Part 26 By Anistasia Allread Edited by Karen J. Dr. Barts, was waiting for her in the office lobby. “Your parents are already in there.” She stated, “Are you ready to go through with this?” “Yes,” Erika nodded. “Make sure that you are, because if you choose to change your mind later, you will lose all credibility.” Dr. Barts added. |
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“I was thinking about your rope thing,” Erika's dad commented as they drove home.
“What rope thing?” Her mother asked.
“Erika was thinking about making a rope course in the back yard.”
Erika could practically feel her mother roll her eyes. “What were you thinking about?” Erika asked.
“Well,” he began, “Instead of anchoring parts into the house, I think we could get some 8x8 posts and sink them into the ground. We could anchor some eye bolts into them. That way we wouldn't have to do anything to the house.”
“Will they be strong enough?”
“Yes. How much rope are you going to need?”
“I'm not sure, a couple thousand feet maybe?”
“That much?”
“It has to be strung back and forth a couple of times just to make one bridge.”
“I think I have a 'come-along' in the garage to help tighten the rope too.”
“Cool.”
The gray overcast day looked more dreary than she felt. Erika had heard that the wet ickyness wasn't going to go away anytime soon. It had rained all night, the wind blowing it sideways made tap tap tapping noises on the window panes as she lay in bed trying to go to sleep. Even now it was coming down slow and steady.
“So, what happened this weekend with the 'rents'?” Samantha asked as Erika opened her umbrella and joined her friend on a walk to school.
“We went and saw Dr. Barts.”
“What happened there?”
“Mom is having a hard time with the change. She thinks it's just a phase. Dad is totally going along with this whole thing it's been great. I never in a million years thought he would be okay with it.”
“Didn't you say that he was like homophobic or something?” Samantha asked.
“His whole family is.”
“So what's going on with the whole 'rents' and shrink issue?” Samantha skirted a large puddle.
Erika detailed Samantha about the whole meeting. How both of her parents, Dr. Barts and she were going to sit down and explain it to the school in the afternoon, and about her hormone levels being off.
“So that took like, two hours on Saturday, what else did you do?”
“My dad and I began building a rope course in my back yard.” Erika smiled.
“You are doing what?” Samantha couldn't believe her ears.
“We are making a rope course like the one Skyler did at camp.” She explained, “We're using the two large fir trees, and we put these massive posts up near the house so that we can anchor into it.”
“That sounds cool. Can I see it after practice?”
“Sure, but we don't really have the safety stuff to go through it yet. Dad is looking on line for harnesses and helmets and stuff.”
“So you and your dad are getting along and you and you're mom aren't?”
“Yeah. She's a bit upset over it.”
“I'm sorry to hear that.”
The girls knocked on Tricia's door.
“Since when do you knock?” Tricia asked opening the door.
“Since, you have been grounded and I'm not the most favorite person on your parent's list.” Erika shrugged.
“I told you that my mom really appreciated the card.”
“I know. I just don't want to push it.” Erika explained.
Tricia closed the door behind her, stooped under Erika's umbrella and gave her a kiss. “I've missed you. How was your weekend?”
“Eventful,” Erika shrugged. She went on to explain what had happened as Samantha walked along silently, adding a comment here and there.
“So you are turning your back yard into a rope course?”
“Yes, isn't it cool?”
“Sure, for you.” Tricia smiled, “Remember we weren't very good at that. You were.”
“I know, but you could still come over and try it out.”
“Sure.”
Krystal and Victoria were waiting just inside the front doors of the school for them.
“Oh, Victoria, I need a HUGE favor,” Erika suddenly burst out. She turned pink not realizing how loud she had said the statement.
“What is it?” Victoria asked.
“I need my, I mean Eric's transcripts,” She lowered her voice even lower, “The ones we took from the office.”
“What for?”
“My parents, shrink and I are all going to talk to the principle this afternoon.” She paused as her friends all looked at her with disbelief. “We are going to set the record straight.”
“You're going to get us all expelled.” Victoria hissed.
“No I won't.” Erika argued, “I won't tell anyone that you were involved.”
“They'll figure it out.” Krystal agreed with Victoria
“I'll tell them that I took the transcripts and forged Erika's transcripts at home. I'm an artist so they'll believe me.”
“If I get expelled, or even kicked off the school paper, I will. . . I will tell your secret.” Victoria threatened.
“I won't even mention your name.” Erika promised.
“I think you should try and leave all of us out of this,” Samantha agreed.
“Come on guys,” Erika pleaded. “You've done so much for me so far, do you honestly think I'd nark on you?”
Tricia took Erika's hand and squeezed, “Not on purpose.”
“Gee thanks for the confidence.” Erika pulled her hand out of Tricia's and stormed down the hall.
“Erika!” Tricia called after her.
“Let her go,” Samantha told her. “When she gets like this, you've just got to let her blow off steam.”
Tricia looked from Samantha to the retreating Erika and back at Samantha.
Erika pulled her books out of her locker and shoved her duffel and umbrella in.
“Whoa, are you okay?” Julian's said from nearby.
Erika took a deep breath before turning around. “Yeah, I'm just frustrated.”
“About what? Didn't you have a good weekend? You looked like you were off to a good start from how you danced on Friday.”
“Thanks,” Erika did feel a sense of accomplishment. “I did have a good weekend, I'm just frustrated with my friends.”
“Really? What about?”
“It's girl stuff.” Erika closed her locker, hugged her notebooks to her chest and started sauntering down the hall with the handsome swimmer.
“Oh, speaking of girl's stuff,” Julian stopped and turned towards Erika, “Would you consider being my date for homecoming?”
Erika stopped mid-step. Did he just ask what she thought he asked? “Um. . . “ Erika felt the envious eyes of several girls in the hall staring at her. “I uh, I hadn't planned on going.” Erika didn't know what else to say.
“Well, now you can plan on going. Hopefully with me.” Julian's grin was strained.
“Can I think about it, Julian?” Erika almost flinched while asking him.
“Uh, sure, I guess.” Julian looked crestfallen even though he still smiled at her.
“I just need a day or two to talk it over with my parents.” Erika made up.
“Okay.”
“Oh, Julian,” Erika said capturing his attention.
“Hmm?”
“Thank you.”
“For what?” Julian asked.
“No one's ever asked me to Homecoming before. Thank you, I'm flattered.” she smiled at him.
“No one has ever asked you?”
“Nope. I was always over looked before. Kind of the ugly duckling you might say.” Erika's mind flashed back to the summer when she pulled Liberty out of the hole next to the lake.
“I can't believe that you of all people were ever an ugly duckling.” Julian shook his head.
“Just last year, no one in my school wanted to be my friend.” Erika explained. “You could say that I blossomed over summer.” She suppressed a giggle at the thought.
The two stopped outside of Erika's first class. “See you later?”
“Sure.” Erika nodded.
She entered the class and saw Tricia waiting in her seat for her. Erika's blood began to boil. How could her friends think that she would nark on them after all that they had been through? Did Camp Kumoni prove nothing?
Erika sat down at her desk in a huff and didn't dignify Tricia with a glance in her direction.
“Did Julian really ask you to Homecoming?” Samantha asked as Erika took her seat in Mrs. Anderson's class.
“Yes, so what?” Erika's tone was distant.
“You didn't say yes, did you?” Tricia asked.
Erika was silent for a moment. She then turned to Tricia and Samantha. “I told him I would think about it.”
“But I was hoping you and I would go to Homecoming.” Tricia sounded hurt.
“I was hoping she would go with me.” Jacob inserted himself into the conversation.
“You really like pain, don't you?” Tricia glared at the jock.
“Maybe I'll just stay home.” Erika sighed.
“You can't stay home.” Samantha nearly exclaimed. “You've been nominated for Homecoming Court.”
“I what?” Erika looked startled.
“A few people have nominated you to be in the court.”
“I thought you had to be a senior to be Homecoming Queen.”
“You do, but underclassmen can be Princesses in her court.”
“But who put my name in there?” Erika asked.
“I was one of them.” Jacob smiled.
“You?” Erika was beginning to feel light headed.
“Yep,” Jacob nodded. “I wouldn't want to take you to Homecoming if you weren't in the court.”
“You aren't taking me at all.” Erika hissed.
The bell rang. “All right class,” Mrs. Anderson called out, “Lets learn something today.
Erika was sitting in class after lunch when a note was passed to her teacher.
“Erika?” the teacher called her name. “You are summoned to the office.”
“Ooooooh.” Several students in the class teased. “Someone's in trouble.”
Erika's heart jumped a head a beat or two as she gathered her books and took the offered hall pass from the teacher.
“Good luck.” Krystal offered as Erika passed her desk.
Erika stopped off at her locker and put away her notebooks. She quickly freshened up her makeup in her locker mirror before closing the door and heading down to the office.
Dr. Barts, was waiting for her in the office lobby. “Your parents are already in there.” She stated, “Are you ready to go through with this?”
“Yes,” Erika nodded.
“Make sure that you are, because if you choose to change your mind later, you will lose all credibility.” Dr. Barts added.
Erika paused for a moment. Her mind focused inward. A moment later, she looked up at Dr. Barts and nodded with a smile.
“Alright, Lets do this. . . Erika.” She said the last with a smile.
Erika sat across from her mother at the dinner table. A fork-tender pot roast surrounded by roasted potatoes, carrots and onions lightly steamed in the center of the table.
“Good roast, honey,” Erika's father commented between bites.
Erika ate her salad in quite reflecting on all that had passed earlier that afternoon.
Her parents sat at a conference table with the school's new Principal, Mrs. Crawford who smiled at their entrance, Mrs. Crawford looked to be a little older than her parent's, gray roots showed at the base of short, light brown hair. Wire framed glasses hung from a beaded string from her neck.
“Good, we're all here, shall we get started?” Principal. Crawford asked.
The next twenty to thirty minutes were spent explaining to the new Principal about Erika being transgender. The principle smiled and nodded.
“I assume you are using the girl's bathrooms.” She stated.
“Yes, Ma'am.” Erika nodded.
“It looks like you aren't taking a gym class,” She said looking over Erika's class schedule.
“No, I thought I'd wait until my senior year.”
Principal Crawford nodded. “What do you think we should do when it comes to that time?”
“I could take gym as my last period of the day so that I wouldn't have to shower with the other girls.”
“What about changing into your work out clothes?”
“Maybe I could use one of the private bathrooms?” Erika suggested.
“Might I suggest that you get a Dr.'s note excusing you from gym?” Dr. Barts suggested.
“That would work,” Principal Crawford agreed, “I need to protect the privacy of the other girls as well as yours.” She looked at Erika. “Aren't you in Cheer?”
“Rally squad actually.” Erika corrected.
“Does anyone on the Rally squad know about this?” Mrs. Crawford asked.
Erika shook her head. “Two of my friends on the cheer squad know, but no one in Rally does.”
“Are you changing with them in the locker room?” Principal Crawford asked worried.
“No, Ma'am. I change in one of the private bathrooms.”
Principal Crawford raised an eyebrow at that.
Erika finished eating her salad and absent mindedly began eating potatoes and roast, not tasting much but knowing that she needed nourishment. Her mind flashed again back to that conference room.
Principal Crawford looked over the notes she had written as well as the file she had on Erika Summers.
“I want to know how you could have registered her in this school without our knowledge.” Mrs. Martin wondered aloud.
Principal Crawford looked up alarmed. “She registered at this school as a girl without your consent?”
Mrs. Martin nodded. Principal Crawford looked over at Erika, “I'd like to know that as well.”
“I.... I kind of snuck in here one evening and stole my transcripts and replaced them with new ones.” Erika admitted.
“You what?!” Erika's mother and Principal Crawford both exclaimed at the same time.
“We lock our office doors at night and only a handful of students are allowed to work behind the counter.” Principal Crawford went on.
“I stuffed some tissue into the door latch hole before the secretary left. It was just enough to click but not enough to allow the bolt to lock,” Erika shrunk down as she explained. “I then used my ASB card to slide the bolt back.” At least that was how Tricia explained it to her.
“That's breaking and entering.” Principal Crawford stated.
“Eric!” her mother yelled.
Erika flinched back. She looked to her father, but his face was a mixture of emotion; too hard to read. “I needed to register as Erika Summers so that I didn't have to go back to being Eric Martin.” Erika sobbed. “I couldn't go back to being the plague, I just couldn't.”
Principal Crawford opened her mouth to say something, but stopped. She looked at the emotional, pretty girl in front of her. Her mouth worked soundlessly for a moment. “You were 'the plague'?”
Erika nodded.
“You are that Eric?” =Principal Crawford expanded.
Erika nodded, tears flowing freely from her eyes, making her mascara run.
“What are you talking about? Plague?” Mr. Martin spoke for the first time in a long while.
Principal Crawford looked at Erika. “You were Eric Martin, 'the plague'?”
Erika nodded.
“Will someone please explain to me this plague thing?”
“I was wondering what had happened to you.” Principal Crawford admitted. She looked at Mr. Martin. “Mind you, all I know is hearsay and what information I can find in files. This all happened over the past year or two before I came to this school.” She paused, “Your daughter, who used to be Eric was at the receiving end of a lot of pranks and abuse at this school by fellow students.”
Erika felt Dr. Bart's hand take hers and squeeze it trying to give her support and a little comfort.
“Is this about Eric being tied to a flagpole?” Mr. Martin asked.
“=Principal Crawford, they don't know the details.” Erika's voiced cracked as she interjected. Erika felt both sets of her parents eyes fall on her. “I asked the last principal and police officer to keep what happened from them.”
“Why? What happened?” Mr. Martin asked.
“I. . . I was too embarrassed.” Erika admitted.
Principal Crawford picked up a phone and pushed a few buttons. “Yes, could you find me a file on Eric Martin? And bring it in here please? Thank you.”
“But I took my transcripts.” Erika stated.
“But you didn't get your school file.” Principal Crawford told her. “Which reminds me, I need those transcripts back. They aren't supposed to leave school property. I could have you arrested for theft as well as breaking and entering.”
“I gave them to a friend for safe keeping.” Erika stated. “I'll get them back to you tomorrow.”
“I still want to know what happened?” Mr. Martin asked bringing the conversation back around to the flag pole incident.
“I wasn't just tied to the flag pole and made fun of.” Erika explained. I was jumped by the football players that I had narked on for a different prank. They. . . They. . . “
“They stripped him naked and duct taped him to the flag pole.” Dr. Barts finished for Erika.
“They wrote derogatory things on his skin with a permanant marker and made a spectacle of him in front of the whole school.” Principal Crawford finished.
The secretary opened the door, “Here you are” she handed over a file and closed the door again.
“Mr. Martin,” Dr. Barts drew attention to herself, “What they did to Eric was not a one time thing. He was harassed and pranked, picked on daily for a year or more. The things that they did to Eric are infamous. I hear about them from my other patients all the time.”
“It looks like it started with Eric pointing out a few football players who had locked him in a janitor's closet,” Principal Crawford said looking through the file.
Erika shrunk a little more in her chair. Flashbacks of Eric crying in the small dark room flooded her memories. It had been hours before anyone noticed his banging on the door. He had been in there so long that he wasn't able to hold his bladder anymore. The strong ammonia stench of urine reeked in his locked away memory. A memory that Erika thought that she had locked away forever, not wanting to remember.
“We never heard about that,” Mr. Martin was concerned, “Did you know about any of this?” he asked his wife.
“No.”
“I was too embarrassed,” Erika mumbled.
“I think we should change the subject.” Dr. Barts recommended, sensing Erika's discomfort.
“Well, It doesn't surprise me why you'd want a fresh start.” Principal Crawford closed the file. She looked at Erika, then to her parents. “Knowing what precipitated this string of events, I don't think we need to involve the police in this.”
“For my child being bullied and harassed unchecked?” Mr. Martin's voice took on an edge.
“For the breaking and entering as well as the theft of school property.” Principal Crawford stiffened. She glanced over at Erika, “Have you experienced any bullying or harassment this year at school?”
“No.” Erika admitted.
“If anyone looks at you cross-eyed, I want you to come see me.” Principal Crawford instructed. “I won't have anyone bullying anyone at my school. I don't care if they are football captain or student body president.” She paused, “As for your attending my school as Erika? As long as I don't hear about you violating anyone's personal space, I don't have a problem with it.”
Erika wasn't sure she heard her right. Did she say that she could continue coming to school as Erika? A huge weight seemed lifted from her shoulders.
“You will keep this a need to know issue, won't you?” Mr. Martin asked.
“Yes.” Principal Crawford nodded. “I won't let anyone know, unless they absolutely need to.”
“Stop playing with your food,” Erika's mother said, waking Erika from her flashback.
Erika looked down at her plate and noticed that she had only eaten half of her dinner. She pushed the afternoon's events off to their own little place in her brain and quickly finished eating. She took her plate over and put in on the sink and started out of the room.
“Huh uh.” Erika's mother stopped her. “You want to be a girl, then I need to start treating you like one. You are to wash the dishes and clean the kitchen.”
Erika was speechless. She didn't know whether to be happy that her mother was going to try and treat her as a girl, or be upset about an added chore. She went to the sink, and began scrubbing the plates before sticking them into the dishwasher.
To Be Continued...
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Comments
just an update/reminder
I know the conference scene has been an itch that needed to be scratched for quite some time. I just hope this episode wasn't too much of a dissapointment for some of you.
I wanted to take this time to warn you about some of the upcoming episodes. Mainly what I want to say, without ruining the suprises I have planned, is that - “THIS IS A STORYâ€. It is not going to be real life accurate all of the time and you will need to suspend some believablility in the up coming episodes. I am not going off base and introducing magic or anything that would change the dynamic of the story. I just would not like to get too many PMs or comments correcting certain details.
Having said that, I hope you will still enjoy reading my little tale. I am having fun writing it and am enjoying the comments, questions and debates that you all are taking time to insert.
Thanks for reading, enjoying and commenting.
A.A.
I do have a question. IF and
I do have a question. IF and this is only an IF, Erika's school records are corrected to read her real last name Martin, isn't this going to "out" her to the entire school? It is not that much of a stretch from Erika to Eric Martin. I also believe, the principal should be calling in a lot of different students and putting them on notice that she will NOT tolerate their bullying of any student and she is aware of their past deeds. If they are placed on notice that even one incident will result in expulsion and NOT graduating, this might help to stem the activities of the "boneheads" that do them. J-Lynn
Necessary change
When you think about it, correcting the last name is a matter of practicality and necessity. That high school transcript will follow her for the rest of her life. So it has to reflect the name she is legally using.
Heck, the last job I had popped up after I'd worked there for a number of years and asked for proof that I had graduated from high school, even though they had a copy of my college transcript that showed me as having graduated from high school. That required supplying a documentation of my legal name-change and getting them to correct a twenty-something year-old record. I thought for awhile I'd have to get a court order compelling them to change it, but they finally caved in the end. Big pain-in-the-ass, all for a record that was shoved into my personnel file and forgotten.
So, while the risk is minor (most people are not likely to connect Erika with the "plague"), the need is not.
Karen J.
“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king. The palace becomes a circus.” - Turkish Proverb
You comment about the HS graduation...
My spouse is having to find a copy of her PhD diploma and/or transcript from her grad school - and provide it to the Uni she's currently a tenured faculty at (for the 3rd time) cause the guy she's provided them to twice before has lost them each time... And, my wife got her PhD almost 25 years ago, and had to prove all that to the Uni - when she was hired and it was confirmed when she got tenure. But, this is a DIFFERENT department, and can't see those records. *sighs* Competence at it's greatest!
Annette
Kind of suspect that
Erica Summers will continue for a while. Good that the principal was sympathetic about he bullying.
Sad about Erica's confusion between Tricia and a boy. Hope she remembers who's stuck by her through it all. Now I'm worried that she will become what I expected Samantha to be earlier in the stories.
I Am Glad
I am glad that Principal Crawford is someone who will not tolerate the kind of things that Eric suffered through. It is also refreshing to see her being tolerant and not turning this whole thing into a big issue like some school officials have done. I think it is huge mistake for Erika to even think about going to Homecoming with Julian. If she really wants to prove her commitment to Tricia, then she won't do it. She has gone out of her way to repair her relationship and it would not be a good thing if she suddenly goes out with the one person that made Tricia upset with her. . She is mad at the lack of trust by her friends, but she needs to be the bigger person and prove that she won't implicate them. Hopefully, Principal Crawford will let the transcript issue completely drop without digging any further. Good chapter A.A!
More secrets?
I'm wondering if there isn't more to the harassment Erika received as 'the plague' than what we've heard so far? Erika was getting really upset by just talking about it, so I'm inclined to think there's more. Not that what's been described so far isn't bad enough.
I really hope Tricia takes Erika to the homecoming dance! ;)
Saless
P.S. Suspension of disbelief: No problem ^_^
"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
Hope she makes the right choice
... and goes to homecoming with Tricia. Like the other posters say, it would make no sense to break her heart again. Taking her to homecoming would help heal any lingering resentment I think.
One more thought, the school and Erika is in a bit of a Mexican standoff. Erika is in trouble for breaking and entering and record forgery and the school is in trouble for not remedying the 'Plague' situation.
Kim
Just a story
AA, Thanks for the early opportunity to read this chapter. And yes, I like the fact that this is just a story. Come on, take us for a ride. We are big kids and we can accept a large (well, maybe) amount of story tellers license. Hugs, Wendy Marie
Wendy Marie
Thanks for another episode...
Thanks for our weekly episode in Erika's life. I await each new episode at the start of each week.
As for the suspension of disbelief, I bet I'll hardly notice it, I almost never do in great stories :).
One more thought
I am suspecting this is one of those suspension of disbelief situations and I have no problem with that.
This is with regard to Eric ( at the time of the duct tape incident ) asking the school not report a problem to his parent. I do not believe that Eric's wishes would have been honored considering the Loco Parentis responsibilities. The only rationale as to why the previous principal honored his request was that the school would have been sued and he would have been in deep doo doo for letting the situation reach that extremity. One wonders how the guidance counselor turned a blind eye to it anyway. It must have been a school of wimpy staff !
But like the other posters have said, it is a story and it is a fun ride. If we can have stories that have people being transformed into blue faeries why is it any harder to believe in lily-livered school personnel ?
Kim
It works...
I was wondering how you were going to get through that scene. MAD now - Mutually Assured Destruction. Eric/a vs School district... Interesting that you used a "new" Principle in - makes things more "believable" that things are "different" this year. Thanks there.
I find it a pleasant surprise that Erica knows that you need to partially clean dishes - before putting them in the dishwasher - even if you're going to run it right away. I dunno why it's "woman's" chores to wash the dishes. My younger brother had to do it too, so did I, come to think of it... Though, whether my parents knew I was a girl or not is still up for debate (SOMETHING happened to the first 10 years of my life)...
Erica now has some things to think about, more than he thought... WILL he go to Homecomming - alone, or with a Date, and if with a date, who? He's only been "Asked" by two GUYS. Trish never bothered to ask her. Then again, I was never asked out either. But, I suspect that was cause Erica's a whole lot cuter that I ever was (or will be). :-)
Thanks for more "fun", even though this was one of the more "serious" of episodes.
Annette
Pre-scrubbing
Depends on the dishwasher, and what you have on the plate. Most of the newer models it is not as necessary to pre-scrub the dishes. We rarely do so here, though my Mom always does, even though her newer dishwasher does not require it.
Pots are another thing....
As for dishes being "woman's work" Erics parents and at the very least his father's family are pretty conservative, and not too surprising they fall to traditional roles. Their household is definitely being run that way.
As I said, before I read your comment, that is fine, but if Mom is going to push Erika to the traditional woman's jobs now, then the "boy's" chores should come off her plate. Frankly I just think Mom was being snarky... She is still peeved about the whole thing, thinks its just an attention getter, and is coming across as being more upset about the breaking and entering then that her child had been seriously abused at school, which is what ultimately led to the situation she is so upset about.
Hugs,
Kristy
As the family dishwasher ...
... all our plates are clean as they leave the table. Both of us were brought up during and after the war when food was rationed and not wasted. Everything edible coming into the house is eaten. I'm a pretty economical dishwasher, too and need neither plugging nor plumbing in :)
This story certainly needs big suspensions of disbelief but so what? It's an enjoyable read with lots of nice what ifs.
Geoff
Dishwasher
Our plates are clean before they hit the sink... we have waaaay too many dogs, and they're very good at washing the dishes. ^_~
PreClean
I was never taught to preclean dishes, I just managed to figure out on my own that if you scrub the nasty stuff off then it wont bake on in the dishwasher. Another lesson is that cleaning dishes immediately is significantly easier than waiting for such and such amount of time (aka: the mold grows INTO the plastic *ack!!*)
Thanks for the update Anistasia!
Another very good chapter. As you put it we needed to get through this bit of pain to move on in the story.
There have been many points in the story that required suspension of belief, starting right off with the original concept that Eric could get away with living as a girl without getting caught out in the original story. But there would be no story without that, so have at it.
You write it the way you want too, (I know you will anyway ;) ) So far it has been wonderful, so I'm not complaining.
Now onto this section:
Victoria once again resorts to "I'll blow your cover." In fact they all knew the risk when they decided to help Erika go as Erika, that they could get caught and expelled. They should trust her to not "fink" on them, but if they get caught they should accept the consequences accordingly. I don't blame Erika for being upset by there lack of faith. They have asked Erika to trust them time and time again.
Nice touch on making the principal be new to the school. Thus absolving her of the crime of not informing the parents. There is no excuse of course for that happening, and I stand by the fact that there could be a major law suit filed against the school over it, but I believe the unstated by implied agreement that the Martins let it go in order to let the breaking and entering and theft go unpunished is the most reasonable response to the situation now.
I'm not sure where Anistasia is going to go with Erika and Julian, but I know that my preference is for her to stick with Tricia. I think that Tricia has been with Erika regardless of which way she chose and that means alot.
Mom is a continuing problem. The attitude at dinner was palpable. I have no problem with her having Erika start to be treated like a girl, and that does include girl chores, but then it means that the "boy" chores should be taken off the table. It should work both ways.
I'd love to see a conversation between Mr. and Mrs. Martin and Dr. Barts and what was done to Eric as "The Plague." There should be a whole lot of soul searching going on in that house about this and the fact that they did not know. Taken all of that along with the loss of Summer. Somebody needs to read Mrs. Martin the riot act, because she is lucky to have a live child, and she darn well better figure out that a live girl child is better then a dead boy child.
Erika's reasons may not be the classic reasons that people are transgendered, but this is the path she has chosen and she is not likely to go back now. Mom better come to grips, and soon.
Thanks again for the update Anistasia...
Hugs,
Kristy
Erikas reaction was so strong, too strong. I wonder ...
was the boy sexually molested by the jocks?
And sadly, I can see the school agreeing to cover it up.
It was members of the football team with knowledge of members of the school paper that did it. School sports is sometimes an excuse to run roughshod over the rights of the abused. This is particularly true in areas with a strong sports tradition but poor ideas regarding honor, the boys will be boys , win at all cost schools of behavior. The previous principal was close to retirement, why *muddy the waters* and leave on a sour note or risk losing out on some promised bonus for hushing things up?
But then I was mostly a geek so I may have a bias against athletes and preferential treatment. Where are the pep rallies for the chess club or chemistry club? Where are the cheerleaders in tight outfits with panty flashing short skirts jiggling their firm, high, nubile ... calm down, John.
I mean, doesn't the academic or artistic achievements at school deserve special notice and praise?
John in Wauwatosa
John in Wauwatosa
Jock Geeks
My senior year, the faculty sponsor of my high school math team got them to give us varsity letters. I didn't get a jacket to sew it onto, but we were trying to convince the team members who weren't graduating that they should wear them the next year. I don't know if they did.
Early bird ?
One of the problems with not being one of the first to read,What is absolutley one of my favorite stories on Bigcloset,is that other readers have said what you wanted to say.
So i'll just content myself with saying thanks Anistasia for sharing with us less talented souls the benefit,s of your marvelous imagination,And to resolve next time to be a little quicker off the mark
Hugs Kirri
I get around that, most of the time...
... by making my initial comment - BEFORE I read what others have said. Yes, sometimes I'm redundant (okay, maybe more than just sometimes) and sometimes I'm out in left field. But, this way, the author gets my "initial" reaction - unbiassed by what others may have said/read into the story.
Besides, being an author (Abiet not that good), I enjoy reading speculation and such from readers - even if it IS repeated. LOL
Annette
Only the CIA will worry about believability.
Hi Ani,
Another great chapter, Erica is now a legally established character or soon will be.
The Consistancy Idiots Association (CIA) are the ONLY ones who will make a stink about believability issues.
Thank you for sharing your story with all of us.
with love,
Hope
with love,
Hope
Once in a while I bare my soul, more often my soles bear me.
This is great.
I must admit that due to my own preconceived notions, I can not imagine why Erica would want to hang from ropes. And it is high time that she began to learn to help out around the house, too. :)
Gwendolyn
Who Wants Realism?
Hey Ani.
I'm not concerned with realism. I come here to hide from the real world.
Anyway, I love this chapter. In my mind, Erika has completely blossomed, even without the necessary hormones. It was the last scene that topped it off for me.
There was only one thing that bothered me. Erika's friends seemed a little selfish to not want to share the blame about the transcripts. They knew they couldn't get away with the charade forever. They knew what they were getting into but they seemed harsh with Erika when Erika wanted to confess instead of waiting to get caught.
I skimmed through the comments and was surprised to see talk about pre-scrubbing dishes for a dishwasher. That's funny. I realize that some dishwashers don't need pre-scrubbing but I always do it anyway just in case. Sometimes there are plates and bowls that can't be cleaned without soaking and a bit of elbow grease.
Oh. I have to add something about the rope course. I think it's cool that Erika wants to make one. Girls can enjoy climbing just as much as boys. I'm certainly not butch but I like to climb. Yesterday, I climbed a horse chestnut tree to show off to my girlfriend. She enjoyed it and took a picture of me. :)
Thanks for the chapter and please keep up the good work.
- Terry
Girl Stuff
Very Cute, A.A. You have a sense of humor, that's foe sure. Now to see Eriks have fun tormenting those jocks for what they did to Eric. I am sure that if she was to start in on them, and the cheer/rallt girls were to support her, the jocks would turn into the plague.
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
Dr Barts ethics. Tricia or Julian?
RAMI
Normally, my comments are in the first few, as others have said it is more difficult being comment 21 or 22 and come up with something new. But I will try.
On the question of household chores, my son helped me with what are considered "men's chores", mowing the lawn, putting up hurricane shutters, etc., but also helped set the table, and clear up after dinner, (unless he used creative deception to get out of it). My daughter on the other hand, never helped with the so called 'men's chores."
As for mom asking Erika to help with the dishes, I think it was a continuing attack on Erika's decision to transition, and an attempt to show disdain or ridicule.
The principal too easily accepted Erika's explanation on how the transcript was changed. Perhaps it was because she did not want to cause an issue at that moment. The principal is treading carefully, in how to proceed.
It now appears that Eric was somewhat complicit in the having neither the school nor the police contact his parents. As for those who have strongly argued that the school maybe legally liable for what happened to Eric, I think that this is the strongest support for your case. They knew what happened, called the police and then listen to a 14 or 15 year old as to what to do, was stupidity on their part.
Both Erika, and her friends, Samantha, Tricia, Victoria, Krystal were wrong in the transcript discussion. However, the girls have a right to be scared. They were acting as clueless teens when they agreed to the scheme, never realizing that at some point the truth would come out. Now they know the time had come for the chickens to come home to roost. While they may trust Erika, which they did not express. They do have cause to fear the parents and the principal. Erika should have been more sympathetic to their concerns and not run off in a huff, which seems to be something she does often. While the situation is different, Eric's problems in part started or exacerbated with his "narc"ing on the football team. At least Samantha and maybe Victoria know this.
A question on physician ethics. Did Dr Barts knowing of the treatment of Eric, have any duty to report this to anyone, while keeping her source of information secure? Also, Dr. Barts must have learned this from students at the school that were also her patients> Why did those kids speak to her about it? Were they bragging? Were they upset and sorry?
As to Erika's decision as to whom she will go to Homecoming with, I think may depend as to whom she thinks she is. If she thinks she is truly Erika, a female, in mind if not body, she goes with Julian. If she is confused as to who she is, or as to her sexuality, she goes with Tricia.
RAMI
RAMI
You make excellent points...
... but I'm not at all sure that the mother's insistence is uniformly disdainful. Like it or not, many men and women in this world of ours still see a gendered division of household responsibilities, and the overlap usually involve males helping with "women's work" rather than vice versa. Interior tasks take up, in today's world, in most households not a portion of a farm, a great deal more time than traditional men's work, which is rather well-defined and is often supplied by outside parties.
One may have a lawn service, a pool service, a mechanic, and so on. Even "handyman" services may be cheaper to pay for on an ad hoc basis rather than investing in an expensive pile of tools, not to mention that a lot of things can't be fixed at all any more, so are discarded when they break. I can well remember my father fixing the radio and television, taking out the little tubes and testing them at a kiosk found in every electronics store. When's the last time you saw a vacuum tube? One of those tube-testing kiosks? When's the last time you fixed a television? Heard of anyone fixing a television?
Painting is often (sometimes a matter of local law) performed by professional painters who know the regulations and can cope with all the problems involved, ladders, scaffolding, waste disposal, and whatnot.
The only major "man's jobs" many suburban men perform these days is taking out the trash and preparing barbecued food on weekends. Oh, and taking the car in for repairs.
Many (most?) women work these days, so the rôle of "sole breadwinner" has fallen by the wayside as well, but Erika's household apparently still runs along traditional lines, with a stay-at-home mom and a father who has the primary responsibility for earning the family's income.
Erika's mother has a perfect right to expect her new daughter to help her, and a perfect right to be annoyed with "Erika" for not volunteering, but rather taking for granted his former "male privilege" of being above such things and vanishing to his room as soon as it was time for "women's work."
Indeed, if Erika expects to find a place in a similar household, and they seem fairly common within her immediate circle, she'd best get going on developing the necessary skills. She won't be presiding over the barbecue, we know that for sure.
Puddin'
-
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
Vacum Tubes
RAMI
My father was in the surplus electronics business. He did not have any comercial testers, but portable ones and in his warehouse there were thousands upon thousands of tubes. I spent many summers counting them and repacking them and shipping them. You and I have dated ourselves. I am sure that there are some readers her who have no idea what we are discussing.
RAMI
RAMI
Maybe not...
They have different names in different places, but most of us here are still familiar at least with the "old-fashioned" television screen or cathode ray tube (CRT) that we used before everyone had to have those thin flat-panel displays.
Those are *big* vacuum tubes, in most cases the only ones we've seen in recent years, as "thermionic valves" have been replaced by transistors and then integrated circuits containing case lots of transistors.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_tube
Everything's a tradeoff, though. We could hardly have tiny little wireless Bluetooth headsets on our cell phones if we had to lug around a handful of vacuum tubes and a six-volt power supply.
Puddin'
-
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
My father used to repair
My father used to repair TVs, I think we may still have some vacuum tubes lying around. He gave it up because more and more TVs used transistors and circuit boards and he didn't have the equipment to work with them.
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
Your father did?
Heck, I did! That was my first job and all my initial electronics education involved thermionic valves (tubes if you speak in $). The radio in my study/workshop is 50+ years old and has to warm up before it works, which it still does :) Of course like everyone else I graduated through discrete transistors, integrated circuits of increasing complexity until I was designing on a PC and creating my own integrated circuits. Such is life. I've a huge box full of pre-war valves somewhere; I really should get rid to someone who would use them.
Geoff
Heck! You can sell them to aficionados these days...
There are many audiophiles and musicians, for example, who insist that music sounds better when listened to or created on vacuum tube / thermionic valve systems. These people tend to prefer vinyl records to CDs as well, so there will always be a market for these things. Look for either name on the web combined with used or old and you'll find beaucoup hits, including people who sell on eBay and other auction sites.
Many of the newer old valves were quite cleverly designed, an early version of the integrated circuit which combined five or six different devices within one glass enclosure.
I helped a woman who had an old full-console free-standing radio from the Twenties find a vendor for replacement tubes once, so she could listen to it (AM only). This was pre-Internet, so it was much less convenient than it is today.
Puddin'
-
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
Ah Memories
I still use a valve (toob) amplifier built in the early 60s by a firm called Leak. I also have a Series 4 Ferrograph tape recorder that is also valved I still reckon that valves give a better sound than semiconductors. Although I don't use it often I have another classic piece of valve equipped pro audio equipment, A Neumann U47 condenser microphone dating from the 1950s (made in Germany) and I am lucky enough to have two spare valves (tubes) for it. When I last saw one on eBay one of these valves/tubes was selling for about £500. These mics are still in demand by professional recordists. The U47, in the US was sold by Telefunken, and it was a certain Mr Sinatra's fave mic.
How's that for a boring comment?
Gabi
Incidentally, Geoff, my father (who did not survive WW2) was a wireless (radio) officer in the Merchant Navy, but I was too young for him to teach me anything.
Gabi.
Guitar Amps
The higher priced sort of guitar amp still uses some tubes. And there is a difference in the sound, depending on which resonances are amplified most. Analog tubes amplify one set of resonances more than the others and digital transistors amplify a different set more. Though transistors and digital processing are more versatile, there's still an irreducible difference -- and human ears can process that difference.
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Eh, girlie ?
... what did you say ? ( in an old lady's voice :) )
To be technical it is the overload characteristics of tubes in guitar amps that differentiate them from solid state stuff. Also tube amps distortion are characterized by having even order harmonics versus odd order ones for bipolar junction transistors.
I have an old Fisher receiver that has a tube amp and it has a lot of ability to handle peaks of musical power without becoming overly harsh. It only puts out a maximum of 35 watts/channel which is puny by today's standard but it is really nice sound.
I remember doing the tube replacement thing too when I was a budding kid engineer and it was always nerve wracking working around those high voltages.
Kim
Odd and even
The even versus odd harmonics was what I remembered but I'm not actually that species of geek so I wasn't sure enough to be more specific. :) Audiophiles claim the even order harmonics sound "warm" whatever that means while the odd ones sound "harsh". :)
I remember the advice when working inside those old tube boxes was to put your right foot on some big piece of metal and keep your left hand behind your back. :) I have no idea if that would actually protect your heart from a high voltage shock.
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Left hand behind your back...
...is good, although in your pocket is better, so you don't trip or stumble and inadvertently reach out with your free hand.
On the other hand, they put the electrode on the ankle in an electric chair, and the path across the heart from arm to leg is just as deadly as that from arm to arm.
Back in the days when electricians sometimes "tested" electric sockets by poking in a finger, a largish number of deaths were caused because they hadn't noticed that they were standing in a puddle. (Job sites tend to be dark, especially if few circuits are working) I knew a man who claimed that he'd seen just such a fatal accident, and had resolved to "do it by the book" from that time on.
Puddin'
-
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
Oddly even...
On the Internet, someone has managed to 'splain almost everything:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tube_sound#Harmonic_content_and...
The different responses appear to be due partly to the fact that the older tube amplifier circuits were designed differently, although the article mentions linear monotonic decay versus exponential decay. If, as the article seems to say (and who knows? the article has so much 'splaining in it, carefully presenting all sides of the argument, that the final "answer" appears to be, "It depends….") Exponential decay favours second-order harmonics, which is, of course, even. Linear decay allows more third-order harmonics (and higher) into the mix, some of which are just bound to be odd.
I 'spects it depends on the style of music one plays, and some styles involve deliberate overdriving and distortion, as well as every other weird manipulation of the waveform as someone can think of, so which style amp is "better" probably depends on the exact musician one asks, and the exact moment you pick to pose the question.
Cheers,
Puddin'
-----------
De gustibus non est disputandum...
-
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
Makes me want to break into song:
"Cinderella, Cinderella
All I hear is Cinderella...
'Go up and do the attic
and go down and do the cellar,
you can do them both together
Cinderella!'"
Still with the story
Hey, Anistasia! I'm still with the story, reading oh so slowly, but loving it. Keep up the good work!
Kaleigh
Mom
Is she really coming around or is she trying to put Erika off.
hugs :)
Michelle SidheElf Amaianna
yay, she's official !
whew !