Dot and Sam 25

Dorothy Philpot. Landlady of The Harbour Light pub
Sam Philpot. Drag-queen.
Billy Parkins Doorkeeper.
Jessica Merlot The town’ and county archaeologist.
Josephine MacDonald The town and county archivist.
Richard Drummond Town planning inspector
Robert Vincent. Junior planning inspector.
Georgina. (Georgie) Homeless Transgender girl previously known as George.
Bobby Gay boy on the school bus.
Marty Girl on the school bus. (She becomes Georgie’s best friend and lover)
Jack. Marty’s twin brother (Keen runner).
Trevor Aitkins, Georgie’s Biological father.
Lucinda Aitkins Georgie’s biological mother
Terence Georgie’s step-dad
Allison. Old school friend of Trevor
Fred Allison’s husband
Elizabeth Aitkins (Beth) Georgie’s younger sister. Later proves to be sympathetic to her ‘sister’
Jonathon Aitkins (Johnny) Georgie’s younger brother.
Rosie the Rivetter Terf Gang Leader on campus.

25

In the Campus shop, Georgie cautioned her younger brother about revealing her transgenderism.

“That was close little bro, that Bob guy is not as dumb as you think,”

“I think I side-stepped it; just.”

“Yeah, well think on. The last thing I want is Terf grief. They’re quite an active group on lots of London campuses and if they think they need to attack trans-people, they’re like the religious loony groups; they call in reinforcements from other sources.”

“It’s not that bad.” Johhny protested.

“It bloody well is!” Georgie almost screeched at her younger brother. “Only this spring, a trans-girl got murdered in Birmingham. She was walking home from school and she was murdered by two of her classmates who took the bullying too far. One of them was a girl and she stabbed the trans-girl over thirty times in the chest. She tried to claim that some Terfs had groomed her mind. The jury wasn’t impressed, nor was the judge. Both murderers got life to mean life because of the violence and brutality of the attack not to mention the betrayal of trust. The trans-girl thought they were classmates and friends but they tricked her. The jury deemed it a hate crime; which it was, so the judge threw the book at them to make an example.
You must learn that Terfs not only attack and kill girls like me but they also spread the poison to infect other people’s minds!”

Johhny fell into a thoughtful silence before observing.

“You’re walking a tightrope by mixing with lesbians especially as lots of Terfs are lesbian.”

“I don’t deliberately go out to mix it with lesbians. They choose to approach me because I’m partnered with Marty and my looks attract attention. They try to co-opt all lesbians into their group but most lezzies don’t want the hassle and keep Terfs at arm’s length. I try to, but they’re always pressing me. So long as they don’t learn the prettiest lesbian in the science faculty is in fact a trans, then I can hang in there.

Johhny nodded before he softly admitted.

“Yeah. You are a looker. I’d never have dreamed you would turn out such a pretty girl. You’re gonna’ have to be careful. Those friends of Bob were all over me when they found out I was your brother.”

“Yeah. Don’t I know it.”

With that, Georgie’s phone rang; it was their dad so she answered immediately.

“Yeah I’m with them now. OK, by the Albert Memorial at seven. Yes, he wants to chat.”

Johhny took the phone and spoke briefly to reconfirm the location and time then returned the phone to his sister.

“We’ve got two hours for food,” Georgie observed, “best eat in the refectory, it’s cheap,”

Arrangements were quickly completed and the pair crossed the campus to join up as agreed. Georgie was relieved to find only her friends and siblings plus the boy Bob who had attached himself to her sister Beth. They joined some tables together to form an island by the windows overlooking Georgie and Marty’s dorm. Then after some other lesbian friends joined them they bought their food. When several Terfs arrived, it was made clear they were not welcome as backs turned and cold shoulders were offered. They chose to eat on the other side of the refectory and Georgie was secretly relieved.

‘At least I’ve got some allies around me.’ Georgie thought as she ate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By seven, Johnny was sheltering gratefully at the bus shelter near Kensington Gore as the rain bucketed down. Then a taxi pulled up and his father Trevor, called him in.

“Not the night for it.” He joked as Johhny clambered eagerly into the warm shelter of the cab.

As he settled back in the seat his father asked.

“Did you have fun?”

“Yeh but it’s sad Georgie has to be so careful.”

Trevor nodded sympathetically before agreeing.

“Yeah, Trans kids have it tough.”

“I’m meeting them tomorrow at the physics museum.” Johhny advised.
“You mean the science museum. Glad to see you’re not wasting your time.”

“There’s too much to see in London. I’ll never see it all in a week.”

“Well, Georgie’s here for three years, there’ll be plenty of other opportunities. Besides, if you get good results, you could study here.”

They chatted in this vein until the taxi brought them to the hotel and Johhny rushed to change and shower, thus, by eight o’clock he was looking to take in a film.

“Not me son,” Trevor explained. “I’ve work to do and numbers to crunch. You can go out if you want but be back by twelve.”

“May be not.” Jonny decided. “The rain’s still tamping it down. I’ll watch telly if you’ve no objections.”

“I’ll be in the bedroom just keep the sound down.”

The arrangement worked and by midnight they were both asleep. The next morning. Johhny was up early and in the Science museum by ten. He stayed until four when Georgie called to invite him to meet at the student’s union. Fortunately, the rain had stopped and it was only a few blocks to the university. He met his sister Beth first and her new friend Bob, before Georgie arrived followed by Marty and soon they were eating hungrily. Then Georgie looked up.

“Oh look-out, here they come, Rosie the rivetter and her gang.”

“What do they want?” Bob asked.

“Support I suppose,” Marty offered, “another of their transphobic campaigns.”

“Don’t you get tired of it?” Bob asked no one in particular.

“Yeah, it’s a bloody pain,” Johhny replied. “I’ve only been here three days and they’ve approached Georgie twice already. This’ll be a third.”

As the ringleader approached and loomed once again over Georgie, she held out a pamphlet.

“Look at this, another woman attacked in Richmond park.”

Georgie studied the pamphlet then snapped back.

“It doesn’t say anything about a trans attack. It just says the attacker was dressed in female clothes.”

“Trans-sexual or transvestite, what’s the difference?” Rosie countered. It’s men posing as women to access female safe spaces.”

“There’s a lorra’ difference!” Johhny bit back.

The Terf swung on him and glared down.

“Oh and you know the difference do you?”

Johhny was about to snap back but a well-aimed toe-poke by Marty pulled him up short. Instead he just told her to ‘fuck off and sell her poison elsewhere’. Rosi stomped away followed by her entourage while the group returned to their meals. After eating, they retired to the union and eventually, Johhny took the tube to the hotel. He was beginning to feel quite confident moving around London.

For the rest of the week, Johhny’s routine stabilised to sight-seeing and museums during the day and calling on his sisters at the campus by day. He did not go sight-seeing with his sister Beth because their interests differed widely, though they did occasionally meet up for a brief lunch.

By the Friday, Trevor’s work in London was ending and he agreed to meet Georgie and drive her to Paddington Station before, he, Beth and Johhny were driving home to Birmingham. Johhny arrived early at the rendezvous and was sat savouring a custard tart when he heard a commotion outside the café a couple of blocks from the station. At first he tried to ignore the ruckus but then he recognised the girl’s scream. It was his sister Georgie.

He erupted from his seat and called to the cashier that his sister was in trouble and he’d pay later. With that he burst from the shop and quickly recognised the attackers as three of the Terfs from the college. Johnny was a tall lad for his age and a good athlete, so he quickly fell upon the trio and tore them off his sister.

Three women are no match for a sixteen-year-old boy unless they are some sort of martial arts exponents and in seconds Johhny had disabled one of the Terfs while putting the rest to flight. His next move was to check out his sister while simultaneously detaining the Terf.

“I’m calling the police you fucking thug!” She screamed.

“You do that.” Johhny snarled back as he recorded her image on his phone before turning again to his sister.

“D’ you know her Georgie?”

Georgie nodded as she dabbed her swollen lip and cautiously felt her blackened eye.

“Yes. She’s one of Rosie the rivetter’s ‘gofors’.” Georgie mumbled through her split lip.

Johhny motioned to the girl at the till and asked her to call the police she waved confirmation then pointed to the table to indicate that Johhny still had an unfinished tart and mug of coffee.

He glared at Georgie’s attacker and warned her.

“Stay there bitch, if I have to chase you, I’ll catch you easily and a rugby tackle on hard pavement hurts the tackled a lot more than the tackler. I’ll break your bloody shoulder if I have to drop you a second time!”

“She’s a fucking tranny!” The Terf screamed loudly as though she would find sympathisers amongst the gathering watchers.”

“She’s also my sister and family trumps gang every time!” Johhny bellowed back. “Just wait there for the plod.”

By now, Georgie was struggling to her feet and the cashier on the till helped her into the café. Eventually a policeman and policewoman came running out of Paddington Station and Johhny gave his account while the policewoman interrogated the Terf. Several witnesses came forward but the best witness was the cahier on the till because the two cameras inside and outside the café entrance corroborated her evidence. The Terf was arrested while the policewoman took Georgie’s testimony. It was an open and shut case.

After Johhny’s evidence was confirmed by the cameras, he was free to call his dad then, as they waited in the cafe, Marty and Bob turned up on schedule where they held a brief inquiry.

“I don’t understand how the gang knew Georgie was trans,” Johnny declared. “Somebody’s blabbed and it’s not me.”

“I think I do,” Beth admitted. “Bob and I went to the going-down ball last night and we saw Georgie with Marty dancing with the transgender group. Bob recognised Georgie and he asked one of the trans-girls if Georgie was trans. She confirmed it.”

“Shit, I knew we shouldn’t have gone,” Georgie cursed.

“Bob should have kept his mouth shut!” Johhny declared.

“I didn’t know it was supposed to be secret!” Bob protested vehemently. “I only found out at the dance and several other boys heard it. It was all around the dance floor in minutes!”

“Shit, shit, shit!” Georgie cursed. “I’m gonna need protection everywhere I go.”

“We’ll cross that Bridge next term,” Bob declared, “I for one will watch your back and we share the same maths lessons.”

“If we can connect Rosie the Rivetter to the attack, we could get her expelled.” Marty opined, and that was the general opinion when they trudged through the rain to Paddington Station.

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