Chapters 34 - 35. The continuing story of Jason, a young boy that is coming to terms with his transgender nature, and his mostly supportive family.

Authors Note: Thanks to Joni W for editing this section for me!

Chapter 34

The friends were taking a break from skating and sharing some fries at the snack bar.

"So Jason, I hear you did fairly well in your game today." John said.

"Yeah, much better then Tuesday. On Tuesday I struck out four times, because I was flinching with every pitch. I just couldn’t help it. My dad really worked with me the other night, and today I was able to stay in there, and got a couple of hits."

"I hear Brad is out of the league." Sue said.

"Yes, his father went nuts about it. They had to have the police come and have him escorted out of the hearing at the league board office." Jason told them.

"I guess that explains where Brad gets it from." Kathy said.

"I would say so." Jason replied.

Taking advantage of a lull in the conversation, Julie asked, "So Kathy, Sue do you know what you are going to wear to the eighth grade graduation dance next week?"

"Yes, Mom and I picked up a new dress." Sue answered.

"Mom and I are going to go shopping tomorrow." Kathy answered, and then asked, "How about you?"

"I have that dress I wore to my cousin's wedding in May. Mom says that will have to do." Julie said.

"Oh, I remember that dress, you look great in it." Sue said.

"I know, I do love it, but I would have loved to have gotten a new one." Julie answered.

"I'm really looking forward to it, especially with the dancing lessons you have been giving us all." Sue said.

"Yeah, I'm actually looking forward to it too." Steve said; John and Jason both agreed.

"It's hard to believe that school is almost over for the year. We have just a couple more weeks to go. Next year we will be in high school." Kathy said.

"Yeah, back to the bottom rung of the school again. It was kind of nice being the top dogs this year." John said.

"It was at that. So what are you all doing for the summer?" Sue asked.

"Well, we’re heading up to our lake house for a couple of weeks, right after school gets out. Julie is going to be coming with us this year." Jason said.

Steve said, "Oh Julie, you should enjoy that. I know I did last year. Lots to do up there, boating, fishing, swimming."

"Yeah, it's lots of fun. I got to go a couple of years ago." John added.

"I think it sounds great, but I hope you guys don't resent Jason asking me to go this year instead of one of you." Julie said.

"Oh, don't worry about that Julie. We have both had our turn. Besides, I can hardly blame Jason for wanting to spend time with you. If I had a place like that I'd have asked Kathy. Anyway, my parents are taking us to Disneyworld, so I couldn't have gone with Jason this year anyway." Steve said.

"I wouldn't mind going to Disneyworld with you," Kathy teased.

Steve replied, "If Mom and Dad would let me, I'd have asked you. But we won't have a spare bedroom, and somehow I don't think they’re going to let us share a bed."

"No, I suppose not." Kathy said.

Jason asked, "How about you Sue, what are you doing?"

"I have to go spend two weeks with my Dad, and I'm sure I’ll have to put up with his girlfriend. Argh. But I'm sure we’ll do some fun stuff, like six flags. Mom and I will probably spend some time at the beach; she usually rents a place for a week." Sue answered.

John said, "That's what we do too. I wonder if we could get them to arrange it for the same week. That would be really cool."

"Maybe, Mom hasn't set it up yet, so why don't you find out what your parents are doing and let me know." Sue said.

Jason said, "I don't know about you, but I'm ready to get back out on the rink. Julie?"

"Sure, let's go."

With that they cleaned up their table and headed back out to skate.

Later that evening, Jason took Julie aside, "John is going to a ball game with his family tomorrow, and Steve has a big birthday bash for his Grandfather's sixty-fifth birthday, do you think we should invite Kathy and Sue to hang out with you and Kelly tomorrow?"

"I think they would like that, and it would be a good time, since the guys are busy elsewhere. You sure Kathy isn't going with Steve?"

"Yeah, I asked him, and he said it's at some fancy expensive restaurant, and he was told that they really could not afford to invite her."

"Ahh. It's your call. They know about Kelly and they really would like to meet her. Of course, Kathy is going to want to meet Michele. She was already jealous of my new look."

"Well, that is not going to happen tomorrow, but I will see what I can do. By the way, what did you tell your Mom about that?"

"Oh that a friend of your Aunt's is a makeup specialist, and that she was having some fun with your mother, and did a free makeover for me, while she was at it. I told her that you were bored to tears, although you had to admit I looked pretty nice after she was done. I also told her that she made up a gift for me, because she had so much fun. Mom was kind of jealous. She said, next time, call her and she’ll pop right over."

"Oh that would be good. Then I'd have to be the jealous one, since I would have to sit and pretend to be bored."

"Poor Jason…" Julie laughed. Then she said, "I'll ask Kathy and Sue about tomorrow."

"Sounds good."

Chapter 35

The next day, Julie was over at Jason's house early. Julie wanted to make sure that Jason looked his best for when Kathy and Sue first met Kelly. They added the extensions into Jason's hair, and then set it as close as they could to the way that Michele had done it.

When they were done, Julie said, "Damn Kelly, I cannot believe how much different that makes you look. Kathy and Sue are not going to believe that it’s really you."

About noon, Kathy's mom dropped Kathy and Sue off at the Anderson's, on her way to work. She watched from the car to see Jason's mom open the door, wave hello, and let the girls in, before pulling out of the driveway.

Once inside they met up with Julie who told them to wait in the family room. A few moments later, Julie came into the family room with Jason. Julie said, "Kelly, let me introduce you to my friends, Kathy and Sue."

"Is that really Jason?" Kathy said.

"No, it is really Kelly." Julie said.

"Oh… I'm sorry, Kelly, that is going to take a little getting used to, but wow, you look good."

Sue nodded in agreement, and said, "You don't have to worry about us telling Steve or John, if they saw you dressed like that, we could lose them."

Jason blushed, but said, "Sue, that is very sweet of you, but I know that I don't look half as good as the three of you. But even if it were true, which it is not, you would have nothing to worry about, because I'm already taken, by Julie."

They popped some CD's in so that they could sit around and talk.

"Kelly, Sue and I are here and we intend to treat you just like any other girl. But we are going to need at least one promise from you first."

"I guess that depends on what you are asking me to promise." Jason said.

"If we are going to treat you like a girl, that means you are going to hear us talk about things that we would only share with other girls, and that means that anything you hear as Kelly, you need to keep to yourself when you are with the boys as Jason. We will also expect that things you hear as Jason, that are meant to be between the boys, you won't share as Kelly." Kathy said.

"I have no problem with that, with the exception of, if I heard about someone doing something to intentionally hurt someone." Jason said.

"I think that is fair." Sue said, "I would want you to try to stop something like that."

Kathy nodded her acceptance then said, "Do you mind if we ask you some questions. We are really curious, but it's ok if you don't want to talk about it."

"I don't mind. If I'm not comfortable answering, I'll let you know." Jason answered.

"Do you want to be a girl, or do you just like dressing like one?" Sue asked.

"I'm not sure. The time that I get to spend as Kelly is really wonderful. When I get dressed, I can feel myself relax and just get comfortable with myself. When I'm Jason, I feel more … tense and like I have to watch what I do and what I say, so that people don't see Kelly in me. I think a lot about how wonderful it would be to actually be a girl. At the same time, I know that I can never really be biologically a girl on the insides. There are surgeries and medicines I could take to help me look and feel more like a girl, and I do think about them, but they scare me. The thought of cutting off my, well you know, is kind of scary, though there are times when I would do it in a minute, if I could. Then again, someday I want to be a parent and I need that part of me for that to happen. Plus, if Julie and I somehow manage to stay together, till we are old enough, she might have something to say about that as well."

"Kelly that will be your call, if we are still together, we will work it out. I guess I wasn't able to hide how I felt from Kathy and Sue, there is no doubt that I like the way girls look. But I always thought that a girls, well you know down there, is gross. But if we are still together at that time and you need to have that surgery to make you look like a girl down there, I think I can get past that."

"Ok, but why do you think you feel this way?" Kathy asked.

"I wish I could answer that. I just do. Dr. Daniels tells me there are lots of theories. Some suggest that it's all controlled by the way the brain is wired. Apparently, studies suggest that transgendered men have brains that look more like women's brains. I don't know; I just know it feels right."

Sue looked thoughtful, "Even with surgery though, like you said, you can never be fully female. You can't get pregnant; you don't have to deal with a period."

Julie jumped in, "Sue! ..."

Sue looked at Julie and said, "Julie, wait. Look those things are so much a part of being female. Kelly I don't mean to sound condescending, because I want to be supportive, but what do you think about that. I want to understand."

"Julie, it's ok. I told them I would answer their questions, and it is a fair question."

"No, Kelly it isn't. Are women that have gone through menopause still women? They can't get pregnant, and they don't have periods. Sue would not say they were not fully women." Julie said indignantly.

"Of course not, but they spent most of their lives dealing with it. It's not the same." Sue answered.

"Sue, there are also women that for various reasons cannot have children and there are some medical problems that can cause a women to never have a period. You still would not question it." Julie said.

"Julie, I don't know. I really don't. There is more to being a woman than periods and worrying about being a baby time bomb, but I don't know. I just want to know what Kelly thinks about it. I am not trying to attack her." Sue stated.

"Sue. I don't have an answer for you. I am jealous of you all because someday you can have children. I know what a period is, from health class, but I have no real understanding of what it means to you as women to have to deal with it every month. I know enough to know that it is unpleasant. But let me ask you a question, if you could take a magic pill, and wake up male tomorrow and never have to deal with another period, would you?"

"No. Periods are a nuisance, but I like being female. I don't want to be a guy." Sue said.

"Whereas, I'm sure that if I could take that pill to make me fully female, I would do it in a minute; I would deal with the nuisance too."

Sue nodded, saying, "I see. Alright Kelly I understand." Sue got up, went over to Jason and gave him a hug. "Kelly, you are as much a girl as I am."

Kathy picked up the discussion, "Kelly that's interesting; you said you were not sure about surgery, but you wouldn't hesitate to take a pill?"

"No. The hypothetical pill would make me completely female, without any of the negatives from surgical solutions."

"What if you found that you really preferred being male afterwards?" Kathy said.

"It would still be worth it to finally know. Part of my problem is that I have this incredible desire to know what it feels like to be female. What is it like to have real breasts, and to have a pus ... I mean vagina instead of a penis down there. You know you girls actually have an advantage; you know what it was like to not have breasts. For me it's like this incredible itch that I can never scratch. Hell yes, if I had the opportunity to really know, I would jump at it. Sorry Julie, you might as well know that now. God knows what they will come up with in our lifetime."

"It's ok Kelly. Hell, maybe I'd take the male pill if you take the female pill. I like being female, but if you got any prettier…"

"Ok, ok… ladies, enough…" Kathy laughed.

"So Kelly, when are we going to get to meet this wonderful makeup specialist? I love makeup, and you and Julie had makeovers without me!"

"I don't know Kathy, but I will ask my Aunt if we can have another session sometime with Michele."

Julie said, "Well if we are done grilling Kelly, how did you do today, did you find your dress for the dance?"

"Yes, it's great. Mom wouldn't let me bring it in to show you, but it's perfect."

"You should see the little black dress Kelly has; I wish she could wear it to the dance. She looks so hot in it." Julie said.

"I wish! I'll be stuck with a boring dress shirt, slacks and a blasted tie." Jason said.

"I'd rather wear a tie then pantyhose." Kathy said.

"I'd put up with pantyhose to wear the dress." Jason replied.

"Well, you have to show us this dress then." Sue said, and Kathy immediately chimed in with her agreement.

Jason soon succumbed to peer pressure and went up and changed into his black dress. When he came back down, Kathy and Sue just stared dumbfounded, and Julie laughed at them.

"See I told you, it really is a shame she can't go to the dance that way. I would love to have her on my arm, wouldn't that cause an uproar?"

"Oh yes, it certainly would." Kathy answered.

"Kelly, if anyone ever questions your being a girl, they could not have seen you like that." Sue said.

"Thanks. Now, I'm feeling remarkably overdressed, so if you don't mind, I'm going to go get changed back."

"Go ahead Kelly." Julie told him.

When he was gone, Julie said, "You two ok? I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you before, especially about me. I hated keeping it a secret, but I really care about Jason, and I don't want him hurt."

"Jules, we meant it. We are happy you have found someone to make you happy. We liked Jason right from the start, but now that we have seen him as Kelly, I can see how much she is a part of him. If he tried to suppress her, it would kill him. We’re going to do whatever we can to help."

"Thanks Kathy; thanks Sue." Julie said, giving them both hugs.

Jason walked back in and said, "Hey, where is mine!"

Julie went over and gave him a big hug too.

They spent the rest of the day listening to music, talking and just hanging out. They got on the Anderson's computer and had Jason create a screen name for Kelly, so that she could join in their online chats, since time for the four of them to spend together, with Jason as Kelly, would be limited; it would seem a little strange for them to be over at Jason's house without John and Steve, on a regular basis.

In Jason's dreams that night, he was at the dance with Julie, in his black dress, walking on clouds.