Wheels and wings 19

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 19

In the car little was said for Mandy had cautioned Amie not to probe. Instead Amie congratulated Ellie on her first successful outing as a girl. This improved Ellie’s mood and they fell to chattering about the brilliant reception Ellie had received from the girls in Amie’s class.

At home Jack/Ellie had a long discussion with his mother who finally agreed that Jack/Ellie needed medical help and the best place was probably in Manchester. She agreed to have Ellie make appointments with Doctor Williams before moving to Manchester. Additionally, Mandy agreed to accept Ellie as a lodger. The only problem was rent.

The last week of the spring term proved to be hot, sunny and dry. The news of Jack’s visit to the mall dressed as a girl was the buzz all around the school. Fortunately, for that brief week everybody was busy with end of term activities and during the breaks, Amie’s friends through a virtual protective cordon around their chosen ward.

The playing fields were too hard and dry for rugby and the end of term games were cancelled. Jack smiled at this news because I meant he did not have to face any rugby jocks who may well have indulged in some gratuitous homophobic violence. With rugby abandoned for the last week of that term, Mr Weston organised an ‘ad-hoc’ athletics session and selection sessions were arranged. Because Jack had avoided the gym master like the plague the bullying teacher had assumed jack was not going to run or represent the school then he saw him tugging off his tracksuit bottoms at the start line of the hundred meters. He immediately approached Jack as he realised the boy was unexpectedly wearing running shorts and vest. Even though the games master was glad to see his star track athlete preparing to run he still could not resist a transphobic dig.

“You haven’t put your name down for the trials.”

“The notice didn’t say we have to and I was undecided until now.)

“Shouldn’t you be changing into skimpy running knickers and sports bra?”

Jack rankled at the remark and hesitated before retorting.

“I don't need a bra! I don’t have tits ... yet!”

The games master stopped dead as he stared uncomprehendingly then he asked.

“What are you trying to tell me?”

“Nothing; it doesn’t concern you or the school anymore.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that one way or another I won’t be attending this school next year.”

“So you’re leaving us.”

Jack bit his tongue. He’d just stated the obvious and now he had to repeat himself whilst not reacting sarcastically. To avoid further friction he simply said yes. His reply inadvertently had more impact than any sarcasm as Mr Weston gaped. The unexpected disappearance of a star athlete shocked the games master far more than any underlying reasons for Jack’s discontent. This perspective led to his next insensitive remark.

“Huh. Are you leaving because of something I said?” He asked in what he thought was a jocular mode.

Jack seethed but suppressed his anger as he replied flatly.

“Yes.”

The games master’s grin faded as he slowly realised his offense.

“What are you trying to say?”

Jack looked up and stared levelly as he replied.

“I said yes; yes, it is something you’ve said. It’s everything you’ve said since my speed came to your notice. You only want miles per hour, you only want a robot, and you only want trophies and cups. Well you won’t be using Jack Thomas any more, from now on it’s Ellie Thomas and the only cups she’ll be interested is bra cups! Jack is finished with all that competitive stuff.”

“Oh, still the prima donna then, might I ask why?”

“You know why, or you should. If you don’t, ask Miss Postlethwaite. You can tell her I’ve given you permission to see the essay.”

“What essay?”

“Exactly. Only she and I know about it. The answers are mostly in there. When you mention it, she’ll know I’ve given permission. Most of the explanation is in the essay. The missing bit to your question is that Ellie Thomas isn’t interested in athletics and she won’t give Jack Thomas permission to participate.”

With these words, Jack yanked angrily at his running shoes and stood to go out on the athletics field. At the door he turned and spoke.

“This is the last time you’ll see Jack Thomas run.”

The games master was too shocked to respond for he was already poised to go straight to Miss Postlethwaite’s room and ask to see the essay. However he had an athletics meeting to supervise and he frowned angrily when Jack, a mere fourteen-year-old, hit under twelve seconds for the hundred metres. The time was not official for the school did not have sophisticated timing equipment, however a very frustrated Mr Weston knew a fast run when he saw one and it was on ordinary grass. He also noticed the tearful glare as the ‘girly-boy’ deliberately minced as effeminately as he could back to the changing rooms.

‘There’s one f-----d up kid’, thought the games master. ‘Pity he’s lost to sport.’

That same afternoon Tom Weston asked Miss Postlethwaite if he could read Jack’s essay.

“I’ll check with the boy first.” She replied.

“Why d’you have to do that Elizabeth. Surely it’s just academic material. He must have told me about the essay otherwise how would I have known about it?”

“Nevertheless, I’ll check with the child Tom. The essay is something of a confession and a revelation. You don’t come out well.”

“What! You’re saying he’s written about me?” The games master gasped.

“He or she perhaps, has written about lots of stuff. The essay deserves a ten just for content. It tells a lot about this school and the child’s feelings about it. I promise you, you won’t like it. I’m surprised that she has given you permission to read it. It’s something of an epiphany as well, she came out the following Saturday.”

“You call her ‘she’ then — not ‘he’.” The games master wondered.

“When you’ve read the essay you might understand. I’ll go and speak to her. She would normally have got it back by now and tomorrow’s the end of term. I’m meeting her mother tonight about it.”

Mr Weston frowned as Miss Postlethwaite scurried off. She found Jack bent over a dissection in the biology lab and she knocked discretely to attract the biology teacher’s attention through the glass in the door without distracting Jack. After a whispered exchange with the biology teacher, she approached Jack who had his head down as he concentrated on the dissection.

“Did you give Mr Weston permission to read your essay?”

Without looking up from his dissection, Jack nodded affirmation as he replied, “yes”.

Not wishing to further disrupt another class, Elizabeth Postlethwaite hurried back to her room, unlocked the essay from her drawer and handed it to Tom Weston.

“You won’t like what you read and you won’t like yourself either. You’d best read it here; I have to show it to her mother tonight.”
Tom Weston snorted and set to reading. Five minutes later he was a very reflective man as he asked Miss Postlethwaite somewhat remorsefully.

“Did he really have a cycling team trial for the national junior squad?”

“Yes. My god! Didn’t you know? He’s a superb cyclist!”

“Well how did you find out?”

“I didn’t, until I read the essay then Charlotte Dawson confirmed it. She’s another rising star in the cycling world. Now what d’you think of the drugs business. He blames you partly, says you more or less forced him to play that rugby game.”

“Now you refer to him as a ‘he’, I thought you called him she.”

“He was a he when he got injured in that game. He came out last Saturday though I think you’ll agree, the essay says it all. He’s a she now, at least in her head she is; and that’s where it seems to count. That concept seems to be the underlying theme of the whole essay.”

“Why didn’t he bloody tell me?” Tom Weston cursed. “A national junior squad. Why didn’t he say?”

“He explains that in the essay as well!”

The games master saw the condemnation in Miss Postlethwaite’s eyes and he shrank defensively as he tried to defend himself.

“I didn’t realise, he never said.”

“No. He was too afraid, too afraid of the all pervading obsession this school has with rugby and contact sports. Does all sport have to be violent?”

“Well, no, but there has to be an element of risk, of excitement, a sense of camaraderie.”
Elizabeth Postlethwaite gasped incredulously.

“And you’re saying that cycling doesn’t.”

“I, well, I, I don’t know that much about it, it’s not a school sport, it’s not in the curriculum.”

“Bloody hell Tom! Have you not been following that big race, the Tour De France, for the last three weeks, have you not been listening to the commentaries? Even I learned that cycling is all about camaraderie. Did you not listen to the commentators describing the behaviour in the peloton? Good God, the British guy even slowed the Race down so that some guy who was leading could repair his puncture because some idiot had spread tacks. The French are calling him ‘The Gentleman.’ You’re trying to tell me there’s no camaraderie. And as for fitness well, don’t try telling me the child’s not superbly fit. Even you’ve got to admit that. He’s the fastest boy in the school I’ve heard.”

“Well, yes, I suppose your right.”

“You only suppose I’m right. Dammit Tom! Have you not been listening to yourself? Have you not seen some of the cycle crashes in that race? Those guys are crashing at forty miles per hour and they get up to pedal again; and what about crashing with cars!!? I’ve been checking stuff up on the internet since I read the essay and the danger to cyclists is far worse than rugby players. More people are killed cycling each year than are ever killed playing rugby, how much danger d’you want!!?”
“B-but those are car accidents, road traffic accidents.”

“Yes, as often as not caused by stupid, careless or downright dangerous motorists. He even mentions you in that category; apparently you tried to overtake his cycle club in a country lane some months back. You forced one of the old men off his bike and frightened one of the ladies into the hedge. He was in that group and he recognised you but you failed to recognise both him and Charlotte Dawson out cycling with the adult section of the club. It’s all there in the essay. He hates you and he’s terrified of you. Or should I reword that? She hates you and fears you. She hates the school and I have to admit, we’ve failed her. She’s the kid here, she’s the one with serious problems and all this bloody school has done is compound them!”

Tom Weston fell silent as he noticed the beginnings of tears force their way into Elizabeth’s eyes. He began to realise what a bastard he had been, an insensitive bastard, a bully. Elizabeth snatched the essay back and jabbed her finger at the title.

“There, look!! What I hate most! There it couldn’t be clearer, could it!? She hates the school, she hates us! Little did I realise what a can of worms I’d opened when I set the title for the class.”

Tom Weston remained silent and Elizabeth took this as permission to continue.

“She’s the brave one here; she’s come out; come out in what must be one of the most homophobic schools in the county nay, the country even. And that’s our school Tom! D’you know I went to the mall last Saturday and I met her. Her essay forewarned me.”

Tom Weston wagged his head.

“Yes, I saw that bit in the essay but I didn’t know you’d gone to the mall.”

“Well I went. I was curious to see what she looked like but subconsciously I think I was more curious to see what a really brave person looked like. Then she came to me in the Mall. D’you know I didn’t recognise her! And don’t forget; I was expecting her, looking for her even! She was so well made up and so feminine I just couldn’t recognise her. I still had a problem believing it was her even after she revealed herself. She’s a girl Tom! Believe me, she’s stunning!

But d’you realise what made me most ashamed was the fact that she felt safer and happier coming out to a table full of thirteen-year-old schoolgirls in her sister Amie’s class than she did coming out to her teachers. What the hell does that tell you about us? What the hell are we Tom!!!?”

Tom Weston sucked his cheeks ruefully.

“It says a lot Liz, and the truth is I feel quite guilty.”

“We should all feel guilty Tom. The problem is she’s talking of changing schools, moving away completely.”

“And I lose my best athlete.”

“Dammit Tom. Don’t be so selfish. The school loses one of its best academic kids as well. She’s regularly top in Physics and Maths and she’s pretty good in other fields. And of course! I need hardly add that her English essays are refreshing to say the least even if her grammar and spelling are a bit weak. But this last essay; well! Well frankly, I'm at a loss."

“Yeah, well that’s true but I am compelled to think of my own discipline and that is sports. Is there no way we can put this mess right?”

“Well I could try speaking to her but the school has to seriously look at its attitudes and policies and you know what the head is like. He’s not the most liberal minded person on the planet.”

“Well you certainly seem to have some sort of rapport with the boy —“

“Girl” — Miss Postlethwaite corrected.

“Sorry girl; I can’t get my head around this, the kid’s such a good athlete. But I think you’re best positioned to try and recover the situation with hi — sorry, her”

“I’ll try. As I said, I’m seeing Ellie’s mother tonight I’ll try and get to see Ellie, though Charlotte tells me the cycling club have their time trials on the Thursday evenings and Ellie often goes out on her own because of the club ban until December. The child is still very bitter about the whole affair and to tell the truth, I think she’s got good reason to be. She touches on it briefly in her essay and when I asked her about it she said those long lonely rides are a double edged sword because the exercise helps clear her head but she finds herself brooding about the injustice. She’s a pretty screwed up kid in many ways.

Charlotte tells me the club don’t want to lose the child either, though if she decides to become a girl then she’ll never be competitive. I got the distinct notion that Charlotte still harbours strong feelings for Ellie.”

“Hmmm. That seems strange, I mean if this kid does go ‘all the way, and if she starts on hormones and stuff, she can write finis to a productive relationship with the Dawson girl and any success in athletics male or female.”

“I think she’s already inured to that. But that’s the route she looks like choosing and it shouts volumes about the importance of her transgenderism issues. She counts her sport cheap and her gender beyond counting. The kid’s got life problems — big ones! But only because we, the adults, society’s arbiters cannot get our heads past our own prejudices.”

“Yeah,” Tom Weston replied, “what a shitty choice for a kid with so much promise. A whole life turned to shit.”
Elizabeth rankled slightly.

“Oh come off it Tom. That’s not wholly true. She’s still got excellent academic prospects. Becoming a woman doesn’t dumb her down.”

“But she’ll forever forego the pleasure of sporting excellence. The sheer delight of having a body that can take her to heights of freedom and conquest.”

“That’s a very macho perspective Tom; I suspect Ellie holds being a woman much more rewarding than scoring the winning try at Twickenham.”

“Yes. I find that hard to understand.”

“And even harder to swallow I’ll warrant. You just can’t get inside this girl’s head can you Tom.”

“I’m not sure I want to. She’s lost to the school’s sports teams.”

“Well she’s not lost to the school’s academic teams. Well not if I can help it. I’ve got no more lessons for today. I’m going to speak to Charlotte then I’ll visit Ellie’s mother before Ellie gets home.”

“Good luck.”

Tom Smirked and Elizabeth retorted.

“I wouldn’t be so cocky if I were you. You’re going to have to change the mind of that old rhinoceros in the headmaster’s study. He’s still got next year before he retires. There’s going to be some interesting stuff at the next staff meeting.”

Tom gaped disbelievingly.

“You’re serious about keeping this kid here aren’t you?”

“Never more so. See you tomorrow, bye-ee.”

~~ooo000ooo~~