The repercussions of someone finding out that Billy was taking hormones were just too great. What would be his dad’s reaction? Would he be kicked out of the house? The shame that would be put on the family would be tremendous. Could he get more hormones once his supply dwindled? So many questions and so much pressure!
The repercussions of someone finding out that Billy was taking hormones were just too great. What would be his dad’s reaction? Would he be kicked out of the house? The shame that would be put on the family would be tremendous. Could he get more hormones once his supply dwindled? So many questions and so much pressure!
Billy knew that he had big ideals of who he wanted to be, but there was a tremendous wall that blocked his path. He accepted the reality that he would have to wait.
The next day he dumped the hormones into a trash can on the way to school. Although very reluctant, he realized that it was the only option.
Billy was a popular kid in school. He was a good looking boy with sandy blonde hair, blue eyes and a nice body which grabbed the girl’s attention.
He tended to pick and choose his friends carefully though.
Jenna and he were best friends since 1st grade. Some called them boyfriend and girlfriend because they were so close. Neither of them minded that title. They were very inseparable.
Adam was another long time friend. The two were polar opposites. Where Billy’s home-life was structured and rigid, Adam’s was very liberal and loose. Adam, being a rather plain-looking boy, envied Billy’s good looks and the way the girls would talk about him. As the three sat at the lunch table, Billy realized what a big mistake he was making by taking the hormones. The gravity of how much his life would change sunk in. He wasn’t ready to face all the attention, the ridicule, the change in status.
Over the next couple weeks Billy adjusted to the thought that he would remain a boy for the foreseeable future. The thought of what he was planning on doing with the hormones made him shake his head in disbelief. Dumb, dumb, dumb.
He wasn’t sure how long it would take for the hormones to wear off. He figured that he should be regaining his strength any day now.
The daily exercises continued to be very hard on Billy. His dad and brothers would push him to his limit which was way less than it used to be. In fact, his little brother seemed to be able to perform the drills with more ease then he.
Billy’s mom saw the daily struggles by her son and comforted him after all the taunting by the males in the family. She could see him giving a full effort and began to feel worried about the health of her boy. Her sons were all so masculine and excelled in anything physical. Why was Billy having so many issues?
Dad pulled Billy into his office.
“Son, you seem to be having trouble with your exercise. What seems to be the problem?”
“I don’t know dad. I’m trying my best. I think I might have been sick or something because I am pretty sure my strength is returning.”
“Hmmm. Okay, well I want to see you give it more effort. A couple months ago you were doing 25 push ups and today you could only do 12. In my opinion you are taking it too easy on yourself. You’re getting lazy.”
“Yes dad. I will do better. I promise.”
“I’ll hold you to that promise. Now your mom and I need to talk to all of you.”
With that, the whole family gathered in the living room.
Then the bombshell dropped.
“Sons, the country has called me to duty. I wanted to hold off on telling all of you until the end. I am heading to Afghanistan in 2 days. I will be gone for a year and it will be up to you boys to take care of your mom and the house. I expect things to remain as I have laid them out…no exceptions understood?”
“Yes dad”
“Good. There is nothing more honorable than being called to serve your country. I am extremely proud to serve. I will be keeping in close touch and expect things to remain tight around here. Understood?”
“Yes dad”
Dad was going away for a year? It was so odd to Billy how no one showed any emotion. It was like this had to be done so just accept it and move on. Even his mom was stone-faced.
A year with no dad? He thought for a second about throwing away the hormones. Should he have kept them? With dad gone this could have been a great opportunity!
NO WAY!
Billy wasn’t ready to take that road. Maybe he wouldn’t have to work out as much though which would be great for keeping his body softer.
Billy felt a wave of relief.
Sure he loved his dad, but a little less structure in the house would be a good thing.
To Be Continued...
Comments
The Blossoming of billy
Good twist hopefully Billy will come too her sense's while her dad is away and start again too become herself hopefully with her mother's help.
Looking forward too the next chapter:).
You know what they say?
Hi Ashley
You know what they say...when the cats away the mice will play!...This is just too good an opportunity for Billy to miss. Maybe all is not lost for his dreams yet!!!
Kirri
I'm sorry
But I think with macho man Daddy gone, this is going to give the clones (aka "brothers") an excuse to be even more bullying to Billy.
The Question Is
What happens now?
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
When I first started reading
When I first started reading this story, I really pay attention to who was writting it. After the last chapter I noticed the it's the author of another of my favorites The Softening of Jesse. Now I understand why I've been looking forward to each new chapter.
Thanks for another excellent story.
Shy
No emotion- Billy has a weird family
RAMI
That there was no emotion shown at all, is really weird. I can possibly understand mom trying to put on a brave face for her children and only showing emotion in private with her husband. The kids however, should have shown something.
Billy/ie is going to have to work out how he should proceed. One course of action would be to paraphrase what one prior commentor said, "While the Dad's away, Billy/ie will play". The other course is to follow his father's wishes and keep things going as they were. I am sure dad asked one of the older brothers to take charge of Billy and his training regime. The brother will probably be harder on Billy then the dad was.
Billy still does not seem to be totaly convinced he should be Billie.
I wonder what will occur to push him in that direction.
RAMI
RAMI
Their Mother Has Been Browbeat
Their mother has been browbeat by their father into believing she is second class and subservient to the point that she doesn't dare speak her mind about anything. He has her convinced that he is the master of the house and his word is law. Her only course in anything is just shut up and take it. I have seen his type a few times and it makes my blood boil. Gee, I wonder what happens when he is gone? Either she gets a backbone or the clones run roughshod over her. Hopefully she gets tougher and starts taking control back from her sons and her husband. It would really be something to behold if he comes home and sees he has a new daughter and a wife that has developed some "balls" so to speak. It would be great to see the scene out of an old Paul Overstreet song called "Daddy's Come Around To Momma's Way Of Thinking" "Then one night she met him at the door 'cause the key in his hand didn't work anymore. She said more than just the locks have changed. There's a new set of rules to this old game" Mr. Macho Asshole would have to realize that he isn't going to push her or Billy around anymore and get away with it.
Cold Feet
I think Billy throwing away the hormones was a case of cold feet that he'll regret soon, especially now that Dad is going to be out of the picture for a while. The brothers are still going to be a problem, but maybe Mom can make up for that?
Keep up the good work!
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
Billy's Dad is an Arse !
A man with three children and their mother to support, thinks it is the right thing to do to go gallavanting off to some poor foreign country where everything is different, to play at silly soldiers? And he is proud to do it? Fool of a man! I hope he gets his comeuppance there and doesnt come back!
I know that is a bit harsh, but let me put it this way - Duty, like Charity, begins at home! His Duty is to his Family, not to an abstract, imaginary concept like the USA. Nations do not actually exist except in the minds of men. So called 'patriotism' has been correctly described as an excuse of scoundrels.
If not so many silly sods were willing to keep going of to kill and get killed on behalf of nobody better than some lying politicians, we would soon have a stop put to wars and then not need to waste so many resources on weapons and armies in the first place. With only half of that wasted effort spent on improving the health and education of people, we would soon 'make poverty history', to quote Bob Geldorf !
I guess I am a left-over Flower-Power Child
Personally I am a devout coward. Where people start shooting each other I run away fast.
I did work in Northern Ireland back at the height of its Troubles, but that was to teach drs and nurses about how to use a new kind of wound dressing, and with a huge Swedish flag on my car and an explanation of why I was there I was allowed to enter and leave "No Go Areas" and visit British Army hsopitals without harassment from either side.
Briar
Briar
Dad goes to jail, if he does not report.
RAMI
Dad may be an arse as you described him, but not for the reasons you state. Dad was in the military, an officer I beleive and as a reservist, he was recalled to duty. He had no choice but to go, if he did not he could go to jail as a deserter.
In respect for Erin's and this sites rules regarding political debate I will refrain from replying to your comments about war, militray duty, etc. I will only say that there is evil in the world, which has to be dealt with.
Rami
RAMI
Dear old Dad does not have
Dear old Dad does not have to be in the reserves. However, we know what dear old Dad happens to be.
Umm, WRT the U.S. Armed Forces ...
... you are 100% wrong.
Especially in the case of a commission officer - even a retired one - s/he is subject to recall / reactivation at ~any~ time. This provision was invoked at the beginning of the Korean conflict, much to the consternation of many soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen who thought they'd seen the last of war.
Moreover, I am more than a little troubled by an attitude exhibited by Briar and Kimberly. The good nations of this earth NEED their warriors. It is a dangerous world, that is made dangerous not by those who prepare for war, but by those who do not recognize any rights except their own desires.
You know what it's called when they have a war and one side refuses to participate?
A massacre.
It takes two sides
For peace, but only one side for war. As the sci-fi character John Christian Falkenberg said in one of Jerry Pournelle's books, War is the normal state of man. We deduce the existence of Peace by observing the periods between wars, but these are neither frequent nor long-lasting. (From memory, not an exact quote, I don't have the book handy to look it up.)
The Air Force tried to reactivate my brother for the Gulf War, even though he retired after 21 years on 100% disability due to back injuries received when ejecting out of an F-4. He had to report and be rexamined by military doctors to confirm his disability status.
Yes, there are bad people in the military, just as there are bad people in any profession. But a majority of those who serve our country in its armed forces are there because they truly believe by doing so they are protecting their country and all those who live in it, even the ones who put them down.
M
They know they can survive
Every US soldier has the option not to go...
in the military as presently constituted, as long as they're willing to "come out" as gay or lesbian.
The US military actually depends on its own internalised homophobia to keep the troops they have in line, or the "easy out" would be readily-available.
So the only real question is, 'How much is it worth?'
Puddin'
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Homosexuality is God's way of insuring that the truly gifted aren't burdened with children. ~Sam Austin
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Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
Let me get this straight
There is no draft, so pretty much everbody in our armed forces is there voluntarily. So it appears you are suggesting that members of the military who voluntairly joined but are morally opposed to actually doing what they signed up to do should lie?
Sho
Yuri!
Yuri!
It's a commonplace...
...of the modern army that full disclosure is not mandatory.
Women, for example, are rarely told that they will very likely either be raped by their fellow (male) soldiers or be offered protection from "the men" if they agree to become an officer's doxie. A woman in the military has approximately one chance in three of being raped and nine chances in ten of being severely sexually harassed and intimidated. Reporting a rape does little good, and is routinely either ignored or the male soldier, or soldiers, involved are let off with verbal warnings not to be naughty again.
In the absence of full disclosure, what's a contract worth?
If one is invited to dinner at someone's home, but when one arrives is locked in a dungeon and fed mouldy gruel for the next few years, does one have cause for complaint? After all, one entered voluntarily. One just didn't get quite the dinner one expected, and it wasn't over nearly as soon as one would have expected.
And, as a matter of fact, the US military, unlike most military organisations in the civilised world, requires many soldiers to lie, thereby violating their oaths, under the "don't ask, don't tell" programme. I don't particularly see the difference, unless one takes the stance that homosexual persons ought properly to lie, because they're inherently "bad" people.
Sigmund Freud said that we're all polymorpusly perserse by nature, and are only trained into conventional morality, so who's to say who's gay and who's not, when push comes eventually to shove?
Puddin'
--------------
"Do as I say, not as I do," is generally viewed, by most of us, as self-serving hypocrisy.
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Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
Uh, no
You said "Every US Soldier". Now, while I don't know the numbers offhand, I have no reason to think that there is a significantly higher percentage of gays in the military than there is in the civilian sector. That suggests to me that were very many of the members of the armed forces to use the excuse that they are gay to get out of service some would be lying. And if it were found out later that they lied to escape duty, they would be liable to courtsmarshal.
That doesn't seem either moral or particularly s.mart.
Yuri!
Yuri!
Ah, free speech
I almost didn't reply to this comment because it seemed that the author was living within a book with Fabio on the cover (officer's doxie?). Why did you stop there? Why didn't you go on to mention the legions of camp followers and the plagues?
:)
Free speech. Celebrate it, hold it dear. I think that you've managed to unjustly brand our brave male soldiers as potential rapists, label our brave female soldiers as helpless idiots, and call the brave gay soldiers who are specifically not asked the "question" in order that they might not have to lie, liars. In my opinion, you demean them greatly, but that's okay.
Rest assured that, in the main, they dream not of raping their fellow soldiers or of the harsh life they have fallen into as some sort of indentured "American Lieutenant's Woman," but of the next hard day sweating in armor in 100+ heat. And yet, they sleep well, firmly believing that they are there for a reason, not the least of which is protecting America's freedom, which, unlike most countries, includes the right to say what is unpopular -- or ridiculous.
Aardvark
"To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth."
Jeff Cooper
"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."
Mahatma Gandhi
Well said
RAMI
Very well said.
Some of the stupidity that has been written in the comments to this chapter is amazing. Some authors have unfairly and with a broad brush attacked the American military. Others have supported passivism in the face of evil.
Just remember, the fight that is going on now, is not about oil or territory. If the Tailiban or Al Queda should some how come to power, then the people reading this site, or who are TG, would be among the first to suffer, probably with the loss of their life.
RAMI
RAMI
>> Why didn't you go on to mention the legions of camp followers
Because from all accounts, in Iraq, except in the Green Zone, there aren't all that many, and besides, don't you know that resorting to a prostitute, or indeed any form of sex with a person one is not married to, is a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice?
>> officer's doxie?
Sorry, I apologise for being too literate. The word is current slang in certain quarters, although I now realise that many dachshund fanciers will have been confused, and likewise some people who think their dictionaries are the last word in current English usage all around the world. Ægrotat and dacoit are likewise not far from the tip of my tongue, for which I apologise in advance if they, or any other word not found in McGuffy's Graded Eclectic Readers, appear in my writing.
Puddin'
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Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style