Playing her way 2 - Chapter 7

© D.L.

"We need to talk," Bill stated to his wife, who had just curled up against him on the sofa. Their guests had left and the kids had gone to bed.

Jack, much to Becky's amusement, had gone to sleep in one of her spare nightgowns.

"Don't worry about Jack," Liz stated, "I've already had him tested, he isn't transgendered."

"How? When?" Bill replied.

"About a fortnight ago. Becky spotted things moving around in her room a couple of months ago. When I learned that Jason, I mean Emily, is transgendered, I began to wonder if Jack was the same. So I spoke to the school's psychiatrist about it."

"Was that wise?" Bill inquired, "Any rumours about cross-dressing in a boy's school, it could cause trouble for him."

"It was entirely confidential, not even Jack knows the results, although he might suspect." Liz answered, "We do pay the school enough. Not many schools have their own medical team that can be called upon. Anyway, the Doctor arranged for the whole class to have some psychological testing, under the pretence of a science lesson. They got all the boys to do the tests, plotted the results on a graph, then compared it to another set of results from a different school where the were both boys and girls."

"What were the results?"

"Jack is a boy, albeit a rather effeminate boy. He was apparently the lowest score on the masculine scale for the class. An outlier on the bell curve, but not far enough to stand out. I had Becky take the same test, she is only a few percent lower on the masculine scale than her brother. The difference is that Jack only has half the score that Becky does on the feminine scale."

"Which means?"

"Becky's scores are within normal parameters for a girl. Her masculine index is slightly above average, but that isn't unusual for a tomboy raised with two brothers. Jack, on the other hand, is not a typical boy, but that doesn't make him a girl either. He is somewhat androgynous, with a definite sensitive side, and a distinct taste for lacy underwear."

Bill pondered for a moment, "How does his feminine score compare with the other boys, and if they plotted it on the graph, would anyone make the connection?"

"He has a slightly higher than average feminine score, but not much higher than normal, and the were several other close scores amongst the boys. The masculine and feminine scores were plotted on separate graphs, and there was no way of correlating the two scores. Jack did guess he was why they were doing the tests, he came to me afterwards to find out his results."

"I take it you knew about the prank, seeing that you seemed to be well prepared for it?" Bill observed.

"I discovered Jack's use of Becky's clothes some time ago. I have been keeping a careful eye on things. Becky has two sets of underwear now, one set is in her top drawer, where it has always been. She doesn't use those very often. The second is in a locked box beneath her bed, That way Jack can't get at them."

"I take it you know he is, er, using them?" Bill asked hesitantly.

"He hasn't left any stains, if that is what you are implying," Liz replied. "He seems to treat her clothes extremely delicately."

Sipping her gin and tonic, she continued, "I got Becky to put together a charity bag of old clothes, then left it out prominently for the boys to add anything they didn't want. Before taking it away, I looked through and found several items missing.

"While the boys were out at school, I had a good look round. I found the missing items hanging inside a suit bag in Jack's wardrobe. I have been keeping an eye on them since. I was planning on taking things and sneakily washing them when he wasn't looking, to keep them fresh.

"Anyway, a few days ago I noticed the blue dress had gone missing, and that a soft parcel had appeared under the tree, hidden behind other presents. When I read the label, I became suspicious, so carefully opened it. I knew it had to be one of our children, as they were the ones assigned to buy presents for Arnold's family.

"I confronted Jack. He denied it at first until I pointed out it was in his closet. That is when he broke down and confessed, not only about the prank but also about cross-dressing."

"I still don't get why you let him go ahead with it," Bill declared.

"Two reasons," his wife clarified, "To give Jack an excuse to be in a dress for a few days, as punishment. The other was that I knew Jason wouldn't be allowed to be Emily without interference. You now how proud Arnold can be, he couldn't accept he had a daughter. If Jack wasn't in a similar position, then we might never have met Emily."

"I hardly think he could keep it a secret forever. He may be able to control her for the time being, but in another four years, no chance," Bill stated referring to when Emily would be classified as an adult. "When did you find out? You obviously knew before today. If she is attending school as a girl, then I assume it has something to do with the trip we had to Norfolk?"

"I've known something fishy was going on since September," his wife explained. "You remember we had a panicked phone call asking if we had seen or heard from Jason just after school had started?"

"Yes," Bill answered, "He was supposed to be staying with Molly, but neither of them were responding to phone calls. Marilyn phoned us to see if we knew what was going on. She called back later that evening to say everything had been resolved and it was a miscommunication."

"Well, that's when they learnt Jason had run away to boarding school as Emily. Susan was running interference, so neither set of parents knew what was going on."

"Is that why she was grounded for a month for seemingly no reason?"

"Yes," Liz nodded. "I knew something odd was going on. Whenever I tried to get info out of Marilyn, she would change the subject. Molly filled in some of the blanks. Jason was being bullied, so the decision was made for him to switch schools."

Bill interrupted, "We already knew that. Rumours about him being gay causing trouble with some potential homophobes."

"If what Marilyn told me is correct, it may be more serious than that, but I will get to that in a minute," Liz stated. "Jason switched the forms, tricking Arnold into signing up for a different school than intended."

Bill laughed. Arnold's habit of not reading things properly was a running joke.

Liz swatted her husband before continuing, "You know how Arnold gets, that's why they didn't want to say anything. Arnold didn't want to admit he had been tricked. Molly told me about the switch but didn't say exactly where Jason was now going to school. When I pressed her for information, she said that it was being kept a secret so that none of the former bullies could find out where he was."

"Including from his own Aunt and Uncle?" Bill asked.

"You learned today the real reason," Liz responded, "Emily is living in stealth, only a select few people know that Emily and Jason are the same person. The fewer people that know, the less likely the secret gets out. Emily could be subject to bullying and need to change schools again if she's outed at school."

"How much of that is for Emily's sake, and how much is it that Arnold doesn't want to publicly acknowledge he has a daughter?" Bill asked. "You saw how uncomfortable they were when Jason, or more accurately, Emily, phoned while we were there. Guess they were worried she would spill the beans."

"I didn't tell you what Marilyn said on the phone later that evening when she called to confirm Anna was coming," Liz replied. "Marilyn is genuinely concerned about her child's safety. I don't think she is exaggerating. She told me that a fortnight into the new school term, a boy mistaken for being Jason, was beaten up and had to spend a few nights in Hospital. She wouldn't give the details, but I got the impression it was serious. She did tell me that threats had been made, and because of that, Jason was using an alias at school. She wouldn't tell me any more and that it would be up to Jason how much he reveals."

Bill nodded, "That fits with what Arnold told me as we were leaving. He asked me not to mention anything about possibly meeting up with Jason on social media, as Jason had some bullies trying to find him over the internet, and they might know that I'm his uncle."

Liz continued, "Molly filled me in on some of the details after swearing me to secrecy. Emily and Susan are close friends, and regularly video conference over skype. She told me that the reason for all the mystery is that Jason had been diagnosed as being transgendered, and he is somewhere where he can explore living as a girl in a safe environment."

"Is that why arranged to meet him on Saturday while I was busy doing business on the golf course?" Bill asked.

Liz smiled as she started to recount the events of their meeting.

The business trip to Norfolk was going to be interesting, Liz thought to herself as she rode in the passenger seat of the Jaguar XF next to her husband, who was driving. It was early evening on a Wednesday. They had left at lunch time.

Her conversation with Molly the day before was both intriguing and informative. She now knew her nephew might actually be a niece, although that had yet to be confirmed by Jason.

Liz wasn't supposed to be in on the secret and didn't know if Molly had told Jason that she had revealed that fact. To be safe, she had arranged to meet Jason first without her husband. Bill would be tied up in meetings all day Thursday and Friday. Saturday morning he had arranged to play golf with some of the other attendees who had opted to stay an extra night rather than travel home Friday evening.

While Bill was on the golf course, Liz would meet up with her niece or nephew. She wasn't sure who would turn up.

That was assuming she didn't run into Jason before then. While Thursday would be spent relaxing at the hotel spa and swimming pool, Friday she was going to look at a potential boarding school for Becky. Liz didn't know where Jason was going to school but did wonder just how many boarding schools were in the area.

Liz pulled up at the large metal gates blocking her way. At the press of a button, the window of the Jaguar descended into the door, so that she could speak to the security guard.

"Liz Roberts, I have a 9:30 appointment with the headmistress."

The guard glanced at his clipboard, "Certainly, please follow the signs for reception and use the visitor spaces near the entrance. It's straight ahead."

The guard pressed a button and the large gates rolled to the side. Once out of the way, Liz pulled away and drove up the road leading to the school.

The school grounds were surrounded by a tall brick wall. The school was not visible from the entrance. As the car travelled up the tree-lined road, it emerged from the wooded area to reveal what was once a large stately home. The group of buildings was a mixture of old and new. While some where centuries old, others were obviously new.

As she pulled up into a parking space, a teenage girl came out of the building and came up to the car. She was dressed smartly in a light blue blazer and skirt over the top of a plain white blouse.

"Elizabeth Roberts?" the girl enquired as Liz got out of the vehicle.

"Liz, please."

"I'm Francine. I'll be escorting you today. If you would like to come this way, Mrs Rogers is expecting you."

The girl handed over a security pass, which Liz hung around her neck. The two women entered the building, the younger one leading the way through the reception. A number of people were sat behind the reception desk in an open plan office. The were two adults and three of the elder students sat at desks typing.

Francine lead the way past the office down a short corridor before stopping at an open door and knocking on the frame.

"Come in," Mrs Rogers beckoned.

After excusing herself, Francine left closing the door behind her.

After introductions and the offer of refreshments, Liz opting for coffee, the two ladies sat down in a pair of comfortable chairs to the side of the office.

"I understand you are looking for a place for your daughter, Becky?"

"Yes," Liz replied, "She is currently in Year 7 at her current school. My husband and I feel she would be better in a single sex environment. Both our sons go to a local boys school and both are now obtaining higher grades since switching into private education. We tried to persuade her to go to boarding school when she moved to middle school, but she was very reluctant to be separated from her friends and family, so we let her attend the local school. However, the standard of education there is slightly lacking."

"Yes, I looked the school up in the national league tables," Mrs Rogers replied, "It's in the bottom 5%, so I can see your concern. Our current standings put us in the top quarter of the table. I would like to claim higher, but unfortunately, we have a number of factors that affect our scoring. Given the recent financial troubles, several students have been pulled out of private education due to the costs. Also, due to the relatively small number of students compared to state schools, we are more prone to fluctuations as there aren't as many students to average out test results. Therefore a small number of extremely bright students or a few academically challenged individuals can induce a larger bias than would be seen elsewhere."

"I have no complaints regarding the quality of education you appear to provide," Liz responded. "I'm more interested in finding out what other facilities you have, and what the living accommodation is like. As I said, Becky isn't particularly keen on leaving home. However, unfortunately, some of her reasons for not coming are no longer valid.

"Becky stands out slightly amongst her peers, as one of only a few students with wealthier backgrounds. Over half the students are from families with both parents unemployed, or claiming disability. She, of course, downplays it, to fit in, but it has led to some incidents of bullying. She recently found out that some of her former best friends were only friendly due to her apparent affluence, and ability to pay for snacks and entertainment."

"Ouch, that is never a nice thing to find out," the headmistress commented. "That shouldn't be an issue here. If anything she may have the opposite problem. We have one or two students who are millionaires in their own right, and I have had to deal with a few incidents of petulance and bragging. Peeling potatoes for a week or extra duties cleaning out the toilets or stables usually brings them down to earth with a bump."

"You have horses here?"

"Seven at the moment, four owned by the school and three that belong to students. Although we do have access to additional horses at other locations. We allow students to bring their own horses on the understanding they are made available to other students who want to ride. Is Becky into horses?"

"She was very big on My Little Pony when younger and likes the idea of riding, but hasn't had much opportunity. She has ridden several times, the last being a couple of weeks ago at a village fete where they were selling rides to raise money for the local church. While I'm sure she would love her own horse, we would rather spend our money on our children's education."

Mrs Rogers nodded, "Riding is an option for her here. However, availability is limited. Currently, every girl that is interested, which is about a third of our students, ride at a minimum once a week. We are hoping to get a few extra animals as we are trying to enter the national polo league. There is another boarding school about twenty miles from here, Langley. They have a well-established polo academy. Their riders spend up to 16 hours a week training. We don't have the capacity for that here.

"I'm not sure if you have come across Langley in your research. Its in Loddon, to the east of here. It isn't a single sex establishment, so I'm guessing you probably aren't considering it."

Mrs Rogers wouldn't normally mention the rival school in the area, but she had an alteria motive for mentioning it. She was aware that Emily, as Jason, was due to meet her aunt the following day In Norwich. By naming another boarding school of similar distance from the city, it gave a plausible location for where the child was located.

"Becky isn't unusual in that she is worried about being homesick and among people, she doesn't know," Mrs Rogers continued. "Most of the girls here went through that when they arrived, so are sympathetic to the problem. We try to welcome newcomers as openly as possible.

"Becky has the advantage in that she already met at least one of our students, and knows others through social media. Although she probably doesn't realise that they are students here. Does the name Wendy Spencer mean anything to you?"

Liz thought for a moment, "Its vaguely familiar, but I can't think where from."

"Wendy spends her summers with her mother, who lives next door to, and is close friends with, Susan Bishop. As such I believe she has met Becky on a number of occasions when she has been visiting her aunt and cousin."

Liz suddenly remembered the girl, "Yes, I've met her several times myself, tall with short hair, almost crew cut. I almost mistook her for a boy before she was introduced."

"There are other girls who know Becky here, they will make themselves known when Becky visits," the headmistress vaguely replied, deliberately not mentioning Emily/Jason by name. "I would like Becky to tour the facilities herself before the final decision is made, assuming you like what you see here today."

After an hour of discussing the curriculum, fees, and typical school timetable, the headmistress led Liz out to the reception where Francine was folding a stack of letters and placing them into windowed envelopes. Seeing that the was now needed, Francine came over to meet them.

"Francine will take you on a tour of our facilities and can answer any questions. She is in year eleven and will be leaving this summer. Her room is one of the ones that will become available for new entrants next year. Francine first came here when she was eight," the headmistress explained. Turning to Francine, she asked, "I assume you know whereabouts to take Mrs Roberts?"

"Yes, I have a suitable route planned, I have already spoken to the relevant teachers and found out which lessons we can slip into without causing a disturbance."

Francine was one of the few students who knew Emily's secret. When Svetlana had accused Emily of being Generation2K and challenged her to strip naked, Francine had been chosen as an impartial judge to determine if Emily was female. Much to Svetlana's annoyance, Francine had judged Emily to be female, despite her making no effort to hide her male genitalia.

While the secret would have to be revealed if Becky came to St. Mary's, steps were being taken so that Liz and Emily wouldn't meet, in case Liz accidently blurted out Emily's alternative identity in front of other students. Francine had a copy of Emily's schedule for the day and knew where not to go.

Emily was fully aware that her aunt was visiting, as she was kept informed of all visitors to the school in case anybody who knew Jason turned up.

"Good," Mrs Rogers stated, "Please make sure to include the stables, as Becky may be interested in taking up riding."