The Girls of Summer: 7

 

The big semi-formal dance looms large in Hunter's psyche as Mary Ellen tries to find
him some much needed help.

---

 
Author's Note: Once again, I am humbled by the number of supportive comments and emails.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I hope you all enjoy where this story takes us.

ps: The usage of the word Hunny is slang for "Hunter" not honey. ~Clara.
 
This version of The Girls of Summer: 7 has been updated with many corrections towards spelling and grammar.~Sephrena.
 
Image Credit: Image created through the use of ai at https://perchance.org/beautiful-people .~Sephrena.

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Chapter 7
 

Hunter stood shocked for a moment, not knowing what to do or say, until Izzy came up behind him and said, "Yes, she would love to dance with you, Brian. Thank you so much for asking in such a gentlemanly manner." She reached down and guided Hunter's hand into Brian's who, then turned to assume a slow dance position. Hunter, however had no idea what to do, so he stood there like a manikin, unmoving.

Izzy jumped in again and placed Hunter's left hand on Brian's right shoulder, then turned his right hand to properly take Brian's hand in his. Since Brian was a solid head and shoulder taller than Hunter, both of Hunter's hands were raised somewhat high to assume the correct dancing position.

Brian, who seemed to have some experience with these things, took Hunter's right hand in his left and he placed his right hand on Hunter's lower back.

"I... I don't know how to dance like this," Hunter said, truthfully, hoping to be let off the hook, but Brian just smiled.

"It's easy. I'll lead you," he said. "Just follow me."

At first, Hunter moved nervously and robotically, but eventually, he relaxed.

"What's your name?" Brian asked.

"Oh... Hunter," he replied. "I'm sorry... I should have told you that, huh?"

Brian shrugged. "No big deal? What grade are you in?"

"Ummm... I just finished sixth grade. You?"

"Me too!" Brian sounded excited to have this in common. "Do you change schools for seventh grade?"

"Yeah," Hunter said, relaxing and enjoying being led around the dance floor. "I'm going to the middle/high school in the fall."

"Cool! Me too," the boy smiled. "I'm going to Welton in the fall, are you?"

"No, I'm going to Roosevelt," Hunter said, more than a little relieved that they would not be attending the same school in the fall.

Brian nodded and seemed to run out of things to talk about for a moment. He smiled down at Hunter, though, and Hunter felt an odd warmth from the combination of that smile and the feeling of Brian's hand on his back.

"I like your dress," Brian said, after a lull.

"Yeah?" Hunter asked, surprised. He'd never complimented a girl's dress once before this week, so this compliment seemed odd, coming from a boy.

"Yeah," he smiled, knowing he'd hit on a subject that his dance partner might want to talk about. "It's very pretty. I like the flowers on it and the way you look in it." He smiled, a little embarrassed. "I sound stupid, don't I? Sorry. I just think you're... pretty."

Now it was Hunter's turn to be embarrassed. "Oh... thanks... you're very nice."

Ed Sheeran's voice disappeared from the DJ's speakers at that point and Hunter was actually sad that the dance was ending.

"Well..." he sputtered, not sure of what to say. "Thanks for the dance, Brian. It was... nice."

Brian smiled. "Thank you and, yeah, it was nice. Maybe we could dance again, later."

Hunter smiled. "Ok. I'd like that."

"I'm going to take a ten minute break," the DJ announced, "but we'll kick up our heels again after that."

Hunter and Brian parted ways and Hunter headed back to the table where the older girls all had big grins of their faces.

"I think Short Stuff has a boy friend," Addy said with a glint in her eye.

"Well?" Izzy asked. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

Hunter blushed, but eventually nodded.

"Awwwww..." they all teased.

"He's cute isn't he?" Lucy asked, not teasing at all.

"I guess," Hunter blushed a deep red.

"Aww, leave her alone," Beth said, giving Hunter a hug. "Let her enjoy her first dance." She patted his hair. "You did have fun, though, right?"

It took a moment, but Hunter nodded and smiled as he blushed again.
 

~^~
 

A slower song was playing when Mary Ellen arrived to pick up her charges. She knew she was a little early, but she didn't want Hunter and Wanda to be waiting outside for her. She looked around the room, but didn't see Hunter at first.

She'd actually spent the evening not running errands, but sitting outside a McDonald's and using her computer and the McDonald's wifi to look up therapists in their area who specialized in helping people in similar to Hunter. She found nine, did some further research on each and narrowed that down to three. She'd make some calls on Monday and get a psychological councilor to help her little brother. If her parents weren't going to do anything, she would.

"Like a river flows
Surely to the sea..."

Elvis crooned as she caught sight of Wanda on the dance floor, dancing with a handsome young man. She smiled at the sight of her younger friend as she was led around the room. Then, she caught sight of another boy, a little younger than Wanda's partner, but dressed similarly and with a similar hair cut to him. When the boy's partner came into view, Mary Ellen's jaw dropped open at the sight of her little brother in the arms of the handsome young man, both smiling and both looking dreamily at each other. 'Wow,' she thought. 'Wow...' She was amazed, but then the next thought that entered her head was, 'Thank God I came to pick them up and not mom... or dad.'

"Hi," the bat mitzvah girl's mother said, spotting Mae at the side of the the room. She held out two rather full plastic bags, similar to the bags that you might get at a convenience store. "You're picking up the two girls from Sarah's group at camp, right?"

"Yes," Mary Ellen smiled. "Wanda and Hunter."

The woman smiled. "Well, these are theirs. They each made a couple of tee shirts and there are a few little things from Sarah's dad and me to thank them from coming. They certainly seem to have had a great time. I think they'll both sleep well, tonight."

Mary Ellen took the bags and thanked the woman. The song ended and the DJ announced the last song of the night and the frantic, choppy rhythms of the band 'Walk The Moon' blasted out of his speakers.

"Oh don't you dare look back
Just keep your eyes on me.
I said you're holding back
She said shut up and dance with me..."

Mary Ellen turned to see if Hunter was leaving the dance floor, but... no. He certainly was not. In fact, he seemed to be surrounded by girls from the camp and three boys, all of whom were bouncing up and down and shouting the refrain of the song every time it came around. He was completely enthralled with the song and the movement and each time they all shouted 'Shut up and dance with me,' he leapt into the air, shouting and pumping his arms into the air, just like all of the other girls. She watched as his dress bounced with him, amazed at how happy her moody little brother looked.

When, at last, the song ended, Hunter's male friend said goodnight to him and Hunter hurried to what must have been his table to say goodnight to the bigger girls there. He hardly ever touched the ground during the goodbyes. One girl would pick him up and hug him, put him down and the next girl would do the same. He was like a rag doll, being loved by each of the older girls.

When the last girl had said goodbye, Wanda and Hunter ran to see the girl that Mary Ellen recognized as Sarah and the hugged her, congratulated her and thanked her for having them as guests. Then, finally, they ran to Mary Ellen, waiting near the exit.

The ride home, with Wanda and Hunter in the backseat, was a blur of laughter and talk as they related story after story to Mary Ellen.

When they arrived home, it just continued as those stories were retold to their parents until, at last, Veronica said, "Alright, alright, alright - it's time to get you home and to bed."

"Oh, mom, really?" Wanda whined.

"What? You don't want to go home?" Veronica asked with mock surprise. "I would have thought that you'd be desperate to get out of that dress and into something comfortable."

"No, I love this dress!" Wanda insisted. "I never want to take it off."

"Yeah, I bet," Veronica laughed. "Come on, now. Grab your stuff and let's go."

When they left, Hunter said his goodnights to his parents, then headed up the stairs with Mary Ellen following, to help him get ready for bed.

"You had a good time, then?" she asked as she unclasped his bra and slid it down his arms.

He was all smiles. "I had a great time, Mae."

"Even though you had to wear a dress?"

He shrugged. "It wasn't that bad, really. After a while, I didn't really notice it at all."

She smiled as she held a robe open for him. "That's great. Let's take your makeup off before you put on your nightie."

Hunter was in bed by eleven fifteen and Mary Ellen retreated to her bedroom where she caught up on her texting and reading of both social media and the novel she'd started on her Kindle app. Usually, reading helped her go to sleep, but that night she was wide awake and kept reading for quite a long time.

It was just past one in the morning when there was a tap on her bedroom door. She turned and saw Hunter in his light weight, but very lacy night gown.

"Can I come in and talk to you?" he asked.

Mary Ellen put down her iPad and tapped the bed beside her. "Of course, Hunny. Climb in."

He climbed up in to her bed, which was much bigger and softer than his, and he sat so that he was held on a pillow and half leaning against her seated form. Mary Ellen put an arm around him, happy to have him snuggle up with her. "Couldn't sleep?" she asked.

He shook his head.

"Sometimes it takes a long time to relax after you have a good time." She patted his hair.

"That's not it," he said, quietly.

"Oh?" Mary Ellen snuggled him in a little tighter. "Is something wrong?"

He nodded.

"What is it?"

He sighed. "If I tell you, you can't tell mom and dad, ok?"

"We'll, yeah, of course, Hunny. You know you can tell me anything."

Hunter thought for a moment before he spoke. "Mae... I... I made up my mind. I don't think I want to be a boy any more."

"Oh," Mary Ellen nodded. Certainly, this wasn't a huge surprise, but she still didn't know quite what to say. She did know, though, that letting him sit there in silence was not going to help. "Is this just because you had such a good time tonight?"

He shook his head. "No. I've been thinking about a lot, but... I guess I just made up my mind tonight. Not at the party, but... in bed, just now, while I was thinking about everything." He turned his body a bit so he faced her more, then he buried his face in her soft chest and she could feel him shaking. "Mae... I'm so scared to tell mom and dad, but... I just don't want to go back to what I was. I was never this happy before and now..."

"And now you are," Mary Ellen finished the sentence for him.

"Yeah," he nodded. "But mom and dad are going to hate me when I tell them."

"No, Hunny, they won't. I promise. They will understand."

"Mom, maybe, but dad... I doubt it."

She kissed his head and hugged him a bit tighter. "Dad loves you, Hunny. It may take a day or two, but he'll understand. I'm sure he will."

Hunter shook his head. "No. He'll hate me."

She laid her head on his. "Well, I guess we'll just have to tell him together and we'll find out. It doesn't matter, though, because I'll be there with you and you know that I love you, right?"

He nodded. "You won't tell them before I'm ready, though, right?"

"No," she smiled down at him. "But when the time comes, I'll be there with you."
 

~^~
 

Joyce woke up a little late for a Sunday morning. Usually, she was up early to make a nice Sunday breakfast for them, but she'd been stressed about Hunter's first party all day Saturday, so once she'd fallen asleep, she didn't wake up until after nine thirty.

Bob had woken early to go golfing, his usual Sunday routine, and the house was still oddly quiet for mid morning.

She got up and put on her robe before going out into the hall. She peeked into Hunter's room and found the bed clothes had been pulled down, but no Hunter. He must be downstairs, but he knew better than to leave his bed unmade. She'd have to have a word with him this morning at some point.

She peeked into Mary Ellen's room before going downstairs, and she stopped and stared. Mae was in bed, sound asleep, which she had half expected, but she was spooned around the tiny form of Hunter. Her arm was draped over his midsection and both of them were as soundly asleep as a human could be. She stared in wonder at the sight. What the heck was this all of this about? She loved that the kids got along so well, but this was beyond getting along well. Had Hunter had a nightmare or something? Oh, well... she'd find out soon enough.

She went down stairs.
 

~^~
 

Monday came too quickly, but Hunter was excited to get to camp. They were being issued their uniforms to wear at Friday's game that morning. He was very excited to have a real uniform. The previous year, at baseball camp, they'd only had a tee shirt to distinguish each group. The same was true of his school team. Just tee shirts and jeans.

When they arrived at the camp, Hunter was out the door before the car was fully stopped.

"Hunter!" Mary Ellen yelled after him. "Come back! You need your bag!"

He returned immediately, but not on his own propulsion. Instead, he was on the back of a Group D girl who Mary Ellen had spoken to recently at camp and she was pretty sure she'd seen her at the bat mitzvah part, too.

Hunter was laughing as they arrived back at the car. "Hey, Wanda," the Group D girl said.

"Hey, Addy," Wanda smiled.

"Hi, Mae," Addy said to Mary Beth. "I'm Short Stuff's personal transport today."

Mary Ellen smiled and shook her head. "I get it. I'm Hunter's personal chauffeur most days."

Addy went to grab the backpack, but Mary Ellen stopped her. "Hunter - you know the rules. If you want to haul this much equipment around, then you have to carry it yourself."

"Oh, ok," he sighed, climbing down from Addy's back.

Wanda and Addy both chuckled at Hunter being chastised for such a minor infraction. He pulled the backpack with two bats sticking up out of it from the trunk and he put it on his back.

"All set?" Addy asked.

"Yep," Hunter nodded.

Addy winked at him. "All aboard." She bent over and Hunter climbed back onto her back, backpack and all.

"Alright!" Hunter bubbled as he climbed up on the bigger girl's back.

Mary Ellen shook her head as she watched them jog towards the field.
 

~^~
 

"Hi, Joyce... Dr Frank Raymond here. How are you?" the voice on the telephone asked.

"Well, I WAS having a pretty good day until now," she said with a bit of a sardonic chuckle. "I have to assume that a call from my son's endocrinologist in the middle of the day can't be good news."

"Well," the voice said, "it is news. Whether it's good or bad is open to interpretation, I suppose. Look, Joyce, I've consulted with some colleagues about Hunter's case and I think we may have uncovered a few leads that may help us with his case."

"Oh... well, that's good, I suppose," Joyce said, taking a seat at the kitchen table and grabbing a pad of paper and a pen to take notes. "Did you get the pictures I sent you?"

"Yes," the voice answered. "In fact they were very helpful. Thank you. Now... about Hunter..."

Dr Raymond spoke and Joyce wrote things down:

Condition is not terminal.
Liver and kidney functions fine.
Testosterone levels almost undetectable
Testicular development behind schedule
Puberty issues
Stunted growth - height and development
Then she gasped as she wrote:

May not be reversible at this time.
May need to consider other developmental options
"I'm sorry that I don't have better news," Dr Raymond said through the phone, "but we all need to keep focused on what the best outcome for Hunter is going to be - and also remember that he is only twelve years old. He has a long life ahead of him and we want to be sure that the choices we make at this point are the right ones and that the consequences of those choices are the least intrusive to his life."

"Forgive me," Joyce said, "but are you implying that telling a twelve year old boy that he is going to have to live the rest of his life as a girl isn't going to be intrusive in his life?"

"What I'm saying," the doctor said, "is that if we just pick an average life span as a reference, Hunter could have another sixty five or seventy years ahead of him. And since he's only been fully aware of sexual differences for four or five years, should he choose to take the easiest course, which would be to surrender to his bodily development and accept a female sexuality, then Hunter can still have a long and fulfilling life. That's what I'm saying, Joyce."

She nodded and sniffled back a few tears. "Ok. I understand. Thank you for calling, Doctor."

"If I might suggest... it's may be easier if you brought Hunter into the office and I could explain things. That way there's no resentment directed towards you and your husband."

Joyce sighed. "I will talk to my husband and let you know. Thank you."

The call ended and Joyce stared at the table for a solid minute before her brain started working again. Oddly, breaking the news to Hunter was not her biggest concern. Breaking the news to Bob, though... that was.
 

~^~
 

Hunter thought that the uniforms were really cool. The camp colors were orange and white, so each group's uniform was a pair of stretchy, white pants with an orange stripe up the side and orange knee socks with three white stripes going around the shins. Each heavy weight tee shirt was a different color, with the 'team name' on each in bold, old fashioned, baseball team script. Group D wore black shirts with 'The Dragons' written on them. Group C wore white shirts with 'The Crushers' written on them. Group B wore orange shirts with 'The Bashers' written on them. Group A wore purple shirts with 'The Aces' written on them.

After lunch, every team member tried on their uniform and threw a few balls and took a few swings in them to make sure they were all comfortable in the new clothing.

"We have to take them off!?" Hunter asked, shocked when he was told to get changed. "But they're so cool!"

Wanda and Sarah laughed. "They can't get dirty before the big game," Sarah explained. "You wouldn't want to go out into a perfectly green, professional ball field with dirt all over your white pants, would you?"

"What if we promise to be careful with them?"

Wanda put her arm around her friend's shoulder. "I don't think they'll let us wear them, even if we promise to keep them clean."

They went into the locker room and got changed in their individual cubicles. When he came out and returned to the field, groups C and D were trying out their uniforms and Hunter took note of how the uniforms fit each of them. The way the stretchy team pants hugged their feminine figures and accentuated the shape of their bottoms and thighs. But, rather than fantasize about them sexually, he wondered if that's what he'd look like when he got to be their age. They seemed so perfect. So... strong, yet beautiful. He wondered if there was any way that he could ever look like them.
 

~^~
 

"I'm sorry," the psychologist said over the phone, "but let me get this straight. You are calling about your stepbrother?"

"Yes," Mary Ellen confirmed.

"And how old are you?"

"Eighteen," Mae fibbed. She'd be eighteen in a few months, so... what difference did it make?

"And are you your stepbrother's guardian?"

"No," she admitted. "We have a mom and dad and I'm sure that they will agree to having Hunter come talk to you, but they're... a little... overwhelmed, I guess is the right word. I guess you could say that I'm doing the ground work for them."

"I see," the psychologist said. "So - you have two parents at home. One is a step parent and one is a biological parent to each of you. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"And your stepbrother... Hunter... is having problems with his stepparent?"

"Oh, God, no!" Mary Ellen almost laughed. "My mom is being as supportive as she can be. She's freaked out, but she's doing everything she can. It's my dad - well, my stepdad - Hunter's dad - who can't handle any of this."

"I see," the voice said. "And are Hunter and his father in direct, open conflict over all of this?"

"No," she said, pretty sure that she hadn't indicated that that had been the case.

"I see," he said again. "Well, it is a difficult time of year to start a new patient... Can we possibly have Hunter come in to talk, say, on September eighth at ten fifteen?"

"Oh... it'll take that long to get him in to see you?"

"I'm very heavily booked for the summer."

"I see," Mae said, not meaning to mimic the psychologist.

"Is that a problem?" he asked, sensing her concern.

"Well..." she considered what to say, but eventually blurted out, "Look, I don't want to make too big a deal about this, but the other day... he did talk about getting a knife and cutting off his breasts or his penis. I mean... he was just being dramatic, and I'm sure he didn't mean it, but he did say it and... well... it kind of scared me."

When the voice spoke again, it sounded more concerned than before. "So, Hunter actually threatened physical harm to himself?"

"Yeah, but he was just upset and being... well, being Hunter. He says things like that."

"When someone says things like that, they might actually mean it, Miss..."

"Just call me Mae," she said.

"Well, Mae... I'm going to suggest that you get Hunter to an emergency room immediately and that you request that they have him detained for a thirty day evaluation."

"What? Thirty day evaluation? Why?"

"Because he threatened to do harm to himself, Mae. What if he should redirect that aggression towards you, next time? You need to go to wherever that child is right now and take him to the nearest emergency room immediately! Not in an hour. Not tomorrow. Now. Then you have them call..."

Mary Ellen disconnected the call. Thirty days in a mental ward of a hospital!? Hunter? No. No, she couldn't do that. She just couldn't. She took a breath and called the next number on her list
 

~^~
 

"No chance at all that this could all be reversed?" Bob asked Joyce, a little unable to process what she'd just told him.

"That's what the doctor said," Joyce confirmed. The kids were out in the pool. Veronica was there as well, but she was a constant part of the equation lately, anyway. There wasn't much chance of having this conversation without her being there.

"What about male hormones?" he asked. "Hell, there's a guy at my golf course who looks great and he actually was a female until he was in his twenties. Why can't we do that for Hunter?"

"We could," Joyce sighed. What frustrated her the most was that she knew that Bob knew the answers to these questions. "Remember what the doctor said in his office? Hunter's body could be badly harmed by the use of hormones. With his current condition, his body could react very badly to that kind of therapy. His kidneys and liver and spleen... all of his internal organs could be adversely impacted by hormone therapy - AND - the hormones could confuse his growth. So, instead of a growth spurt that might get him into the five foot to five foot three area, which is what they are anticipating, he could end up being more or less the same size that he is for the rest of his life."

"Yeah, but he'd be a boy, at least." Bob shrugged.

"Alright," Joyce folded her arms, "I need you to start thinking differently, Robert. Being a girl or a woman is not exactly a punishment, you know. I'm very happy being a female and I'm sure that Veronica is too."

"I certainly am," Veronica nodded.

"That's not what I meant," he started to explain, but Joyce jumped in.

"I know exactly what you meant. You meant that Hunter would be better off as a four foot, one inch tall man that the world looked at like a circus freak, than a slightly shorter than normal woman who could live a normal life."

"Normal life," Bob scoffed. "How normal would it be? He wouldn't be a REAL woman. He doesn't have a uterus or a vagina... He wouldn't have a period! He'd just LOOK like a woman. It's not the same thing."

"No, you're right," Joyce nodded. "He wouldn't have a uterus or a period, although that could change if medical science finds a way, but my cousin Sophia had to have a radical hysterectomy when she was only fourteen years old. So, in all the time you've known her, she hasn't had a uterus or a period. Do you think of her as anything other than a woman?"

Bob shook his head.

"And as for a vagina..." Joyce continued. "From what I understand, doctors are very capable of changing his sex organs. I understand that going from male to female is actually a much more successful procedure than going from female to male."

"I think you're right, Joyce," Veronica offered. "I saw a documentary, I think it might have been on Frontline - anyway, they showed the whole procedure. They do a thing called a penectomy where they remove the boy's penis. They do another procedure to remove his testes, too. Anyway, they use those to rebuild the area and create a vagina, clitoris and labia. It was amazing to watch. I mean, I can be a little squeamish, but this was so interesting. Do you know that most of the doctors who do this kind of work are women? They said that women have a better grasp of how the final organs should look and feel, and that they..."

"Ok" Bob held up his hands in the classic 'please, just stop' position. "Enough. I really do not want to hear about it."

"Well, I am afraid that we will have to discuss these things, soon," Joyce said, frankly.

"Alright," Bob nodded, "but... we don't have to do it tonight, do we? Let's let the boy enjoy his last week of camp. That will give me the opportunity to get my head around all of this before we talk to him. Then we'll... figure all this out."
 

~^~
 

"Thank you for calling me back," Mary Ellen said into her phone, as she stepped away from the fenced in back yard and into the driveway, closing the gate behind her.

"Not a problem," the woman on the phone said, calmly. "I got all the information you gave to my assistant and I do have a few questions."

"Of course."

"Now, am I to understand that your stepbrother has fully developed breasts and a functioning penis?"

Well, yes, he does have well developed breasts. They are bigger than mine were at twelve. And yes, he does have a penis. Fully functioning? I mean... he pees through it. Is that what you mean?"

The doctor snickered a bit at that. "No. What I'm asking is, is it fully formed? Have his testes dropped? Does he masturbate and ejaculate?"

Mae thought for a moment and looked around to be sure that no one was near by. "Ummm... no. It's not fully formed. He looks pretty much the same as he did when he was a baby down there, and... to be honest, I don't think that Hunny has ever masturbated. He may have, of course, but... I kind of doubt it."

"I see," the doctor said, making Mary Ellen wonder if psychologists were taught to say that in college. "Alright, Mae," the doctor said, "I think I understand your concerns and your parents are perfectly justified in their confusion and concern. I agree that your stepbrother's threat to himself was probably hyperbolic, but having spoken those words, we know that he at least has considered harming himself in some way. I would like to see Hunter as quickly as possible. How would next Monday at eleven work?"

"Oh... that would be great!"

"Ok, but two things will have to happen before that appointment."

"Of course. Anything."

"First, I will be emailing you the paperwork your parents will need to fill out in order for me to treat Hunter."

"No problem."

"And second... I would like to see you and your parents to discuss how everyone feels about your brother's situation."

"Oh..." that surprised Mary Ellen. "I guess we could try to..."

"How about Wednesday at noon? I will come by your house. I have the address. Tell your parents to expect me and why I'm coming."

"Wednesday? Like... the day after tomorrow Wednesday? But... my dad works..."

"He can take an early lunch. This is important. Mae - I don't want to toot my own horn, but I know what I'm doing and I'm the best person to help Hunter through this. Tell your parents - Wednesday at noon. I'll see you then."

The call ended leaving Mary Ellen no way of delaying a conversation with her parents. She knew that, in the next few hours, she had to do two things: 1) Get her parents to agree to meet the doctor, and 2) Look up what hyperbolic meant.
 

~^~
 

"Can I ask you a serious question?" Wanda asked as she and Hunter floated around the pool on chaise lounges style rafts.

"I guess," Hunter shrugged.

"Did you like being all dressed up last Saturday night?"

He thought for a moment. "Not at first. At first, I felt really awkward and a little silly, but... when I got used to it... yeah... I really did like it."

"I thought so," Wanda laughed. "Can I ask you another question?"

"Sure."

"Well, I got a text from that boy, Wes... You know... from the party. Anyway, he asked me out next week and I said yes. So, Tuesday, we're going to a movie."

"That's great!" Hunter said.

"Yeah, well... his little brother Brian asked for your cell number so he could text you..."

"Well, that would be hard, because I don't have a cell phone."

"I know," Wanda smiled, "and I told him that, but you do have an email and... he asked me for it. Should I give it to him?"

Hunter felt an odd sense of embarrassment mixed with fear, excitement and joy wash over him. The problem was, though, he didn't know how to answer the question.

"Well?" Wanda asked after a silence. "Should I?"

"Ummm..." Hunter thought for a moment. "Ummm... why do you think he wants it?"

Wanda laughed. "Why do you think he wants it? He likes you and wants to stay connected. Maybe chat now and then or maybe even..." she smiled and looked at Hunter and raised her eyebrows up and down a few times, "date..." She let that word hang there.

"Date...?" he sputtered. "But... I'm a..."

"Yeah, but he doesn't know that," Wanda smiled.

When Hunter didn't answer, Wanda asked, "Well? Should I give him your email address?"

He bit his lip and thought for a moment before nodding.

"Excellent!" Wanda smiled. "One more question?"

He'd been lost in thought about the pros and cons of reconnecting with Brian. When he regained his senses, he said, "Yeah. Sure."

"What happens next week?"

The question made no sense to him. "Next week?"

Wanda nodded. "Next week. After camp is over and you're back to doing what you want... Who will you be then?"

The color ran out of hunter's face. "I... I don't know..."

Wanda took her friend's hand in hers. "Who do you want to be?"

He thought for a moment, then said. "Me."

"And... who are you?" Wanda persisted, not realizing how much Hunter had been thinking about this very thing for the last few days.

Hunter looked down at his breasts, his one piece bathing suit and his smooth legs that led to his pretty, pink toenails. "This is me," he finally said.

"The girl who went to camp with me?"

He nodded.

"Have you told your parents?"

He shook his head. "I told Mae, but she promised not to say anything. I think... I think I'll wait until camp is over. Then I'll tell them. I guess that I'm hoping that, after they see how good I am with the girls at the game on Friday, they'll understand."

Wanda squeezed his hand. "I'll help, if you want."

Hunter nodded and forced a smile, but his eyes were watery. "Thanks."
 

~^~
 

"Wednesday?" Bob asked, shocked that Mary Ellen had circumvented both Joyce and him and contacted a councilor on her own. "Not possible. I can't just leave work. Especially not if I'm going to be at the game on Friday. I can't do it."

"Bob, please..." Joyce tried to speak.

"And on whose authority did you contact this quack doctor!?" Bob asked, accusingly. "If your mother and I felt that your stepbrother needed a councilor, we would have contacted one on our own."

"She's not a quack, dad! I did a lot of research. She's probably the best person in this field in this part of the state. Hunter needs to see her and she won't see him unless you cooperate."

"That wasn't my question," Bob was on the attack. "Who gave you the authority to even make that phone call?"

"Bob, she's just trying to help..."

"Did I ask for her help? Do I look like I am incapable of dealing with my own son? Did I, in anyway indicate that..."

"Oh, Jesus Christ will you please just SHUT UP!?" Mary Ellen screamed, shocking both adults into silence.

Bob put his hands on his hips and tried to form an attack plan, but before he could, his stepdaughter spoke with a clarity and confidence he'd never seen before.

"Mom.. Dad... I know that you both love Hunter and I know that you're both doing your best, but you don't know everything he's said to me and I can't tell you any of it because I promised Hunny I wouldn't say a word. What I will tell you though is that he needs to see a psychologist and he needs to see one NOW. Not in a month or in a year... NOW. You want to research doctors, fine, but you'll see that this doctor is Hunter's best choice. So, is Wednesday inconvenient for you? Well, tough! Your son - or maybe your daughter, I don't know - but - HUNTER needs you for one hour - one stinking, little hour. So, I am not cancelling the appointment, dad. The doctor will be here at noon and I expect both of you to be there, too. If that's too much of a burden for you, then fine. I'll explain to the doctor that your work is more important than your child."

She turned and stormed out the door, into the driveway to cool down.

"What the hell was that!?" Bob said, shocked at what had just transpired.

"That was the voice of reason, Bob," Joyce said, wiping a tear from her cheek, "and I wish to God I'd been the one to say all of that."
 

~^~
 

"Hey, mom..." Hunter said, Tuesday morning, sounding a little sheepish, as he came down to breakfast.

"Yes, dear?" Joyce said, turning from the sink to see her stepson standing in the kitchen wearing a pair of calf-length, bright blue, Lycra athletic pants and a tight fitting tank top with roses printed all over it. It was a very different look from the nervous-tomboy look Hunter usually favored. "You look... very nice today."

Hunter looked down at himself. "Oh... thanks. Since the uniforms have stretchy pants, I thought I should get used to wearing them."

"Oh... well... that makes sense," Joyce smiled and nodded.

"The thing is, though, mom...." Hunter shifted from one foot to the other for a moment. "We never... I mean... I never... I mean... I don't have a dress to wear Thursday night. You know... to wear to the... that thing... on Thursday."

Joyce couldn't help but smiled at his nervousness. It was just too damned cute. She nodded at Hunter, though and asked, "Did you like the purple dress we tried on the last time we went shopping?"

Hunter sighed. "I did. I guess we should have bought it then, but I don't think I was ready to wear it that day. I'm sorry."

"It's ok, baby," she patted his cheek. "Do you want to wear that dress Thursday night?"

He looked down and nodded.

"Sit and eat your Cheerios," she smiled and she went to the hall closet and pulled out a garment bag. When she returned to the table, she pulled down the bag's zipper and showed it's contents to Hunter. "I liked it too much to leave it behind," she said, a bit proudly. "I even got shoes to go with it."

Hunter blushed and smiled. "Thank you, mom," he muttered, embarrassed.

She kissed the top of his head. "That's what moms do, Hunny." It almost felt funny for her to use that nickname after so long. "We'll try it all on tonight. Ok?"

"Ok, mom. Oh, hey! I just realized - that dress is perfect! It's the same color as my uniform shirt. How cool is that?"

Joyce smiled. "Yeah. How cool is that?"
 

~^~
 

Tuesday and Wednesday at camp were wonderfully brutal. Hunter had never been worked so hard. With the coaches' encouragement, he ran harder and faster than he'd ever run before, was more thoughtful and precise as a hitter and he ran fielding drills as if his life depended on them.

Finally, they gathered at the end of the day, on Wednesday, and they all sat on the bleachers to hear Coach Skylar speak.

"Alright, girls, listen up! You have worked hard for the last three weeks and it shows. Each of your teams have become well oiled machines and all of your coaches agree with me when I say that you are one of the most talented and hardworking groups of girls it has ever been our privilege to work with."

All the campers whooped and applauded.

"Having said all of that, we still have two big days ahead of us. Tomorrow we have some scrimmages to play. Groups A & B will face off on Field One and Groups C & D will be playing on Field 2. Then the winners of each of those games will face each other in a final game here. We'll be ending the day at eleven thirty tomorrow and then reconvening at six at the 'Daughter Dance.' That will end at nine thirty so that you can all head home and get a good night's sleep before our big games on Friday at the 'triple A' ball park in the city. You all need to report to the stadium no later than ten thirty Friday morning. Any questions? No? Good! Go have a good afternoon and come back here ready to kick some butt tomorrow."

More whoops and whistles and the girls all headed up the hill to the parking lot. Hunter was jogging between Wanda and Sarah, and they were all discussing the upcoming games until they crested the hill and were headed to their individual cars. That's when Sarah asked, "Hey, did you guys get new dresses for tomorrow night, or are you wearing what you wore Saturday? My parents are making me wear the same dress. It's so embarrassing!"

Wanda laughed. "Yeah, but your dress was beautiful. I bet they spent a lot of money on that."

Sarah shrugged. "I guess, but you guys have already seen it."

"Oh, shut up," Wanda gave her arm a playful slap. "I do have a different dress to wear, though. Hunter, are you wearing the same dress?"

Hunter shook his head. "Nope. I'm wearing that purple dress I tried on when we went shopping."

"Oh, cool!" Wanda smiled. "I didn't think you got that dress."

"I didn't, but my mom went back and bought anyway. So, that's what I'm wearing."

Wanda looked at Sarah and smirked. "She didn't like it at first because it's all lacy and really pretty. Wait till you see her in it. She'll look like a movie star."

Sarah smiled down at Hunter. "It really doesn't matter. You're the most popular girl in camp, anyway."

"What are you talking about?" Hunter scoffed. "Addy, Ruthie and all the other girls in Group D are the popular ones. They're all so tall and beautiful. I'm just a little Group A nobody."

"Well you're a nobody that all the Group D girls like. So that makes you the most popular girl in camp." Sarah was about to continue when they heard Ruthie calling.

"Hey, Sarah!" she called. "Come on! Mom's holding up traffic!"

Sarah nodded at her sister. "Gotta run, besties. See you tomorrow!"

Wanda and Hunter sat on a short, concrete block wall and waited for their ride to arrive. They talked about nothing for a few minutes, until Wanda asked, "Are you looking forward to getting all dressed up again tomorrow night?"

"I guess," Hunter shrugged.

"Oh, come on," Wanda nudged him. "It's ok to be excited. Getting all dressed up and looking pretty is one of the perks of being a girl. You're a girl, now. You're allowed to enjoy it."

Hunter looked dubious. "I'm not a girl, yet. I'm not sure how much my dad is going to like it when he sees me dressed up."

"He was ok on Saturday."

"He wasn't my date on Saturday. Tomorrow, he has to go with me and do all the stuff that other dads do with their daughters. I don't know if he'll be ok with it for the whole evening."

Wanda nodded, but smiled. "Well, we'll just have to make sure that you're so pretty that his Grinchy heart will melt at the sight of you."

"Here comes your mom," Hunter said, standing and grabbing his backpack. "Huh... I wonder where Mae is."
 

~^~
 

"I need to get back to the office," Bob said, standing to leave. "I agreed to an hour and I've been gone nearly two. I need to get back."

"That's fine," the doctor said, rising from their living room couch to shake Bob's hand. "Thank you for your insight into your son's state of mind." She was younger than any of them expected. Early thirties, attractive and confident.

"Look," Bob said, feeling even more hopeless after this meeting than he did before, "I just don't want anybody rushing into anything, ok? I don't want Hunter castrated at twelve and have him regret it at twenty. Ok?"

"Then we're on the same page," the doctor said, giving Bob a friendly smile. "And... no one is talking about castrating Hunter. All we want to do is help him find his way. I'll start meeting with him on Monday and we'll see how things progress from there. Ok?"

He nodded and went out the door. He got into his car and pushed the ignition button and sat in his driveway for a good few minutes thinking. God, this was all so messed up. How could things have possibly gotten this far out of hand? What kind of a father was he to allow his only son to be so radically changed? What kind of a man was he?
 

~^~
 

"He looks adorable in that dress," Veronica said with a smile, as Hunter and Wanda were scrambling back up the stairs so he could take off the clothes he'd be wearing the next evening. Everything fit beautifully, including the shoes that Joyce had bought without having him try them on.

"He does," Joyce agreed.

"Do you think he'll miss this if he decides to be a boy?"

Joyce sighed. "Honestly, I don't think that being a boy is a realistic option for Hunter. I can't imagine how difficult it will be for him to accept that, but... Well, to be honest, I never dreamed I'd ever have to have a conversation like that with one of my children. I guess Bob is right about waiting until after camp is over, but... it's going to be a tough weekend, I'm afraid."
 
 
To Be Continued...<