This is the sixth chapter of the sequel to the novel Taylor, which was published as a Kindle book. All the proceeds from Taylor and Taylor, Too! are for BigCloset. I hope you take the time to read this and tell me what you think. As always, I appreciate constructive criticism. I think it only makes the story better. I am writing this one chapter at a time, so your input is important in making this a better book.

Chapter Six

“Now, honey, remember, if anything starts to go south or you just want to bail, you can text your dad or me. We can be your rescue service. It’s just like taking medicine; stay ahead of the pain. Don’t wait until everything turns to ….”

“Mom, you were about to say shit, weren’t you?”

“Well, maybe. I’m anxious about this. It’s like the first day of school for you, and I want this to be a great experience.”

“Mom, it’s okay. I’m sorry to break the news to you that my life won’t simply be a bed of roses. I mean, I am choosing to head over the waterfalls in a leaky canoe. I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

“Hmm, Taylor. That’s not a real positive way to look down the road.”

“Mom, I agree. Everything is going so well, but I’ve got to remember that I have to surmount any challenges.”

“Big words, little girl. I like that surmount any challenges. Where’d you get that from?”

“I’ve been watching some YouTube videos and have started watching videos. Some people post weekly or monthly videos about themselves and their lives. And some are all grown up. Well, no one is my age. No, let me correct that. Some girls are my age, but they all have one thing in common. They seem to be airheads. They see their high school years as mimicking ditzy blondes. So, it’s easier to watch women who are transitioning and older. Like eighteen to maybe twenty-five. They seem to have to climb higher mountains. College, work, and all that stuff seems harder for transitioning women.”

“Okay. I wouldn’t discount those teen girls. But, giving yourself a wide range of women to listen to is better.”

“Mom, some women pay for their transition by working in the porn industry. It’s weird, but that attracts guys who pay them money.”

“Well, I don’t know much about it. This may be something you can talk to your doctor about. Even though you sound confident, I have to remind myself that you just turned fifteen. You’re still young.”

“Well, I’m not….well, you know. I know about sex, and well, I masturbate.”

“Taylor, that’s perfectly normal. And having sexual fantasies is also perfectly normal. As long as you and Andrew keep yourselves together. I just don’t want you experimenting with sex quite yet. And Emma isn’t a good example. I know she and the musketeers all worked on the boyfriend thing back when they were fifteen, and well, I know your sister is sexually active.”

“You know that?”

“Sure. I was young, too.”

“Well, wouldn’t that be a double standard for me? You’re saying that Emma is sexually active, and you know that she and her friends talk about it and test things out. But, you’re telling me not to?”

Taylor watched her mom throw up her hands and pull over. “Okay, you have a good point there. But I’m not sure what to say. I don’t think you should be in a hurry to lose your virginity. Nor do I think that you and Andrew should take your clothes off. I understand that you have needs, but….”

“But, what?”

“I love you, Taylor. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“Mom, I have to make my own breaks. I’m confident about myself, or I wouldn’t have agreed to model for Marg. It’s like learning to rollerblade or ice skate. You know you’ll fall down a few times until you learn. I just have to grit my teeth and tough it out.”

“I hope you talk to your doctor about this. I’m just too emotionally involved to talk to you clinically.”

“Yeah. I see that, watching your face turn red. But relax. Andrew and I have kissed and worked hard to keep our clothes on. Emma referred to our date and said that we were dry-humping. She told me Andrew was the terrier who lives down the street, and I was the couch he likes to hump.”

Taylor watched her mom turn deeper shades of red than she could ever imagine. “Uh, mom. Are you stroking out?”

“No, Taylor. I’m just trying to imagine my daughter's orgasm with a boy. Well, I guess I need to take a deep breath, too.”

“It’s okay, mom. That’s only happened once, and while I dream about doing many things with Andrew, that's it. But everything is going well. Believe me.”

She watched her mom take deep breaths. “Okay. Let’s revisit this topic later. I need to collect my thoughts. But let’s talk about today. Well, just text me if you need to bail. Just send me anything, and I’ll call you back with some made-up excuse that you can politely get out of there with dignity. And sunscreen. Did you remember to bring a towel?”

“Mom, it’s okay. Everything is packed away in my bag.” Taylor held up the big tote that Emma had lent her. “I even have a change of clothes and another one of those tuck things. I’m going to be okay. And yes, I will text when I’m ready to exit. But it’s going to be a graceful exit. I’m not bailing on anything anymore. I’m made of rock, not glass.”

All Molly could do was let out a deep sigh and look at her young daughter. “Maybe we can just keep you home until you turn twenty-one. Locked up, safe, and sound. You know, that up in the turret. Kinda like a Disney classic.”

When they arrived at Julie’s house, Taylor leaned over and kissed her mom. Then, she grabbed the big bag from the back seat and hoisted it over her shoulder. She was wearing Andrew’s high school hoodie. That alone made her feel good. It was almost like having his spirit close to her.

She waved by and walked up Julie’s driveway. She could hear voices coming from behind the house and walked on the slate path until she arrived at the gate. She waved at Julie as she let herself in. But, suddenly, she felt this run of cold sweep over her. Well, actually, it was inside her. Her first instinct was to turn and head back down the driveway. This wasn’t just going to be the three of them! Julie was having a party!

She saw older boys and girls lounging around the pool. They were all strangers, and she guessed they would be the people she’d meet when she started high school. This whole thing was going to be much more complicated than she anticipated. She really was stepping into a big unknown. Taylor thought it would just be the three of them hanging out and talking. But, wrong. It was a party, a real party. And there were boys, kinda looking like high school football types.

So, instead of just turning on her heel and walking back down the driveway, she took a deep breath and tried to smile her biggest smile. She pushed the gate open and walked into the backyard. She was so busy looking for Julie and Meredith that she didn’t see the dog run straight at her and leap up onto her. Taylor instinctively grabbed the dog’s front paws to keep her balance and winced inside as the dog’s head went straight into her crotch.

Shock, surprise, and a real bolt of pain woke her up completely. She started to remember that Julie had a boxer, and she met him head-on. And now, as the pain, shock, and surprise faded, she wondered what had happened to her tape. She couldn’t just grab herself and feel but looked down and breathed a sigh of relief. Everything had survived the wild dog attack. She grinned through the pain.

This whole taping business worked but added a certain amount of discomfort down there because everything was squished back together between her legs. It was okay, but the dog’s solid paws and head surprised her, and it stung, too.

She refused to look weak and just held onto the dog’s paws. After Taylor got a deep breath, she let him go but remained on guard for another attack. But, this time, the dog looked up at her, jumped straight up, and licked her on the nose. Another complete surprise. Their dog had never leaped straight up that high. Boxers were different than retrievers.

She heard Julie yell out the dog’s name, and it scampered away toward her. Taylor saw that Julie was walking towards her. She breathed a small sigh and cheered inwardly. She’d survived the first attack. In her mind, she was the warrior Princess entering the battlefield. She passed the first hurdle by defeating the hounds of hell.

She and Julie hugged. “Hey, I’m so glad you could come. But you’ve got to forgive me. This was all a surprise. This wasn’t supposed to be a pool party. When my mom saw everyone coming into the backyard, she had a fit. I watched her clean out all of her snack shelves. She sent my dad to the Wawa to get subs, chips, and more sodas. It’s crazy!”

Taylor was listening with one ear and watching all these strangers playing around the pool. It looked like the guys were doing cannonballs and seeing who could make the biggest splash.

“Meredith’s older sister heard about our get-together and invited some of her friends to come along, too. They don’t know anything about you or your history, so you can do and say what you want. Meredith’s sister Cami is okay but can be a bit bitchy at times. She’s got her boyfriend here, so hopefully, she’ll be pretty distracted.”

Julie grabbed her bag out of her hands and tossed it over by the chair where Meredith was watching them. “C’mon. I’ll introduce you to everybody. Oh, and by the way, that has got to be your boyfriend’s hoodie, right? He’s so handsome and preppy. I’m sure his parents are shelling out big bucks for his school. We heard that they are millionaires. But, hey, if you aren’t rich, you can still marry him for the money, right?”

Taylor laughed. “Yeah. His mom and dad are upset that he got me pregnant on our first date. But, he promised to make me an honest woman and marry me.” Taylor watched Julie’s face turn from horror to glee when she realized that Taylor could take a joke.

“Good for you, girl. And I want to be a bride’s maid, right?”

“Of course. I want to have a big wedding and wear white.” Taylor knew the sweatshirt was too big, but it smelled like Andrew, and she loved hiding inside it.

As Julie led her over to Meredith, another girl stepped in front of her.

She was an older version of Meredith, with blonde streaks and much more makeup. She popped her gum, then cracked it right in Taylor’s face. All Taylor could smell was that artificial watermelon smell. “Hey, Taylor. I’m Cami. I’ve heard a lot about you from my little sister. She told me you’re becoming a girl, transitioning, and everything. I was shocked when I heard that. I honestly don’t know why anybody would give up his pecker and nuts. But, looking at you, I can see that you’re a cute little thing already looking beautiful. I even heard you had a rich boyfriend, too.”

Taylor had a chance to study Cami as she talked. She was quite pretty and seemed like she knew everything. But Taylor also sensed that she had claws, too. She would not be the one to talk to about sex, even though it was obvious that she knew a lot. She wondered how far the girls in her class had gone with boys. She realized she was still thinking about sex after talking to her mom. Which, in hindsight, was pretty funny.

Cami was still talking like she owned the place. But Taylor figured out that she liked to be the queen, maybe an evil queen.

“Well, circulate yourself into this cocktail party, but keep your hands off, my man. I don’t know if he has a thing for fairies, but let’s not find out.” Cami grinned and strutted away.

Taylor just stood there, trying her best to smile and not panic. She realized that the dog hitting her crotch was much better than this girl Cami giving her the one-two punch. With that thought, she grinned and almost laughed out loud. She’d already been called a fairy and wished to cut her genitals off. She shivered involuntarily.

Taylor was now sure that everyone in the backyard already knew her story. She sighed. No secrets. This was going to be a practice test run of starting school in the fall. She imagined she’d fall down a few times but would recover. After all, this may be a good thing, and she’d be more equipped when September arrived. She took a deep breath and pulled off her hoodie, and grabbed her towel from her bag.

She tossed the towel around her shoulders and strutted to the chair where Meredith was sitting. Obviously, there’d be no hiding behind any curtains today. She figured she was probably the first freak any of them had ever seen. And they were probably puzzled, too. She didn’t even know what transgender meant a month ago, and now she was becoming an expert. Taylor decided to be the queen of cool and not battle their petty opinions. Everyone was waiting to see her in spandex, so she let them look her over. She walked over to Meredith with her towel in her hand. “Hey.”

Meredith laughed and stood. “Well, I saw that you met Otto, Julie’s boxer. But he’s obviously not the big dog at this party. I saw my bitch sister come over and try to punk you out and make you cry. I’m sorry if Cami overheard my conversation with my mom discussing how you are transgender and are transitioning this summer. Of course, my bitch sister likes to stir up shit. I saw her trying to take you down, and I’m so proud that she didn’t get you crying. And when I saw you smile, then laugh, I cheered. Girl, you are amazing. If you can put up with my sister’s evil, you are all set to handle anything coming your way.”

Taylor hugged her and whispered in Meredith’s ear. “Thanks for the support. I agree that Otto’s ambushing me in the crotch was easier to handle than your sister’s gut punches.”

Meredith laughed. “She can be so evil. I wish I had your sister, Emma. I’m sorry that mine is such a piece of work. Cami usually takes it out on the many guys who follow her around, especially her boyfriend, Teddy.”

While we were talking, two of the guys walked by us. I could hear them talking it up for our benefit. “Dude, I’ve never seen a queer up close like this. Imagine being so gay that you want to go down on some guy. No wonder it’s so fucked up.”

Taylor watched Meredith ball up her fists in anger and suddenly realized she was ready to chase after those guys and confront them. She grabbed Meredith up and hugged her. “Hey, it’s okay. Those guys think it’s cool to pick on the weak ones, but you know, I’ve got to learn to grow a thick skin. I'm sure they aren’t the last knuckleheads who run me into the ground. But, I guess I’ll leave rather than ruin the party.”

Meredith looked angry. “Bull! You will not bail ‘cause my sister and her friends are ignorant. They will stop talking you up if they get no reaction. Maybe they'll lose interest when they realize you’re immune to their barbs.”

“Oh, yeah. I’ve thought about saying something. But I’m going to look even dumber if I even try to acknowledge their stupidity. It’s okay. And you are so right. Running away won’t solve anything.”

The two of them sat down and were soon joined by Julie. They were talking about their summer plans when the guys walked over and surrounded them.

“Hey, I’m Teddy, and we thought we were being rude not introducing ourselves to your friend here. We can't understand how a guy wants to cut off his pecker and grow boobs. We were hoping you would enlighten us.”

Taylor looked at the three of them. “I’m Taylor, and I’m the transgender one. I know this will sound weird, but it’s all about how we are wired. From the day I was born, I knew I was a girl, not a boy. I know it's going to sound crazy to you, but yes. Eventually, I will be taking female hormones and testosterone blockers. After that, I will grow boobs and eventually have my penis turned inside out and made into an artificial vagina.”

One of the other guys turned white as a sheet. “Geez. You’d do all that? That sounds kinda nutty to me. I love my dick!”

Taylor grinned and reached for her phone. “I’ve got the link to the YouTube site where you can see the surgery. Want to sit down here with me? We can watch it together.” She patted on the pool lounge next to her.

The three of them instinctively grabbed their crotches. The third boy shook his head. “That’s crazy!”

Taylor smiled. “See. That’s what makes me different from you. I can’t wait to do all that.”

Teddy shook his head. “You’re just a fuckin’ faggot. You’re all gay and everything. I even heard you have a boyfriend. He’s just another faggot, right?”

Taylor smiled. “I really don’t know. Is there some sort of test you can take to determine if you’re gay? We can look it up together if you want.”
The three guys were shaking their heads as they quickly walked away.

Meredith and Julie looked at the retreating guys and then turned to Taylor. “Hey,” said Meredith. “You’re pretty good at standing your ground. I think you kinda scared them off.”

Julie shook her head. “I think Cami and her two girlfriends are working on a rematch with you. I don’t think this is over yet. But you’ve done an amazing job so far.”

Meredith whispered. “Don’t look, but here they come.”