Wheels and wings. 13

Character List.

Jack Thomas Later AKA Ellie Transvestite/intersexual and keen cyclist.
Amanda Thomas AKA Amie Jack's sister.
Charlotte Dawson Keen girl cyclist and Jack’s soon-to-be girlfriend.
Bob Cycling club captain.
Mr Thomas Weston School games master and keen rugby player.
Billy Davies. Rugby ‘jock’, kind to Jack, he fancies Charlotte.
Marjorie Spencer. Holder of unofficial ‘Prettiest-girl-in-the-school’ title.
Miss Elizabeth Postlethwaite. The English Mistress.
Aunty Olwen Where Jack changes for school and leaves his bike.
Mandy. Olwen’s daughter, Jack’s older cousin.
Mr Griffiths The County solicitor.

Chapter 13

As his anger bubbled inside, Jack began to form an iron resolve. He looked around the ring of expectant faces and his anger bubbled over.

“So! What if I do behave all girly? Who am I hurting? Anyway, these shoes are fun, my sister’s dead lucky to have stuff like this. I only wish boys could wear all different stuff.”

A silence fell around the table as the girls digested the idea. Then, as though by some feminine form of telepathy, they turned as one to Amanda expecting some sort of apologetic explanation.

Amanda was so surprised that she did not know what to say, so no explanation was forthcoming. Jack sensed a whisper of nervous uncertainty ripple around the table so he plunged in to scotch any misapprehensions straight away.

“It’s like this girls. I’m not gay.”

He paused as he took a deep breath, then he steeled himself. Anger at Weston and desperation to end the deceptions, drove him forward.

“It’s like this ... yes, I like fooling about in girls clothes,” he paused again then finally took the plunge. “I’m a tranny ... you know, a guy who likes what women wear and stuff. It’s okay, I’m not gay, I’m not going to try and come onto you or stuff like that and all of you are safe. I’m not trying to get into your pants or stuff. I just like shopping and stuff ... and yeah, some of the stuff that Amanda buys is for me!”

The girl who had noticed Jack’s savouring his sister’s heels asked further.

“What sort of stuff. Do you wear frocks and stuff?”

Jack hesitated momentarily. So far it had just been fun, now things were a bit different. He qualified his reply as he debated taking steps to remedy his impetuosity.

“For fun; yes. Yes I do.” He replied as his courage returned. He knew he was in now and in deep. There was no turning back.

The girls started gabbling away at once and it was several seconds before order restored itself. Eventually the same girl made a dare.

“Do you wear underwear and stuff?”

Jack nodded then sprang to defend himself and Amanda.

“Yes, yes I do, but it’s my own, I don’t steal Amanda’s stuff!”

“Does your mum know?”

“Yes.”

“The girl turned to Amanda.

“Is this true, your mum doesn’t mind?”

Amanda was a little annoyed but she sensed the mood around the table wasn’t as censorious or judgemental or angry as she imagined it would have been. Amanda’s feminine intuition told her that her classmates were more intrigued and curious that amused or disgusted.
The first girl finally challenged Jack.

“.Bett’cha wouldn’t come here dressed as a girl!”

“Bett’cha I will,” Jack responded eagerly ... a little too eagerly. Then he had reservations again. “I’ll have to check with my mum and there’s one other condition.”

“What’s that?” The girls chorused.

“Nobody else is to know; not just yet anyway. I’ll come dressed next week ‘cos it’s the end of term. The rest of the school doesn’t need to know ... well not just yet anyway! Come on! Give me a break. When this does get all around the school just think what shit I’m going to have to face!”

After extracting this agreement from the girls the conversation inevitably turned to the subject of transvestism and, thanks to the internet, Jack was able to give a lot of sensible answers. The most painful questions were however directed at Amanda. A lot of the questions had already been answered by Jack but some of the girls had been so surprised by the events that they had not really listened to all of jack’s statement.

“How long have you known? Does your mum accept it? Does he steal your clothes? Do you SHARE clothes?” After the inquisition Amanda tackled Jack at the bus-stop before she got the bus home.

“You could have warned me before you came out. I wasn’t expecting anything like that. You know it’s gonna’ get out, don’t you?
There’s no stopping it. It’ll be all around the school by Monday morning. You should have waited.”

“Sorry sis, it was that bloody Weston that wound me up. I’m so sick of his bloody rugby, rugby, rugby!”

“Yeah. You’re gonna’ have to watch that temper of yours. Are you going to tell mum or shall I do it?”

“I suppose I better had,” Jack sighed. “It’s down to me innit’”

Amanda nodded and boarded the bus as Jack set off peddling furiously to take his mind off the whole situation.

He arrived home before Amanda because the bus took a circuitous route and he found their mother tending her garden. Jack thought it best to try the bribery route.

“I’ll do the weeding mum.”

“Bit late now son. You can tidy up the shed though and move all the weed piles to the compost. I’ll start the dinner.”

As Jack started gathering the little piles of weeds into the wheelbarrow his mother started washing her hands under the garden tap. It seemed the best time to broach the subject.

“I’ve got something to tell you mum.”

His mother turned and squinted at him suspiciously. After the trouble with the stolen drugs Jack was on a sort of semi probation. He was allowed out to go cycling alone and he was allowed out with Amanda, otherwise, he was more or less grounded.

“What have you done now?”

“I haven’t done anything mum ... well I have but it’s not something active not something physical.”

His mother sighed and waited before she replied.

“Go on. What now?”

“It’s Amanda’s friends; they know about me ... the dressing thing. One of the girls twigged it in the cafe.”

“How? What were you doing?”

“Amanda bought some new shoes with the money dad sent her and I started fooling about.”

“In her shoes I suppose?”

Jack nodded sheepishly as his mother wagged her head.

“I dunno’ son. What are we going to do with you? What did you say?”

“I was a bit angry cos that old bastard Weston saw me and tried to make me see him again on Monday. I’m not gonna’ go. I was doing nothing wrong and besides, it was Saturday an’ we were out of school. I told the girls I wasn’t going to kow-tow to him and then I sort of lost it a bit. I just felt worn out with all the hiding, the subterfuge. It kinda’ slipped out but I meant what I said. I told the girls I like fooling about in girl’s clothes.”

“Go on. Then what happened?”

“One of the girls challenged me to go to the mall next Saturday dressed as a girl.”

“And?”

Jack fell silent. He felt a bit trapped. He secretly wanted to do it but simultaneously dreaded the forthcoming ordeal. His mother finished rinsing her hands and then paused to watch her son gathering the weeds then she ushered him into the house.

“Forget the shed, it can wait. Go upstairs and get cleaned up. If you’re going to do this, you’ll do it properly. It’ll be no parody of a girl. You’re small enough and pretty enough to carry it off but you’ll need some help. When you’re showered and cleaned up, call me.”

Jack trudged upstairs as he contemplated the trials he faced. He secretly cursed himself for his impetuosity. He was showering when Amanda arrived home and she immediately visited him in the bathroom. There she sat on the edge of the bath as she chatted through the shower cubicle door.

“Have you told mum?”

“Yes,” Jack replied. “She says I’ve got to do it right.”

Amanda let out a little chuckle.

“Hah. Well at least she hasn’t gone ballistic. If she had I’d have known about it by now. Are you still up for it?”

“I’ll have to now, I can’t back out can I?”

“What are you going to do between now and Friday? You know; in school and stuff; they’re bound to talk.”

“I dunno. I’ll just’ have to grin and bear it ... so long as none of those stupid jocks come over all macho and stuff ... you know; the usual knuckle-rash thing.”

“Just stick with my gang. They can’t attack you when you’re with us, there’ll be too many witnesses.”

“Yeah, but what about in class? An’ what about Thursday afternoon, it’ll be the last games session.”

“Pretend to be sick. You’ve still got the bruise anyway.”

Jack nodded thoughtfully.

“I suppose I’ll have to. If stupid Weston finds out he’ll make it worse. This is going to be a pisser. I was stupid!”

Amanda’s silence implied that she agreed with his conclusion and that did nothing to comfort Jack. His mother’s shout that dinner would be five minutes, dragged him out of his contemplations and he started to dry himself. When he came down to dinner his mother was on the phone. She finished as he entered.

“That was your auntie Olwen. Your cousin Mandy works at a beauty clinic in Manchester. She’s coming home for the Easter week on annual leave anyway so she’ll be here for a fortnight. She’s advanced the other week of the fortnight to tomorrow so she’s going to give you a makeover each night this week. I’ll pay for the make-up. If you’re going to do this, you’re going to do it properly.

~~oo000oo~~