Kaylie's computer hack is discovered and we learn the consequences. After the science intensive Kaylie is ready to join Hillary at Girl Scout camp.

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Pamela, Patricia, and Kaylie stood nervously as their automatic fire-control software continued to aim and hit the elusive digital target. Finally the computer security cadre told them they could shut down their program.

At that point the lead instructor declared that the competition was over and the PP&K trio was the clear winner. A wave of chatter started through the room. Suddenly Nancy B. stormed toward the instructors at the front of the room.

"They cheated, just like I warned you. It is because who those two are. I ..."

The lead instructor remained calm. "Ms. Nancy Black, please sit down. We will discuss what happened as a class. However, the PP&K team got highest space war targeting score and won the 'shoot-out' competition. They have earned the outstanding programming award for this science intensive session. Now, everyone let us give these three girls a round of applause."

After a few moments the shouts and clapping quieted down.

"Now I will present awards to the runner-up team and also awards for 'best collaboration,' 'most creative design,' 'most helpful to others,' 'most rapid improvement,' and 'best documented code.' Certificates of accomplishment will be given to everyone who participated because you all made a great effort the past few days."

"It looks like nearly every team gets some award," Kaylie whispered to her team.

"That is how women are. We encourage and support each other," replied Pat.

The presentations were accompanied by more clapping, high-fives, and supportive comments. After a while the instructor got more serious and called on the PP&K team.

"So, maybe you three can tell us honestly how you were able to hit the target so successfully. Especially explain what was going on after you stopped using the keyboard. No evasion, no denial, just the truth."

The three looked at each other. Kaylie realized that as the instigator she needed to confess.

"We put a secret subroutine into our game software that calculated the target trajectory and automatically controlled the aiming and firing timing for us. We followed the rules and did nothing to tamper with the target's evasion subroutine. We did the aiming calculations based on the time and location of the five most recent digital steps of the target."

She looked around the room. There was a mix of wonderment from some, hostility from others, and an amazingly calm look from the instructors.

"I believe we played by the rules as they were written. I do not think we did anything wrong."

"And why did none of us notice this subroutine when we looked at your source code?" the assistant instructor asked.

"I suggested to the team that we keep it hidden. There were no comment lines indicating its purpose and the variable names were deliberately uninformative."

"Cheaters!," Nancy B screamed which encouraged a few others to join in.

The lead instructor managed to get the room settled down again, and then began to speak.

"These three girls did something that is in the best tradition of the Feminist Republic. They studied the rules of combat and then used the rules, including the omissions and loopholes, to their advantage. This is exactly how the Feminist resistance developed cyberweapons over the many years during the Era of Oppression and kept them hidden until the conflicts started during the Time of Trouble.

"A hero of classic antiquity, Alexander the Great, was told by an oracle that whoever loosened the Gordian Knot would rule the world. Many had tried unsuccessfully to untie the knot. Alexander approached the knot, drew his sword, and cut through it. He went on to create an empire stretching from Europe to India.

"By designing an automatic fire control system these girls showed the same determination, imagination, and cleverness that Alexander did. They all deserve extraordinary recognition."

Then the computer security cadre got up and went to the front of the room. There was a serious look to her demeanor.

Cadre's telling of Cyberwarfare History

"What the team of Patricia Ruhr, Pamela Leland, and Kaylie Clark did was a perfect example of what has protected Feminism ever since the beginning of Feminist resistance to the patriarchy during the Era of Oppression. Most video game players, especially adolescent boys and unemployed men, treat the contest as a hand-eye coordination challenge. They become ecstatic about the simulated violence that is vividly portrayed in professionally developed games. To them winning consists of punching the aiming keys and hitting the firing key at the right time to obliterate the target, nothing more. Our winning trio used brains to triumph over a well-engineered opponent by applying computer technology to their advantage. In an very short time they have learned a great deal about computer programming; the feminine traits of intense study and attention to details is what enabled females to dominate computer science. Our winning team skillfully wrote a hidden piece of code that gave them secret power to overcome the elusive target that the your instructors provided. Hidden code is how Feminists prepared during the Era of Oppression and what enabled them to triumph during the Times of Trouble.

"The PP&K team deserve special recognition for their skill and cleverness with software. Let me give you one example of how hidden code was crucial during the Times of Trouble. How many of you know about the Battle of Portland? No one? Then listen because this is important history. As you have been told many times during the Era of Oppression the female programmers and engineers spent decades embedding secret code in both software and firmware. Virtually every computer chip, operating system, and software app produced during the Era of Oppression contained these hidden latent weapons.

"Male managers in the defense industry were oblivious to the threat caused by using off-the-shelf microprocessor chips in what was supposed to be highly secure military hardware. When the Battle of Portland began the misogynist National Guard troops from the tradition-bound states assembled outside the city and their commander issued a ultimatum to surrender or be attacked. The men had a formidable array of troop transports, armored combat vehicles, and attack drones. But the Feminist defenders were ready. Their cyberwarfare experts were at their consoles as their high-speed computers monitored every digital signal between the enemy troops and their high-tech equipment that used wireless communication links.

"The Feminist commander responded to the ultimatum with a sarcastic reply "Guard your nuts!" which had major implications for the male enemy. The battle began. First all the GPS-based navigation signals were scrambled. Next, software commands were sent to the ground vehicles that disabled the engines. Moments later the Feminists seized control of the drones causing them to take off, hover above the enemy forces, and discharge warning volleys of bullets. Now a return ultimatum was issued: "Retreat from your vehicles or we will begin using lethal force." Most of the misogynists began running from their vehicles as the drones began attacking. Soon the men realized they were helpless and all surrendered. This was a decisive battle because it revealed a fatal vulnerability that applied to all the misogynist military and police. In the days that followed other attempts by the patriarchal government to suppress the Feminists met a similar fate. After a series of increasingly humiliating defeats the balance of the conflict shifted and there were no more attempts to invade the declared Feminist enclaves. During the peace negotiations the Feminist continued to launch highly effective cyberattacks on crucial infrastructure in the patriarchal territories. The men knew where these attacks were coming from, but had no understanding of the nature of their software vulnerabilities. Of course, these vulnerabilities had been planted over decades and could not be corrected quickly even if the men had the technological know-how. This story illustrates why the Feminist Republic nurtures science and math talent, but only in individuals who fully accept the social and political vision of Feminism.

"What the PP&K team did is also an example of why the Feminist Republic is so concerned about preventing males from having access to the math, science, and computer skills that underlie modern technology. These skills are too powerful to place in the hands of anyone who is not totally reliable and fully committed to the ideals of fairness and justice that motivate us as Feminists. In our society women rule and control government, science, the arts, and the raising of children. Males are restricted, but are given a choice of pleasant lifestyles where they exchange socially useful work for abundant entertainment and pleasures. Our society has developed measures that control the aggression and uncontrolled emotions that are unfortunately associated with excessive levels of testosterone.

"Let me explicitly address an issue. Some girls in this room are upset because two of the winners started out as Special Boys. Our education system looks for exceptional talent in those persons who had the misfortune to be assigned male at birth. Intelligence is not a sex-linked trait and gender is only a social construction. Boys with exceptional talent are given the opportunity to be feminized, and then be officially reassigned to the female gender. Patricia and Kaylie are now legally girls and are to be treated as such. They are showing exactly the skills we are trying to nurture."

The security cadre sat down and the lead instructor prepared to end the session.

"You all have done extremely well during this science intensive. The experiences you have had here will prove valuable in providing context for your work in high school as you prepare yourselves as technological defenders of our Feminist society. Enjoy the rest of your summer."

Pamela indicated that she wanted to talk as Kaylie and Patricia gathered their things and got ready to head home.

"Well, everything turned out all right. I am sorry I doubted you two."

"Well, we took a risk and it paid off. I am ready to relax for a few weeks at scout camp. How about you Pat?"

"My mother is taking me on a trip to visit museums and historic sites. I signed up for a club that studies the occurrence of Fibonacci numbers in natural systems - we meet online. Other than that a lot of reading.

" You two have a good time at scout camp. I'll see you back here at Marie Curie High School in the Fall."

"Patricia, you are a model super student. I admire you. But I am really looking forward to camp. My friend Hillary Lee and I are going to be in the same cabin along with Pamela and her friend Stacy. I need to get away from math and science for a while."

"See you later. Bye."

Getting Ready for camp.

Ann was busy helping Kaylie get packed for her first time at summer scout camp. Several shopping trips were required since she still had not acquired a full range of girl clothes. Ann bought Kaylie her first complete Girl Scout uniform with the white blouse and green sash and then got both the dark pants and the tan skort options for the bottom portion of the uniform. They also stocked up on rugged, outdoorsy outfits and on sports bras for activities. More interesting for both was the first experience shopping for girl's swimwear. At Mother's insistence they settled for a modest one-piece suit that was not very flattering, but was a good fit on her still developing figure (or lack thereof).

Mother also suggested getting a white, frilly, very well-padded bra. "This bra will look good under your scout uniform blouse," she said with a proud smile.

Kaylie was a bit nervous about the upcoming experience. She would be doing new things and learning new skills in a more structured environment than she had ever experienced during previous summers as a boy. She knew she would also be navigating friendships and relationships, especially with her friends Hillary, Stacy, and Pamela.

Departure day arrived. Kaylie and Ann had a tearful good-by while other girls from the neighborhood were also showing up at the pickup point for the camp bus. Luggage was hauled from the cars and shoved into the baggage compartment underneath and the first girls to arrive rushed aboard to grab the best seats.

Kaylie and Hillary sat near the middle of the bus, and Stacy and Pamela claimed the pair of seats across the aisle. The ride was just over an hour, but seemed much shorter, because an older girl with a cheerleader personality picked up a microphone and began talking in the front of the bus. She introduced herself as Pauline, said she had been working at the Girl Scout camp for three seasons now, then began telling stories and leading songs. As the bus approached the camp Pauline gave instructions about unloading, finding your assigned cabin, and getting ready for the orientation talk by the camp director.

As they had requested Kaylie, Hillary, Stacy, and Pamela were in the same cabin. It was a rustic structure with two bunk beds, a table with chairs, and a spartan bathroom at the far end of the common room. There was immediately a bit of negotiation about who would get the top bunks.

"Neat place," Kaylie exclaimed.

"I don't know. At home I have a bigger bedroom all to myself," whined Pamela.

"Get over it. This is scout camp, not a luxury hotel."

"Yes, but remember that four girls are all going to have to share a single bathroom when we get going every morning. Last year, there was one girl in my cabin who hogged the mirror putting on her glamour makeup."

"Do most girls wear makeup when at camp?" Kaylie meekly asked. "I'm new at being at a girls' camp and didn't know I should bring my cosmetics."

"A few Queen Bees and Fashionistas paint their faces every day, but most of us don't bother except for the formal occasions like the Awards Ceremony and the closing Mother-Daughter banquet. Don't worry, we can all loan you what you didn't bring to look glamorous for those few times."

"Regarding the bathroom. Everyone just needs to respect each other's space and share."

"Let's get going. The orientation session is in a few minutes."

The girls hurried to the camp amphitheater and found places on the semicircle of log benches. The amphitheater was built in a natural hollow so the rows of benches climbed the gentle hillside giving everyone an excellent view. Many of the girls were excited to be greeting friends from previous summers and the high-pitched noise was deafening.

The camp director, Ms. George, was an intimidating woman with a loud voice and a muscular build. There was a rumor that she had received awards for heroism in actual physical combat during the time she spent in the Feminist Republic Self-Defense Forces. Fortunately, Kaylie had heard that the director was good at delegating and most of the girl's interaction would be with the huge team of camp counselors. The counselors were older high-school and college-age girls who had excelled in camp in previous years. The few that Kaylie had met so far were all very friendly, knowledgeable, and supportive.

Suddenly Ms. George's voice boomed from the loudspeakers mounted on the light poles. "Welcome to Camp Winnemucca girls! Everybody shout 'Hello' to all your new and old friends."

The screaming finally died down and Ms. George continued. "Camp Winnemucca was named for the Native American woman Sarah Winnemucca a Piute who lived in way back in the 1800s and had extraordinary knowledge of the wilderness. She was also a woman who fought for human rights. She had excellent language skills and traveled extensively to speak and write on behalf of Native American tribes, forcing members of the dominant white patriarchy to acknowledge the mistreatment of her people. Here at camp you will learn about Sarah and about many other outstanding women like her who can become your role models.

"You will have fun, but will also learn important skills. Your experiences will combine exercises based on military reconnaissance and primitive wilderness survival. You will learn to find routes, send messages, gather and cook foods, and build shelters. You will also have a chance to develop your personal values and learn to be of service to others."

The orientation lecture continued for a long time. Daily schedule, location of camp resources, safety rules, options for various projects and much more was covered. Again and again Ms. George came back to the importance of activities to build the character and skills that Feminist women need in a hostile world. Pamela was listening intently, Stacy was looking around, and Kaylie was wishing she could ask Hillary about what camp was like last year. Finally the session began to end.

"Enjoy your time here at Camp Winnemucca. Remember that each group of two or three cabins will be organized as a small-group patrol lead by a counselor. Head back and plan to meet your patrol leader outside your cabin in half an hour. Now let's have a camp cheer! Follow after me:"

"We are the Winnemuccas,
And we can't be beat
Because we got the outdoor skills,
to knock boys off their feet!"

Kaylie joined in with the chorus of high-pitched voices. The sounds of excited girls reminded her how lucky she was that her voice had not deepened before she started on hormones. As the chanting came to an end she continued to think about her own situation. Being a girl definitely was much better than the alternative, but she felt sorry for the boys she had known in middle school. There was so much that they were going to miss out on. On the other hand, a lot of the boys had chosen to drop out in fifth or sixth grade so they would be done with the structured school environment and could join the older boys and men at the work camps. A lifestyle centered on mindless work and relaxation based on alcohol, drugs, electronic entertainment, and pornography sounded totally disgusting to Kaylie, but a lot of the boys she grew up with seemed excited by the idea. Kaylie's thoughts were brought back to the present by the closing announcement.

"OK girls, time for our afternoon activity. Go back to your cabins where you will meet your patrol counselor. Today she will teach you how to secretly signal your companions."

Kaylie and Hillary walked together to the meeting point with Pamela and Stacy following behind. Four other girls from an adjacent cabin were apparently also in the patrol. Paula Steiner, their patrol counselor, greeted everyone with bubbling enthusiasm. Paula was few years older than the four campers, and was wearing shorts and a tee-shirt that accented her figure.

"Let's go sit under that tree over there and get started. We will create a pretend situation based on real events. I will teach you an important communication skill that may prove useful sometime.

"Suppose you want to let your friends know where you are without alerting a hostile enemy, what could you do? And no, the answer is not to call them on the phone. For this exercise assume that there is no electronic communication. And you cannot shout because that would let the enemy know where you are."

After a moment of silence Pamela spoke up. "I remember last year we learned to make bird song sounds that appear natural."

"Wonderful! That is exactly what we are going to do again. Each of you will pick a bird and learn to whistle that bird's song. Once you have mastered your own call we will have a game where you learn to recognize and remember each other's bird call.

"Why do we have to learn this? It does not sound like anything that would ever happen," complained one of the girls from the other cabin.

Paula was patient. "During the Times of Trouble the Feminists were able to succeed because they had ways to communicate that were not dependent on modern electronic devices. In many battles the Feminists used their cyberweapons to totally shut down electronic communication in the area. The misogynist male forces were rendered helpless because they had become totally dependent on electronic messaging and had no way to communicate beyond the sound of their desperate voices.

"A big part of Girl Scout camp is to teach each new generation of girls the primitive skills that allow us to survive and overcome in an era of ongoing electronic warfare. You will learn to prepare food without electricity by cooking on a campfire. You will learn to send text messages with a flashlight using Morse code and also by using what are called semaphore flags. You will learn to navigate in the woods without a GPS-based device. Girl Scouts earn Merit Badges when they master various wilderness skills, self-sufficient living skills, and community service topics. When you have earned sufficient merit badges you move up in rank to become a higher level scout. Here at Camp Winnemucca we will emphasize outdoor reconnaissance and survival skills. Learning these things is fun and will build your self-confidence, especially when you show the mastery to earn a merit badge.

"Now Pamela, what was your bird call last year? Can you do it for us?"

Pamela thought a moment then whistled what sounded like " what cheer, what cheer."

"Great, I immediately recognized that as a cardinal. You must have practiced a lot last year to remember it so well."

The next half hour was a cacophony of hoots, chirps, whistles, and throat sounds an the eight girls in the patrol learned and practiced various bird calls. Eventually each had picked out a favorite as their private signal, and Paula began making sure each could identify everyone else.

"Hillary, you're next"

"Drink-your-tea-ee-ee-ee. Drink-your-tea-ee-ee-ee. That was the Rufous-sided Towhee."

"And Kaylie.?"

"Who’s awake? me too, who’s awake? me too, I'm the Great Horned Owl."

"Finally you Stacy."

"Sweet sweet I’m so sweeeeet. A yellow warbler."

"Great job girls. We will finish the afternoon with an identification game. Everyone will use their scout neck kerchief as a blindfold. When I tap one of you on the shoulder you will give your bird call signal and everyone else will call out who it is."

Finally the afternoon activity was over and the girls headed back to their cabin to get ready for dinner.

"I think that was a dumb thing to spend time on two years in a row," grumbled Pamela.

"I don't agree. It might be useful sometime. Besides it was fun to learn all those bird calls. It is nice to be able to identify the real birds you hear in the woods."

"Kaylie, remember how scared you were in the woods when you took that walk on the nature trail? And how scared you were when my mother stopped the car on Riverside Drive?"

"Yes, Pam. But I am getting more confident now."

"Well, self-confidence is a big part of what camp is about," added Hillary.

"Lets hurry up and head to the dining hall."

After a unremarkable dinner of camp food the girls were directed to the amphitheater where a roaring campfire was already blazing. As twilight approached the counselors began telling stories and leading songs. Finally it was dark and the girls had to stumble their way back to their cabins by starlight and the dim lights on camp buildings.

"Why did they not let us bring flashlights to the amphitheater?"

"The want us to realize how much we can see with our night vision. Do you notice that the moon was low on the horizon and set before the sun did tonight? It will be the new moon in a couple more days."

"I never learned to pay attention to things like that"

"Here's our cabin finally. It's late. Let's get to bed."

The next day began the standard camp routine starting with a hearty, but healthy, breakfast in the dining hall followed by room cleanup and then preparation for a full day of activities. The patrol was becoming a unit and the girls from the other cabin came over to join in the girl gossip, joking, and harmless pranks. Camp activities left little unstructured time, but they all enjoyed what they had.

Paula finally got her patrol organized and started handing out the items they would need for the day. Some of the girls looked bewildered when they were given things like an old-fashioned analog watch, a magnetic compass, paper maps, a real hard-bound book with sky charts, a measuring stick and other antiques. After loading their packs they followed Paula to a small clearing by the lake shore.

"Today we are going to learn navigation techniques using the sun, maps, and dead reckoning. We will also learn to figure out heights and distances using triangulation, you know, basic geometry. Then tonight instead of campfire we will learn to find our direction from the stars."

"What's dead reckoning?" asked Connie. She was the most outgoing and assertive of the girls from the other cabin.

"Dead reckoning is finding your way to a destination by keeping track of your direction and how long you have been traveling. If your destination is a mile north and you are going cross country then by dead reckoning you know to walk as straight north as you can and continue for about half an hour. That will put you very close, and with practice you will walk right to where you wanted to go. If you are in a boat on the lake over there you will go faster than walking in the woods and will be able to get to a point a mile north in twenty minutes of steady paddling.

"The high school girls, the ones one or two years older than you, do an exercise where the counselors set up flags for each patrol on the far shore. During the day the girls have to use triangulation to figure out the direction and distance to their flag. Then at night, in the dark, they need to use dead reckoning to paddle their canoe over to get their flag and then bring it back to the dock. You will do an easier exercise tonight, but still harder than the navigation problem you all did last year."

Except for those of us who did not go to Girl Scout camp last year, thought Kaylie. Her thoughts about the years she had wasted as a boy were interrupted by Connie.

"That seems like another stupid to do. Why learn to do dead reckoning when you can just use the navigation app on your phone?"

"Well, remember that today you were told to leave your phones behind in the cabin. But, in real life you might have lost your phone, or the batteries might have gone dead. But most importantly, modern electronic devices are vulnerable to cyberattack and might not work when you need them. Worse they could have been hacked to mislead you."

"Isn't that what happened to the men during the Times of Trouble?" asked Pamela.

"Exactly, during the battles the misogynist forces were totally helpless once the Feminists released their secret weapons. You will hear this message again and again because it is essential to understanding both history and current policies. The men could not find their way because hidden code that had been planted in commercial GPS navigation microprocessors years earlier that allowed the Feminists to manipulate all the enemy's navigation equipment. At times the Feminists used false navigation signals to lead men into traps where they could be captured.

"During the Era of Oppression boys became more sedentary and spent less time outdoors. They excelled at playing violent video games, but lost the kinds of primitive technology skills you are learning here in camp. The men were helpless once their electronic devices had been hacked.

"Remember our camp cheer - 'we got the outdoor skills / to knock boys off their feet.' Now let's get back to learning basic navigation. We have a lot to do before lunch. This afternoon you will practice these skills then have time for swimming. Remember that after dinner we will learn night navigation by the stars so bedtime will be late."

Paula took out some hard-copy printed information cards and passed them out. "No electronic reading devices today," she said with a grin.

There followed an intense, fact-filled session on the position of the sun, moon, and stars by time of day and season, and exercises in triangulation to measure heights and distances.

Most of the navigation material was very mathematical which enabled Kaylie to keep up with the pace even though she had not been in scout camp the previous years like the other girls. Finally it was time for afternoon swimming and Paula directed the girls to run to their cabins and get changed.

Hillary and Kaylie set a quick pace and lead the patrol back along the lakeshore path and across the open field to their cabins. They quickly grabbed their swim suits and towels and followed Paula to the changing shelter by the beach. There was an outdoor shower to wash off mud and sand, and inside was a single room with benches and clothes hooks on the walls.

Looking around Kaylie realized that she was going to have to change in front of the rest of the patrol. She wished that she had changed at the cabin then put her outer clothes back on. Too, late now. She had been undressed in front of Hillary and Stacy on sleepovers, but the four girls in the other cabin were still basically strangers. And, worse girls from other patrols were also heading into the changing shelter. The camp sessions were grouped by age brackets and this time period was all girls who were also finishing Middle School. Old enough to start showing a lot more figure than me, thought Kaylie. After considering her situation Kaylie decided that she had nothing to hide 'down there.' Following the example of the others she simply faced the wall as she pulled off her shirt, shorts, sports bra, and panties. She quickly pulled on her black one-piece bathing suit and was ready.

With giggles and screams the girls headed into the water as Paula and the other patrol leaders tried to maintain some order. Everyone was directed to swim over to a float anchored a short way out, swim around it, and then head back. As she struggled to follow the others Kaylie was grateful that boys at least got basic survival swimming lessons in physical education class. Most of the girls were much stronger swimmers and several were able to smoothly glide around the circuit twice while Kaylie went around once then dragged herself up on the beach panting.

On the way back to the changing shelter Hillary came up beside Kaylie and gave her a nudge.

"That wet swimsuit is really clings to you doesn't it"

"Yeah, so what?"

"Kaylie, you are starting to show a little bit."

Kaylie looked down at her chest. There really were noticeable bumps above the shelf bra that was built into the swim suit. Finally, she thought. Self-consciously she balanced a towel on her shoulders as she turned to the wall and quickly changed back into her dry clothes.

There was a short break before dinner to be followed by the outdoor star gazing session to learn navigation by the constellations. While waiting for meal time the girls in the patrol sat chatting outside their cabins.

"Today was mostly review for me, how about you?," asked Connie, the extroverted girl in the other cabin.

"Same here."

"Yeah, each year at camp they build on what we did the year before. Where are Pam and Stacy?"

"Here they come. Sit down and join us. "

Stacy sat down and started thumbing through a printed copy of the scout handbook. "I am really enjoying all these outdoor navigation exercises; they are all real confidence builders."

"And part of the fun of being a girl. Boys never get to learn stuff like this," Connie added. "Our culture wants to keep boys totally dependent on technology to find there way to their jobs and back. Navigation technology helps keep men from wandering away from the work camps and causing trouble."

"How so?"

"If a male tries using his limited-purpose phone to navigate somewhere where he is not authorized to be the phone sends a message to the police and they quickly track him down."

"Serves them right. Think of all the misogynist countries in the world where women are confined to the home and cannot travel without a member of the patriarchy."

"I am looking forward to the rest of the week. We will be doing a lot more exciting things than we did last year."

Connie noticed that Kaylie had been sitting quietly and tried to draw her in. "What do you think about all these primitive skills exercises. You have been doing well at them. Did you go to a different camp last summer? I don't remember seeing you back then."

Kaylie hesitated then decided the truth would come out eventually anyway. "I was still a boy last summer. This is all new to me."

The four girls from the other cabin stared with their mouths open. There was an uncomfortable moment before someone spoke.

"You must be joking!"

Kaylie looked down "No, it's true."

Connie stood up. "You mean I was in the changing shed with a BOY this afternoon!"

Hillary came to the defense. "No, Kaylie is officially a girl, 100% girl. She was identified last year as a Special Boy at school and with my mother's encouragement I was her peer supporter during the transition. I know she is mentally and socially a girl now."

Stacy and Pamela joined in. "We were in the same school and saw the change happen. It's for real."

"Kaylie is an awesome girl."

"Yes, and she deserves our support."

Connie turned sharply and started to walk away. "Well, I am glad I do not have to share a cabin with YOU."

Hillary and Pamela put their arms around Kaylie. "Don't worry, she will get over it. We'll talk to her when she calms down."

Stacy was looking off in the distance. "Sometimes I still think that making a boy like Kyle into a girl is weird."

"Stacy, her name is Kaylie and she is our friend."

"I know, sorry."

That evening Kaylie and Hillary walked somewhat behind the rest of the patrol as they all headed toward the dining hall while Pam was talking to two of girls in the second cabin.

"Kaylie, you are unusually quiet tonight."

"Yeah." A long silence followed.

Kaylie's nemesis, Nancy B. had shown up at camp. Apparently she had a conflict or something that prevented her from arriving earlier because her mother had personally delivered Nancy to the camp directors office just before dinner. Fortunately she was assigned to another patrol, and her cabin was on the far side of the residential area. On the way to the amphitheater Kaylie noticed that Nancy B, Connie, and Stacy were walking together. She wondered how Nancy knows Connie and why they had teamed up so fast.

At the campfire after dinner there were songs interspersed with a series of both uplifting and cautionary talks by the counselors and even a brief appearance by Camp Director Ms. George. Everything seemed to be building up to some upcoming secret event. Kaylie was still contemplative as she sat watching the flickering flames.

Hillary leaned over. "I think I know what is happening tomorrow night. The counselors aren't supposed to tell us in advance, but I got one of them to at least give me a hint."

"What do they have planned?"