Born Twice
By Alyssa Plant

“Ah fair enough” She smiled. “I guess all boys’ school must have been hard.”

Charlie stopped walking and looked at Sarah panic stricken.
“Hang on; I thought you thought that….”

Chapter 10

Rebecca woke almost instantly. It was the sort of waking that occurred once your body had spent enough time resting, and the power automatically tripped back on, not the groggy awakening that occurred due to nasty things, like alarm clocks.

She looked around her room. The hazy morning sun was breaking though the cracks in the curtains, casting beams of light across the room.

Rebecca sighed at nothing in particular, a most contented sound.

Slipping out of bed, and sitting up, Rebecca rubbed her eyes and pulled her fringe out of her vision.

She had class today, several, and a seminar group meeting. It looked like it was time to return to being Charlie.

With a heavy heart, Rebecca pushed herself to the back of her mind. This was going to be hard

Half an hour later, Charlie found himself stood at the bus stop. It felt so strange to be a boy again. Surely that was weird? He mused.

If anything, he felt like this was truly the act, a fact emphasised by having to constantly check that he didn’t lapse back into more feminine mannerisms.

Stepping off the bus at the university was the first time Charlie felt nervous, a sea of people, itself a nameless faceless mass, but how could he hide things from his classmates? His lecturers? God, the university? How would they treat him?

Considering things for a moment, Charlie pulled out his mobile, and made an appointment with the University doctor. At the very least, it was time to face facts.

He would begin the process, and then deal with things when he was forced to. At least it was a stay of execution, perhaps when he started to look more feminine, he could deal with the process of coming out.

As normal, Charlie took his place towards the rear of the lecture theatre for his first class, ignoring his classmates. Being alone solved problems. He didn’t have to explain to more friends and acquaintances if he was a ghost.

4 hours of lectures later, and nothing untoward happening, Charlie made his way through the sea of human traffic to the building that hosted to his Seminar class.

Once seated in the room with around 20 other students, the class leader, Professor Elegy silenced them.

“Ok class, today were going to do group work on presentations, the subjects you can decide, but i want a good 10 minute presentation at the end of it…” he enthused.

The room descended into mayhem as people shuffled around the room to find people to work with.

“So much for a low profile” Charlie muttered to himself as he wandered over to a group of 3 girls and a boy.

“Um hi, can I join you guys? I don’t have a group” he timidly asked.

“Hey sure, pull up a chair” Smiled a slightly chubby blonde girl.

”I’m Sarah, this is Amy, Hannah, and our lone ranger is Toby.” She beamed.

This girl has far too much energy, Charlie thought. Ah well, at least I wont have to do much speaking in the presentation.

“Charlie.” He replied softly

As the group got down to work, Charlie began to open up. The people he was with weren’t so bad. Maybe some friends couldn’t hurt?

The group had decided to present a piece about popular music through the ages.

Before long, Charlie forgot how he was meant to be acting, and slowly slipped back to more feminine body language and speech patters that almost seemed natural now.

“So” announced Hannah with a finality. “Us girls will do the first 4 sections, and you can sum up Toby, how’s that work?”

Charlie did a double take. Surely they didn’t think he was a girl too? The conflict in his heart hurt. He so wanted to accept the words. But could he? It could have been a slip of the tongue he reasoned.

General mutterings of agreement circled the group, and they waited their turn to present their subject.

“Ok girls, you’re next” Announced Professor Elegy “Oh dear, Girls and boy. Sorry Toby” He corrected.

Toby blushed as the as mattering of laughter emanated from the room.

Nobody noticed Charlie blushing furiously too.

After the class, Charlie was walking out with the group chatting to the bubbly Sarah. As they crossed the road, Charlie spotted Paul walking on the opposite side of the road.

Almost at that moment he looked across and caught her eye and smiled and waved as he walked.

Charlie Sighed and waved back.

Sarah spotted the silly little grin on Charlie’s face and smiled broadly.

“Your boyfriend?”

Thinking for a moment about the class, Charlie threw caution to the wind. “Yeah, I guess he is.”

“You guess?” Sarah asked, her eyebrows rising.

“Uhuh, we only just got together, I’m still a bit new to the whole relationships thing.”

“Really? You never dated in school?” Sarah questioned, obviously looking for a reason more than confirmation.

“Uh, yeah, I was at a single sex school” Charlie replied, hoping that it would do. Well it was true she guessed, just the wrong sex.

“Ah fair enough” She smiled. “I guess all boys’ school must have been hard.”

Charlie stopped walking and looked at Sarah panic stricken.
“Hang on; I thought you thought that….”

“Relax honey” Sarah said putting her arm around Charlie and guiding her on.
“It was guesswork mostly” plus id noticed you in class once or twice. Mainly because you’re too pretty to be a boy, something I only found out when I saw the student profile photos in the office. Plus with the way you were acting today, it wasn’t like a gay guy, so I figured you were transitioning or something?”

“Well yeah, I am I guess” Charlie whispered shyly. “How do you know about trans….” Her own eyebrows rising towards her scalp.

“I had an ex back in school who became a girl, but she wasn’t as pretty as you. How long have you been on hormones? It must be horrid hiding as a boy, well ish” she giggled.

“I, uh, I’m not.” Charlie stammered.

“Wow really?” god, you look just like any other girl, except you’re a little flat up here” she said, gesturing at her bosom.

Charlie giggled. “Yeah, I can’t really help that at the moment”

“So are you going to start coming to class dressed a bit more normal?” Sarah asked.

“Um, it’s a bit soon I think, I’m still a bit worried what everyone thinks or would think…” Charlie sighed.

Sarah stopped and placing both her hands on Charlie’s shoulders, she said; “Look sweetie, you do realise half the class think you’re a tomboy and the other half, a lesbian…. So dressing a bit more girly wont make them think anything…”

Charlie was stunned.

“I, uh, i…. really?”

Sarah nodded.

“Oh” was all Charlie could manage to say in reply.

All this time, she had wondered what her classmates would think, when in reality, they already assumed….

“I guess ill make more of an effort tomorrow then.” Charlie smiled. “Ah this is me” She said pointing at the residence hall. “I guess ill see you tomorrow?”

“Ya” Sarah grinned, giving Charlie a hug. “Meet you here at like, 9.40 and we can walk down?”

”Id like that” Charlie smiled.

Waving, she turned and walked into the building, a broad grin fixed to her face.

Bouncing into her room, she stripped off the tee-shirt and jeans, and dove into her wardrobe.

Fifteen minutes later, she emerged in a pink camisole, denim ripped miniskirt, black ankle leggings, and ballet flats, her hair pulled into a bouncy ponytail.

Slowly she climbed the stairs to Julie’s floor and knocked on her door.

Julie’s eyes went wide as she opened the door. “I guess its time we had a talk huh girl friend?”

An hour later, the two friends sat hugging and crying on Julie’s bed.

“You know, I always wondered.” She said between sniffs.
“UGH” Grumbled Rebecca.

“did anyone ever think I was a boy?” she giggled.

“I thought you didn’t want to be one missy?” smiled Julie.
“That madam, is not the point” Rebecca grinned dodging a swipe from Julie.

Julie’s face got serious for a moment.

”Have you figured out what your going to say to your mum and dad?”