve said.

"Sure he does. He and his mom both told us so."

"I've known Jason since kindergarten; his family lives here in the area, and I've met them all. He only has one girl cousin, and her name is Emily, she is about seven. He has a couple of boy cousins, Tom and Billy, and that's it. Right John?"

Sue and Kathy looked at each other, and Kathy said, "Oh … well I would have sworn that is what they said, I must be confused."

"You must have misheard them."

The next day Kathy and Sue called Julie together.

"Ok… What the heck is going on Julie?" Kathy said.

"What do you mean?"

"Jason doesn't have a cousin Kelly. We know darn well that he told us that he and his mom were shopping for his cousin Kelly, and his mother confirmed it." Kathy told her.

Julie tried to think fast, and in order to stall asked, "How do you know he doesn't have a cousin named Kelly?"

"Steve and John told us last night. They know all of Jason's family, and told us that Jason only has three cousins, Emily, Billy and Tom." Sue replied.

"Maybe Kelly is a friend of the family, you know like my 'Aunt' Joan, who really isn't my aunt."

Kathy and Sue looked at each other, showing they both found this unlikely. Kathy said, "The Aunt is honorary, so that you are not calling her Mrs. Peterson, but you would not refer to Cheryl as your cousin. Come on Julie, we know, you know something."

"Kathy, Sue…. "

Kathy's eyes went wide with sudden comprehension, "Oh my god, Jason is Kelly, isn't he!"

"No! What would make you think that?" Julie said, perhaps a bit too emphatically.

"It has to be. Why else would he lie about a cousin he doesn't have, and you know all about it. That's why you suddenly found him so interesting."

"What?" Julie was now panicking.

"Come on Julie, we've been best friends for years. You don't think that we did not know that you were just faking interest in boys, all this time? Sue and I have always thought you were gay, and if you are, it doesn't bother us. Jason must seem like a godsend, a boy that is also a girl. You can have it both ways. That explains everything. You left us in the accessories place to go next door, to the shoe store, but you came out with nothing, and then you went right over to Jason and started talking to him. That is so not like you, you must have seen, or heard something, in that store. In fact, now that I think about it, Mrs. Anderson had a bag from that store when she came over and joined us. You did see something there!"

"Kathy, you are nuts."

"Julie, I don't think so. Look I understand. If I'm right, then you can't acknowledge it, because I know you would never betray a friend. But Julie, you know me, I wouldn't either; and neither would Sue. You have been our friend forever, and Jason has become a friend, if he really is Kelly, we won't betray him. We are not going to ask you to either. But please, if this is true, talk to him for us and tell him he can trust us. We don't want secrets like this between us."

"Kathy…"

"Julie, it's ok. So are we all getting together tonight? We promise we won't bring this up. I doubt that the guys would be ready to deal with it … assuming I'm right of course."

"Kathy ... yes of course we are getting together tonight. I'll see you later."

Julie hung up the phone, and called Jason right away.

"Jason, we have a situation. Kathy and Sue have figured out that you are Kelly."

"What! Did you say something to them?"

"No, of course not. I didn’t tell them anything. I haven’t even confirmed it."

"How could they have figured it out? You sure you didn't say something by accident?"

"Jason, you know me better than that! John and Steve told them that you don't have a cousin named Kelly. They put two and two together and came up with the truth.

"Oh my God. Damn, I should never have told that lie. But damn it I never expected you three to get to be such close friends. What the hell are we going to do?"

"They wanted me to talk to you and tell you that you can trust them. I think you can, but Jason, I can't promise that for them. I'd say we need to have them over and talk to your mom. Maybe we can get together at your place, before we all go out tonight. Could you go ask your mom?"

“Ok, let me ask her.”

Julie waited for Jason to come back to the phone.

"Mom agrees, we need to talk to them."

"Ok, I'll give them both a call, and set it up. Jason, it will work out. You and I will deal with this together."

Julie hung up, and called Kathy and Sue back.

"Kathy, look, I called Jason. We all need to talk. I need you both to come over to the Anderson's house with me, before we go out tonight."

"So is that a confirmation then?"

"No Kathy, it is not. But you are not going to believe me either way, so we need to get together and talk it through. I'm sure there is a logical explanation, and we are going to get it, before you jump to conclusions, ok?"

"Fair enough."

Chapter 33

Julie, Kathy, Sue, Jason and his mother sat in the family room.

Kathy started off, "Mrs. Anderson, Jason, I know this is awkward. I'm sure that Julie has told you what I suspect. Last night we were out with Steve and John. We were talking and I mentioned your cousin Kelly. Steve and John were adamant that you don't have a cousin named Kelly. I tried to figure out why you would have lied about it. Sue and I have long suspected that Julie is gay, so we were pretty shocked when Jason and Julie got together. The way that it happened, was just so sudden, such a change, it just did not make sense. Jason you are a nice guy and we have gotten to know you, John and Steve since then, and believe me, I'm glad. We just couldn’t figure out what had made her go over to you, at the mall. Then lunch the next day."

"Go on." Jason's mother said.

"But once I realized that you had lied about having a cousin, that you were buying all those clothes for, I remembered that Julie had come out of that shoe store, and went right to you. Then I remembered that you had a bag from the shoe store yourself Mrs. Anderson, it all clicked into place. She must have seen Jason picking out girls shoes. Jason is Kelly, isn't he?"

Jason's mom answered for them, "Let's say for the sake of argument that this was all true, what would you do with that information? I'm sure you know that even the rumor of such a thing, would be very dangerous for Jason, especially with this lunatic Brad after him."

"If it is true, then our best friend Julie, has found someone that has made her happier than we have ever seen her. We would be happy for our friend Julie, and would want to share in her happiness. I would want to be able to talk to her about it, and to really get to know the person that is making her happy. I would not want anything to hurt her, or my new friend Jason."

Sue shook her head in agreement.

"Ok, that is a very fine answer, Kathy. What about Steve and John? You both are getting pretty close; this would be a pretty big secret to keep from your boyfriends."

"Mrs. Anderson, there may come a time when that might be an issue, but I don't see how it is any of their business, at this point. We are just dating. I like him, he likes me. We are getting to know each other, but I am not about to tell him my friend’s secrets, nor do I expect him to tell me about his friends. If I were gay, or was a guy, he would have a right to know, before we got too involved, but the fact that one of my friends is secretly gay, or that another one wants to be a girl, it’s not something he needs to know about."

Sue said, "That's how I feel about it too."

"Jason?" His mother looked at him.

Jason closed his eyes, took a deep breath and said, "Mom, I have to trust them. Kathy, you are right. I am Kelly. "

Kathy said, "Jason, thank you. I promise that you won't regret it. In the past couple of months I have really gotten to know you as Jason and I have seen how good you are for Julie. I hope that I can get to know you as Kelly some time as well."

Sue, "Jason, you don't have anything to worry about from me. I would like to get to know this friend of Julie's, that has made her so happy."

"I think I'd like that." Jason answered.

Jason's mother said, "I think I'm getting a headache. I can't believe how this has snowballed from a stupid mistake. Jason, I'm sorry, I should never have taken you to that mall."

Kathy and Sue made to protest, but Jason's mother put up her hand to stop them and said, "I don't mean that as a dig on you girls. You have all been unbelievably supportive, but it is only blind luck that it was you three and not someone that would have made Jason's life hell. Even with that, Benjamin Franklin once said, 'three people can keep a secret, if two are dead.' The circle has just grown, and sooner or later, it will expand, not because you are trying to hurt Jason, but because someone will catch on. Maybe it will be Steve or John next and they may, or may not, be able to accept this. Maybe it will be one of your parents, but sooner or later, it's going to come out. There are too many people that know now."

The girls gave her a look of apology.

"It's not anyone's fault, it just is. We’ll deal with it as it happens. Ok, I think you all have dates tonight, if I'm not mistaken."

Jason and his friends all nodded.

"Good, then I'll drive. If the boys ask, you three were over at Julie's house and I picked you up first."