It was a rainy day in 1982. : 6
by Dawn_Smith_1972 as written
by Barbara Lynn Terry

Part I - A school day.

That night, I wore one of my new nightshirts to bed. This had a Care Bear on the front with a cute rainbow. I made sure my face was washed, and I got in to bed. Mom came in a few minutes later and kissed me good night. That night I had a wonderful dream. I dreamt I was in Gym, and Duane was there, looking at me kind of weird like.

When I had looked at Duane, he quickly turned his head so as not to look at me. I wondered what it all meant. Dreaming about the boy who embarrassed me in front of the whole school, was looking at me as if he wanted to be my boyfriend. I slept through the night, and didn't dream any more.

When the sun came in my window, the birds were chirping. There was a thin blanket of snow on the ground. I went to take my bath, and get dressed. I decided to wear one of my new camis, and a pair of my new panties. I wonder what mom would say if she saw me wearing my black ballet flats with the cute bow? I decided not to. The cami and the panties would have to do.

I brushed my hair, and took a hair tie down with me to the kitchen. Mom rebrushed my hair and put it in to a pony tail. There, that looks just like a boys pony tail.

"So, dear, did you pick that shirt on purpose or was it just one that you put on?"

"What do you mean, mom?"

"Terry, I can see the spaghetti straps of your cami. Now, at your age, the boys might think it is just a new kind of tee shirt style, but the girls who see that will know it is a camisole. It is alright, dear, I don't mind."

"I was also wondering, too, mom, what you would think if I wore my black ballet flats to school, then decided against it."

"Well, it is a good thing you did, because that may have been too much for this poor school's student body to take in in one semester, especially since it will ending in a couple of months. During the summer, dear, you can dress all the time as a girl. Just not at school for right now."

"Mom, I just want a slice of jelly toast, milk and juice."

"Are you feeling all right, Terry? You aren't sick are you?"

"No, mother, I'm not. I can't continue to eat like a boy when it is clear I am a girl."

"You're a ringer. You're not ten years old, you're just a young looking midget." We both giggled, and then I kissed mom and told her I loved her, and headed towards the bus stop. Patti and Nicole were waiting for me.

"Hi Terry," Patti said, as she whispered in my ear. "Nice cami you're wearing. I have a few in that same style."

"Thank you, Patti. You girls are coming with me on Saturday, when my mom takes me shopping...right?"

"You bet. I think you will need all the female support you can get."

"My mom said, this summer I can dress all the time as a girl, but not right now at school."

"She is right, too, you know. I don't think these weak hearted boys could stand the strain." We giggled at what Nicole said.

"I also have something I want to tell you, that I didn't tell my mom. But it has to wait when it is just us three together."

"Is it that serious?" Nicole asked.

"Well, it has me wondering, is all."

"Can you give us a hint?"

"It has to do with a dream I had last night."

"Okay, it can wait. Do you have gym, today?"

"Yes. It is my last class for the day."

"The reason I was asking, is because the boys will notice your cami. Are you wearing panties, too?"

"Yes, Nicole, I am."

"Well, be careful. These boys are not the most intelligent beings I have ever met."

"I will be careful, Nicole."

All this time, we were talking in whispers so the others around us couldn't hear what we were saying. The bus stopped half a block from the school door, and we walked in the side door. We went directly to our classrooms. Mrs. Wells, was looking at her attendance book when we walked in to the classroom. She looked up, and then did a double take, looking right at me.

"Terry, please come here." I went by her desk.

"That is a pretty cami you're wearing. I notice, too, that you have gym this afternoon. I will talk to Mr. Sharpe. Maybe we can get your gym class switched for something better, so you won't have to undress in front of the boys. Would you like that?"

"Yes, Mrs. Wells. Thank you." She excused me and I went to sit down.

Patti whispered in my ear.

"What was that about?"

"About my cami. I will tell you at lunch."

"Alright class, I have taken attendance, and everybody seems to be here. At least in body, anyway." There were giggles and laughter. "I want to say this. What we have been studying here all semester, is just practice. Tomorrow, I am giving a written quiz on all the subjects." There were groans from the boys, and the rest of us just giggled.

"Terry Palmer, I want you to study hard for this quiz. You are one of my brightest students and I know you will do good. You, too, Patricia Sanger. Now take out your math books. Turn to page eighty seven. Do the exercises at the end of the chapter. Boys, be sure you read the chapter first." There were more giggles.

The reason we giggled at what Mrs. Wells said, was because the boys in our classroom were clowns. They were always joking, or talking, or doing something. Anything but school work. Whenever Mrs. Wells said girls, she was including me in that, maybe without knowing that is what she was doing. The strange feelings made me love being including with the girls. So, anyway, today we were just studying what we learned so far. This little quiz was just one of several she gave during the school year.

We studied our geography, our American History, our math, our spelling, we even will be required to write a few proper sentences for English. Mrs. Wells never had to yell at the girls, but she yelled at the boys to pay attention.

Now, I know I am a boy, well, male. But since being forced to wear Nicole's clothes home, I have been having strange feelings about this. I so want to come to school as a girl, but, maybe next semester. I will have all summer to see if this is the life I want to live, or if it is a passing phase as mother had said. This summer will tell.

The bell rang ending the morning session, and it was lunch time. Patti, Nicole and I always walked to the cafteria together. We got our trays, put what we wanted on it, if anything, and went to sit down.

"Girl, you have to tell me what Mrs. Wells said about your cami."

"She didn't say much, Patti. She said it was pretty, and she said she will talk to Mr. Sharpe about getting me out of gym, so I don't have to undress in front of the boys."

"Did she say what class you would be taking,instead?"

"No, Nicole. All she said was that she will talk to Mr. Sharpe."

"Well, Terry, I can see the pink around your neck. Mrs. Wells is right, that is a pretty cami."

"Thank you, Nicole. I was thinking, too, that this summer will see if my being a girl is just a passing phase as my mother called it, or if this is who I really am and need to be. I guess this summer will tell."

"Yes, girlfriend, it certainly will." Just then Billy Roberts, who I tohught was suspended came by us.

"Hey faggot, wanna dance. You look pretty enough to..."

He didn't get to finish what he was saying. Duane Hartley interrupted him.

"Billy, why are you bothering these girls? Did one of them say something to you?"

"Uh, hi Duane. No, I was just..."

"You were just making fun of Terry. Well, Terry is who she is, and if you don't like that, then stay away from her. Under....stand?"

"Ye, yes, Duane."

"Terry, if he bothers you again, you just let me know. By the way, that is a cute undershirt you have on."

"It's called a camisole, Duane, or cami. It is what girls wear for an undershirt, or sometimes just as a sleeveless shirt during the summer. There are camis that are part of a pajama or nightgown set, too."

"I will leave the clothes thing to the girls. I get up, I take my bath, I get dressed in jeans and a shirt, and I'm ready. By the way, Nicole, Terry, I am sorry about the other day. The judge let me go on the promise that I won't ever do anything like that again."

"Okay, Duane. Please, sit down. Duane, can you keep a secret?"

"Yes, as well as the next person, I guess."

"Well, when you forced me to wear Nicole's clothes home, you gave me feelings I didn't know were there. I have talked to Nicole, Patti and our parents, now I need to talk to Mr. Sharpe."

"Terry, you be you have to be. There was one boy in the detention center who has a transgendered sister who used to be his brother. He said she gets a lot of respect no matter where she goes. So, you just be who you are."

"Thank you, Duane."

As we sat there and talked, I was wondering what Duane was up to. He has never been this nice, so I was kind of looking at him like, "what do you want now" kind of thing.

"Duane, I know you said the judge made you promise to be good, but, I have a question. Do you really care that much about my saftey?"

"Not only your saftey, Terry, but every girl's safety. I know I haven't been really nice to you and others, but I am changing, as the judge said I should. I will also help the boys who can't fight back."

"Duane, a few days in detention didn't change you this much. What actually happened in court?"

"I was told by the judge that if I didn't start being good, he was going to send me a place he knew I would have no choice but be good. So, I told him I would be good on my own."

"I see. So, you're going to help us and not call us names, even behind our backs?"

"Yes, I am going to help you, all of the ones I can and no, I won't call you names behind your backs. I promise."

"Let's do one better. Let's pinky swear."

Duane and Terry hook their left little fingers together, and shook down once.

"Duane, a pinky swear is the most scared thing between two girls, or even two people, for that matter. You cannot tell anybody you pinky swore on your promise."

"All right, I won't."

The bell rang ending lunch, Duane got up and said he would see us after school on the bus.

"Duane seemed awfully like he meant what he said, but just to make sure, I am going to talk to Mr. Sharpe. Not about what Duane said, but about me. I want to see if Mrs. Wells talked to him."

"It is possible, but you don't have time after school. The bus leaves as soon as the bus in front of us is full and leaves. I will make sure I talk to him during school, then, somehow."

We got in to the classroom, and went right to our seats. Mrs. Wells took roll call again, and then she looked directly at me.

"Terry, your class schedule has been changed. See me after class. Students, today we welcome a new girl in our class. Her name is Dawn Palmer, and she is a very good student."

Everybody looked at me, and Patti and Billy just smiled a "I knew it" smile.

"I want it known, that Dawn has been told that if there are any problems to report them to the school and we will report them to the police. You all know who Dawn is, and I am hoping her friends will still be her friends, when she comes to school tomorrow. Does anybody have any questions?" Billy raised his hand. "Yes, Billy."

"What took her so long? I mean, we all know she's a she. Why does she keep dressing frumpy?"

"Well, Billy, tomorrow you will see a whole new Dawn."

"Yes, but why was everybody calling her Terry, if her name is Dawn?"

"Good question, Billy. Her name is Dawn Terry Palmer."

"Oh, so she was just using her middle name, then."

"Yes, Billy."

I looked at Patti, with a very puzzled look. What did my mom do now? I passed a note to Patti, who just shrugged her shoulders. As we studied more for our quiz tomorrow, I noticed something. The feelings I had gotten from wearing Nicole's clothes felt right. When I told mom I was going up to my room to change, she said she needed help in the kitchen. I didn't argue with her, because I felt I belonged in those clothes. Tomorrow, Dawn makes her appearance. Maybe mom can do something with my hair. I see girls with nail polish, maybe mom can polish mine. We will see. Tomorrow I can wear my ballet flats.

The bell rang ending class. The next class was gym, but Mrs. Wells wanted to talk to me. As everybody left the classroom, Mrs. Wells asked to sit by her desk.

"Dawn, tomorrow you will come to school as yourself. Your mother and father got your name changed, legally. I don't know how they did that, without you being there, but they did. You will no longer be taking boys gym. For the rest of the semester, which isn't long, Mr. Sharpe is transferring all your gym credits to study hall. We can't give you another class, because it is too late in the school year. So, here is a pass for Miss Andersen, at the library. Be good now, and I will see you tomorrow."

"Thank you, Mrs. Wells."

"You're very welcome, young lady."

I went to the library and gave my tardy pass to Miss Andersen. Then I sat down, opened my books, and studied more for our exam tomorrow. Miss Andersen was young. She looked like some of the teenagers I have seen at the high school. She wore the same type of clothes as the high school girls did, and she had such a bright yellow colored hair. She was from Sweden, but she married an American soldier whose great grandfather came from Sweden. She talked with a slight accent, but she was nice. She never yelled, but when she said sit down, she meant it.

Time really does fly when a person is having fun. The bell rang for the end of class and the school day. I put all of my books in my book bag, and headed out to the bus. Billy came up to me.

"Dawn, I just want you to know that I am still your friend. It's too bad we can't hunt frogs any more."

"Who said? Girls hunt frogs too, you know."

"Really! You really would hunt frogs with me?"

"Yes, Billy. I may be a girl, but I am not what you would call girly. I do like adventure now and then."

"Thank you, Dawn."

Billy went to his bus, and I caught up with Patti at the school door.

"What was all that about? Your name is Dawn, now?"

"I guess so. Mrs. Wells told me my name is now Dawn Terry Palmer. She said she didn't know how my parents did it, but they did. That means I get to come to school like I should be."

"That's great Dawn. Her comes Nicole. We'll talk more on the bus.

We got on the bus, and found a seat for all three of us. Only two people most times can sit a seat, but we weren't that big, so all three of us fit in one seat. I sat in the middle with Nicole by the aisle and Patti by the window. We talked about what Mrs. Wells told me and Nicole gave me a hug.

When the bus stopped and let us off, we talked more about tomorrow.

"Dawn, what shoes are you wearing tomorrow?"

"I have a three tier dress I am wearing, and my ballet flats that match the dress. my underthings will be just white."

"Well, you know you have us to watch your back, as they say. Your our friend, girl, and we help our own."

"Thank you, Nicole."

We reached my house and I went in. Patti and Nicole went to their house. I went to my room and put my book bag on the chair by the dresser. Then I got out of my boy clothes for the last time, and put on my turquoise, flared skirt, my turquoise tee shirt, my black Mary Jane's and went back downstairs.

"Hi mom," I said, as if everything was normal.

"Hi sweetie. How was school?"

"Mr. Sharpe took me out of gym and gave me study hall in the library for the rest of the semester. Then Billy, he's one of my friends, said it was too bad that we couldn't hunt frogs any more since I am a girl. I told him girls hunt frogs, too. He was happy about that."

"Sounds like you had a nice day."

"Yes, mom, I did."

"Dear, there is something we have to talk about at dinner, tonight."

"All right, mom."