Twenty Weeks - 3

 

A movie with a group of friends, including boys, a very special boy at that,
an audition and an enemy. It's everything a teenaged girl could ask for!

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Author's Note: Happy Chanukah, and Merry Christmas everyone! Thank you so much for all of the reviews.
I am very happy that so many people are enjoying the story so far.
Please let me know what you think about this story, both good and bad?
And also, please leave me a review on this story? I always read them! ~Clara.
 
This version of Twenty Weeks - 3 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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Part 3
 

"So, what was that game of musical chairs all about?" Jade whispered to Robin.

Robin leaned towards Jade and whispered, "Willie wanted to sit beside Dee."

Jade's mouth dropped open. "Oh, my God!" She looked over at Dean, who was still looking in that direction and she mouthed the words 'OH, MY GOD! TALK TO HIM!'

Dean cleared his throat, looked at Willie and said, "Umm... thank you for the popcorn and drink. I'll pay you back, if you want."

"Nah, that's ok," Willie said, smiling. "Ummm... like I said in the lobby, you look really nice."

"Oh, well... thank you," Dean said. "You look very handsome, too." Ok, that felt weird... but good at the same time.

Willie chuckled at that. "I'm not dressed up, though. I'm in jeans and sweatshirt. You're all looking nice. You especially. I like you in civilian clothes."

"Civilian clothes?"

"As opposed to the Greenwood Academy uniform. No offense, but they're kind of... old fashioned, I guess."

"Don't you wear uniforms?"

"We have a dress code. Dress pants, dress shirt, tie and suit coat. Same thing at Saint Johns. We all look similar. You guys all look like clones." He laughed at that and smiled at Dean.

"No, we don't," Dean protested.

"Yep, you do, but... you stand out from the other clones."

Dean froze for a moment. Did Willie know he was a boy? "What do you mean?" His face screwed up a bit in a mask of concern and confusion.

"I mean... I noticed you as soon as I saw you in the hallway the other day, I thought, 'That girl is special and I want to get to know her.'"

It only took a moment for Dean's face to relax into a smile. No one had ever said anything remotely that sweet to him before. "Really?"

"Yeah," Willie smiled and, God, that smile hit Dean hard. "I'd like to get to know you better. A lot better."

Dean smiled and Willie put his arm around Dean's shoulder and smiled down at him. At that moment, he felt a nudge from his right side. He turned and saw Robin giving him a sly, little smile that told Dean that she'd set him up. Dean smiled back and blushed so prettily that Robin laughed.

When Dean glanced beyond Robin to see Jade, she smiled back and mouthed 'OH MY GOD!' then laughed at the way her new friend was blushing. She tried to mouth 'HE'S ADORABLE,' but Dean couldn't figure out what she was getting at, so she waved Dean off and returned to gossiping with Robin.

Dean and Willie chatted for a few moments until the trailers started running on the screen. Then, Dean settled in to watch the previews and the movie in the cuddly warmth of Willie's arm.
 

~^~
 

"So, what did you talk about?" Jade needled her friend as they waited in line for ice cream at the Cold Stone Creamery that was a few doors down from the cinema. After the movie, the boys had gone into Red Robin to get fries, while Dean and the girls chose some ice cream, mostly because that was Robin's favorite. They were going to meet in the heated, exterior food court area between the two businesses once they all had their food.

"We just watched the movie," Dean said, still blushing, but feeling very special after having received so much affection during the movie and then having his friends making such a big deal of it.

"You talked before the movie, though," Jade persisted. "What did he say?"

"He said he thought I was special and that he wanted to get to know me better. That's all."

"That's all!?!?" Both girls shrieked.

"Dee," Robin giggled excitedly, "Willie is like my twin-cousin. I have known him my whole life and he has never once dated a girl or even been interested in one. Trust me. If he said you're special, then he really, really meant it.

Dean's blush deepened and his smile grew. He literally felt weak in the knees. "Really?"

"Really." Robin confirmed.

"Ahhh, a Saint Mark's boy!" Jade teased. "Your mom is going to be so proud!"

Suddenly, Dean looked less blissful and more frightened. "My mom! Oh, my God, my mom will flip out if she finds out about this. Don't tell her, please!"

"Relax," Robin laughed. "We won't say anything and besides, I doubt that my Aunt Muriel will let Willie go out on REAL dates just yet. I mean, he can't drive, or anything, so if you're 'going out' with him, it's going to have to be in a group. Your mom won't find out unless you want her to know."

Dean relaxed as he and the girls picked up their cups of ice cream and headed to the food court area. When they got there, the boys had already grabbed a large table that was piled high with French fries and massive cups of soda.

"Her she comes, Willie!" One of the boys teased.

"Yeah, kiss her and tell her how much you missed her," another boy joined in.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Willie laughed, good naturedly accepting his friends' ribbing. "You're all just jealous." He stood and moved some cups to the open seats. "I got you some soda in case the ice cream made you thirsty."

"Oh, how nice," Robin smiled. "You're becoming quite the gentleman, Cousin Willie."

"Is it possible to get thirsty from eating ice cream?" Jade asked, teasing Willie as well.

"Maybe I should just stop being nice to you two," Willie said, pulling up a seat next to Dean to sit down.

"Thank you," Dean said. "It was very nice of you and I appreciate it."

"See," Willie smiled, "that's the proper thing to say when someone brings you a gift."

Everyone laughed and ate their ice cream, or their fries, or even stole a few fries to dig into their ice cream... regardless, it was fairly quiet for a little while, until Willie asked Dean, "So... are on any social media at all? I've looked on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and Twitter and I can't find you anywhere."

"Umm, no..." Dean said, trying not to sound suspicious or like a freak of some kind. "My mom is really strict about that. With her job being so public and everything she doesn't want me on social media posting stuff that might embarrass her."

"Oh, ok, I get that," Willie said, accepting the explanation.

"Then why does your brother have a FaceBook and Instagram account?" Jade asked.

"My brother?" Dean seemed surprised. "How did you even know I had a brother?"

"My mom told me that during the interview process they found out your mom had a son," Robin admitted, not sounding at all guilty about having shared that information. "When she got the job, we looked him up to see what kind of a boy we might have living on campus. We found him no problem, but then your mom said he was staying in California and you were coming in his place. Which was much cooler."

"Is he your twin brother?" Jade asked, casually continuing the conversation. "You guys look a lot alike and he's a sophomore, too."

"Yeah," Dean said, not loving this.

"Wow, a twin brother," Willie said. "Can I connect with him online?"

"Oh... I don't know," Dean could feel the walls closing in. "I think my dad made him stay off social media for awhile. Grades, or something, I think."

"You THINK!?" Robin sounded shocked. "God, there's no secrets in my house. If one of my sisters is in trouble, I know all about it."

"Yeah, well, see," Dean sputtered, forming a story, "we don't live in the same house. My parents divorced when I was really young, and ever since then, we only see each other on holidays and things like that. We switch between which parents we live with, though. So, I live with my dad for a while, then I live with my mom, etc. That's how it's always been."

"Wait!" Robin suddenly sounded very serious. "Are you telling us that you aren't staying here? Are you going back to California to live with your dad at some point?"

"That's the plan," Dean admitted.

"When!?"

"Right after school ends, I think."

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no," Robin said with the rapid fire delivery of a red haired machine gun and the authority of someone in charge, "you are NOT going ANYWHERE!"

"Well, it's not like I have a lot of say in it..."

"Well, then we need to work on your mom before the school year ends," Robin said, looking to Jade for support.

"Yeah, we have plans for the summer. You can't leave," Jade said, equally in charge of the situation. "My family books a week at a lake up in New Hampshire and Robin's family has a house on The Cape. We always go on vacation with each other's families. We already spoke to our moms about you coming too, and they seemed happy about it."

Dean stared, shocked. He'd only known these girls five days and they were already planning to have him stay with them for vacations. He was touched and a bit scared of how telling them the truth might hurt them. And then there was Willie to think about. Damn! He was digging a much bigger hole than either he or his mother would have thought possible. AND IT WAS ONLY DAY FIVE!!!

"Oh... well..." Dean got control of himself, "... I guess I could talk to her and see if I could stay here."

"Yeah," Robin said, defiantly. "Have your brother come and visit, too. That house you guys live in is massive. It's way too big for just two people."

"Oh..." 'Now, that would be an interesting thing to pull off,' Dean thought. "I... don't know about that. I'll talk to my mom about staying, though. I'll let you know what she says."

"Great," Robin said, happier now. "And if she says your going back to California, I'll have MY mom talk to her. My mom can be very persuasive."

"She can," Jade agreed.

"We'll see, I guess," Dean said, happy that the girls liked him, but a tad worried that his time in dresses was going to be extended indefinitely. But... maybe that would be ok...

"I don't want you to leave, either," Willie said with a big smile. "I think you should stay. From what I understand, Greenwood Academy is one of the best prep schools in the world. I'm sure there's nothing like it in San Diego. You could get into any college in the world if you graduate from Greenwood."

"Oh, yeah," Robin laughed. "THAT'S why you want her to stay. So she can get into a good college. Right!"

"Well... I want her to stay for other reasons, too," Willie blushed, now. "I just meant that the academic conversation would be a good way to approach the idea of staying. That's all."

Then, it was his guy friends' chance to pick on him. "Oh, poor Willie! He finally finds true love and she is moving away in a few months," said one boy.

"It's like a Greek tragedy," said another.

"Or Shakespeare," said another.

"Maybe Willie could move out west and end up in the same public school - like in 'Grease,'" the last boy teased.

"Wait..." the first boy said, "that would make Willie Sandy and Deedee Danny! Oh, man, I'd love to see that! Willie in a dress!"

"Alright, you guys," Willie said, taking the ribbing with good humor, but feeling as if it had gone far enough. "Shut up, all of you. You're getting really loud. There are other people here and security will throw us out if we're too loud."

The gaffaws turned into laughter, then chuckles, then a little giggling, and then they got control over themselves.

By the time Jade's mother arrived to drive them home, they had all pretty much laughed themselves out. Willie gave his cousin a hug and a peck on the cheek before she got into the car. Then Jade gave him a hug, too.

"This is unusual," Willie said, quietly to her.

"If you don't give me a little kiss, then it'll look funny when you kiss Deedee," Jade explained, just as quietly. "I'm doing you a favor."

Willie gave her cheek a peck and whispered, "Thanks."

She stepped back and winked at him. "Always here to help," she smiled and got into her mother's car.

"Did you have a good time?" Willie asked Dean as they hugged.

"Best time ever," Dean said, honestly. It was not only the first time he'd ever gone out with a group of friends to enjoy himself with no adult supervision at all, but it was the first time that anybody, woman, man, girl, boy or even the first time any dog or cat, had ever made him feel special and wanted.

And he really liked that.

"I'm glad," Willie smiled, then he squeezed Dean much harder than he'd squeezed anyone else, and he laid a soft, warm kiss on his cheek. "I'll text you tomorrow."

"Text me when you get home," Dean replied, moving towards the car. "I can't wait until tomorrow."

He got into the car and closed the door.

"Seatbelts on," Jade's mother said, putting the car into gear and pulling away. "Gee, Robin... your cousin Willie was acting like a politician, kissing all of you goodbye like that."

Robin giggled. "He is certainly is. I think he's trying to act very adult and make a good impression."

"On who?"

Robin shrugged. "On everyone, I guess." She looked towards Dean and smiled before whispering, "Or maybe just on one person."
 

~^~
 

"Well, look who finally rolled out of bed!" Dr Martin laughed as Dean stumbled down the stairs the next morning. "It's nearly noon, you know? That's late, even for a teenager."

Dean just grunted and squinted in the harsh Kitchen light.

"I suggest you give your hair a really good brushing," the Chancellor laughed some more. "You went to bed without braiding it last night and now you look like Albert Einstein."

"Did Albert Einstein wear a pink night shirt with little yellow flowers on it to bed at night?" Dean asked, sarcastically.

"Not that I am aware," his mother said, "but if he did, they wouldn't write that part into the history books, would they?"

Dean laughed as he pulled a bottle of orange juice out of the refrigerator and poured a small helping into a glass.

"So, did you have a good time with your friends, then?" She asked him.

Dean smiled a bit slyly. "I had a great time, mom. It was so cool to just be us kids, you know?"

"Of course I do, baby," she smiled. She remembered her own early tastes of freedom with her friends. She'd been a lot younger than Dean the first time she'd done something like he'd done the night before, but Dean had always had so much trouble making friends... that is... until now. From everything she'd seen and every report she'd gotten from school staff since Monday, Dean seemed to be making friends with most of the girls in his grade and Robin and Jade both seemed to like him a great deal. Unusual, yes, but also a very welcome change. "Do you have any plans with your friends for the weekend?"

Dean shook his messy head. "No. Robin has a dance competition somewhere in Rhode Island and Jade is going to her grandmother's birthday party somewhere out towards Boston."

Dr Martin smiled. "Ok, then, what do you say we do a little sight seeing and getting to know our new environment a little."

"Ok," Dean shrugged. It actually sounded a bit exciting. "Where do you want to go?"

"Who knows?" She smiled and shrugged. "Why don't you go shower, then pack an overnight bag and we'll get in the car and see what happens. How does that sound?"

"Cool!" Dean said, now a bit excited at the prospect of an adventure with his mom. "I'll be right down!" He ran up the stairs.
 

~^~
 

"William!" Willie's mother called up the stairs from the basement where she was doing the laundry.

"Yes, mom?" Willie called back from the top of the stairs.

She held up his phone and asked, "Who is Deedee?"

Willie's eyes narrowed. "Were you going through my phone, mom?"

"No, William, I was doing your laundry and you left your phone in the pocket of your hoodie. I found it and put it on the dryer while I loaded the washer. Then you got a text and I glanced at it. It was from someone named 'Deedee' and said 'Thank you for a wonderful time last night.' I thought you went out with your friends and your cousin last night. Did you go out with this girl instead? You know the rules, William... you can go out, but I need to know where you go and with whom. So... where did you go last night?"

Willie smiled and sat on the landing at the top of the stairs. "I went to the movies with Robin and the guys, mom, but besides her usual friend, Jade, she brought this new girl, Deedee, along as well. That's all."

"That's all?" His mother was still suspicious. "Then why did she thank you for a wonderful time?"

He chuckled. "What do you think happened, mom?"

"I don't know, William. That is precisely why I'm asking. You know you're only fifteen, William, and a boy can make a mistake at that age that could destroy the rest of his life. Now, if you and this girl did anything improper, then..."

"What!?" Suddenly this wasn't funny anymore. "What are you talking about, mom!? I went to the movies with the guys and Robbie and her two friends. The new girl was cute and I like her, so I bought her some popcorn and a drink. Then we sat together and talked a little. End of story. Ok?"

His mother looked at him with that 'I'm not sure I believe you' look she used on his older brothers all the time. Willie was the good son, though. Eventually, she relented. "Well, ok, but I am going to check with your aunt to see if Robin was with you."

"Go ahead, mom. The only time we weren't together was when the girls went for ice cream and I went with the guys for fries... And Deedee went with Robbie that time, not me. So, go ahead and call, but can I get my phone back, now, please."

His mother scowled a bit and looked from the phone to her son and back. Finally, she sighed. "I guess so, but if I find out that you haven't told me the truth..."

"I know, I know," Willie said, taking the phone from his barely reasonable mother, "there will be hell to pay." He pushed a contact in his phone.

"What are you doing?" His mother asked.

"Calling Robin," he shrugged. Then into the phone he said, "Hey, Robbie, it's Will. Talk to my mother, please."

He handed her his phone. "What do you want me to ask her?" She was confused.

"Anything you want," he shrugged, "but do it now so that you can't accuse me of asking her to cover for me."
 

~^~
 

"Where are we?" Dean asked, looking around up and seeing a silver, semicircular shaped bridge that was ahead of them. They were about to pass over a sizable river and the bridge was arching high above, which, as anyone who grew up near the naval base in San Diego knew, was built that way in order to allow large vessels to pass beneath.

"According to the GPS, we're in the town of Buzzard's Bay," his mother chuckled at the name, "but we're about to pass over the Cape Cod Canal and then we'll be on Cape Cod in the town of Bourne. That's the Bourne Bridge up ahead."

"Cape Cod?" He asked, looking down at the waterway below. "We left Massachusetts?"

"No," she laughed. "Cape Cod is still in Massachusetts, but I though we both could use a little ocean-staring-meditation about now. What do you think?"

"Sure!" He agreed. The best part about living in San Diego was it's immediate proximity to the ocean. Dean didn't love swimming, but he could just sit on a beach and look at the vastness of the ocean for hours.

His mother didn't know much about the area, so she followed the advice of a travel guide and kept driving for another forty minutes until they reached the very quaint, and obviously wealthy town of Chatham.

"According to the site I looked at, there's always seals at the town pier when the fishing boats come in. Let's go take a look."

They parked the car in the lot by the public pier and got out. Immediately, the cold wind slammed into Dean's legs and played with the extra material of the knee length, heavy cotton skirt he was wearing, causing him to wind the extra material into his left hand as he hustled around the car to join his mother.

"It's cold!" He said, as if informing her of this fact.

"It's January in New England, Deedee. Of course it's cold," she laughed and wrapped her arm around his shoulders to hug him tightly. "You should have worn tights."

"I didn't know we were going to the coldest place on earth!" Dean laughed, cuddling close for warmth as they walked down a staircase from the parking lot, across a driveway and then up another staircase to a viewing platform attached to a building containing the town's fishing packing facility.

When they looked over the railing, sure enough, there were two fishing boats unloading their day's haul and, swimming in the icy water around those boats were dozens of seals looking to capitalize on any stray fish parts or even fish blood that was washed from the small vessels.

"Good afternoon, ladies," said a man, obviously a local, judging by his casual manner. "I don't usually see tourists here in the dead of winter."

"We're new to the east coast and wanted to see the Atlantic Ocean," Amelia replied.

"Well, there it is in all its glory!" The man said, waving his arm over the railing.

"I bet it's beautiful in the summer," Dr Martin said, taking it in.

"It's beautiful everyday of the year," the man smiled. "I think your daughter may prefer seeing it when it's warmer, though." He chuckled at Dean's obvious discomfort.

"Do they always go out fishing when it's this cold?" Dean asked, his arms folded across the front of his coat in an effort to keep himself warm.

"Fishermen go out everyday that they can," the man replied. "Unless there's a storm or the harbor is iced in, they go out to catch their limit. That's how they pay their bills. Over the last few years, a lot of women have joined the fishing force, too." He added the last part in case the little girl in front of him might have ambitions to be a fisher. "What do you say?" He asked, bending a bit to look at Dean. "Would you like to give fishing a try?"

"No thank you," Dean replied, shivering. "I think I'll get a job that lets me stay warm."

The man laughed heartily at that.

"If I might bother you," Dr Martin said to the man, "is there a hotel or something like that nearby? Everywhere we passed on the way here seemed to be closed until spring."

"Sure," the man smiled and gave her the name of and quick directions to a year round hotel nearby. "It's pricey in the summer, but a great bargain in the off-season," he smiled. "I think your daughter may be ready to get out of this wind, now."

"What do you say, Deedee? Have you seen enough?" His mother asked, squeezing his shoulders.

"I'd really like to watch some more, but I'm so c... c... c... cold!" Had added the stammer for affect.

His mother laughed. "I guess you're right," she smiled and shook the man's hand, thanking him for his help.
 

~^~
 

"Oh, I think that might be the sweetest thing I've ever heard," Robin's mother said to her sister-in-law on the phone.

"So, you don't think that anything's going on that I should worry about?" Willie's mother asked.

"No, I think everything is fine." Her sister-in-law tended to over react to everything, although her older boys had given her plenty of reason to be suspicious of what is going on when her kids are out of the house. "From what Robin tells me, Willie asked her to help him get to know Deanne. That's all. And she's a very sweet, little thing, too. Polite, smart and cute as a button. Ohh! I have a couple of pictures of the girls trying on clothes yesterday. Hang on, I'll send them to you." She fumbled with her phone for a moment, then sent them. "There. You should have them."

On the other end of the phone, Willie's mother put her phone on 'speaker' and opened the pictures in the text message her sister-in-law had sent.

"The little one in the white blouse with the big, puffy sleeves and the big white bow in her hair?" She asked.

"Yes. That's Deanne... well... Deedee. Her mother is the new Chancellor at Greenwood."

"Oh, my, she is a cutie," Willie's mother agreed. "Now that I see her, I can understand why William is attracted to her, but I have to admit... I'm actually a little more nervous now than I was before. I'd hoped that William wouldn't get girl-crazy for a while, yet, but this girl is almost too much to resist. Tiny, slender, feminine... Now I'm REALLY worried that something might happen."

"Well, don't be," Robin's mother laughed. "Robin will always be there to chaperone and as for being feminine... You should have seen Deanne last Sunday when I met her. She was awkward and uncomfortable in her dress. I'm quite proud to say that her hair and makeup are all due to the hard work of Robin and her friend Jade. They took her from a tomboy in a lace dress - honestly, she looked more like a boy than a girl - to the pretty little thing with the puffy sleeves and hair bow in the picture. So, you just relax. I'll make sure that Robin is with her whenever she's with Willie, that is until you say it's ok for Willie to date. Ok?"

"Ok," William's mother sighed. "Thank you. I'm sorry if I over reacted."

"No problem at all. Oh! I have to run. They just called Robin's dance team to the stage. Bye bye."
 

~^~
 

"Hi, Amy, how's it going?" Came the voice of Dr Martin' ex-husband, Frank, through the speaker on the phone.

"I'm good, Frank, how about yourself?" She replied.

"Nothing to complain about. I'm actually I'm Fiji at the moment. It's tropical and lovely and warm. Tough job to do, but I don't start that for another few hours. My sleep-clock is still messed up from the flight, so I'm wide awake and thought it was a good time to call. How's Deano doing?"

"He's doing well, actually. He went out with a big group of friends last night and says he had a great time."

"Wow!" Frank responded. "A GROUP of friends! That's a big change, isn't it?"

"It sure is and he seems to like them all quite a bit."

"I'm so happy to hear that, Amy. I was afraid that this move might have pushed him even further into his shell, but it sounds like he'd blossoming out there."

"He really is, Frank. He's like a whole new person. I couldn't be happier with the changes I've seen in him this week. He's been on top of his homework, he's been chatty and sharing his feelings about the move and the new school..." There was a beep on her line. "Hang on, Frank. I'm getting another call."

She looked at the screen and saw an exchange with the same preface as the school's landline. It had to be someone from Greenwood.

She accepted the call, putting Frank on hold for a moment. "Hello?"

"Hi, Dr Martin. This is Robin's mom."

"Oh, hi," Dr Martin said. "What can I do for you?"

"Nothing, really, it's just that, if you have a few minutes, I'd like to talk to you about an issue that my sister-in-law called me about."

"Oh, sure. Can you hold for a moment? My ex is on the line."

"Sure."

The Chancellor switched back to her ex-husband and said, "Frank? I'm sorry, but I have to take this other call. I really appreciate you calling."

"No problem, Amy. I'll be in touch in a few days. Bye."

"Bye," she answered, then switched back to the call from Robin's mother. "I'm back. What can I do for you?"

"Oh, this isn't a business call, Dr Martin. This is a mom to mom called, and I just wanted to assure you that my nephew, William, is one of the nicest boys you could ever want to be dating your daughter. He's an honor student and plays in the band and..."

"Wait, wait wait!" The Chancellor interrupted. "What exactly are you talking about? Deedee isn't allowed to be dating anyone - nice or not."

"Oh," Dean's mom could sense that Robin's mother was cringing on the other end of the phone. "I'm sorry, Dr Martin..."

"Amelia, please."

"Oh, well, call me Penny. Anyway... Amelia... I assumed that Deedee had told you about her exciting evening last night. It's all I've heard about from Robin and even my sister-in-law called me to talk about it. The long and the short of it is that my nephew, Willie, took quite a shine to Deedee and... well... I think that Deedee took quite a shine to him as well..."
 

~^~
 

"This is nice, isn't it?" Dr Martin smiled at Dean who sat across the table in the wide-board, knotty-pine paneled restaurant at the hotel to which they'd been guided by the man on the pier. "Everything smells delicious, too."

"It is very nice," Dean agreed, still trying to get the cold out of his system as he looked at the menu. "I think I'm getting the New England fish and chips dinner."

"Yum," his mother smiled. "I think I'll have the same."

"Good evening," the older waitress said, arriving at the table and pouring water into glasses already set on the table. "Have you had a chance to look at the menu yet?"

"Yes," Dr Martin said with a smile. "I think we'll both have the fish and chips dinner, please."

"Ok," the waitress smiled. "That comes with a choice of salad or a cup of soup."

"What do you have for soup, tonight?"

"We've got French onion soup and clam chowdah."

"French onion and..." Dr Martin asked, not catching what the waitress had said.

"Clam chowdah," she repeated.

"Oh... chowder," Dr Martin repeated with out the woman's harsh accent.

The waitress rolled her eyes, just a bit. "Where are you from?"

"Well, we recently moved to west-central Massachusetts from California," Dr Martin explained. She was about to say more, but the waitress took advantage of her breathing to jump in.

"California," she said with a bit of disdain. "Ok, girls, let me give you some advice about living here, then. Number one, this is Red Sox Nation. You never mention another team - particularly the evil empire down in New York City. Number Two, the letter 'R' is tacked onto words for no reason and is optional. Most times we choose not to use it - I suggest you do the same. Number three, if you ask a waitress if there is tomato in the clam chowdah in a restaurant in Red Sox Nation, she is obligated to call the police who will then escort you to the state line. Are we clear?"

"As Crystal," Dr Martin smiled at the theatrical monologue she'd just heard. "We'll both have the chowdah, I'll have a beer and my daughter will have a Coke."

"Sam on tap ok?" The waitress asked her.

Dr Martin blinked blankly at her.

"Sam Adams beer on tap... is that ok for your beer order?" The waitress acted comically irritated with her.

"That will be fine."

The waitress looked at Dean and said, "We have Pepsi. Is that ok?"

"No, but it'll have to do," Dean replied, pretending to be just as irritated as the waitress.

The waitress cracked a sly little grin. "I like you, little girl." She winked and walked away.

"So..." Dr Martin said when the waitress was gone, "I think we need to talk. You know... a kind of... debriefing after your first week at Greenwood."

"Is something wrong?" Dean asked, concerned by the sudden change in his mother's tone.

"No, baby, everything is fine, I think. I've heard nothing but great reports from all of your teachers and you've done very well being Deanne. I'd just like to hear from you. How is everything going?"

"Oh," Dean relaxed a bit. "Well... it's going... good... I guess, mom. I mean... no one is suspecting anything, so... I guess it's good."

"And the whole Deanne thing? You're ok with it, now?"

Dean shrugged. "I don't know how to answer that, exactly, mom. I mean... I've gotten used to the clothes, I guess. I mean... they're pretty comfortable and I've gotten used to the way they move on me and stuff, but... I guess I have to go back to being Dean again at some point."

Dr Martin nodded and smiled. "I know, honey, but... it's nice to have friends now, isn't it?"

He nodded. "Yes, I will admit that I am happier with friends, but..."

Dean was definitely happier with friends and he was even happier to be receiving the attention he was receiving from Willie, but he was not at all sure how permenant he wanted his tenure as Deanne to be. If anyone found out the Dean was Deedee, then all of his relationships would end, and if Deanne disappeared and Dean suddenly arrived from California and then people found out that Deedee HAD BEEN Dean, then all those relationships would end, too.

If he had to make a decision right then and there, he probably would choose to remain Deedee. After all, she was well liked and he was becoming more comfortable in Deedee's skin than he'd ever been in Dean's. But he was actually Dean, so... either choice led to the same result: He was going to be living a lie.

"... I am SUPPOSED to be a guy, mom. I just kinda feel like I am doing something wrong by being Deedee." He looked away from his mother, feeling embarrassed to discuss this at all, let alone in a public place. He looked around to avoid his mother's gaze.

She nodded and thought for a moment. "Tell me about this boy you met. William, right?"

Dean's eyes returned to his mother's gaze immediately and his blush reddened his cheeks in a heartbeat. "What about him?"

"Tell me about him?"

Dean swallowed. What was this about? "He's... a sophomore at St Mark's... He's Robin's cousin... She calls him her twin cousin because they were born just a few days apart... What else do you want to know?"

"Is he handsome?"

Dean hesitated. "I... guess."

"And do you like him?"

"Sure. I like him fine, I guess. I mean... we had a good time with everyone and..."

"I heard that he asked you out." She said it rather flatly, but Dean could tell that she wanted an answer.

"Asked me out?... I... well... I mean, he..." he took a deep breath and looked as if he might cry for a moment. "He... did... kind of... ask me out, but..."

"But what? Did you accept?"

Dean shrugged.

"Did you say no?"

He shook his head, looking anywhere but at his mother.

"Do you want to say yes?"

He took a very deep breath and said, "I don't know, mom. I'm very confused right now."

"Why?"

"Why!? Mom... I'm living as a girl, dressing like a girl, all my friends are girls and... I kind of feel like I'm a girl. Then a really cute guy - who THINKS I'm a girl - asks me out. How could I NOT be confused!?!?"

Dr Martin nodded. "You said you liked him."

Dean nodded and wiped his watery eyes.

"Do you like him as a friend, or as someone you want to go out with?"

"Too chowdahs, a Sam and a Coke," the waitress said, arriving at the table and giving Dean a reprieve from his mother's questions.

He took the time to gather his thoughts and, before speaking, dropped some of the puffy, round crackers into the soup and took a sip from his spoon. "Mmm, that's really good," he said honestly, but still hoping to change the subject.

"It is," his mother agreed. "No tomato. Now we know - New England clam CHOWDAH doesn't have tomato in it."

He laughed at his mother's attempt to imitate the waitress' harsh accent.

After a few sips, Dr Martin returned to the matter at hand. "So.... You never answered my question. This boy... William... do you want to be his friend, or... something more?"

Dean took one more sip and finally spoke. "Mom... I don't really know WHAT I want. I mean... no one has ever looked at me the way that he does, but... I'm a guy. This is all so wrong."

"Ok, well, first off, you being 'a guy' has nothing to do with anything. If you like this boy as more than a friend, then it is up to you to figure out a way to make this work. Now, you're both only fifteen, so I don't expect that anything... sexual... beyond a kiss or a hug would happen, anyway, so he's not going to find out by seeing you undressed. So, you have time to figure it out."

Dean scoffed a bit. "Mom, being a guy has everything to do with it. Willie is a good looking guy, a good student and kind of athletic. That kind of guy beats up sissies like me."

"Oh, Deedee, don't call yourself that."

"Why, mom? It's true." He lowered his voice and leaned forward. "I am a fifteen year old boy, mom and I'm only five foot two. Even if I weren't wearing a bra, panties, a skirt, a blouse, makeup and a bow in my hair, I'd still be a sissy. As is, I could never deny what I am. Look at me and tell me what you see."

Amelia put her spoon down, looked at her son and shook her head. "Ok. I'll tell you what I see. I see a very attractive young person who has turned her life around in the last few days in a way that I could never have expected. I see someone who suddenly takes their appearance seriously and has taken time to make sure that they present themselves well to others, and above all, I see someone who, even though she won't admit it, has discovered that she is much happier as a girl than she ever was as a boy and who seems to be too petrified of her mother to admit that."

Dean's jaw hung open and he stared at his mother.

"Well," Amelia asked after a few moments of silence, "am I correct? Is that what I see?"

Dean froze for a moment before allowing himself to sit back in his chair. "I don't know, mom."

"Because if what I am seeing is correct," the Chancellor said, lacking a bit of motherly warmth, "then perhaps we should be seeing some specialists to make sure that you can remain a girl."

"Remain a girl?"

"Yes," she nodded. "You know... to set you up with the proper hormone pills and, eventually, discuss the surgeries you'd need to..."

"Surgeries?" Dean looked frightened. "You mean you want to castrate me?"

"What? No! Of course not. I'm trying to help you, sweetheart."

"Help me!? Mom... I did all this for you. I gave up my life at home and moved across the country. Gave up my friends. Gave up my gender. Gave up being everything I knew how to be so that you could have this prestigious, high paying job and now you want to cut off my junk?"

"Shh, keep your voice down," she cautioned. He hadn't gotten that loud, but his agitation was catching the eyes of other diners.

She looked around to be sure she could speak, then spoke with a quiet, reasonable tone. "Deanne... you just told me that you preferred being a girl and that you had... special feelings for this boy you met last night.... William..."

"Willie."

"Ok... Willie... So, I just wanted to reach out to you to make it clear that I am open to having you explore the avenues available to you that would help you to make it possible for you to become a girl for real, and then a woman. Baby, you're still so small and pretty, but if puberty suddenly comes knocking on your door, you won't have the option of keeping those pretty cheeks and eyes and narrow shoulders. You have a very narrow window of opportunity and, if you truly want to be a girl, you need to make that decision fairly soon."

Dean played with his chowder a bit and avoided looking at his mother.

She softened her tone a bit, giving up the stern Chancellor tone in favor of a kinder, more motherly one. "I will let this drop for now, but baby, you need to give this some serious consideration. Either way, I will always be here for you and I will always be your mom. Let's return to this topic again in a week or so, though."

Dean snickered a bit dirisively.

"I beg your pardon," his mother said, "just what is that about?"

"'Let's return to this topic again in a week or so,'" Dean said, mocking his mother's tone. "I'm your son, mom, not your employee. Your treating this like a staff meeting."

"I'm trying to help..."

"No, you're trying to control everything the way that you always do. Mom... this is all new to me. The clothes, the hair, the makeup, they way that people are treating me, the way that Willie is looking at me, the way that he makes me feel - all of it is new to me and it's confusing the shit out of me..."

"Language," his mother warned, but he kept going.

"I can't just make a decision this week because that would be more convenient for you. Please... just let me find my way through the next few weeks and, when I am ready, I will talk to you about this. Alright?"

She tried to get back in command of the situation. "Deedee, all I am saying is that you have a limited window..."

"I get it, mom, but I cannot talk about it any more. I asked you if you were alright with me taking some time and then talking to you when I'm ready. If you can do that, then just say 'alright.' If you can't, then say so and I'll just go upstairs so I can be alone, because I can't take this any more."

His mother didn't look happy, but she nodded. "Alright. Come to me when you're ready."

"Thank you." He scooped up another spoonful of chowder and sipped it. "This is really good," he said in as friendly a tone as he could manage.

"Yes," Amelie agreed, taking a deep breath to force herself to relax. "If the CHOWDAH is this good, I can't wait to taste the fish and chips."
 

~^~
 

When they drove home on Sunday, Dr Martin stopped at a rather large and sprawling Outlet Shopping Center with dozens of clothing stores featuring flirty, playful clothes for girls Dean's size and he was more than willing to try on anything that his mother picked out for him. In fact, he was actually excited by some of the clothes.

Amelia Martin realized how much she was enjoying having an upbeat daughter rather than a sullen son. She'd never tell him that, of course, but it was just such a joy to have this kind of enjoyable time with him rather than the usual clothes shopping experience of whining that the clothes were too young for him, or clothes were uncomfortable, or he was embarrassed about having to use the changing rooms in the boys' department along with the much younger customers. Now, he was thrilled to be trying on anything and jumping out of changing rooms to show his mother.

One dress that both of them agreed Dean absolutely HAD to get was a short, black, sleeveless affair with a flouncy skirt and modest neckline that looked as cute as can be when he wore it. They were both excited to purchase it and then gather the right shoes and jewelry to go with it.

By the time they got home, any animosity from the previous day was gone and both Dean and his mother were happy.

Monday morning came quickly and so did Jade and Robin to help Dean get ready for school.

"I'm so nervous about the cast list being posted this afternoon," Jade said as she worked on Dean's eyes. "I was really happy with my audition. I hope I get something."

"I'm sure you will," Robin said with a smile. "You did a great job last year, stepping in at the last minute. Ms Highland won't forget that."

"You really did a great job at your audition," Dean said. "You sang better than anyone, you danced great and when we read from the script, you were actually acting while the rest of us were just reading. Honestly, I think you were the best performer there."

"Except for Donna Linkletter," Jade scoffered. "That's how it always is - I work my butt off and Donna Linkletter gets the part." She shook her head. "It must be nice to have rich parents."

"Well, I certainly would not know about that," Dean laughed. "This is the best job my mom ever had."

"What about your dad?" Robin asked.

"I hardly know my dad," Dean said with a shrug.

"Wait..." Robin said. "... I thought that you were living with your dad until you came out here with your mom?"

"Oh... yeah... I was..." Dean sputtered, afraid that he was getting caught in a lie. "...but he travels a lot for work, so usually I stayed with... someone he hired to take care of me."

"A nanny!?" Jade blurted out. "You claim you're not rich, but you had a nanny!?"

"No..." Dean tried to fend off her question. "Not a nanny, more like... a friend of my dad's who would just stay at his place."

"His girlfriend?" Robin asked.

"Kind of, I guess," Dean shrugged, hoping that would be the end of the conversation.

"My dad has a girlfriend, too," Jade said with a bit of disgust in her voice. "Valerie. I do not care for Valerie. Not one little bit."

"Oh, screw Valerie," Robin said, dismissively. "It's getting late. We'd better go."

The school day dragged on that day. The girls who'd auditioned the previous week were on edge and Dean, Robin and Jade were all part of a group email from Willie asking if the cast list had been posted. So, obviously, the boys at St Mark's were excited, too."

Dean had rather resigned himself to not getting a part. He only had a little experience, he was new to the school and so many girls tried out that he figured the directors were probably going to go with the girls they knew first. He figured that was ok, though, because he could work backstage or something and still hang out with his friends.

FINALLY the end of the day was approaching. With just a few minutes left in the school day, Ms Highland excused herself and went out into the hall to post the cast list. The class, most of which had auditioned, remained silent while she was gone.

She reentered the room just as the bell rang. "I'll see you tomorrow, girls!" Ms Highland said, loudly, but they really didn't hear her. Most of them were too focused on getting to the list as quickly as possible.

Jade and Robin exploded out of the room. Dean grabbed his computer and hustled, but was far behind them.

When he arrived, he found a group of senior girls surrounding Donna Linkletter, congratulating her, which made Dean more than a little apprehensive.

Then he heard Jade scream, "YES!!!" from inside the crush of girls. She pushed her way back through and appeared right in front of Dean. "I got it! I got the part! I'm playing Roxie Hart!"

"Wow! Congratulations!" Dean said, hugging her. "I saw Donna Linkletter looking pretty self satisfied, so I thought she might have got it."

"No, she's playing Velma Kelly, the other lead. I wanted to play Roxie, though."

"What about Robin?"

Jade grimaced. "Oops. I got so excited that I didn't even look."

Just then, Robin popped out of the crowd, smiling. "Hey! I'm a Cell Block Tango girl! I've got the Ezekiel Young speech."

"That's awesome!" Jade said, hugging her.

"No, you're awesome!" Robin laughed. "Roxie Hart! Holy crap!"

"I know, right?" Jade laughed.

"So, we get to do the best dance in the show," Robin said, putting her arm around Dean.

"We?" Dean was confused.

"Yeah," she smiled. "Didn't you look? You're playing The Hunyak... the Hungarian girl. You're one of the tango girls, too!"

"Wow!" Dean laughed, relieved and excited. "Cool!"

"Yeah!" Robin's grin was huge. "Now I have to text Willie to tell him he's Billy Flynn. Man... there'll be no living with him, now!"
 

~^~
 

Tuesday, they held a read-through of the show so that everyone got familiar with their parts and where they occurred throughout the play. They were told that, if they had a smaller part on the sheet - like being a Cell Block Tango Girl, then they were also in other scenes as chorus members, which meant that Dean had a lot of music and some amount of dancing to learn. He liked the music, though. It was all kind of weird to his ears, but that kind of made it cooler.

Thursday was the first rehearsal and it was a singing rehearsal for everyone. Dean was directed to sit in the alto section and, being a bit nervous about having to sing, he sat in the second row where he could hide a bit.

"Basses behind the sopranos and tenors behind the altos," Mrs Tracy, the Music Teacher, instructed.

The boys were filing into the row behind Dean when he heard someone say, "Hey, can you move over a seat? I'd like to sit here."

"What difference does it make?" A second voice asked.

The first voice was very blunt. "I want to sit behind Deedee. So... would you mind moving?"

The first voice sighed, but said, "Yeah, ok," and moved.

Dean continued to look forward, but a smile was playing on his lips. That smile grew even larger when he felt Willie put his hand on his shoulder, leaned forward and whispered, "Szia. High vagy."

"What?" Dean laughed looking over his shoulder.

Willie laughed, too. "I probably didn't pronounce it right. It means 'Hello. How are you?' in Hungarian. At least it does according to Google Translate."

"Ahh, I get it. Because I'm playing the Hungarian character. Very funny." Dean laughed, a bit excited by the feeling of Willie's breath in his neck.

"I try." Willie giggled.

The teacher began teaching the music and Dean was surprised by how quickly everyone seemed to pick it up. They stuck to their vocal parts and when they needed to, they asked questions and Mrs Tracy would clarify. When they'd sing all the parts together, Dean was actually excited by the sound that they all produced together.

The rehearsal was three hours long, so at the ninety minute point, Mrs Tracy called for a fifteen minute break. Everyone meandered into the lobby so they could drink their drinks and eat their snacks, which weren't allowed in the theater. Dean, Robin, Jade and Willie's friends from the movies all gathered together, laughing and talking about the show, things that happened at school, whatever, while Willie used the boy's room.

It was a few minutes later that Jade nudged both Dean and Robin, then nodded towards the other side of the lobby. When they looked in that direction, they saw Donna Linkletter talking to Willie and, by her body language, she was flirting - and flirting hard.

"What is she flirting with him for?" Robin asked." She's got a boyfriend over at St Johns."

"Yeah, but Willie is the male lead, so Donna is going to try to win him over. She does it every year," Jade said, shaking her head.

"I'll go rescue him,"one of the boys said.

"No, I'll go get him," Dean said, and before anyone could stop him, he was walking across the lobby and sliding an arm through Dean's.

"Hi, Donna," he said with a grin. "Congratulations on getting Velma."

Donna Linkletter scowled at Dean and said, "Oh, look... it's the sixth grader whose mommy put her in the big girls' school."

Willie's smile faded. "What did you say?"

Donna shook her head. "Oh, nothing. I was just trying to make it clear to this little girl that when the grown-ups are talking, she needs to wait for her turn to speak."

Willie recoiled a bit, then, instead of lashing out like he wanted to, he pulled his arm free, placed it around Dean's shoulders and just turned and walked away.

"Gee, I thought she was a nice girl," Willie whispered to Dean. "What a jerk."

When they got back to their group of friends, Robin and Jade were smiling at Dean and when they had him alone, they congratulated him for his cunning.

"Girl, that was vicious," Jade said with admiration.

"You tramp!" Robin teased. "You were awesome!"

They all laughed, but during the rest of the rehearsal, any time Dean would glance in the direction of Donna Linkletter, she was always glaring back at him.

So, now, not only did he have friends at Greenwood; he had an enemy, too.
 
 
To Be Continued...