Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.

When Peter and Jenny walked into the school office, it sounded like recess in grade school with all the shouting and yelling. Peter and Jenny tried to suppress chuckles as they heard Margot tell one man to shut his foul mouth or she and him were going to the little boys room where she’d wash his mouth out with soap. He seemed to get the message, because he found some other place to be at that moment. And when all of the parents saw Peter walk into the school office, they descended on him like buzzards who just found a carcass.

“What the hell are you playing, at Stepel?” One angry parent asked. Another yelled, “Who gave you the fucking right to keep my daughter a prisoner?” And the questions went on and on until an air horn sounded, held aloft by Margot. And she didn’t mince her words, as usual. “Now listen up, you whiny babies. Your precious monsters are here because they threatened another student, and that won’t be tolerated at this school. And all of you can give yourselves the credit for their behavior because they got it from you. Now, go down to that conference room, keep your damn mouths shut, and you’ll learn what you taught your children to do on your behalf.” And when the parents looked back at Peter, Robert and four of his team members were standing behind and around Peter. As everyone stared at him, he told them, “Well, you heard the lady people. MOVE. NOW!”

Peter’s entourage followed the throng of angry parents to the large conference, where they found not only the six students, but six police officers as well. All of the parents moved to stand behind their child, as they waited for Peter to explain himself. A few moments later Tina came into the room and gave each officer a copy of all the notes, then stood back and remained silent. Robert and one of his team was in the room and the other two were standing outside the closed door.

“Good, I see we’re all here, so let’s get started. Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Jordan. There you are, this is for you, the note your daughter wrote and stuffed into Kathy Williams hall locker. Mr. and Mrs. Borden, ah, there you are. And this note is for you, done by your son. Mrs. Burgman, ah, there you are. This was your son’s handiwork.” And so it went until each parent had a copy of the note their child had written and stuffed into Kathy’s hall locker. “Mr. and Mrs. Douglas, I’m particularly taken with your son’s writing: ‘Too bad Robert Bakes didn’t get a chance to take care of you. But don’t worry, we will.’ Did you two teach him that attitude, to hurt someone because they are different? For that matter,” and Peter looked around the room, “do any of you personally know Walter Williams, who now goes by Kathy Williams?” One woman spoke up and angrily said, “You mean that queer prancing around this school dressed as a girl. Yeah, I know him. What of it?” Peter just shook his head, and Jenny softly laid a hand on his arm. “Mrs. Burgman, did you hear about the accident Walter was involved in during his science class? Where shelves collapsed? Where glass bottles of various chemicals broke? Where Walter fell into all of that and was cut by the glass and contaminated by a variety of chemicals? And how those chemicals tampered with his DNA and transformed him into the girl she is today?”

When Patricia Burgman shook her head, Peter then asked, “Have any of you heard about that accident?” Several parents shook their heads, but it was Mrs. Douglas who said, “I heard about that accident, and how badly he was hurt. I even consulted several doctors who said it was impossible for him to change into a girl just because of a few chemicals. And we’re going to court to put a stop to all of this nonsense.” “Mrs. Douglas, call your Ob-Gyn and have her call Dr. Stomer over at General Hospital, and have them talk about Walter Williams. Then have your doctor call you back, and don’t be surprised by what you hear.” Mrs. Douglas became indignant as she said, “I’ll do no such thing. I wouldn’t believe anything a woman involved with a freak had to say. Doctor or not, she’d say anything she had to in order to keep a freak from getting what’s coming to him.”

“Ah, Principal Stepel, if I may,” the Sergeant police officer said. When Peter nodded his head, the officer continued. “Ladies and Gentleman, these six teens have committed a crime by what they’ve done. It may not seem like it to you parents, but it’s a crime nonetheless. We will be arresting all six and taking them down to the station for booking. My advice to all of you, get your lawyers and meet us there.” And the room erupted in bedlam, as parents began shouting this and that threat to the police, to Peter, to Tina, to the school board, that they’d go to the Governor if they had too. But it did no good, the six teens were arrested and taken out to the police cruisers. As each parent passed Peter, he heard the usual, “You haven’t heard the last of this. We’ll sue this entire school district.”

When the students had left with the police officers, and the last of the angry parents had left, Peter collapsed in a chair, and laid his head down on the table. Tina had gone back to her office and came back with Kathy and Marge, who sat down next to Peter. Kathy reached over and hugged her Uncle, telling him, “What do you always tell me, Uncle Peter? Hang in there, it will get better?” With his head still on the table, he asked Kathy in a muffled voice, “Damn, girl. Do you always have to throw my words back at me?” When he looked up at her, she saw the tears streaks down his cheeks. He then told her, “But thanks for reminding me.” And she pulled him into a tight hug.

Peter broke the hug and told the girls they’d best get to class, and asked Robert to have two of his team shadow the girls the rest of the day; one would watch each girl when they had different class sections. Jenny sat down beside him and asked, “Guess you didn’t like what you had to do, right?” Peter looked at her, shook his head and told her, “No, not one bit. But neither could I allow this to continue, and they had to know I wouldn’t. Jenny, is it enough to teach these kids just what we’re teaching them? Shouldn’t there be another class that teaches them how to think, to reason, to look beyond now and try and see possible consequences of their actions? If we don’t, who will? Will they learn those lessons when it’s too late and they’re standing before a Judge and Jury? Or they’ve gone through their second, third, or umptenth marriage? Or have been fired from their umptenth job? If not us, then who, Jenny? Who’s going to teach them these lessons if not us?”

Peter’s assembly had lasted until third period, which is where the girls separated and went into two different sections of the same English class, each girl’s shadow making sure they arrived safely then standing outside of the classroom. Like Monday, when there were bees in the classroom, when Kathy walked into her English class, there were bees there too. Until Mrs. Donna Baker shut the classroom door then called for silence.

Donna was much like Peter, in that she cared deeply for her students and the subject she taught. And as she was about to get into today’s lesson, a boy sitting third from the front and next to the classroom windows, raised his hand. “Yes, Charles?” Donna said, recognizing the boy. Charles stood up, turned to face Kathy and told her, “Um...Kathy, my parents are also part of that suit trying to stop you getting your name changed, and all the rest, like that girl said. I wanted you to know I tried, like that girl, to talk my parents out of doing it, told them I’d seen what happened and the changes you’ve gone through. My dad said I was a liar,” and he pointed to the bruise near his right eye, “and I got this from him because of what I told him. I wanted you to know, those of us whose parents are involved, we all tried to get them to see they were wrong, and it was going to cost them when they learned the truth as we watched it happen.” Charles thanked Donna for letting him speak and sat back down in his chair. As Donna looked around her classroom, she could see trying to proceed with the lesson she had planned would be useless, her student’s minds were on what happened in the impromptu assembly and what Peter had told them. “Alright, class. I can see that it would be a waste of time trying to get to today’s lesson, you all are still in that assembly in the gym we just had. So, let’s do something different, and maybe just as important. Let’s talk. You may say what’s on your mind without fear of retribution, or being admonished for what you say. I can see most of you have something to say, good or bad. Charles started us off, who’s next?”

Donna was surprised to see Kathy being the next to speak, as she told everyone in class, “Um, I’m really sorry for being the cause of all this. It wasn’t like I had much choice in the matter.” A girl sitting in the back of the class said, “Yeah, you had a choice. You could have told Mrs. Stokes you needed help getting that alcohol bottle, instead of trying to get it yourself.” The girl, Barbara Toner, was one of the students in Kathy’s science class, and it didn’t take a genius to see she was very upset. Kathy nodded her head in agreement, but asked Barbara, “How many times have you got something off a higher shelf, stood on a shelf to reach it? How many times have you had the shelf you were standing on break, or even consider it might break? You’re right, I should have asked Mrs. Stokes for help. But neither was I expecting those shelves to break as they did. And just so all of you know, all I ever wanted was to just be Walter, not Kathy. Just a boy.” Tears leaked out of her eyes, and she pulled a tissue out of her purse and wiped them away. Donna’s decision to let the students talk was the right decision, as everyone had something to say. And when the first bell rang, even Donna could see they were calmer than they had been at the start of class. Donna caught Kathy’s eye, then told her, “Hang in there, girl. It will get better.” Kathy laughed then told Donna, “Thanks Mrs. Baker. I’ve an Uncle who’s been saying that a lot lately.” Kathy was surprised when Donna then said, “You mean, Principal Stepel?” She then winked at Kathy and watched as she picked up a shadow as she left the classroom.

When the two girls got together after their English classes, they compared notes and found them to be the same. Neither class covered today’s lesson, both classes just talked. And so it would be throughout the rest of the day in their classes. Teachers seeing the futility of trying to cover their lessons and let the students talk, and seeing after class let out how much good it had done. More than one teacher decided they were going to take one day a week and just let their students talk. Let them say what they’ve kept bottled up and no one to share it with.

Nothing seemed special as Marge and Kathy walked hand in hand to the cafeteria. But that changed as they walked into the cafeteria. As they stood in line to get their food, other students were coming up to them and asking them to sit with them for lunch. All except one group of students who were sitting at a table off in the corner of the cafeteria. Since most of those asking the girls to sit with them were in basically the same area, Marge and Kathy decided to sit at the two empty chairs that were almost in the middle of all those who asked. They had to walk by the table in the corner to get around to the two vacant seats. And as they passed that table, they heard, “Sluts,” “Faggot,” “Queer,” “You just wait,” and a few other words before Kathy stopped, turned to face those students, and to the surprise of everyone who’d heard what they’d said, she told them, “Thank you for your opinions, though you’re wrong, but thank you anyway.” She then turned and continued to follow Marge to the seats they’d chosen. Many had seen it when Kathy was lit up, her temper and the tenacity with which she delivered her words. So it came as a shock when she calmly thanked those students and walked off. And by the looks on some of the faces of those who’d been mean to Kathy, they too were shocked that she didn’t stand her ground and give them hell.

The events of the previous day seemed to have fallen by the wayside, or those students harboring hate towards Kathy and Marge learned to keep their opinions to themselves, and not to act out, as teachers were once again able to present their lessons to their classes. Peter had contacted the school attorneys, and set up a meeting to discuss the ramifications to the school from the lawsuit against the Williams. The school attorneys had contacted Marshall and Marshall and asked if they could have copies of everything sent to them on the Williams case, explaining their reasons for asking.

When Peter and the school attorneys met, and Peter expressed his opinion about how the lawsuit would go, the attorneys agreed with him, telling him, “We consulted with several specialists and while none of them ever heard of a boy being transformed into a girl after being contaminated by those chemicals on the list, none could positively say that it was impossible. Highly unlikely, but not impossible. It would seem, Peter, Mr. Walter Williams was that one in a million person who could be affected by the chemicals on that list. Even those who looked at the images confirmed the internal structures were of a female. We agree with you, Peter. The lawsuit against the Williams will likely be found in favor of the Williams. And I wouldn’t want to be in those parents’ shoes when the Williams get through with them. And because of our beliefs, we don’t see any problems arising that will adversely affect the school, other than what has already happened. But, because we could get some moron for a judge, who would site with the parents, despite the overwhelming evidence against them, we have gone ahead and worked out a contingency plan just in case. And we’ll hold off talking about that for now.”

When their meeting concluded, Peter thanked them for taking the time to meet with him, and walked back to his office after seeing them out of the office. There was a soft knock on his closed office door, before it opened and a voice asked, “You okay, Peter?” Margot had walked back to Peter’s office, softly knocked and walked into his office. There, sitting in his chair, Margot saw Peter with his head down on his folded arms on the desk. He lifted his head, shook it, and replied, “Yeah, Margot, I’m okay. I just wish I knew how that lawsuit would turn out. Then I could figure out what we needed to do. Given the evidence that will be presented by Marshall and Marshall, I can’t see any outcome but a win for Terry and her family. But as our attorneys pointed out, if we get a bozo of a judge, one who feels like those parents, then all the evidence in the world won’t do us any good.” Margot caught the ‘we’ in Peter’s answer to her, and committed with, “Um...we, Peter? Why are we involved in this case?”

Margot had heard about the lawsuit brought by several parents, but not the particulars. Peter sighed then said, “If my sister’s family lose that lawsuit, Kathy won’t be able to get her name changed from Walter to Kathy, which won’t be a deal breaker. However, she will also not be able to come to school dressed as a girl, either. She won’t even be able to be treated as the girl she is. She will have to be treated as the boy those morons believe she is underneath her clothing.” Margot went wide-eyed hearing what would happen if the parents won their lawsuit. Then she saw a nasty grin form on Peter’s face as he told her, “You know, Margot. Maybe they need to attend a show and tell.” When Margot saw the feral look on Peter’s face she asked, “What do you mean, show and tell?” Then it clicked and she told Peter, “Oh, Peter, that might not be a good idea. Kathy is still having adjustment problems, and to have her undress in front of total strangers? Even if it’s only the women? That just might push her over an edge she might not come back from. Have you talked to your sister about this idea? Or mentioned it to the school attorneys? Or your sister’s attorneys? Peter, you better talk with all of those people before you take it to Kathy. Because if you take the idea to Kathy before talking it over with your sister, well, it was nice knowing you.”

Peter was nodding his head, agreeing with everything Margot told him. And she was right about Terry, she would kill him if he went to Kathy before talking it over with her. He made that mistake one day when they were both in middle school, and it took both of their parents to hold Terry down after Peter had decided to do something without consulting her. And he still had the scar on his right shoulder where she hit him with a metal lamp. He picked up the phone on his desk and dialed Terry’s number. “Hi, sis. I have an idea I’d like to discuss with you…”

When Peter didn’t melt after talking to his sister, Margot left his office and went back to her desk. The idea he had held merit, though it was actually up to Kathy if she’d be willing to follow through with Peter’s idea. Those parents thought there was a boy under the dresses and skirts Kathy was wearing? Maybe a show and tell for the women in those families would change a lot of minds.

With only a few days until their 9:00 A.M. Court hearing on Monday, Marge was very attentive to Kathy during the final few days. When asked, Kathy would declare she was okay, but her starting to get short with others told a different story. Thomas and Terry even talked, and Marge would be spending several hours Saturday and Sunday with Kathy at her home, even spending Sunday night at the Williams. By the time Sunday evening arrived, Kathy was like a caged Tiger, pacing her bedroom, or the living room, or up and down the hallway to her parent’s bedroom. She couldn’t sit still. She’d sit down for five or ten minutes then would be up pacing. Finally, Terry looked at Marge, threw her head towards Kathy’s bedroom, then pointed down to her groin. Marge understood Terry’s message, she only hoped Kathy would respond.

The girls didn’t come out of Kathy’s bedroom until two hours later, and Kathy looked much more relaxed than she had looked. She had a glow about her. And Marge didn’t look too bad either. And when it was time for Kathy to go to bed, a few hours later, she had little trouble falling asleep after another couple of hours under Marge’s tutelage.

Marge helped Kathy wake up Monday morning as she had helped her go to sleep the night before. Their time was shorter, since both had to get ready for the 9:00 a.m. Court hearing. But even that shorter time together was enough to help Kathy relax before they left for the hearing. After showering together, and a bit of play, they dressed and went down to breakfast. Terry and Shelby were already up and dressed, and Terry had placed simple items on the kitchen table for them to eat.

Peter had called to tell Terry he’d been advised not to attend the hearing, the school attorneys would take care of that chore. Dorothy and Thomas also called, telling Terry they’d be at the hearing for moral support. Marshall Sr. called to remind them of the time the hearing started, and not to let Kathy dress in anything flamboyant, they didn’t want her to appear any way but as a normal girl. It was 8:30 a.m. when Marge and the Williams left the Williams’ home for the fifteen minute drive to the Court House. Fifteen minutes that seemed to last forever, to Kathy. And fifteen minutes Marge used to try and keep Kathy calm. Marge also thought to herself if they should have brought rope so they could tie Kathy to a chair.

Marge wasn’t the only one who thought about Kathy’s reaction to what she might hear during the hearing. Everyone who knew her and her temper, hoped she’d be able to keep it together no matter what she heard. And so did Kathy.

Shelby pulled their car into the Courthouse parking lot, found a parking space near the back of the lot, took a deep breath, turned to Kathy and asked her, “Kathy? You are going to hear a lot of things said in the courtroom that may or may not be intended to get you riled up. Things said that may or may not be true. They’re going to keep referring to you as a boy, not the girl you are. They’re going to address you as Walter, which, technically, is still your legal name. They are going to try and make you out to be a queer, faggot, a sissy boy, and likely other names, saying this is an abomination and shouldn’t be allowed. That you shouldn’t be allowed to prance around school pretending to be a girl. And it won’t matter what we know, our doctors know, or how you now appear. You told us when you went back to school the other day, that you realized everyone has a right to their opinion, and that if someone got nasty with you, you’d thank them for their opinion and walk away. I’m asking you, right now, to do that in the courtroom. Let them say what they want. Let them call you anything they want. Let them think they’re dealing with a boy who wants to be a girl. Let them denigrate you all they want.”

Shelby saw Kathy was about to say something, and held up his hand to stop her. “No, let me finish. You know who you are, you know you’re a girl through and through. You know there is no way they can prove you’re a boy because anatomically, you’re not. Let them say anything derogatory about you they want, in that courtroom. Because anything they say will be recorded, and give us the ammunition we need to go after them for defamation of character. And sweetheart, your mom and I plan to go after them with all guns blazing. And all we ask is for you to grin and bear it. Silently thank them for their opinions and silently walk on. Do you think you can do that, for all of us?”

Kathy was silent after what her father told her and asked of her. Then she got a smirk on her face and told her father, “Daddy, after all you and mommy have done for me since all this started, for all Marge has done for me, and to me,” and Marge blushed a bit, tightening her grip on Kathy’s hand, “and doctors Taylor and Stomer, and Uncle Peter, I’d walk through hell to try and save anyone of you. Yeah, I can let those morons have their say, silently thank them and silently walk on. Besides, I want to see how much you and mommy take them to the cleaners for afterwards.”

Marge tightened her grip on Kathy’s hand, then took her other hand and sandwiched Kathy’s hand between hers. Terry cleared her throat and got a funny look on her face before saying, “Um, sweetheart. We should have talked last night about an idea Peter had, concerning how to prove to the old bitties you aren’t just a boy prancing around school, pretending to be a girl. He, ah, well,” Kathy just laughed and told her mom, “He thinks I should undress and show those old prunes my sleek new girl body, right? With its perky new breasts, slim waist, and lovely new vaginal opening?” Shelby must have swallowed wrong, because he started coughing when Kathy mentioned vaginal opening. The three women laughed, and Terry beat on his back, telling him, “Oh, honey, you know what that is, and what its made for. You’ve demonstrated that knowledge often enough. And delightfully so, I might add.” Shelby was now as red as a beet, and the three women were in fits of hysteria.

When Shelby’s normal coloring returned, and the women had stopped laughing, it was Kathy who told her mom and Marge, “Oh, gads, now we look a sight. We’ll need to fix our faces before going into court.” Then she got deadly serious, a look the three had seen all too often before she popped her cork. “Mom, if it takes me to undress before those prunes to prove I’m no longer a boy, then that’s what I’ll do. But don’t be surprised if I unload on them afterwards. It won’t be anything vile or vulgar. But they will know how stupid they are for doing all this in public, and on record, when they could have just come and talked with us. Yeah, mom and dad, I’ll keep my temper. I’ll let them have all the rope they need to hang themselves. And then we can sit down and discuss how we would like to remodel our house, after our lawyers take them to the cleaners.”

When Kathy finished talking, Marge, Shelby, and Terry were just looking at her. What she just said would have been how Walter would have handled past situations. He’d laugh after they happened, and move on. Never losing his temper because it happened to him. Both of her parents looked at each other, thinking the same thing, that Kathy was coming to terms with her now being a girl. Terry reached back and stroked Kathy’s right cheek, telling her, “I’m so proud of you and how you’ve handled this whole situation.” Then she told the three, “Let’s go knock ‘em dead, right after we girls fix our faces.” Three compacts suddenly appeared, as did three wipes. It didn’t take the three girls long to clean off the tear streaked makeup and to apply fresh makeup, before all four got out of Shelby’s car, and with Marge and Kathy holding hands, and Terry and Shelby holding hands, they strode to the Courthouse, went up the steps and into the building. Knowing that after today, they and their lawyers were going to be slightly richer people.