Stuck in a Rut.
By Rosalie Redd

Casey Church is a normal 13 year old girl, full of hopes and dreams and fears and anxieties. But in a world where there hasn’t been a girl born in over a century, what is normal?

Chapter 27.

I sat and listened as Stephanie and DeShaun caught up. I stayed for a little while, but soon I felt like I was intruding. I wandered upstairs and plunked myself down on the bed. I pulled out my books and read up on my current phase of transition. After a couple hours, I put it aside. I got up and got ready for bed. My night was full of erotic dreams. I was rutting James, then DeShaun would rut me, and then I would just James, and Deshaun would have sex with Janie, and then I would have sex with her.

I woke up in a cold sweat. Looking at the clock, it read 4:22 AM. I knew I wouldn’t get back to sleep, so I wandered downstairs to the kitchen. I wasn’t the only one there though, as DeShaun was sitting at the counter, poking around at a bowl of yogurt. I grabbed a bowl and spoon and dished myself out some. Looking through the fridge, I found some strawberries, and I washed them up. Adding them to my yogurt, along with some banana slices, I started in on them.

I looked at him. “Penny for your thoughts.”, I said.

DeShaun stirred his yogurt, not really looking at it. “I … I just. So much going on. The baby, Marcia, my parents, all this school politics stuff … and you. I’m just overwhelmed.”, He said.

I looked over at him, then leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

“What was that for?”, He asked.

I smiled. “You looked like you needed it.”, I said. I swallowed hard. My voice was starting to stabilize, and my Adam’s apple was gone. It had been shrinking over the last couple weeks, but I couldn’t even feel it any more. My voice was a lot softer and feminine, with a slight lilt to it. I would almost say melodic.

I smiled at my boyfriend and kissed him again. “You’ll be okay. I know because you are strong, you are brave, and you are loyal. If that truly is your son, you will be the best parent he could ever wish for.”

We hugged, and then kissed for a while. Eventually we fell asleep on the couch in the living room. A couple hours went by, and we were woken up by my mom. We did our best to not look guilty. Mom laughed and we both went upstairs and got changed. I slipped out of my flannel jammies. Slipping on my boxers, I dug around in my closet and pulled out a cute black skirt, one that came down to mid-thigh. I paired it with a casual white blouse, and some white ankle socks. The finishing touch was a pair of black Mary Janes.

I came back down and When DeShaun saw me he was speechless. Good work, me!

DeShaun and I climbed in the car and Mom drove us over to the school. I could not wait for the change to stop playing with my body like play-doh. My muscles were still sore, but at least my bones were feeling better. I smiled. That probably meant that I had stopped shrinking, at least. Soon, I would be able to wear regular clothes. Hallelujah! No more loose and baggy.

I walked into History, Luna was there. She had a black hoodie with kitty ears on, and a lacy purple skirt that went down to mid calf. Another of her fake kitty tails hung out the bottom of her skirt. She looked my way briefly, then looked away. Amy and May walked in, looking like the cats that swallowed the canary. They sat down on either side of Luna, and then glanced at me and smirked.

I pretended to not notice, but I still wondered what was going on with these two. It seemed that they were keeping Luna out of the loop still.

Class droned on, and I felt the eyes focused on me. I looked up periodically, and whenever I did, I saw one of the sisters look away.

Their plans involved me? I refused to believe it, but the attention they had focused on me seemed to indicate that. Why me though? Why was I important?

Those thoughts echoed deeply in my mind, distracting me. I was thinking about them after class, and not watching where I was going. I bumped into someone and fell down. I stood up and turned to apologize to the person I had bumped into. When I looked up, a very familiar face looked down at me.

“Mom? What are you doing here?”, I asked somewhat shocked.

Sure enough Mom was standing there in track pants and her old football jersey. She had a school baseball cap on, with a ponytail sticking out from the back. There was a stopwatch and whistle around her neck.

“Coach Donahue injured her knee this morning. I got the call shortly after you were dropped off. So in the interim, I’m going to be substituting for her, and assisting with the Volleyball team.”, she said with a smile.

I laughed, because the school had been begging her for years to coach the volleyball program.

Mom looked around somewhat confused. “Um… How do I get to room 221? I’m supposed to be filling for her Study Hall, but I don’t know how to get there.”

“My next class is that direction, I can take you there.”, I said cheerfully. While I lead Mom down the corridors, I became acutely aware that we were being followed. I whispered to Mom about it. “Don’t look now, but the Wilder sisters are following us.”

Mom whispered back. “You mean those girls that Marcia Hayes drugged? Why would they be following you?”

I gave Mom a quick recap of this morning, and all the information Luna had (which wasn’t much). We arrived at the classroom, and I gestured to the door. “This is the place! Good luck, Mrs. Church.”, I said with a chuckle.

I turned to head to class, when I felt a shove. I hit the corridor wall, and dropped my books. “Sucking up to the teachers, Miss Priss?”, my assailant said. I knew that voice.

“Amy”, I said. “I was showing her to her classroom, she’s substituting for one of the teachers.”, I stated plainly. I thought it best not to mention that that had been my Mother I was escorting. “What do you have against me?, I inquired. “Marcia hurt us both. She tried to kill my best friend!”

I heard a contemptuous snort, and realized that May had arrived to join her sister. “Don’t think that we don’t know what you are doing. We know you seduced DeShaun McAllister, in order to become the queen bee of the 9th grade class.”

I laughed out loud. “You… You honestly think that?”, I said barely able to contain my laughter. “I didn’t want to change. I wanted to stay a boy. I’m a girl because of miscommunication, confusion, and the inability to say that I didn’t want it. I would think that you two would be more sympathetic. I know what happened to you two. Marcia said what she did in her confession!”

Amy looked at me uncertainly, but May just stood there with her fist clenched. She then let out a terrifying yell, and then punched me in the midsection. I keeled over and curled into a ball. I had only known such pain when I had been hit in the balls, and considering where she hit me, she probably nailed what used to be them.

I lay there crying, and I felt a couple kicks, one to the back, and one to the head. I don’t know if I blacked out, because the next thing I remember is looking up and seeing Mom towering over me as I lay in the nurse’s office.

Mom insisted on taking me to the hospital. I vehemently refused, but she did make me stay there, so the Nurse could observe me.

After school, Mom and I headed home together. DeShaun had practice, and his sister had arrived to watch. Apparently she had known Coach Grant from when she was a student. Arriving home, I went upstairs and got undressed, and put on my bathrobe. I walked to the bathroom, and looked in the mirror. There was a nasty bruise on my back, and I could feel a lump on the back of my head. They had ruled out a concussion, but I was supposed to take it easy, just in case.

Janie came by a little later with my homework and my books. We had a little make-out session, and then studied together. When DeShaun came home, his sister was with him. She apparently was going to stay until after his next game, and then head home.

Janie stayed for dinner, as did Stephanie. As we sat around the table, Stephanie commented on how things had changed since she had been here last. She was almost 10 years older than DeShaun, and had left home to live with her (now) in-laws after her change. I laughed at that parallel, then choked once that hit me.

Dinner was going well, until Stephanie innocently commented to Janie. “You are a pretty girl, why are you hiding it behind your bangs and that big hoodie?”

Janie started to cry, and I protectively stood up and went over to hug her tight. I continued to do so while Dad explained. “Janie was the girl that was attacked by Marcia.”

I continued to hold Janie, as Stephanie came over. “I’m sorry. One of the problems of having big feet like mine is that I am always putting them in my mouth”, she said. Janie eased out of the hugs, slightly. She looked down, and laughed. I looked down as well, and I chuckled too. Despite being about my Mom’s height, Stephanie had MUCH bigger feet.

After dinner the adults and DeShaun headed to the living room to discuss important things, Dad had already committed to provide DeShaun legal assistance, should it become necessary after the baby was born. There were other logistical issues, like his transferring schools and so forth that would need to be addressed. Thankfully, his Mother and Father had pretty much washed their hands of him, and weren’t contesting is change of guardianship.

While all that was being discussed, Janie and I were upstairs, talking to Luna. I informed her of what had happened and what I could remember them having said. It seemed like there was a clear motive now, they were conspiring against me. I still maintained that I had no idea why.

It was Luna that brought it up once again. “It’s obvious, as the prettiest girl in the freshman class, you are a threat to them.”

I disagreed vehemently. “I am not pretty! I don’t know why everyone says I am. I mean, no offense Luna, even you have bigger boobs than I do!”

She laughed. “Mew, none taken.”, she said with a smirk. “But you have amazingly curvy hips, nice legs, an amazing butt. I’ve heard a couple of seniors even talking about how gorgeous you are. Face it. You have a cute face, those amazing chocolate-colored eyes, cute dimples. Add to that, your killer body, it’s almost unfair.”

I looked over to Janie, and she smiled and nodded. “It’s true, you are a 10. No doubt about it.”
I looked down at my flat as a board chest. I still didn’t believe it. No way.

Even after Janie went home for the evening, and Luna had logged off, I sat there just shaking my head. What was everyone seeing that I didn’t?

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