This is an unauthorized continuation of Jeremy Chandler’s, “My Summer in Pantyhose,” last added to by Jeremy 04/07/2023. The story line and characters belong to Jeremy Chandler and are used without express permission. What follows is intended as fan fiction with the greatest of admiration for Jeremy and appreciation for the original work.

  Tabitha nodded. “If she’s here to reclaim you as a boyfriend, she’s in for a fight.”

  “No worries,” Jamie told her. “That ship has sailed.”

  They started over to her and Julie caught his arm.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I think I need to talk with Megan.”

  “I hope you’re going to keep it civil. This isn’t the place to have knock-down-drag-out. Do you want me to come with you?”

  “No, Tabitha will be enough. I don’t want her to feel ganged up on.”

  Megan stood like a deer caught in the headlights as Jamie and Tabitha approached.

  “Hello, Megan,” Jamie said trying to keep his voice even. A thousand emotions were swirling in his chest.

  She bit her lip, then looked down.

  “Hi,” she said in a timid voice.

  “I’m surprised to see you here.”

  “I’m surprised to be here,” she said quietly, still looking down.

  “Why did you come?”

  “I needed to do something to, in some small way, make up for the terrible way I treated you. Your sister was right. You don’t deserve a girlfriend who cheats on you. That rules me out.” She looked at Tabitha. “I hope that Tabitha – that’s right, isn’t it? Tabitha?” Tabitha nodded. “I hope Tabitha doesn’t do that.”

  “No chance,” Tabitha said emphatically. “He’s my man, my one and only man!” she took hold of Jamie's arm pulling herself in close contact with him, possessively.

  “I can see that.” Megan looked back at Jamie. “That email, did you see it?”

  “My sister told me about it.”

  “I didn’t send it. Melissa hacked my email and sent it in my name. You need to know you weren’t a mercy case. I really did, do, like you. But while I enjoyed your company and found you interesting, the only thing we really had in common was the pantyhose. We’d have broken up once I got to high school anyway. From what I’ve heard about Tabitha, you two have a lot in common; like you were made for each other.

  “Look if my being here makes you uncomfortable, I can leave. I just wanted to show my support for you and all these others, to be true to yourself.”

  Jamie considered her words.

  “No, you have as much right to be here as anyone. If you want to join the group, I’m sure they’ll be glad to have you.”

  Megan walked into the staff lunchroom Monday afternoon, not really knowing why she was there. It seemed like maybe becoming associated with a not so well accepted group was penance for the terrible way she had treated Jamie.

  She stood just inside the door, a little to the left trying to make up her mind to go ahead and sit down. As she scanned the room she saw Jamie and his crew up near the front. Her heart wrenched. She blew her chance to be a part of that group. She was ready to walk out went the two girls who’d helped her after her confrontation with Josh, walked in holding hands.

  “Oh, hi,” the first one said.

  “Fancy meeting you here,” the other one said.

  “Hi,” Megan said timidly.

  “We never introduced ourselves when we met before. I’m Charlene and this is my partner, Kristen.”

  “Hi, I’m Megan.”

  “You look a little lost. Don’t worry. Most everyone here felt that way at their first meeting. But you know us, if you don’t know anyone else,” Charlene told her.

  Megan look at Jamie and his group.

  “Do you know them?” Kristen asked.

  Megan waivered a bit on what to say. She had to unburden herself about it all and her mother was not the one and she had no friends any more.

  “You guys helped me before. I need someone to talk to. Will you help me again?”

  “Yes, we’ll help you. What do you need to talk about?” Charlene asked.

  “It’s a long story. But I need to talk about how I know them,” she nodded toward Jamie, “and why I’m here.”

  “The meeting is about to start. Why don’t we sit down. There’ll be a time for new members to get acquainted at the end. We can split after that. We’ll take you for a coffee at Starbucks and give you a ride home after,” Kristen suggested.

  Jamie looked around. There must have been fifty people in the room and more coming in. He had gotten there early and was greeted by Larry Collins.

  “Jamie, I’m glad to see you and all your friends here. You know you are unique what with the size of your support group. I don’t know all their names.”

  “Well my sister’s name is Julie and her friend is Samantha. My buddy’s name is Mike and this,” he said putting his arm around Tabitha, “is my girlfriend, Tabitha.”

  “Nice to meet you all. It’s really good to see all of you coming out in support of Jamie. The majority, outside of the LGBTQ+ folks in this group, don’t have anyone at school to support them. about a third of our membership is supporters. Usually one or two per.

  “Somehow, I see a lot of potential in you and your friends Jamie. Stick around after for the social time and I’ll introduce you to the movers-and-shakers in the group. The business meeting will be short. We’re primarily a social organization. The idea is to let us know we’re not alone.”

  They had given their orders to the barista and were sitting at a table in the back of the room. they made small talk while they waited. When their names were called Kristen went to fetch the drinks.

  Setting them on the table, she said, “OK woman, spill you’re guts. You’ve got a story inside of you and it eating you alive. So spit it out so you can heal. Are you a closet lesbian? If so it’s OK. We all were at one time or another. We’ll support you and help you come out when the time is right.”

  “No, I’m not a lesbian, in the closet or otherwise. I’m a terrible person.”

  “That’s pretty harsh.” Charlene said. “I doubt that you’re as bad a person as you think you are.”

  “I know I don’t deserve any friends and I sure don’t deserve a boyfriend.”

  Kristen put her hand on Megan’s.

  “Why don’t you just tell us the story? It’ll do you good.”

  Megan told them about how she had discovered Jamie wore pantyhose and how she had found it interesting; how that was their basis of the friendship; how she’d deluded herself and Jamie into thinking it was more. Then she went on to describe how she got involved with Josh and what a disaster that was. She told them about Melissa’s plot and email to ruin her relationship with Jamie.

  She ended her tale of woe with, “The worst part is I think I love him now. But he’s got a new girlfriend that’s so much more suited to him than I could ever be. So I can’t interfere with that relationship.”

  “Wow, that’s quite a disastrous adventure. It’ going to take some time to get over that,” Kristen observed.

  “But why did you come to the meeting today?” Charlene asked.

  “I’m not sure. But I think it’s a form penance. You guys know better than I do that people who are in the LGBTQ+ group aren’t well accepted by the rest of society. I was in the A group as a cheerleader so becoming associated with LGBTQ+ brings me from the top of the social ladder to very near the bottom. I guess it’s a kind ‘walk a mile in some else’s shoes.’”

  “OK, kiddo, we’ll be your BFFs while we’re here and help you find your way out of the quagmire that you feel you’re in.”

  Jamie walked away from the meeting with phone numbers and email for ten new friends. He’d never have thought he’d have that many friends at one time.

  “Can you believe it?” Mike wanted to know. “There were two other cross-dressers in the group and must have been four transgenders and two of them were going to school as girls.”

  “I know,” Jamie said. “I thought I was totally unique. What’s more, they all said the same thing. They all thought they were the only ones until they got on the internet or joined the group.”

  “So, Jamie, when do I get to see these skirts that you own? I’ve heard about how you, multiple times, have done a fashion show for all your supporters but me.”

  He sent a text to his mother.

  “Mom. Can I invite Mike to dinner Saturday?”

  Dear readers, I always strive to leave my readers wanting more. That leaves room for you to make up the rest in your own mind. Enjoy!