"Riley, are you okay?" Mom asked me.

"Yes, why?" I replied, feeling a bit annoyed.  I wasn't annoyed at my mom. More at the situation.

"Who do you mean by Show yourself ?" my dad wanted to know.

"I don't know. I suddenly felt strongly that someone was watching me." 

"What if she is right?" Mary added, seeming a bit nervous and concerned.

"Then we will deal with it. Maybe we should go home now. It's late and cold." my mom suggested.

We walked our last round and went back to a side street where my dad parked the car. Everyone was rather quiet on the short drive home. Mary and I sat in the back and snuggled a bit. As much as the seat belts would allow it.

When we arrived home, we changed into our pajamas and hung out in the living room before it was time to go to bed. Mom and dad decided to have a brief chat about my feeling of being watched. They assured me that they will protect me as much as possible. We all went to bed shortly after that. 

I didn't know what to think. My mind was racing. I had trouble falling asleep because I felt nervous again. Nervous about being attacked. It made me angry and sad at the same time. Eventually I drifted off to sleep. 

When I woke up the next morning I had to think about how great the time spent with my big sister and all my girlfriends was at the Christmas market. Of course, finally introducing Angela to my crew was amazing. They were all impressed. 

Then I remembered the feeling of being watched and it made me a bit upset.  Nobody likes feeling this way and the thought that this might be something I somehow have to get used to went under my skin. I pondered these thoughts but eventually let them go. Being constantly scared or worried was not an option.

After a nice breakfast with my big sis and my parents, we planned our day.

"What are you two cute girls doing today?" My mom wanted to know.

"Mary and I wanted to spend some time at the bookstore. I was actually thinking about hanging out with Angela a bit. She wanted me to text her and see if we can spend some time together. Her mom is meeting some people for work or something like that." I let my family know.

"Sure. Why don't you invite her over and maybe, if she wants and her mom allows it, she can stay for dinner?" Mom suggested.

" That sounds good. I will text her right away." I replied.

Angela agreed and got her moms permission. I wanted to ask her some advice about fashion. She was so stylish. I also wanted to talk to her alone. I felt that I should tell her that I was trans. Now that we are actually getting to know each other. Soon Mary and I would go to the book store and after that we would go home and help mom with cleaning and getting the house ready for Christmas.

I always enjoyed browsing for books and so did my big sister. We had a good time trying to find some new reading material. The store was so cozy. I loved to lose myself while searching and reading. It was simply great not feeling rushed. Especially during a hectic holiday season. After several hours of finding books, Mary and I decided to leave in order to help mom and dad get the house ready. It was about 5 PM when we were finished.

I decided to text Angela and asked her if she wanted to meet with me and maybe Mary as well? I suggested to her to come to my house. Angela's mom did not have a problem with having her stay with us. Her mom dropped her off but was able to come inside for a few minutes to chat with my parents. I talked to Mary before Angela arrived. I told her that I will  tell Angela that I was trans but that I want to do this myself. Mary liked the idea but also reminded me if I needed support that she'll be there in a flash.

I waited downstairs when Angela entered my house. I briefly spoke with her mom and then Angela and I decided to go to my room. We sat down. relaxed a bit and then started chatting.

"Will Mary hang out with us too?" Angela asked with a big smile on her face. 

I smiled back at her and nodded.

"Yes, she will hang out soon. However, first I wanted to talk to you alone. I need to tell you something." I said in a serious sounding manner.

Angela's mood changed right away and she seemed concerned.

"What is it? Is it something bad?" Angela wanted to know.

"Well, maybe. That depends on how you look at it." I told her.

"Sorry Riley, I am a bit confused. Are you a bank robber on the run?" Angela tried to guess what I was going to tell her.

"No, actually I was born a boy." I said softly.

"What do you mean? How is that possible. You look like a girl to me." Angela said seeming even more confused.

I just stared at her hoping she would get it within the next few seconds without having to explain it more.

"Wait a minute. Are you trans?" Angela asked me, seeming to get it slowly.

I nodded and felt relieved because I said it out loud and I could see Angela starting to smile. She leaned forward and took my hand.

"I am speechless. You are so beautiful and look like a biological girl to me. Since when have you known?" she wanted to know.

"I have known for a long time. My girlfriend Sammy brought out the girl in me. Everything happened only because of a pair of pantyhose."

"A pair of pantyhose? How odd! Tell me more." Angela demanded seeming to get excited.

I told her the whole story. It was fun to watch her facial expressions  change from astonishment to disbelief and back to excitement.

"That is amazing. You are so brave! I wish you the best for your future. I know you will go your own way." she told me sounding very encouraging

What a wonderful new friend I made. Angela and I blabbed a little more and soon Mary joined us and the three of us had a blast.

"Oh, Angela. I wanted to ask you something. I have been learning a lot about fashion but I could use some more advice. I was wondering if you might be willing to help me with that. I love how stylish you are." I asked her feeling a bit shy.

"Me? Sure. I am not an expert but I will try my best." Angela responded, blushing a bit.

"Yay! Thank you so much!" I told her while giving her a hug.

Angela, Mary and I had a good time. We talked, acted silly and Mary and I loved to listen to Angela's descriptions of  specifically Florence and Italy in general. Unfortunately, this evening ended at some point and we had to part ways. Mary and I invited Angela to another fashion show with all my girls, right after Christmas. I could not wait. Mary requested a private sister conference before the night was over.

"Hey babe. I wanted to tell you that I am proud of you for telling Angela today that you are trans. I am glad she didn't have a problem with it but that is not the point I am trying to make. My question to you is: How are you going to handle this at Cherry Blossom Hill?' Mary inquired.

"That is a good question. I was thinking about that a lot lately. I think I will be as honest and upfront as possible. Especially when making new friends. Of course, I have the right to privacy as well and don't have to have it written on my forehead so everyone I interact with can see it. However, once I will attend this school I am sure that the identity of the new girl will spread with warp speed."

"Good point, Riley. I am also concerned about the bathroom question. Will you be able to attend the girls' room or will they give you access to private bathrooms?"

"CBH seems like a very open and friendly school. I think I will need to talk to the principal and ask him these questions. The same applies to phys ed classes and if I ever choose any sports like basketball, which I most likely won't but you never know." I pointed out. Those were all important questions that needed to be answered before attending.

The rest of the evening went uneventful. Mary and I snuggled a bit and talked a lot about Angela and her amazing sense of fashion. We couldn't wait to  see what other lovely clothes she had. My big sister and I also discussed that tomorrow I will tell mom and dad that I want to attend Cherry Blossom Hill. Just the thought about going to a wonderful school like that excited me beyond reason.

Christmas was just around the corner and there was a lot to do to get the house ready. Mary and I would do our best to support our parents to help them get everything set up. Mary and I cleaned and help set up our house like crazy. I know that mom and dad appreciated it.

After supper and after everyone got some good rest, I decided to call in a family meeting. All of use were sitting in the living room already anyways. I got cozy right next to Mary and started talking. Reading my parents' body language I could tell already they knew what was coming.

"Everyone, I would like to attend Cherry Blossom Hill as soon as possible." I announced feeling goose bumps on my arms. Mary grabbed me first and gave me a big hug. Mom and dad followed shortly after.

"Then it is decided. We should start the paperwork right after Christmas." dad pointed out.

"Agreed. I am so excited. Before we all go to sleep tonight, Mary and I discussed how soon I should tell people that I am trans. I decided that I have a right to privacy so not everyone needs to know right away but when making new friends, I will be up front and tell them as soon as possible or as the situation allows it. Also, I need to discuss the bathroom and locker room questions with the principal before I sign up."

"Smart girl!" mom pointed out.

Everyone seemed excited and in good spirits before calling it a night. I fell into a deep sleep quickly. The next morning I took my time waking up. I spent a little bit more time in bed contemplating the last week's events and things that happened.

Suddenly my day dreaming was roughly interrupted by a loud noise from downstairs . It was a big bang followed by something that sounded like broken glass. I jumped out of bed and ran toward my door. Once I opened my door I was met by my entire family with frightened looks on their faces who were about to run down the stairs. Mary grabbed my hand as we made our way downstairs, wondering what possible nightmare to expect.